Quick weeknight dinner: Kale, chicken andouille, and pinto bean soup!

 

Now that you have a freezer full of stock,you'll have it on hand for quick weeknight dinners.

Believe it or not, I often come home and really only have the energy to dump things into a pot or put together a quick salad.  When you come home to an empty house after a 12 hour work day, it's tempting to have cereal for dinner, but trust me, this is much better (and will hopefully last a couple of nights).

 

 

I used Tuscan kale, sometimes called Lacinato kale for this recipe, but you can use any old leafy green you'd like!

I also tried out this smoked andouille sausage for the first time.  It's delicious, but be warned, it packs a bit of a punch.

What you'll need:

A stock pot

1 onion diced

2 cups canned pinto beans (I used frozen leftover Chipotle Beans. Yep, still working through my stockpile)

2 links smoked andouille sausage sliced into rounds (Open Nature is gluten-free)

1 bunch kale (about 4 cups) chopped. 

4 cups homemade stock (or store bought or even water in a pinch)

Salt and Pepper to taste (the sausage really flavored the broth, I didn't need much)

Honestly, I defrosted the stock in the microwave for a few minutes and then just dumped everything into the pot and simmered it until the onions were cooked through and the kale wasn't too tough, about 30-45 minutes.  If you want to get fancy, you could saute the onion and sausage in a bit of oil first, get some of that browning action going on, but I really just couldn't be bothered.  Don't fret, it was still delicious!  It reminded me of extra delicious bean with bacon soup, which was my favorite when I was a kid!

Happy Eating!

Sunday Brunch: Italian egg bake

I love brunch.  A lot.  Having time and energy and inclination to make a special breakfast is what Sundays are all about!  This dish is exactly what the doctor ordered, as long as he ordered something delicious.  If not, you should look for a new doctor.  And this time, you should look for a woman, women totally understand brunch. 

What you'll need:

• A cast-iron or other oven safe pan (I used a 12 inch pan)
• 1 lb. asparagus
• 1 cup mushrooms
• 1 16 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 link spicy Italian turkey sausage
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp basil
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (or cheese of your choice)

I suggest practicing proper mis en place.  Chopping and dicing everything in advance of cooking is an excellent plan, one I only occasionally follow.  Dice your onion, slice your mushrooms, slice your asparagus into 1 inch pieces and pour your tomatoes into a mesh strainer to drain (this step is up to you, I wanted a dryer consistency.

Start by preheating your broiler on low and putting your pan on the stove over medium heat.  Add your oil and when it's hot, your onions.  Saute your onions until translucent, then remove your turkey sausage from its casing and add to the pan.  Once the sausage is browned, add your asparagus and mushrooms.  

Once the veggies are heated through, add your tomatoes and bring all the ingredients to a simmer.

Carefully crack your eggs into depressions you create in the mixture.

Cover briefly while the whites set (just barely around the edges).

Add the cheese I forgot to include in the picture up top.

Mmmmmmm

Place under the broiler for 1-2 minutes, until your whites are set but your yolks are still runny.  It's difficult to tell, so err on the side of runny, because carry over cooking once you've removed the eggs from the oven will likely finish the job!  

Then, eat hearty!!  

Sausage, kale and cauliflower, oh my!

I make a lot of soup for myself.  I think it stems from years without a dishwasher and really embracing the idea of 1 pot cooking.  I also eat in my living room the majority of the time, I know you all imagine me dressing for dinner à la Downton Abbey, but usually I'm watching bad TV in my pajamas, balancing my dinner on my lap. That's the other reason soup is great, all you need is a spoon (and possibly a napkin), you don't have to worry about using a knife and fork to cut, while balancing your plate.  

Now, I recognize that I could just sit at the table like a civilized person, but it's just not who I am, man.  The Dudette abides in her bathrobe clutching her bowl of soup.

This soup is a go-to for me, and happens to be a variation on Zuppa Toscana.  Here's what you'll need:

• 3 links of Italian turkey sausage
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 head of cauliflower, chopped into bite-sized florets
• 1 bunch of greens, this is Tuscan kale (3-4 cups, chopped)
• 4 cups water
• 4 cups milk
• salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to taste

I like the Jennie-O Hot Italian sausage, but I like Hot Italian anything

Saute your onion, carrot and celery in the olive oil, after about 5 minutes, add your sausage, make sure to remove the casing first, so you're just adding the ground meat.  Once the turkey is browned, add 4 cups of water and your cauliflower to the pot.

Simmer the soup until the cauliflower is tender, then add your chopped greens and milk.  Spinach is cooked almost immediately, but kale takes a few minutes.  Make sure not to bring the soup to a hard boil after you've added the milk, because it can make the milk separate.  It won't taste bad, it'll just look kind of gross and grainy.

Total time with simmering, etc., about an hour.

When you're all done, throw on your PJs and snuggle up with some 30 Rock re-runs.  The one where Liz gets her own talk show is a personal favorite.