Kale and White Bean Soup with Sausage

I'm often asked "what's your favorite thing to cook?" I can't name just one, but I do have a top 3 list.

First -simply for the way flavors come together and the ease of serving and cleanup - would be one-pot/one-pan/one baking dish dinners. Things like braised meats with veggies, stews, roasted chicken with potatoes and veggies, chicken or pork with a pan sauce, or skillet casseroles. I'm constantly looking for new one-pot creations!

Second is risotto. It's an elegant starter, entree or side, and it is extremely versatile. I have made risotto over 30 ways with all different ingredients and flavors from traditional to fusion recipes. I love the process, the gentle stirring, and watching the rice puff and soften as it turns into a creamy dish.

Finally, soup. You can spend hours simmering a complex soup or pull one together rather quickly (like the one in this post). I love building the flavors and slowly adding ingredients - I never make a dump soup in a crockpot. I love all kinds of soups - creamy, broth based, vegetarian, chicken, beef, traditional, international. I could eat soup daily, and in the colder months I often do. Any Sunday night you can find several containers of soup all packaged up for lunches for the week.

I created this soup because I had a bag of kale we didn't use up over the weekend. While I have used spinach and escarole in soups, to me kale is the perfect leafy green for soup. It wilts just enough to do well in a soup, but also holds up enough to add some great textures.

This soup, even before adding the sausage, had the most amazing, rich and perfectly salty flavor - the secret is including the Parmesan rind!  Just one tip before we get to the recipe - I prefer to keep the sausage separate from the soup until ready to serve. This keeps the soup from getting overly greasy or salty. The sausage you use is completely up to you - hot Italian, sweet, chicken, etc.

Kale and White Bean Soup with Sausage
Original Recipe by Mary Ellen of Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 white or yellow onion, diced
• 1 14.5oz can of white beans
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 pinches Kosher salt
• Small Parmesan rind
• 6 c low sodium chicken broth 
• 1.5 cups chopped Kale leaves, stems removed
• 1/2 lb cooked, crumbled sausage (your choice; I used hot Italian sausage)

Directions

• Heat olive oil over medium heat in a Dutch oven or large soup pot
• Add the onions and garlic; saute 2 minutes
• Add the white beans, stir to combine.
• Add the thyme, oregano, salt, pepper, Parmesan rind and broth. Stir, cover and let simmer 15 minutes.
• Remove the lid and add the kale. Simmer another 5 minutes. Adjust salt and pepper if needed. 
• In the meantime, cook your sausage (breaking up to crumble) and transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. 
• Serve soup with 1-2 Tbsp of the cooked sausage. 

Lemon Garlic Pork Medallions with Sauteed Kale

When life gives you lemons... make something delicious!

I love using lemon juice and zest in sauces for a bright and light flavor. I actually went on a little lemon/garlic/and sometimes Dijon kick for a few weeks and used the combo in several dishes.

One meal I really loved was this one - Lemon Garlic Pork Medallions. I often use pork tenderloin sliced into medallions for a quick way to enjoy this cut of meat that can take 30 minutes or more in the oven or on the grill, plus the time to pre-heat the oven/grill and then time to let the meat rest. These medallions cook quickly and rest while you are making the sauce.

We all loved this dinner. And what wasn't to love? Tender meat cooked quickly, a bright and flavorful sauce, all served with some garlic roasted kale. No need for carbs here, but if you really want them, some noodles, rice, or even bread would be good in all of that sauce.

