I’ve had a request for more vegetarian recipes around here, but sorry, this is not one. I will get to those, I promise…just not now. This was a salad recipe I spied a few weeks ago that looked like a heaty, warm winter salad. It was, and the mustardy vinaigrette was great with the potatoes and sausage. It’s a healthier alternative to a heavy winter dish of sausage and potatoes. This recipe from For the Love of Cooking was adapted from a Real Simple recipe.
Ingredients:
For the salad:
4 large chicken sausages, sundried-tomato and feta or garlic and herb flavored
3 vine-ripe tomatoes, cut into quarters
1 red onion, cut into large chunks
1 c baby potatoes, halved or quartered, depending on size. you want them bite-sized
2 c button mushrooms, quartered
10-15 asparagus spears, end snapped and stalks cut in half
3-4 cloves garlic, with skins on
1 bag fresh baby spinach
olive oil for drizzling
salt and pepper to taste
Feta or other cheese (optional)
For the dressing:
2 T balsamic vinegar
3 T olive oil
2 T water
2 T whole grain mustard
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a baking sheet, place tomatoes, onion, mushrooms, garlic and baby potatoes. Drizzle with olive oil (maybe 2 T), sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes. Add asparagus and roast for 10 more minutes, until potatoes can be pierced with a knife and asparagus and mushrooms are tender.
Meanwhile, cook the sausages in a skillet over medium heat for 10 minutes, until cooked through and browned. Slice and keep warm.
Whisk together all dressing ingredients in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
When vegetables are done, remove them from the oven. Squeeze garlic out of skins and chop. Put about 1 t of garlic in the dressing and whisk together. Toss the rest of the vegetables with the garlic (use as much as you think you’d like.)
Toss together the spinach, vegtables, sausages and dressing. Divide among plates and spinkle with cheese, if desired.
