10/31/13 - 1:30 - Syndicated food columnist Linda Gassenheimer, Special wine correspondent Fred Tasker and WLRN hosts Joseph Cooper and Bonnie Berman interview Olympic Gold Medal Skater, Brian Boitano. He went from champion skating to cooking on the TV Food Network. His new book and title of his TV show is What Would Brian Boitano Make? He helps us celebrate Halloween with tips for a great last minute party.
The South Park Movie song, "What Would Brian Boitano Do?" that inspired the name of Brian's book and TV show:
Halloween Sausage and Beer Stew
I cooked the ingredients in beer which added an intriguing depth of flavor. The treat of this one pot meal is that all of the ingredients are placed in a large pot and are left to cook on their own. To make the meal a little more festive, serve it in a hollowed out pumpkin lined with foil. Unlike most stews which usually take hours of preparation and slow cooking, this one takes only 20 minutes to make. To shorten the timing, I sautéed the sausage, potatoes, onion and green pepper for a few minutes first and then added the remaining ingredients.
There are several types of turkey sausage available in the supermarket meat case. I prefer the mild ones for this dinner; but if you like your stews with a kick, buy the ones marked hot. This dinner will freeze well. If you have time, make double and save half for another quick meal. Serve the stew in large soup bowls with some warm multigrain bread for a festive Halloween meal.
Helpful Hints:
- Any type of beer can be used. The alcohol burns off in the cooking.
- Any type of apple can be used. Granny Smith are tart apples that hold their shape when cooked.
- When using dried spices, make sure the bottle is no more than 6 months old.
Countdown:
- Prepare all of the ingredients.
- Make stew.
ENTREE: HALLOWEEN SAUSAGE, BEER AND POTATO STEW
3/4 pound low fat, mild turkey sausage 3/4 pound sweet potato 1/2 medium onion, sliced (1 cup) 1 medium green pepper sliced, (1 cup) 1 granny smith apple, sliced (1 1/2 cups) 2 large tomatoes, sliced (3 cups) 12 ounces beer 1 teaspoon dried thyme Salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 slices multigrain bread or 2 rolls Cut sausages into 2-inch pieces. Peel sweet potato and cut into 1-inch pieces. Sauté sausage, potato, onion and green pepper in large casserole on medium high for 5 minutes. Add the apple, tomatoes, beer and thyme. Bring to simmer, cover with a lid, and simmer gently 15 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. While stew simmers, place bread in oven to warm. Makes 2 servings.
SHOPPING LIST
Here are the ingredients you'll need for tonight's Dinner in Minutes:
To buy:
- 3/4 pound mild turkey sausage
- 3/4 pound sweet potato
- 12-ounce can or bottle of beer
- 1 medium green bell pepper
- 1 granny smith apple
- 2 large tomatoes
Staples:
- onion
- dried thyme
- salt
- black peppercorns
