I Ate The Chocodile

Two of my favorite things to warm up with on a chilly day are a hearty cup of soup, and anything chock-full of Capsaicin. (Add to that my increased susceptibility to Umami and it might explain my former pint a week Hot and Sour Soup habit.)

Whole Foods Market has a bountiful selection of fresh-made sausages, many of which are chicken or turkey based. On this occasion, I decided to try out their new buffalo chicken and bleu cheese sausage, made with cayenne-based Louisiana hot sauce, and laced with large crumbles of bleu cheese. I paired it with a Romaine salad laden with lots of finely sliced celery, radishes, chopped tomato and onion, and spiced toasted pecans (recipe follows,) topped with Ken’s Steakhouse Lite Blue Cheese Dressing and a few extra bleu cheese crumbles, and garnished with a pair of crispy celery sticks. While not quite an even substitute for a basket of wings and a round of trivia at my local Buffalo Wild Wings, it certainly made for a flavorful and satisfying meal. The sausage packed quite a little bit of heat, (as the skins crackled, the juices sizzled into a pepper-spray-like vapor,) and the generous bits of melting bleu cheese were delicious. However, my husband’s soup of fire roasted red peppers and tomatoes with smoked Gouda stole the show. The thick, rich puree would make an excellent sauce for cheese tortellini, or rigatoni tossed with chicken and Cremini mushrooms. I may have to introduce a few extra carbs into my diet, since there are a few Portobello ravioli in my freezer that would love to have a swim in it!

Spiced Toasted Pecans

½ Tbsp unsalted butter
2 Tbsp pecan pieces
¼ tsp Seasoned Salt, Cajun Seasoning or steak seasoning*

Melt butter over medium-high heat. Add pecan pieces. Sprinkle seasoning over pecans and toss to coat. Continue to cook until slightly golden, just a few minutes. Remove to a paper towel lined plate and allow to cool fully. Great on salads or tossed in at the last minute with some haricots verts.

Sugar-Free “Candied” Pecans

Follow the same method as for the spiced toasted pecans, substituting 1 packet of Splenda for the seasoning salt. Best enjoyed in a spinach or spring mix salad with bleu cheese crumbles and a raspberry vinaigrette. Oh, if only I could have a few slices of pear…

*I used one part Zatarain’s Creole Seasoning and one part Frontera Red Chile & Tomato Seasoning Salt, purchased in part because I wanted to contribute to Rick Bayless, whom I find to be underrated. I enjoy his anthropological and knowledgeable take on the traditional cuisines of Mexico, not unlike Mario Batali’s style of presenting cultural dishes from the different regions of Italy. I was scouring the cookbook section of Barnes and Noble for gift ideas and noticed that Bayless had been relegated to the Wine & Spirits section, next to a copy of Bartending for Dummies. So I shook my fist in mock anger and bought his tasty sea salt blend from Crate & Barrel.

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