Kiwi Sicilian Food Blog

Sunday, 21 August 2011

Otellos Sicilian Sausage Cacciatore (slow cooker)

Otello's Sicilian Sausage www.otellos.co.nz

Cacciatore in Italian means "hunter". In cuisine, "alla cacciatora" refers to a meal prepared "hunter-style" with tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, herbs, bell pepper as well as some wine.

In the old days hunters used to take cured sausages with them and usually with one pot cast iron pot make a meal in the hunters style. This is a form of cooking that I love and the soft, mild flavour of Otello’s Sicilian Sausage make a great slow cooker recipe. This recipe can easily be expanded to serve more.

Otello's traditional Italian sausages are made from the finest and freshest ingredients - that's it. No gluten, no preservatives and no additives, just 100% New Zealand meat, fresh herbs and spices.

Ingredients

1 kg Otello’s Sicilian Pork Sausages
2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 medium Cloves Garlic, minced
200 grams small button mushrooms cut in half
2 large Green Peppers, sliced
1 large Onion, sliced
1 cup Red Wine
2 teaspoon(s) Italian Seasoning (Recipe below)
800 grams Italian (Roma) diced tomatoes (2 400g tins)
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Method

Heat oil in a heavy based fry-pan on a medium to high heat so the oil is hot but not smoking. Brown Sausages 4 - 5 minutes then cut the Sausage into pieces and transfer to slow cooker. Discard all but 1 Tbsp oil.

Add garlic, mushrooms, peppers and onions to fry-pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, 3 to 4 minutes, until vegetables soften slightly. Add wine and cook 1 - 2 minutes.

Now add the Italian seasoning and tomatos and stir together, season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to simmer and remove from heat.

Add sauce mixture carefully to slow cooker. Cover and cook 3 - 4 hours on HIGH or 6 - 7 hours on LOW.

Italian Seasoning

2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons dried marjoram
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried sage

Method
Combine all ingredients; store in an airtight container.

Otello's Traditional Italian Sausages Made in New Zealand

Click here to visit Otello's website www.otellos.co.nz

Looking for real Italian flavour? Then it's not at all surprising that Otello's Italian pork sausages and salami's still continues the tradition by using recipes handed down through our families, from generation to generation.

In fact we've been passionately making pork sausages and cured meats using only select quality cuts of pork and beef, carefully blended with a traditional mixture of fine spices, for years. And you'll find that passion reflected in every tantalising taste.

Made with the finest ingredients and natural seasoning, our premium quality pork sausages is a must have for traditional Italian cuisine.

Otello's traditional Italian pork sausages are made from the finest and freshest ingredients - that's it. No gluten, no preservatives and no additives, just 100% New Zealand meat, fresh herbs and spices.

Click the recipe card below for a traditional Otello's meal using their Sicilian Pork Sausage

Friday, 19 August 2011

Asparagus Dip (Guacamole Style)

This is a fantastic dip for raw veggies, GF bread wedges or it can be spread on a sandwich maybe a piece of fried bacon or thin chicken breast grilled as a brunch. It tastes similar to avocado guacamole, but is fat-free!

Makes: approximately 2 cups

Ingredients

1 bunch asparagus, woody ends trimmed away, spears cut into 2-inch lengths
Juice of ½ large lemon

2 -3          tablespoons fat-free, plain yogurt (depending on desired creaminess)
2              tablespoons fresh chives or green onions, finely chop
¼            teaspoon sea salt
1              clove garlic, minced or pressed
1              teaspoon ground cumin
2              teaspoons jalapeno pepper, top and seeds removed and finely chop

Directions

Fill a large sauté pan with 25mm/1 inch of water and bring to the boil. Add trimmed asparagus in a single layer (or overlapping just a bit) and cook, uncovered for 6 to 8 minutes until the asparagus is soft, but still bright green. It should be slightly softer then you would normally eat it.

Remove from the pan and place the cooked asparagus into a bowl or pan full of ice water. This is called “shocking” the vegetables and will stop the cooking process. Once the asparagus is cooled completely, remove from ice water and dry well.

Place all ingredients into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until just combined and asparagus is smooth. It should be the consistency of guacamole. Taste to adjust seasoning to required taste. Keep stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.