Beans, Sausage and Greens

I hate to admit it, but I think I may be caught in a rut, but if I must be, what a delicious rut to be caught in! If you go over the last couple month's entries, I believe you will find several recipes for bean soups with sausage and greens. The interesting thing is that each has been different and each has been unbelievably tasty. I was always a big fan of chili as a kid, but beyond that, the only other type of bean soup I really ate was Cambell's Bean with Bacon (which I fully admit, I loved!). This year with the CSA, we have gotten a plethora of not only greens (kale, Swiss chard, beet greens, mustard greens, turnip greens, you name it), but also sausage (Italian, chorizo, bratwurst, andoille). Sausage and greens go together beautifully; whether over pasta, on sandwiches....or in soup. Each type of sausage lends to a different flavor or style of cooking and each is just as interesting and tasty as the other. So, that said, today's soup leans toward Italian flavors with Italian sausage, kale and cannellini beans.

Slow-cooker Italian Sausage, Bean and Vegetable Soup
Adapted from: http://www.thetasteplace.com/2011/02/21/slow-cooker-italian-sausage-and-vegetable-soup/ 

• 1 15 oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 15 oz can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 15 oz can tomato sauce
• 1 28 oz can of whole tomatoes with basil, undrained
• 4 cups can chicken stock*
• 1 small onion*, diced
• ½ tsp thyme
• ½ tsp oregano
• ½ tsp marjoram
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• 2 splashes of balsamic vinegar
• 1 lb mild Italian sausage links, cut into ½ inch thick slices
• 1 medium kusa zucchini*, cut into chunks
• 1 bunch kale*, stalks trimmed off and leaves cut into thin shreds
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving

Plug in the slow cooker. In the slow cooker pot, combine all ingredients, except Parmesan. Stir well to combine and set slow cooker to low. Cook for at least 6 hours.
  

Serve soup with Parmesan cheese on top.

*CSA ingredients

Spaghetti Squash and Brussels Sprouts

I got the most beautiful stalk of Brussels sprouts in this first share of winter. Never one to turn down sprouts, I searched for a recipe to use them for dinner tonight. As is usual for me, I was looking for a recipe with protein so I could enjoy the dish and not feel guilty about the nutrition. There were many recipes with white beans and some sort of cheese, but I was missing one ingredient or another. Then I ran across the following recipe using spaghetti squash (which we also happened to get in the share). I don't have chickpeas, but I do have pinto beans, so I just substituted.

Spaghetti Squash with Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Pinto Beans
 Adapted from: http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2011/01/spaghetti-Squash-roasted-brussels-sprouts-chickpeas.html

• 1 spaghetti squash*
• 1 pound Brussels sprouts*
• 1 medium onion*, diced
• 3 cloves garlic*, pressed
• 1/2 cup homemade chicken stock*
• 15 ounces pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or to taste)
• salt and black pepper, to taste
• 1 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
• sliced almonds, optional 

Preheat oven to 400. Pierce a spaghetti squash 8-10 times with a skewer or thin knife (pierce deeply through flesh into center). Place on a baking sheet on center rack of oven. Bake for 30 minutes and then turn 1/4 turn. Bake another 30 minutes or until outside has browned in places and shell feels soft. Remove from oven and set aside until cool enough to handle. Once it’s cool, cut it in half and remove and discard the seeds and scrape the strands of squash out with a fork. Put the squash into a bowl and set aside.

While the squash is cooking, prepare the Brussels sprouts. Trim and discard the ends and cut the sprouts in half (quarter larger sprouts). Place on a baking sheet and spray quickly (2 seconds) with olive oil. (This prevents burning; if you don’t want to use the oil, cover loosely with a sheet of aluminum foil.) When the squash has almost finished cooking, put the sprouts into the oven and bake for about 15 minutes, stirring halfway through. Remove them when they are just beginning to be touched by brown but are not burning (they will finish cooking in the skillet in the next step).

In a large, deep, non-stick skillet, cook the onions on medium-high heat until they become golden, about 5-6 minutes. Add the Brussels sprouts, garlic, and stock and cover tightly. Cook for 3-5 minutes, adding more stock or water if skillet becomes dry. Add the chickpeas, basil, and red pepper flakes. Stir in the spaghetti squash, and toss gently to mix. Cook until heated through. Add salt and pepper to taste, along with lemon juice. Serve topped with crushed or sliced almonds, if desired.

