Skillet "Salad"

Sweet Italian Sausage Skillet Salad



So, I have all these fresh ingredients kicking around that I need to use up.

Baby spinach
Baby arugula
Clementines (I can never resist those cute little crates of clementines that show up in the stores this time of year, and I can never manage to eat them all before nasty things start happening to them. But I always try. You don't need them for this recipe, as I found out. More later.)
MacIntosh apples
Two of the fresh, mild Italian sausages (they came five to a package). I know I could freeze them, but this will be more fun.
Cremini Mushrooms
some skinny asparagus stalks that I bought over a week ago and nearly forgot about. Still good, but their time is running short
onions
some leftover white wine (how did THAT happen?)

I also have a skinny loaf, called a ficelle, of "bake at home" bread

If this were summer, I would just grill the sausages, cut them up, make a salad with the rest of the stuff and whip up a honey-Dijon dressing, put the sausage chunks on the salad, slice up the bread (or even make croutons) and call it a day.

But it's cold outside and I want a hot meal. So why not a hot salad? If I also had potatoes on hand, I would probably make a hot German potato salad with the sausage and toss in some of the veggies for good measure. Sadly, although they are something I usually do keep on hand, I have no potatoes, because I'm trying to clear out the pantry ahead of a Christmas trip.

I do have eggs, and could try making a quiche, but I'm getting pretty hungry and I don't feel like fooling with a quiche right now. Maybe next time.

So: Hot skillet salad.

Bake the bread according to the directions. Mine takes 10 minutes at 350. I start it first and turn the oven off when it is done, leaving it in the warm oven until the rest of the meal is ready. If I didn't have it, I would put a couple of pieces of bread in the toaster a bit later on in the process..

In the skillet, with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil, sweat on medium heat for a couple of minutes:

1 small onion, chopped (those of you who don't like onion, and you know who you are, can either leave it out or leave it in bigger chunks that are easier to pick out later)

3 Cremini mushrooms, washed and sliced.

Turn the heat up to medium high, scoot the mushroom/onion mix to one side and put in the sausages. I left them whole this time, just to see. Let them brown well on one side (at least four minutes) before turning the first time. Keep an eye on them but don't be fussing with them all the time. While you are waiting, it's time to rinse and dry the greens, chop up an apple, and wash and snap off the tough ends of the asparagus. Those could be saved for soup, or put in the compost. If you don't happen to have asparagus, no big deal. If you happen to have some green beans or sugar snap peas, a handful of those would be good.

I also disassembled a couple of clementines, but to be honest they got bitter tasting and I will leave them out next time, or add them cold at the end for a temperature contrast and their sweetness.

If you didn't have a nice loaf of fresh bread, this might be when you'd stick some slices in the toaster.

When the sausages are brown all around, and in the case of mine, starting to pop out of the casing at the end,. start adding the chopped up ingredients, starting with things that take longest. For me, that was asparagus (or whatever) first, then apple (you don't want it to turn into applesauce), with spinach and arugula last. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Pour in about a half cup of white wine. Add another tablespoon or two of olive oil and a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar (or any flavored vinegar you like). Yes, you have just made a hot salad dressing/sauce with the wine, oil and vinegar, plus the juices from the sausage and veggies. It might seem like too much liquid. It isn't.

Let it bubble for a minute or two while the leafy greens wilt. Taste a bit to see if you want to add salt/pepper/nothing.

Good time to shave off a few bits of Parmesan. I used my Oxo vegetable peeler -- I think my friend Star showed me that trick.

Tear off a couple of hunks of bread , or tear up the toast, and put in the bottom of the bowl.
Fish out the sausages and slice into "coins" or hunks or whatever you like.
Spoon or pour the hot salad into the bowl on top of the bread, which will soak up some of that lovely dressing, and arrange the sausage on top. Add the Parmesan shavings. Grab a fork.

Yes, because of all the ingredients, this makes more than one serving. At least two. I am not sure the leftovers will reheat well. On the other hand, they might turn into a decent hot and sour soup, especially if I pluck out the clementine bitter bits. (See above for another way to use leftovers by turning them into filling for puff pastry appetizers.)

When eating this, be sure to try different combinations of the ingredients in different bites. And dig down and nab some of the dressing-soaked bread!