Recipe of the Week

I have decided to post our favourite recipe of the week each week , unless there is none of course. Cooking is a favourite hobby of mine but all the excitement for me is in trying new recipes, finding the perfect recipe for a favourite food and experimenting so probably 80 percent of the time I am cooking it is a new recipe I have never tried before. May as well keep what you must do everyday exciting instead of letting it get mundane right. So this means we are constantly finding new favourites. Most of them are fairly easy and not much hassle to prepare because I am a mother of a toddler and a baby. A lot of people are short of time for some reason or another so I would love to share the recipes we find with you all. This weeks recipe is a recipe that we keep coming back to from a cookbook we were given at our wedding. I use whatever pasta I have or feel like and substitute my own quick and easy homemade sausage. The recipe follows. This is also really popular with broccoli rabe ( you can substitute spinach or another green if you can't find it) All are really good but for spinach I would just toss it in at the end when everything is done cooking. Spinach any more cooked than just wilted is pretty bitter and slimy in my opinion so I just toss it with hot food
and then it is delicious. I also always chop spinach when cooked and that makes it a lot tastier in food as well. Actually I love it when cooked and prepared exactly as just described but can't stand it overcook or in whole leaves. just me but also a tip for those that have a bad taste for spinach to try it again using these methods. Also a great way to get kids to eat it.

Orecchiette with Broccoli and Italian Sausage
1 bunch broccoli (about 1 pound)
10 ounces Italian sausages
2 Tbsp. olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp. salt
12 ounces orecchiette or small shell pasta
3/4 cup chicken broth
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cut broccoli into florets. If using italian sausage prick the sausages several times. Place in a non-stick skillet with 1/4 cup water and cook over medium heat 10-15 minutes. Pour fat out of skillet and set sausages aside to cool then cut into 1/4 inch slices. In same skillet, heat oil over low heat and add garlic and cook 2 minutes or until tender. Add broccoli, cooked sausage and salt. Add chicken broth, cover and cook 20 minutes or until broccoli is very soft.Meanwhile cook pasta and reserve 1/3 cup pasta water. Add lemon juice to broccoli mixture. Transfer mixture to large bowl, add pasta, Parmesan cheese and reserved pasta cooking liquid and toss well. Mash up broccoi with a wooden spoon or leave whole.

Sausage
1 lb. ground pork or chicken
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 Tbsp. course salt
1/4 Tbsp. black pepper
1/4 Tbsp. fennel
1/2 Tbsp. chopped parsley
1/2 tsp. rubbed sage
2/3 tsp ground marjoram

Mix all ingredients together and marinade in fridge 2 hours. You may then cook how ever you like to be used right away or frozen. I make it into little rounds, cook and freeze in a large ziplock bag. It is then convenient to use in pasta or on pizza for quick meals with minimal prep.