“Make It Snappy” is presented by Goldfish Swim School of Chapel Hill. With recipes that only take 45 minutes or less to prepare, Christy helps you stay afloat at dinner time!
As this dreary winter drags along, my family and I are craving the comfort of warm, hearty meals. And I, as always, am seeking new and creative ways to get my young boys to taste and enjoy vegetables. As I have mentioned in the past, I find that serving my kids a one dish meal prevents them from skipping over and picking around vegetables because I have stirred all the meal components together in one bowl.
I’m also relying on a family favorite to ensure that the boys are willing to try this dish: apples. They love apples for snack after school and they will do just about anything for a cup of apple juice. They don’t get to have juice very often, so when they do, it’s cause for excitement. Being able to tell them that I’ve made dinner using apple juice as a main ingredient is sure to get them to at least give it a taste. Better yet, next time I’ll invite them into the kitchen and have them help me prepare dinner to get them even more invested in the final product.
My time-saving grocery store trick this month isn’t even one I actually used! If you would rather not trim and slice your own brussels sprouts, our local grocery stores do offer pre-cut brussels sprouts in the refrigerated cases of the produce section. I enjoy the process of slicing veggies, so I prefer to do it myself, but you could certainly save a few minutes of preparation in buying the prepared vegetables ahead of time.
Chicken apple sausage can be found in all of our local stores and may be substituted with any flavor of chicken sausage you prefer. This meal is not only quick and simple, but it’s a fairly healthy way to serve your family a hearty dish without overloading them with excess fat and calories.
CHICKEN APPLE SAUSAGE WITH TOASTED PEARL COUSCOUS
By: Christy Bray Graves
SERVES: 6
INGREDIENTS
For the Sausage and Vegetables
- 2 TBSP olive oil
- 2 tsp apple juice
- 10 oz. chicken apple sausage (fully cooked), sliced diagonally into ¼” disks
- 1 lb. brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved (or quartered)*
- 1 medium onion, cut into ½“ cubes
- 2 small or 1 medium apple, cut into ½“ cubes
- salt
For the Couscous
- 3 TBSP olive oil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup apple juice
- 2 cups dried toasted pearl couscous
To Garnish
- Sauerkraut
- Dijon, spicy brown or honey mustard
INSTRUCTIONS
For the Sausage and Vegetables
- Preheat the oven to 425°.
- In a small bowl, whisk together 2 TBSP of olive oil and 2 tsp of apple juice. Gently toss the sausage and vegetables in the olive oil mixture until evenly coated.
- Across, two sheet pans, spread the sausage and vegetables in a single layer. Be sure that the brussels sprouts and apples are cut side down to promote caramelization. Try not to crowd the pans! If the sausage and veggies are two crowded, they won’t have enough air to properly roast.
- Sprinkle both pans with a bit of salt and place in the oven. Roast for 20-25 minutes until the vegetables have browned lightly.**
For the Couscous
- Coat the bottom of a large saucepan with 3 TBSP of olive oil. To the oil, add the 1 tsp of dried oregano and the 2 cups of toasted pearl couscous, tossing to coat the couscous evenly in the herbs and oil.
- Turn the heat to medium and allow the couscous to toast through, stirring occasionally, 2-3 minutes or until it becomes glossy and fragrant.
- Pour in the 2 cups of chicken broth and 1 cup of apple juice and stir to combine. Turn the heat to high and bring the pot to a boil.
- Once boiling, give it a quick stir, cover the pot and reduce the heat to low. Let the couscous to simmer for 8 minutes or until all of the liquid has absorbed, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
- Serve the couscous alongside the roasted sausage and vegetables and garnish with sauerkraut and the mustard of your choice. Enjoy!
NOTES
*To ensure even cooking, try to cut all the sausage and vegetables into similar size chunks. Larger brussels sprouts may need to be quartered.
** You do not need to stir or flip the sausage and veggies during cooking. I work hard to evenly space the items on the pan before roasting to make sure it’s not too crowded and I find that after stirring, the mixture often ends up crowded. Better to let it all roast in peace.
As a wife and mom of three young boys, I often consider myself a master “chaos coordinator.” Between running our family business, Chapel Hill Toffee, managing our household and balancing busy schedules, I love to create quick and simple recipes that I know my family will enjoy – and my kids will actually eat!
My recipes are more of a guide than a perfect plan. I will always encourage you to use what you have on hand and make substitutions to suit your tastes. I invite you to share your own ideas, questions and final products with us on Facebook and on Instagram by tagging @christybgraves and @wchlchapelboro.
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