One Pot Pasta with Sausage, Kale and White Beans

Posted in Recipes by Annie T

This one pot pasta dish with sausage, kale and white beans is hearty, warming and satisfying… perfect for a cold winter night! Of course, winter is drawing to an end (or it better be, at least!) so I figure I should hurry up and get this recipe up on the blog while we’re all still in the mood to see some comfort food.

I’ve always been intrigued by the idea of cooking an entire pasta dish in one pot but it wasn’t until a few months ago that Matt and I actually tried this technique for ourselves. It turns out that there’s nothing particularly hard about making a one pot meal… you simply layer in each ingredient as you go. First you brown the meat, then throw in the onions and beans, toss in a little garlic, add broth, water and uncooked pasta, then add in your kale in two batches… the first to cook down into the dish and the remainder to add a little bite and pop of color. Easy! Thanks to the cooked-down white beans, the resulting dish has a creamy, thick, almost stew-like consistency that is very different from a normal “two pot” recipe where the pasta is cooked separately in boiling water.

Stirring in the uncooked pasta

Cooked!

Matt and I have been making variations of this pasta almost every week this winter. Sometimes we use spinach instead of kale or we throw in steamed broccoli along with the greens. Feel free to change up the meat (hot sausage adds a nice kick) and the pasta… we’ve had delicious results with gemelli, fusilli lunghi, rigatoni and penne.

One Pot Pasta with Sausage, Kale and White Beans (serves 4; recipe adapted from Cool Spring CSA)

You will need…
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 lb. ground Sweet Italian Sausage, ground (remove casings if using normal sausage)
1 Yellow Onion, chopped
2 – 15 oz. cans Cannellini Beans, drained and rinsed
5-6 cloves Garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons Dried Oregano
Pinch of Crushed Red Pepper
3 cups Chicken Broth
2 cups Water
1 lb. Pasta (we used Gemelli this time)
1 bunch Kale, washed, stems removed, and roughly chopped
1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions:
In a large (6+ qt.) dutch oven brown the crumbled sausage with 1-2T olive oil over medium-high heat. When the sausage is cooked through, add the onion and beans and saute, stirring occassionally, until onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, oregano and red pepper and stir for 30 seconds or until garlic is fragrant.

Pour in the chicken broth, water, pasta and half of the chopped kale and stir well to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and cover with a tightly fitted lid. Allow the mixture to cook undisturbed for 6 minutes, then layer in the remaining kale on top of the pasta without stirring. Recover and cook for another 4 minutes. Remove the lid, stir, and taste test a piece of pasta. (My favorite part!)

Allow the dish to continue to simmer uncovered for another few minutes until the pasta is cooked to your desired consistency. Remove from heat, stir in the cheese, drizzle in a tablespoon or so of olive oil and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve and enjoy!

9Mar2014

Cassoulet with Smoked Sausage and White Beans

Posted in Recipes by Annie T

How do you prepare for a snow day? Do you rush to the supermarket for bread, milk and eggs? Or maybe turn up the heat so the house feels warm and toasty when you come in from shoveling? In our house we try to take advantage of being snowed in by planning a big, slow-cooked meal that we normally wouldn’t have time to put together on a regular weeknight.

Flashback to Thursday, February 13th… A huge storm was dumping more than a foot of snow on our already snow-covered region, the local kids were all enjoying yet another snow day, and our office was closed. Knowing that we’d have lots of time to cook, Matt and I decided to try a new stew recipe… something that required a little prep up front and that would be guaranteed to fill the house with the delicious aroma of slow-cooking meat and herbs as it simmered in the crockpot all afternoon. I found the perfect candidate on MyRecipes.com… smoked sausage cassoulet!

Cassoulet is a classic french dish that features slow-cooked white beans and meat. White traditional versions of cassoulet call for duck confit, our snow day version of cassoulet kept things simple. All of the ingredients were readily available at our local grocery store (on the eve of a snow storm, no less!) and, after being sauteed and slow-cooked all afternoon, they came together to make a delightfully hearty stew with smoky kielbasa, richly flavored white beans, and pork that was so tender you could cut it with a spoon. Top that off with some freshly grated parmesan and chopped parsley and we had the ultimate culinary reward for all of the shoveling we did on Thursday… and it was a LOT of shoveling: about 14 inches of heavy, wet snow!

