Red Bean and Sausage Soup

Returning to my cajun-food-lovin' roots once again, I made this using red fagioli borlotti beans that I cooked overnight in my crock pot...the easiest way I know to cook dried beans. It's basically an Emerill Lagasse recipe, but I like adding a little chicken in for some additional flavor. And of course, parmesan...Emerill doesn't call for parmesan! It was a very easy lunch to throw together, and it really hit the spot. Fresh bread and Clementini made it a great lunch. Adjust the cayenne pepper to how spicy you want it.


Italian sausage, sliced
1/2 c. cooked chicken, chopped
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cloves, garlic minced
3 c. fagioli barlotti, cooked
3 c. chicken broth, homemade or boullion
parmesan for topping (optional)
chopped green onions for garnish (optional)


In a Dutch oven or large soup pot over medium heat, cook the sausage until browned. Drain and set aside. In the same pan, add the oil, onions, celery, bell peppers, bay leaf, salt, and cayenne and cook until the vegetables are soft, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for additional 30 seconds. Add the red beans and their juices, cooked sausage, and 3 cups of the chicken stock, stir well to mix, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thick and reduced slightly, about 30 minutes, adding more stock as needed if the mixture gets too thick.

Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake

Well, this was my cake walk submission this year and probably what Scott will get for his birthday cake as well. Just one more recipe in my obvious obsession with pumpkin. For the spices, you can also substitute 2 t. of pumpkin pie spice.

3 3/4 c all-purpose flour
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. ground ginger
1/4 t. ground nutmeg
1/4 t. ground cloves
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
2 c sugar
1 1/2 c butter, softened
6 eggs
3/4 c pumpkin puree (canned or homemade)
3/4 c milk

Heat oven to 180 C. Combine flour, baking powder, spices, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Set aside. Combine sugar and 1 1/2 cups butter in large bowl. Beat until creamy. Continue beating, adding eggs one at a time, until well mixed. Add pumpkin; continue beating until well mixed. Gradually add flour mixture alternately with 3/4 cup milk until well mixed. Spoon batter into greased bundt pan. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan. Cool completely.

For icing: (lots of options here)
The easiest option is just to sprinkle the top of the cake with powdered sugar.

But for an icing, here's another option:
Combine powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons butter and enough milk for desired glazing consistency in small bowl. Glaze cooled cake.

Next time I may try the cinnamon or maple icing that I use on pumpkin scones for something different.