Lemon Garlic Pork Medallions
Original Recipe by Mary Ellen of Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations

Ingredients

• 1 sm pork tenderloin (1.5 lbs) sliced into medallions, 1.5-2 inches each
• Salt, pepper
• 2 Tbsp olive oil, separated
• 3 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 c dry white wine
• 1/2 c low sodium chicken broth
• Juice from 1/2 lemon
• Zest from 1/2 lemon
• Chopped fresh parsley
• Optional: 2 Tbsp butter

Directions

• Heat1 Tbsp olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the pork medallions, nicely spaced, and cook 4 minutes, flip, and cook for 4 more minutes (cook a bit longer if the medallions are thicker). Remove from the pan. You may need to cook your pork in 2 batches depending on how much you have. You don't want them crowded in the pan. 
• Add remaining oil to the pan
• Add garlic and saute 2 minutes, being careful not to let it burn.
• Deglaze the pan with the white wine, stirring to scrape up all the brown bits.
• Add the chicken broth, lemon juice and lemon zest. Bring to a low simmer. 
• Taste and adjust salt and pepper, if necessary. 
• Optional: for a richer sauce, whisk in 2 Tbsp butter. 
• Return pork to the pan and top with some parsley

Quinoa with Kale



Looking for a healthy lunch that is quick and easy to prepare and will fill you up without any guilt? This quinoa with kale is it.

Quinoa is not only delicious and versatile, it has so many great health benefits. Check out this article on the 27 Surprising Health Benefits of Quinoa by The Cooking Detective.  Once you do you will be running to the kitchen to cook up some quinoa!!

I have made quinoa as side dishes, soup, and salads. For this dish I sautéed some onions, garlic and tomatoes before adding the quinoa and broth. Near the end of cooking I added in some kale, my new favorite leafy green, and let it wilt.

Once it cooled I packed it immediately in to some lunch containers so I'd be ready to go. I warmed this up to eat it but it would also make a great salad when the temps are a bit warmer.

Quinoa with Kale

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 sm onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 c cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 c quinoa, rinsed
• 3 c chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 sm bunch kale, roughly chopped
• salt and pepper to taste, if needed

Directions

• Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat
• Add onions and garlic, sauté 2 minutes
• Add tomatoes, sauté 1 minute
• Add quinoa and stir before adding broth. Bring to a simmer and then lower heat to medium. Let simmer about 10 minutes.
• Put the kale in the pan and let it wilt down for a minute or two. Once it starts to wilt, stir to mix it in to everything. Let the quinoa simmer until cooked through, about another 5 minutes.
• Season with salt and pepper if needed

Quinoa with Kale, Tomatoes, and White Beans

I told you I was going to be on a bit of a kale kick! Since I first made kale about a month ago, I have made it at least 2 times a week. At least... 

My latest kale recipe was a quinoa lunch bowl with kale, tomatoes, onions, garlic, and white beans - super filling, packed with nutrients, healthy, lots of different textures, and perfectly savory. And what a great choice for lunch since you don't have any guilt when eating it and it actually fills you up for the entire afternoon.

You can eat this one cold, room temperature, or warm, depending on your preferences and mood. It was cold in my office last week so I chose to warm it up.

I usually cook with regular quinoa, but my store only had red the last time I went shopping. I didn't think it would be any different, but it actually was a touch more bitter, even after thoroughly rinsing it. So if you want something milder, stick with regular quinoa.

Quinoa with Kale, Tomatoes, and White Beans
Source: A Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations Original

Ingredients

• 8 oz quinoa, rinsed
• 2.5 cups of liquid; water or vegetable broth
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 sm onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 large handfuls of chopped kale
• 1/2 can white beans
• 1/2 c cherry tomatoes, chopped
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Optional: parmesan cheese

Directions

• Put 2.5 cups of liquid and the quinoa in a pot. Bring to a boil, and then cover and lower to a simmer. Let simmer for 15 minutes or until done.
• Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat.
• Add onions; sauté 2-3 minutes.
• Add garlic; sauté 30 seconds.
• Add tomatoes and beans; stir.
• Add the kale, broth, salt, and pepper. Cover and lower heat to medium. Let simmer 5-7 minutes. Remove the lid and let simmer 2-3 more minutes.
• Put half of the quinoa on a plate and top with half of the kale mixture.
• Optional: top with some freshly grated parmesan cheese 

     

Sauteed Kale

A few weeks ago I used kale in a sausage and pasta dish and loved it so much that I added kale to my menu again the very next day. I made the ultimate southern comfort food, Chicken and Dumplings, and served sautéed kale on the side.