Cassoulet with Smoked Sausage, Pork and White Beans (adapted from MyRecipes.com; serves 5)

You will need…
2-3 slices Bacon, uncooked, cut into approx. 1″ x 1/2″ pieces
12 oz. Smoked Sausage,* halved lengthwise and cut into 1/4″ slices
2 cups Chopped Onion
1/2 teaspoon Dried Rosemary
1 teaspoon Dried Thyme
3 cloves Garlic, minced
2 – 14.5 oz. cans Diced Tomatoes, drained
1/2 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Salt
2 – 15 oz. cans Great Northern Beans, drained and divided
1 lb. Pork Tenderloin, trimmed and cut into 1/2″ cubes
Grated Parmesan Cheese, for garnish
Fresh Parsley, for garnish

*Choose a good quality smoked sausage as this will have a major impact on the overall flavor of the dish. The first time we made this recipe we used Johnsonville Smoked Pork Kielbasa with great results. The second time we also added in some spicy Andouille sausage (leftover from Jambalaya) and that added even more flavor.

Directions:
Preheat a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chopped bacon bits, stirring occasionally, until crispy. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked bacon to a bowl and set aside. Add the smoked sausage to the bacon fat and saute until just starting to brown. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the sausage to another bowl and set aside. Add the onion, rosemary, thyme and garlic to the pan and saute until soft, approximately 4-5 minutes. Add the bacon, tomatoes, salt and pepper to the pan, stir well, then bring to a boil. Remove from heat.

Meanwhile, place 1 can’s worth of drained Great Northern Beans in a large bowl and mash with a potato masher until chunky. (I found that doing this in a 3 qt pot worked well since the bottom of the pot is flat.) Add in the remaining can of beans along with the browned sausage and pork and stir well.

Assemble your cassoulet in layers in a crockpot. First, spread half of the bean mixture on the bottom of the crockpot. Then, in layers, add half the tomato mixture, the remaining bean mixtue, and the remaining tomato mixture. Cover and cook on LOW for 5 1/2 hours. Stir the cassoulet before serving and top each individual bowl with grated Parmesan and parsley. Enjoy!

Do you have any go-to recipes that you love to make on snow days?
Tell me about them in the comments section! 🙂

26Jan2014

White Bean Chili with Sausage and Chicken

Posted in Recipes by Annie T

It has been bitterly cold here in southeastern PA. We haven’t seen above-freezing temperatures in a week and the 14 inches of snow that fell last Tuesday still look fresh and powdery… no melting whatsoever! I’m not complaining, though. I’ll take extreme winter weather with lots of snow and cold over a mediocre, unexciting winter any year!

The cold weather means that Matt and I have been making soups, stews, and chilis almost every week. Right now we have a beef chili simmering on the stove that’s made with “real” dried beans that we had to soak overnight… first time I’ve ever done that! Tonight’s chili still has another hour or so to cook before it will be ready so I thought I’d use that time to post about another stew that we made a few weeks ago… white bean chili with hot sausage, chicken, bacon, and five types of peppers… yum!!

This white bean chili comes together really quickly… just under an hour from start to finish. That’s much faster than tonight’s beef chili which has been simmering for nearly 7 hours! (Can you tell that I am impatiently waiting for it to be done? I’m starving!!) Getting back to the white bean chili, I found that the “white” cannellini beans and navy beans were a nice change from the basic kidney beans and black beans that my chilis usually include and I definitely liked the combination of bell peppers, jalapeño, green chiles, and chipotles en adobo. Oh, and of course I thoroughly enjoyed the bacon and hot sausage… how could you not like that winning combination? 🙂

White Bean Chili with Sausage and Chicken (adapted from this recipe at Food52)

Chili Ingredients:
Olive Oil
5 slices Bacon, chopped
1 lb. Chicken Breast, cut into 1″ cubes
1 lb. Hot Italian Sausage, ground (or removed from casing)
2 Yellow Onions, diced
1 Green Bell Pepper, diced
1 Red Bell Pepper, diced
1 Jalapeño Pepper, minced
2 – 4 oz. cans Diced Green Chiles
2 Chipotles en Adobo, minced
3 cloves Garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Black Pepper
1 teaspoon Ground Coriander
3 tablespoons Cumin
1 1/2 tablespoons Chili Powder
3 tablespoons Mexican Oregano
3 tablespoons All-Purpose Flour
6 cups Chicken Stock
1 – 15 oz. can Cannellinni Beans, partially drained
1 – 15 oz. can Navy Beans, partially drained

Garnishes:
Your choice of Sour Cream, Grated Cheddar Cheese, Fresh Cilantro, Lime Wedges, Avocado, and/or Tortilla Strips

Directions:
Heat a large (7-8 qt) stock pot over medium-high heat. Add a few tablespoons of olive oil and brown the chopped bacon until it is just starting to get crispy. Add in the chicken and sausage. Brown the meat, stirring frequently, for approx. 12 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the sausage is well crumbled.

Stir in the next seven ingredients (onion thru garlic) and saute until the onions are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the spices (black pepper thru Mexican oregano), stir well, and continue to cook for another 3 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture, stir, and cook for 3 more minutes. Next, add the chicken stock 1 cup at a time, stirring and scraping the browned bits off of bottom of the pot between each cup. Bring the chili to a boil then add the beans and stir well to combine. Reduce the heat and simmer the chili for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve the white bean chili in large bowls and top with your choice of garnish. We enjoyed our chili with sour cream, cheddar cheese, and cilantro and it was delicious!

