Best Mediterranean Sausage Recipes

SPICY MEDITERRANEAN CHICKEN WITH SAUSAGE-STUFFED CHERRY PEPPERS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Place chicken thighs in a large bowl; season with black pepper, cumin, and 1 teaspoon salt. Set aside.
• Stuff each cherry pepper generously with Italian sausage. Set aside.
• Heat olive oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Place chicken thighs, skin-side down, in pan and brown, about 5 minutes. Turn chicken over and brown other side, about 1 minute. Remove chicken from pan.
• Cook onion in the Dutch oven with pinch of salt over medium-high heat; cook and stir until caramelized, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium; stir in garlic, herbes de Provence, and crushed red pepper.
• Stir in pepperoncini and juices; cook until warmed through, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Place chicken, skin-side up, in a single layer on top of the onions and pepperoncinis in the Dutch oven. Pour stock into the pan until almost covering the chicken.
• Sprinkle artichoke hearts, olives, and stuffed cherry peppers over top of chicken.
• Return to medium-high heat and bring to a simmer.
• Cover and roast in preheated oven until sausage is cooked through and liquid is bubbling, about 1 hour.
• Garnish with chopped basil, oregano, and marjoram.

COUSCOUS SAUSAGE MEDITERRANEAN

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a pan over medium high heat. Add the onion and cook until it softens, about 4-5 minutes.
• Add the crumbled sausage and cook until it is mostly browned, about 7-9 minutes.
• Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. (Careful not to let it burn!) Reduce heat to medium.
• Add the tomato and basil and cook until tomato softens, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Quick now, cook the couscous: bring broth to a boil, add couscous; remove from heat and let stand for 2 minutes. Stir and fluff with a fork.
• Mix cooked sausage mixture with the cooked couscous and crumbled feta (if using). Season to taste with salt, freshly ground black pepper, and squeeze over a bit of freshly squeeze lemon or lime juice. Serve!
• Servings: about 6.
• Mike's suggestions for substitutions/additions: 1 Tbsp finely chopped calamata olive, chopped mushroom, chopped artichoke heart, chopped sundried tomato, sautéed fennel, spinach, chopped cucumber.
• As far as sausage goes, we use our homemade lamb-based French Merguez (also posted here at http://www.food.com/recipe/french-merguez-sausages-culinary-communion-340487) which is astoundingly good. But a flavorful Italian sausage would be good, too. Seasoned turkey sausage would be fine if you want to make it even leaner. Or hey, mmm, chorizo! You can even use vegetarian no-meat sausage, if you like - just pay attention to the seasonings so it doesn't turn out tasting bland.
• Re tomatoes: I dislike cooked tomato peel, so I prefer to not use cherry tomatoes for this dish. Regular chopped fresh tomato is my preference.
• This is a really versatile recipe, you can substitute ingredients to achieve whatever flavor profile you want. Also, we get our couscous in bulk because otherwise it's far too expensive to buy in prepackaged little boxes.

SWEET SAUSAGE MEDITERRANEAN PENNE PASTA

Steps:

• Cook pasta per directions on package.
• Cut asparagus into 1 inch pieces.
• Slice sausage links. In large skillet (we use a wok), sauté sausage and asparagus until almost fully cooked (about 7 - 10 minutes). Remove from skillet / wok and set aside.
• In same skillet / wok, bring butter, garlic, tomatoes (with juices), black olives (drained) and artichokes (including marinade), to a boil.
• Lower heat. Add back sausage and asparagus, basil, and oregano then simmer for 5 minutes.
• Place pasta in serving bowl and pour skillet / wok mixture over pasta.
• Sprinkle with fresh shaved parmesan cheese and serve.

MEDITERRANEAN CHICKEN AND SAUSAGE COUSCOUS POT

Steps:

• Heat a large soup pot with the EVOO over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and brown all over for about 5 minutes. Move the sausage to one side of the pot and then add the sliced chicken. Season liberally with salt and pepper and add the poultry seasoning. Brown the chicken for about 3 minutes, then turn to brown opposite side. Add the onion, garlic, celery, and bell pepper. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the defrosted green beans and the chicken stock. Bring the liquid up to a simmer, then add the olives, capers, orange slices, and orange zest, and stir to distribute. Stir in the couscous and cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid. Turn the stove off and let the pot sit covered for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and add the parsley while fluffing the dish with a serving fork. Serve immediately, making sure everyone gets a sausage link.
• Broths and stocks have come a long way in the last few years, not only with their taste and consistency but with their packaging, too. They now come in resealable paper containers found on the soup aisle right alongside the cans. The paper containers make storage of remaining product easy; always keep some on hand in your refrigerator. Stocks especially add long-cooked flavor to any quick-cooking dish!

MEDITERRANEAN PASTA & SAUSAGE SKILLET

Steps:

• 1. Helpful notes** Have the sausage links semi frozen, makes them easier to slice. I took the casing off. I rinsed the pasta to keep the pasta from absorbing all the sauce as I like the sauce to sop with and also to keep it al dente'.
• 2. Cook the pasta per the directions on package. Drain and set aside. If you can time it right, cook it just before adding to the rest.
• 3. Take the casings off the sausage links and slice the the links. Cut off the tough ends of the asparagus and slice into 1 inch pieces.
• 4. In a large skillet, saute sausage and asparagus, until almost fully cooked, no need to put any oil in. (about 10 mins). Remove from skillet and set aside. In the same skillet, bring butter, garlic, tomatoes with juice, black olives and artichokes, including artichoke marinade to a boil. Lower heat and add back the sausage and asparagus. Add basil and oregano and simmer for 5 to 8 minutes.
• 5. Place pasta in a serving bowl and pour the skillet mixture over pasta. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and serve. **I served this with fresh broccoli & cheese and a crusty bread with olive oil for dipping.