Preparation time: 10 minute(s) | Cooking time: 1 hour(s) 10 minute(s)

Number of servings (yield): 5

Nutrition Facts

Nutrition (per serving): 196 calories, 14 calories from fat, 1.7g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 348.2mg sodium, 742.8mg potassium, 40.7g carbohydrates, 10g fiber, 7g sugar, 8.8g protein

*CSA Ingredients

Soup Variations - White beans and Kale

While the soup I made last night was very tasty and lovely, when I put the recipe on Sparkrecipes.com to get the nutrition, it only has 5.6 g protein per 1/2 cup serving (yes, that is still about all I can manage to eat for a meal).  That is not quite hearty enough for my nutritional needs, so I decided to tweak the recipe even more. While this is still not the best option for a whole meal (7.9 g protein per 1/2-cup serving), it's better than the original recipe.  I am guessing that I could do better with the protein by either adding chicken (which is a slightly better source of protein than sausage) or breaking down and adding unflavored protein powder to the soup.  However, this is a pretty thick soup as it is, so I would probably then have to add more chicken stock to thin it down a bit.

Slow Cooker Bean Soup with Greens and Chorizo

• 2 cans (15-oz) Pinto beans
• 2 cans (15-oz) Cannellini beans
• 2 T extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion*, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic*, minced
• 2 t dried Italian seasoning
• 4 cups chopped kale*
• 4 cups chopped turnip greens*
• 1 can (14.5 oz) whole tomatoes in juice, broken up
• 4 cups homemade chicken stock*
• 1/2 tsp rubbed sage (use 2 T fresh leaves if you have them)
• 1 lb fresh chorizo*

Puree 1 can of pinto beans and 1 can of cannellini beans in a food processor; set aside.

Heat EVOO in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Reduce heat and add onions, cook until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and Italian seasoning; cook, about 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.  Be careful not to brown the onions.  Place onions in bottom of prepared slow cooker.

Wash, dry and finely chop the greens.  Add the greens, tomatoes, stock and sage to slow cooker; mix well.  Cook on HIGH for 4 hours.  In the meantime, cook chorizo.  Remove from pan and cool about 5 minutes.  Cut chorizo in half longway and then into 1/4 inch slices.  Add to soup and allow to cook for 1 more hour on HIGH to meld flavors.

Makes about 18 1-cup servings (or 36 1/2-cup servings for those of us who have had bariatric surgery).

Nutrition (1-cup serving):
Calories       287.7
Fat                 12.4g
Carbs             29.3g
Fiber                7.4g
Protein            15.8g   

*CSA ingredients 

White Beans and Kale

The pork I cooked was so good this weekend, but alas, it is gone! Because of that, I decided it was time to use the kale we got 2 weeks ago. There is a blog I keep running across thathas the yummiest recipes called Kalyn's Kitchen. This week, I found her recipe for Cannellini and Kale Soup and just had to try it. I only had about half the kale I needed, so I balanced with turnip greens. The soup has such a great animal and, personally, I think its quite pretty (Kalyn says it won't win any beauty contests). Well worth the effort.

 Slow-Cooker Cannellini Soup with Kale and Turnip Greens
  Adapted from: http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2012/10/slow-cooker-vegetarian-kale-cannellini-soup.html

• 2 T olive oil
• 1 large onions*, chopped small
• 4 cloves minced garlic*
• 2 tsp. dried Italian Seasoning (contains oregano, basil, marjoram, thyme and rosemary)
• 2 cans (15 oz. can) Cannellini beans and juice
• 1 can (14.5 oz.) whole tomatoes with juice, broken up
• 4 oz. finely chopped kale*, washed if needed (about 4 cups finely chopped kale)
• 4 oz. finely chpped turnip greens*
• 4 cups homemade chicken stock*
• 1/2 tsp. dried rubbed sage
• 1-2 pieces of Parmesan rind to add flavor (optional) 
• freshly grated Parmesan, to garnish (optional)

Heat the oil in a large heavy frying pan; add the onions and cook 4-5 minutes or until they are just starting to brown.  Add the garlic and Italian Seasoning and saute 1-2 minutes more, being careful not to let the garlic brown.  Spray the slow cooker with non-stick spray; then put onions and garlic into the slow cooker. 

While the onions are cooking use a food processor to puree the cannellini beans and juice, keeping them a little chunky if you prefer.  (If you're using freshly-cooked beans I would add about 1/4 cup water.)  Finely chop the kale and turnip greens (cutting away thick center ribs if you have them) and wash kale in the salad spinner if you're using garden kale.  

Put the pureed beans, chopped kale, chicken stock, canned tomatoes and juice, and sage into the slow cooker with the onion mixture.  (Add one or two pieces of Parmesan rind if desired for extra flavor.)  Cook 4 hours on high or 8-10 hours on low.  Serve the soup hot, with grated Parmesan if desired.