Here are some of the other Chilis and Stews that we’ve been making lately. Enjoy and stay warm!
• Pozole Verde
• Pork and Green Chile Stew
• Butternut Squash and Turkey Chili

19Jan2014

Pork and Green Chile Stew

Posted in Recipes by Annie T

Hello there, blog world! It’s been a while since I’ve posted but that’s because Matt and I have been in Las Vegas! We were there all of last week and just got home late last night. Being home after a long work trip is definitely nice but I do have to admit that I’m already missing Nevada’s weather. Every afternoon the temps climbed into the mid-sixties and the sky was always perfectly clear and sunny. Here in Pennsylvania, on the other hand, we’re about to get hit with another “Polar Vortex.” Once that icy blast of cold air arrives tomorrow it’s going to stay below freezing for four days straight. Brrr!

Pennsylvania’s winter weather does have its benefits, however. Take for instance winter comfort food. I’ll bet a hearty slow-cooked stew tastes WAY better in 20° Pennsylvania than it would in 60° Las Vegas, right? 😉 I could actually really go for a nice stew tonight for dinner. We don’t have the ingredients on hand though so I’ll satisfy my craving by posting about this Pork and Green Chile Stew that I made last month. Doesn’t it look yummy?

I found this Slow Cooker Pork and Green Chile Stew recipe at Skinny Taste. It was extremely easy to make – just cube and brown the pork and simmer all of the ingredients together in a crock pot for 4-5 hours – and the cooked pork was tender and moist. Matt and I garnished our plates with cilantro, avocado and sour cream and these Mexican flavors added a really nice, bright finishing touch to the stew. For anyone looking for a good Polar Vortex meal, I highly recommend this!

Slow-Cooked Pork and Green Chile Stew (Recipe from Skinny Taste)

Stew Ingredients…
2 lbs. Pork Loin roast, trimmed of fat and cut into 2″ cubes
Salt and Pepper
Olive Oil
2 tablespoons All-Purpose Flour (or use a gluten-free flour for G-Free preparation)
1 medium Yellow Onion, diced
2 – 4 oz. cans Diced Green Chiles, drained
1-2 Jalapeño Peppers, diced with seeds and stems removed
1 – 10 oz. can Ro*Tel Tomatoes & Diced Green Chiles (not drained)
1/2 cup Low Sodium Chicken Broth
1 tablespoon Cumin
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder

Other Ingredients/Garnishes…
Cooked White or Brown Rice
Sour Cream (omit for Lactose-Free)
Sliced Avocado
Chopped Cilantro

Directions:
Season the cubed pork liberally with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat and add the cubed pork. Cook the pork for approximately 4 minutes or until browned on all sides. Gradually stir in the flour and allow the pork to continue browning for another 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Transfer the browned pork to a crock pot. Add in the remaining stew ingredients (onion thru garlic powder) and stir gently to combine. Cover and cook on high power for 4-5 hours or on low power for 8 hours. When done, stir the mixture and, if needed, add salt and pepper to taste. Serve the stew over rice and garnish with sour cream, avocado and cilantro.

18Sep2012

More Comfort Food… Smothered Pork Chops!

Posted in Recipes by Annie T

Last Friday Matt sent me an email that said “Let’s make something blog-worthy this weekend.” Ha! I guess that means we were eating really boring meals last week, right? 🙂 I immediately agreed to Matt’s proposal and Matt spent the better part of an hour paging through our voluminous The Best New Recipe cookbook on Saturday before settling on a wonderful Fall feast: Smothered Pork Chops.

Despite being a Fall “comfort food” recipe, we were still able to use several ingredients fresh out of our summer garden including thyme, parsley and garlic. The rest of the ingredients are mostly standard pantry items which meant that we only had to go out to purchase the bacon, pork chops and onions. This meal takes a while to prep and cook, but I guarantee you that the smell of the simmering pork chops and onions in a thyme-garlic broth will be MORE than worth every minute!

Smothered Pork Chops with Onions and Bacon (adapted from The New Best Recipe)

You will need…
3 slices Bacon, cut into 1/4″ pieces
2 tablespoons Flour
1 3/4 cups Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
2 tablespoons Peanut Oil
3 Thin-Cut Bone-In Pork Chops, patted dry with a paper towel
Ground Black Pepper
2 medium Yellow Onions, halved and sliced thinly
Salt
2 tablespoons Water
2 Garlic Cloves, pressed through a garlic press
1 teaspoon minced fresh Thyme
2 Bay Leaves
1 tablespoon minced fresh Parsley
1 package Egg Noodles, cooked accordingly to package instructions

Directions…
Fry the bacon in a small pot or saucepan over medium heat until the bacon is browned and the fat has rendered, approx. 8-10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon bits and set aside on a paper towel lined plate for later use. Whisk the flour into the bacon fat over medium heat and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the mixture is light brown. Gradually whisk in the chicken broth and then bring the mixture to a boil. Remove from heat, cover, and set aside.