Unlike spinach, my usual go to easy green side, kale doesn't cook down all that much when you wilt it, so you know how much you will be left with after it wilts. I love that it stays somewhat crisp as well. And the best thing is that you just put it in the pan, cover it, and let it wilt for 10-15 minutes - no attention needed!

I have made this recipe twice in the past few weeks - once with vegetable broth and once with chicken broth. Jon and I both actually preferred the one cooked with chicken broth, but to keep it vegetarian you can stick with the vegetable broth.

Sautéed Kale
Adapted from: Bobby Flay

Ingredients

• 1/2 large bag of washed and chopped kale
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 c broth (chicken or vegetable)
• Pinch or two each of salt and pepper (it doesn't need much salt since you are using broth)

Directions

• Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat
• Add the garlic and sauté 1-2 minutes, until softened
• Add the kale and the broth; toss to combine
• Cover and let cook for 10 minutes
• Remove the lid and let cook another 2 minutes or so until the liquid has absorbed
• Season with salt and pepper to taste

Hot Italian Sausage and Kale Ragu

It is a must in our family that a veggie side is always part of our meal. In the summertime we grill everything, and in the winter we will roast or sauté veggies (and if we don't have snow, we will still grill, but that hasn't been an option this year..and I type that as 12 inches have fallen this morning). Even though we try to vary what we eat, I'm getting tired of our old standby veggies this winter - broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, asparagus, and spinach. We occasionally eat bok choy, snow peas, and sugar snap peas, but I really wanted something different last week. Little did I know that making something different would lead to me eating it three nights in a row!! I think I'm officially on a kale kick now...

I have only had kale a few times, so when I saw a huge bag of it on last week's trip to Wegmans, I threw it in my cart. Last week I saw a pasta recipe using kale, so I pulled it up on my phone and bought the rest of the ingredients - hot Italian sausage, rigatoni, and ricotta salata.

My favorite thing about kale, besides the flavor and health benefits, is that it doesn't cook down like other greens such as spinach or arugula. It's a hearty green, has great texture, and a huge bag gives you a LOT whereas a small bag of spinach might be enough for 2 people.

6

I love simple dishes that are packed with flavor, and this one was exactly that. The list of ingredients is very short, it cooks in 30 minutes, it comes together in one pot, and you may say "mmmmm...." with every bite, like I did! My husband kept looking at me with a look that said "I get it - you like it." I was SO glad I had leftovers to have for lunch the next day, and I'll definitely be making this again soon.

I made 2 minor changes to the recipe - I used low sodium chicken broth instead of water and did not add salt. There is enough flavor from the sausage, and the cheese and broth add the saltiness.

Hot Italian Sausage and Kale Ragu
Slightly adapted from: Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice

Ingredients

•  3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb hot Italian sausage links
• 1/2 bag of kale (or 1 large bunch). I prefer the bags because the kale is triple washed and already chopped.
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 12 oz cooked pasta; I used rigatoni
• 1/2 c low sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 c crumbled ricotta salata
• 1/4 c shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions

• Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat
• Cut a line down the center of each sausage link and remove the casing. Crumble the sausage into the pan, further crumbling it with a wooden spoon or spatula. Cook until browned on the outside, about 5 minutes.
• Push sausage to the sides of the pan, add the rest of the olive oil, and then add your onions and garlic; sauté 3 minutes.
• Turn the heat down to low, add the kale, cover and let cook for 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes.
• In the meantime, bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta.
• After the kale has cooked for 20 minutes, add the chicken broth and the cooked pasta. Stir.
• Add the Parmesan cheese and top with the ricotta salata. Serve immediately.