GRILLED MEDITERRANEAN GREEK PIZZA WITH SUNDRIED TOMATO CHICKEN SAUSAGE

Steps:

• 1. Preheat grill on medium setting. 2. Place sausages on an oiled grill rack, set 4 to 5 inches over heat. Grill, using the direct grill method, turning links with tongs, until cooked throughout, about 7 to 9 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. Cool slightly and cut into 1/4 to 1/2-inch slices. 3. Brush both sides of pizza crust with olive oil. Gently place pizza crust, top-side down on grill rack. Grill for 2 to 3 minutes until crust is warm. Turn crust over. 4. Quickly spread pizza sauce on cooked side of pizza crust, then arrange sliced sausage on top of crust. Sprinkle with cheese and oregano. Grill over direct medium heat. Cover with grill lid or tent with foil. 5. Grill for 8 to 10 minutes or until toppings are warm and cheese has melted. Cut into wedges and serve.

MEDITERRANEAN KALE & WHITE BEAN SOUP WITH SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a 4 or 5-quart heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add sausage and cook, working to break into bite sized pieces, until lightly browned, about five minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage to a plate, leaving any rendered fat in the pot.
• Add the remaining olive oil to the pot, increase the heat to medium-high, and add the onion. Cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant and beginning to soften, about 2 minutes.
• Add the carrot and celery and cook, stirring frequently, until they begin to soften and brown, about 2 minutes more. Be sure to scrape any brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
• Stir in the garlic, pepper flakes, salt & black pepper and cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute more. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil over high heat.
• When the broth reaches a boil, reduce the heat to medium, add the sausage along with any collected juices, and HALF of the beans.
• Mash the remaining cup of beans with a fork or wooden spoon and add them to the pot, stirring to distribute.
• Stir in the kale, adjust the heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer, and simmer until the kale is tender, 15 to 20 minutes. (I cover the pot loosely during this step to prevent too much reduction in the broth.).
• Stir in the lemon juice and zest just before serving.
• (It's even better the next day!).

MEDITERRANEAN CHICKEN AND SAUSAGE RECIPE

Steps:

• Pierce sausage with fork. Cook in large skillet on medium-high heat 15 to 20 min. or until browned. Remove from skillet. Cut into pieces; set aside.
• Add 1/4 cup of the dressing and chicken to skillet; cook 10 min. or until chicken is browned on both sides. Stir in sausage, mushrooms, broth and remaining dressing.
• Dissolve cornstarch in water; add to skillet. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; cover. Simmer 15 min. or until chicken is cooked through. Serve over rice.

MEDITERRANEAN SAUSAGE WRAP (WITH VEGETARIAN OPTION)

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a non-stick pan on medium heat.
• For vegetarians, cook the sausage as per package directions (usually microwave).
• For meat, partially cook the sausage as per package directions or your regular method. This usually means boiling, microwaving, or frying.
• Slice the sausage.
• For vegetarians, place the sliced sausage on your wrap.
• For meat, add the sliced sausages, the chopped pepper, and zucchini to the oiled pan, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft but not mushy, and the meat is no longer pink inside.
• While the pan mixture is cooking, cut the onions and avocado.
• Arrange them with the cheese in the open wrap, on a plate. Try to form the filling in a rectangular shape down the middle, leaving at least two inches of space at the bottom and a third of the wrap on either side.
• Add the contents of the pan to the wrap.
• Fold the bottom part of the wrap up over the filling, followed by the two sides. You may have to adjust this a few times to get it snug. If you've got toothpicks, you can use one or two to hold the wrap closed while you get your beverage and walk to the table, etc.
• Enjoy!

MEDITERRANEAN PENNE AND SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package directions.
• While pasta is cooking, brown sausage in large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring frequently to break up sausage with spoon. Drain.
• Stir in spaghetti sauce, tomato paste, olives and water. Reduce heat and simmer about 5 minutes, or until heated through, stirring occasionally.
• Drain pasta; place in large serving bowl. Add sauce and spinach; mix lightly. Add cheese; stir until slightly melted.

MEDITERRANEAN SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Simmer onions in water to cover until translucent, 5-7 minutes. Cool under cold water and drain. Coarsely grind the onions with the chicken using a Kitchenaid or food processor.
• Add the remaining ingredients to the chicken and blend thoroughly with your hands.
• Divide into 4 portions. May use now or freeze for later use.

MEDITERRANEAN PASTA WITH SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Follow cooking directions for italian sausages on package to cook sausage.
• Stir in sauce, olives, and spinach. Heat through. In a large bowl, combine meat sauce with hot pasta. Toss until well cooked.
• Coat a 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
• Pour half the pasta mixture into dish; top with half of cheese. Repeat. Cover with foil.
• Bake in a preheated 350* oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until cheese is melted.