First: What exactly is candy corn? Mine says it is "Made With Real Honey!", but all I can figure is that it's some kind of chewable wax. And yet I can't stay away from it - some idiot put it in a big bowl at the bottom of the stairs, which I must pass 30 times each day, and I can't stop myself from grabbing a few pieces every time I go buy. Arg!
Next: a guest blog from Attorney Mom. It's a good thing I have friends, or I would have no blog these days since life is so crazy...notes in bold are my editorial commentary.
***
Here is what I call a one-pot wonder of a meal: it's easy, delicious, and the clean-up is so fast we make it out the door in time for an after-dinner walk!
Dinner for 2.5 (2 adults, plus toddler):
One fresh Italian sausage, about 1/2 pound (now, what makes this super delish is that the sausage is from our local Fresh Market, and it's spicy, organic and stuffed full of good flavors, including fennel. It's totally worth the trip) (If you live in a real city, you may have a Fresh Market just down the road that you can pop into frequently. Sadly, where we live, it's so far away that yes, we actually have to consider whether it's "worth the trip.")
8 oz. baby bella mushrooms, chopped
1 head broccoli, chopped
1 red or orange pepper, sliced
1 jar tomato sauce (I prefer Paul Newman's brand, any flavor)
Penne, or any pasta shape that your toddler will try
Chicken stock, about 3/4 cup (I like the Kitchen Basics brand)
Start pasta water boiling. Slice sausage, and start sauteeing in chicken stock, about 5 minutes, adding additional stock as necessary. Cover briefly. I like my veggies crunchy, so when the sausage looks about done, I thrown in the broccoli, mushrooms, and pepper, and saute another few minutes. Once sausage and veggies look done, I add tomato sauce to heat. Pasta should be done by now, so drain (do not rinse), and add to the tomato sauce mixture. Voila! A glass of wine and some fruit completes dinner for us (and, happily, if darling toddler tries everything on her plate, we get dessert too!).
Enjoy!
