Italian Sausage and Zucchini Ragout with A Fried Egg

This is another example of a recipe that came about due to leftovers in the fridge + it’s cold and I need comfort + I want some freakin tomatoes in my life. One of my Nerd Fitness buddies said the description looked like exactly what he was wanting, so I figured you guys might like it too.

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Italian Sausage and Zucchini Ragout with A Fried Egg

Tomato sauce – I actually used a sugar and crap-free jarred prepared variety of marinara (a standard sized glass jar full) and doctored it up with spices because I wanted to see if it could be done without tasting horrible. It wasn’t bad, but I would have much preferred the fresh marinara from this recipe – sans wine, or from this recipe as-is

1 – 1.5 lbs. hot Italian sausage (check your ingredients!)
10 ounces to a pound of crimini (or button) mushrooms, sliced
1 onion, chopped
1 medium zucchini, chopped
2 eggs
Salt & pepper
Coconut oil or grassfed butter
Red pepper flakes

Set a large tall-sided pan over medium heat. Slip the sausages out of their skins into the pan and break up with a spoon into small bits. Brown. Drain most of the fat and add the onions and mushrooms. Sautee until the onions are translucent and the mushrooms are beginning to break down.

Add the tomato sauce and stir. Taste for seasoning – add salt, pepper and red pepper as needed. Cover. Drop the heat to a simmer and let go 20 minutes to half an hour.

In a separate pan, heat 1 Tbsp. coconut oil over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini, hit with salt and pepper and sautee – stirring frequently – 5 minutes or until al-dente. Add to a bowl.

Heat a Tablespoon or so of coconut oil or butter over medium heat. Add the eggs and fry to your liking, seasoning with salt & pepper as you go.

To assemble: zucchini chunks on the bottom, top with a generous half cup or so of sauce, and top with the eggs.

January 23, 2014

Probably not poison.

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Whole30 2 – Day 11

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Day 11 on Whole30 was ok, I suppose. I missed my smoothie terribly, and stress has me *still* craving a cigarette & a Reese’s Nutrageous. And I still want the salsa that doesn’t exist in this state.

Breakfast

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Sad face. No smoothie today, or tomorrow.

Lunch 

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Leftover Italian sausage & mushroom ragu.

Dinner

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Balsamic beef with broiled broccolini.

After Dinner Snack

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1 ounce plain almonds.

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Whole30 2 – Day 10

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Day 10 on Whole30 was another day a hairsbreadth away from disaster. Bad planning on my part and lack of communication between my DH and I almost led to my hangries reaching out and eating people on the train.

Breakfast

My typical weekday breakfast – one of my DH’s green smoothies. These days, we’re eating them sans banana and plus the juice of 1 lime. Yum.

Lunch 

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The last of the Double Beef Chili I made last week.

Post Lunch Snack

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This was supposed to be my post-workout pre-meeting snack to stem the tide of hangries I knew I’d face if I was forced to go the whole hour train ride between home and my meeting with no food. But noooooo, Blue Diamond had to go and put corn maltodextrin in their sea salt nuts.

Asshats.

And, if I would have known my DH wasn’t all that hungry, I’d have grabbed some balsamic beef to chow down on while traveling.

So, I was hangry. Hangry and fighting car sickness with every stop. Fun times.

Dinner

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I had roughly half an hour to grab dinner & wolf it down. Luckily, there was a BBQ joint within walking distance (even in 17 degree weather). I had most of our 3/4 lb. order of pulled pork + a cup of collards. I barely tasted it all, but I’m fairly certain it was delicious.

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January 22, 2014

Who does this?! Maltodextrin in nuts can suck it. This was *supposed* to be the snack to stave off my hangries in the hour between working out and a meeting I had this evening – an hour which I spent trapped in a metal box, underground, with someone who had food.

Someone almost got eaten.

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Whole30 2 – Day 9

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Day 9 on Whole30 wasn’t bad. I finally got to try the balsamic beef I’ve been thinking about for weeks, and lunch was some great leftovers.

Breakfast

My typical weekday breakfast – one of my DH’s green smoothies. These days, we’re eating them sans banana and plus the juice of 1 lime. Yum.

Lunch 

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Leftover Double Beef Chili from last week.

Dinner

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Balsamic beef with Brussels sprouts & bacon.

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January 21, 2014

Just what we needed: another snow storm.

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Whole30 2 – Day 8

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Day 8 on Whole30 wasn’t bad, despite a blind restaurant pick that could have been disastrous.

Breakfast

My typical weekday breakfast – one of my DH’s green smoothies. These days, we’re eating them sans banana and plus the juice of 1 lime. Yum.

Lunch 

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A repeat of Friday – broccoli slaw/kale/chicken salad with balsamic vinegar & grapeseed oil.

Post Lunch Snack

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1 ounce plain almonds.

Dinner

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Dinner could have been disastrous. My husband and I had a last minute change up of plans and ended up needing to eat out in an unfamiliar, primarily Russian, neighborhood. We took a chance on a restaurant with a pirate outside and I ended up getting a whole pan fried fish with grilled vegetables. Score!

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January 20, 2014

Hipster wiener.

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Whole30 2 – Day 7

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Day 7 on Whole30 wasn’t bad. Day 3 of craving salsa (specifically, a type of salsa from a deli department in a state I no longer live in), but not bad food – wise.

Breakfast

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Breakfast at the diner – steak & eggs. I was supposed to get salsa, but the waitress forgot and I was too hungry to complain. Black coffee on the side.

Lunch 

I skipped lunch – breakfast was late and I was busy.

Dinner

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Dinner was a couple of pan cooked minute steaks with a small grated sweet potato, hand full of fresh spinach & Louisiana brand hot sauce.

After Dinner Snack

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Half an orange, split with the dog.

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