 

*CSA ingredients

 

Broccoli and Eggs

This morning, when I got up, I really wanted something with eggs. At first, I was looking for something with quinoa, but during my search, I ran across a recipe for a crustless broccoli cheddar quiche. Iam pretty much a sucker for broccoli and eggs. They used to make broccoli egg breakfast sandwiches at work and I adored them. It's been about a year since they've made them, so when I saw the recipe, I had to make it! Now, I do not have the right sizes ramekins, or enough smaller ones, so I chose to make it in a pie plate. Although, in hindsight, I suppose I could have used muffin tins. I also didn't have enough cheddar, so this became a 3-cheese broccoli quiche. It really hit the spot!

3-Cheese Crustless Broccoli Quiche
Adapted from: http://www.marthastewart.com/318409/crustless-broccoli-cheddar-quiches

• Coarse salt
• fresh-ground pepper
• 1 oz broccoli florets*
• 6 large eggs*
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• Ground pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup shredded Swiss cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Romano cheese

Place broccoli florets into microwave steamer with about 1/4 inch of water. Cook on HIGH for 6 minutes. Spread florets on cutting board to cool; coarsely chop.

In a large bowl, mix eggs, salt, pepper, nutmeg and milk until will blended. Stir in cheddar and Swiss.

In a prepared pie plate, layer broccoli. Pour egg and cheese mixture over broccoli. Sprinkle with Romano cheese. Bake at 400°F for 35 minutes, or until a knife, inserted into the center, comes out clean. Serves 4 (or 8 if you've had gastric surgery).

*CSA ingredients

Pork Loin

Okay, I admit it! I sometimes can still be a lazy chef. When I cooked meat in the past, especially when cooking in a slow cooker, I often (almost always) skipped the searing step. With stews and fatty meats it didn't seem to make a big difference, so I just kept doing it. However, when cooking lean meats, the slow cooker always seemed to dry them out and make them fall apart and become stringy. Yesterday, I decided to try, once again, to cook a pork tenderloin in the slow cooker. I had finally purchased some nice smoked paprika last week, so I was looking for a paprikash recipe.  In my search, I found this interesting balsamic and paprika pork loin recipe and decided to give it a try. After finishing the dish, I have made a vow to never skip the searing step again!

 Balsamic and Smoked Paprika Glazed Pork Tenderloin
 Adapted from: www.porkbeinspired.com/RecipeView.aspx?RID=2213

• 1 1/2 lb pork tenderloin*, trimmed
•  1 tsp kosher salt
•  1 tsp fresh ground pepper
•  2 Tbsp olive oil
•   1 14-1/2 oz can whole tomatoes, broken up
•  1 medium sweet onion*, sliced
•  1 red bell pepper*, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic*, minced
• 2 cups homemade chicken stock*
• 5 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tbsp honey*
• 1 Tbsp smoked paprika

Pat pork dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large saute pan over high heat. Sear tenderloin on all sides until browned, about 1 minute on each side.

Place undrained tomatoes, onion, bell pepper and garlic in bottom of the slow cooker. Place pork tenderloins on top. Combine stock, vinegar, honey and paprika in a medium bowl; Pour mixture over pork and vegetables and cook on HIGH for 3 hours. Occasionally stir ingredients to ensure even cooking.

Remove tenderloins and rest, tented, for 10minutes. Slice in thick slices.

I served over an Italian quinoa pilaf.

*CSA ingredients

Aloo Gobi

My absolute favorite Indian dish is Aloo Gobi. There is something about the combination of potato and cauliflower in those wonderful Indian spices that is just comforting tome. The trouble is, like many comfort foods, the dish lacks protein. So, I set forth to attempt to make an Aloo Gobi with garbanzo beans to add a protein punch. While the following recipe was okay, I really need to explore the idea of making my own curry mix. The store bought curries are never quite right. The original recipe also did not have enough tomato, so I adjusted that in my finished dish.

Slow Cooker Aloo Gobi with Chickpeas
 Adapted from: http://www.domesticdivasblog.com/2010/02/meatless-monday-slow-cooked-cauliflower.html

• 1/2 head of golden cauliflower*, chopped
• 1/2 head Romanesco cauliflower*, chopped
• 1 cup frozen peas with carrots
• 2 cups red potatoes*, chopped
• 1 14 ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 2 tablespoons curry powder
• 1 can tomato paste
• 1 can Rotel diced tomatoes with chiles
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 onion*, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves*, chopped
• 2 cups homemade chicken stock*
• salt and pepper

Place all of the ingredients except the salt, pepper and rice into the slower cooker.  Stir to combine.  Cook on high for 4-6 hours, or on low for 6-8 hours, or until the vegetables are tender.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

*CSA ingredients