In a large skillet heat 1 tablespoon of the Oil over high heat until smoking. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper over the pork chops and then transfer them to the skillet and allow to brown – approximately 3 minutes per side. (Watch out – the oil will splatter so use a splatter guard!) Remove the browned pork chops and set aside on a plate.

Reduce the skillet heat to medium and add the remaining tablespoon oil, onions, 1/4 teaspoon salt and water. Scrape up the browned bits of pork with a wooden spoon. Cook the mixture, stirring frequently, until the onions have softened and are turning brown around the edges, approximately 5 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme and stir until fragrant for about 30 seconds. Return the pork chops to the skillet, cover with the onions and add in the reserved sauce and bay leaves. Cover and allow to simmer over low heat until the pork is fork-tender, about 30 minutes.

Transfer the pork to a serving platter and tent with foil. Increase the heat of the onion mixture to medium-high heat and simmer, stirring frequently for about 5 minutes until the sauce thickens. Remove the bay leaves, stir in the parsley, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour the finished sauce over the pork chops. Sprinkle each smothered chop with the reserved bacon bits and serve over a bed of egg noodles.

17Sep2012

Shepherd’s Pie (Fall Comfort Food)

Posted in Recipes by Annie T

The weather in southeastern PA is starting to cool off and that can only mean one thing… comfort food! Don’t get me wrong, I love fresh summery pasta dishes and salads, but after a hot, humid August I am ready for Fall and all of the warm, hearty foods that come with it!

On Friday we kicked off our Fall food season with a delicious shepherd’s pie.* We didn’t feel like grocery shopping after work so Matt searched around on the internet until he found a recipe on Food.com that used ingredients that we already had on hand. The result was an all around solid dish. It wasn’t amazingly gourmet and didn’t really have any “wow” factor, but it definitely satisfied my craving for a solid, comforting meal. After all, how could you go wrong with ground beef covered in creamy, golden mashed potatoes? 🙂

*Shepherd’s pie is technically made with ground lamb, but we had ground beef so that’s what we used. I think that a Shepherd’s Pie made with beef is called a Cottage Pie…?

Shepherd’s Pie (serves 6) (from Food.com)

You will need…
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
15-20 Baby Carrots, chopped into small discs (or use “real” carrots!)
1 Yellow Onion, diced
1 teaspoon ground Black Pepper
3-4 sprigs Fresh Thyme, chopped
1 lb. Ground Beef – we used 93% Lean
1 cup Frozen Peas
2 tablespoons All-Purpose Flour
3 tablespoons Butter, divided (or Butter Spread like Earth Balance)
1 glass Red Wine (we used a Pinot Noir)
2 tablespoons Tomato Paste
2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
1 cup Beef Stock (we only had chicken broth; would be better with beef stock!)
Salt and Pepper to taste
8-12 Small Yukon Gold Potatoes, peeled and cut in half
1/4 cup Fat Free Half & Half
1/2-3/4 cup Skim Milk
Grated Parmesan Cheese

Directions:
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chopped carrots and saute for a few minutes until they start to become tender. Add in the onions and saute for another 1-2 minutes, then add in the black pepper and thyme and stir well. Add the ground beef and cook until browned, stirring occasionally. Drain the beef if there is excess fat (there wasn’t with our 93% lean beef).

Add 1 tablespoon of the butter and the peas and stir. Sprinkle with flour, stir, and then add in the wine, tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce and stir again. Bring the mixture to a simmer, allow to reduce for a few minutes, and then add in the stock. Simmer the mixture for several more minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture takes on a thick, meaty consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

While you are waiting for the beef mixture to thicken, add the potatoes to a pot of boiling water and allow to boil for 10-12 minutes (or more, depending on the size of your potatoes) until fork-tender. Drain the potatoes, return to the pot, add in the half & half, milk, and remaining 2 tablespoons butter and mash with a potato masher until creamy and smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Transfer the meat mixture into a 13 x 9 casserole pan and spoon the mashed potatoes over top. Spread out the potatoes carefully to complete cover the meat. If desired, sprinkle some Parmesan cheese over the top of the potatoes. Cook the Shepherd’s Pie for 30 minutes in a preheated 400°F oven. In the last 3-5 minutes of cooking switch the oven to broil and put the Shepherd’s Pie until the broiler to give the potatoes and nice golden crust… yum!