Cake, Batter, and Bowl

Mediterranean Chicken Sausage and Chickpea Skillet

Main Dishes

We’re back! Our trip to Lithuania was amazing and I’m going to work on sorting through all our pictures this weekend so I can share a recap with you. There were two things I couldn’t wait to do once we returned home though – one was sleeping in our own bed because we splurged on the best mattress ever and I always miss it when we travel, and of course I was also itching to get into the kitchen.

Since Lithuanian cuisine is pretty heavy, I was craving a healthy meal after we had settled in and restocked on groceries. I made this excellent Mark Bittman recipe that I found on Adrienne’s blog a few months ago and was inspired to make a dish of my own featuring chicken sausage, spinach, and chickpeas. I decided on a Mediterranean twist and added in roasted red peppers, feta, pine nuts, and lemon juice. This definitely hit the spot and got high ratings from Apolinaras.

p.s. The winner of my Ad Hoc cookbook giveaway was number 27 – congrats Erin!

Mediterranean Chicken Sausage and Chickpea Skillet
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 12-ounce package chicken sausages, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
1 red onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
16 ounces fresh baby spinach
Juice of one lemon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 12-ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
2 15-ounce cans chickpeas, drained
1/2 cup crumbled feta
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts

Directions:
Heat olive oil in a nonstick pan over medium high heat and cook chicken sausage slices 5 minutes or until browned; remove from the pan and keep warm. Add onion to the pan and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes or until softened; add garlic and sauté 1 additional minute. Place half the spinach in the skillet, cover with a lid, and heat 3 to 5 minutes or until wilted. Stir well and repeat with remaining spinach. Mix in lemon juice and salt. Stir in browned chicken sausages, roasted red peppers, chickpeas, feta, and pine nuts. Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition: 658 calories, 27.4g fat, 16.0g fiber, 38.3g protein per serving
Cost: $2.82 per serving

White Pizza with Sausage, Pancetta, Leeks, and Parmesan

Apolinaras and I recently celebrated our eighth wedding anniversary with a trip to Martha’s Vineyard over Memorial Day weekend! I really can’t believe it’s already been eight years. It was our last vacation before the baby arrives, so there was nothing on our agenda...

Cumin Rubbed Salmon with a Fresh Corn and Red Pepper Sauce

Apolinaras kept popping his head in the kitchen last night while I was prepping dinner because he was so excited we were having salmon. Apparently he thought a little cheering from the sidelines would hurry things along because he kept doing little dances to amuse me....

Ancho Honey Chicken over Tropical Rice

My younger brother went through a phase when he was about five where he was obsessed with cantaloupe. I remember him easily downing four or five slices at a time, which I didn’t really understand since I was such a picky eater. In fact, I used to regularly make fun of...

Summer Veggie Pasta with an Eggplant and Ricotta Sauce

Our apartment balcony is filled with foliage. My plant tending days ended after the demise of Petey, a plant my good friend Britt and I attempted to care for in college, so I’m lucky that Apolinaras has a green thumb! He’s already dreaming of the day we have a real...

Mediterranean Lamb with Gnocchi

Kia ora! I’m finally gone through all our New Zealand pictures, so my next several posts will be recaps from our trip! New Zealand is just a breathtaking country and has something for everyone – mountains, beaches, wine country, even glaciers, volcanoes, and...

Citrus Glazed Salmon

When I got home from New Orleans this week, I found 3 salmon fillets that my hubby had defrosted in the fridge. Apolinaras is a great cook and loves to grill and throw meals together with whatever is laying around. Because he doesn’t ever follow recipes or write...

Greek Meatball Lasagna with Roasted Eggplant and Zucchini

Back in February, our friend Catherine invited us to stay at her family’s house by the Berkshire East Ski Resort. It was only my third time skiing, having grown up in the flat Midwest, and I’m a bit of a klutz, so I was cautiously looking forward to it. Catherine’s...

Chicken Parm Eggplant Stacks

Do you enjoy any odd snack foods? I have a thing for croutons. Not only do I go out of my way to scoop as many as is politely possible onto my salad plate at buffets, I also really like snacking on them on their own – yep, right out of the package and usually when I’m...