Italian Sausage, Kale and White Bean Soup

Fall is my favorite time of year. Sweaters, football, red wine and most importantly, soup, are some of my favorite things. I find cooking a big pot of soup kind of therapeutic, and this soup is so hearty and delicious, it had to be my soup season kickoff. Best of all? Cooking a big pot of soup is a very inexpensive way to make a warm, filling, and healthy meal that can last throughout the week and freeze for up to a month. Full of hearty fall veggies, robust flavors, and spicy Italian sausage... this soup is a definite must try!

Italian Sausage, Kale, and White Bean Soup

- Half a pound Italian sausage  *Hot or mild, whatever your preference is

- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

- 2 small yellow onions, chopped

- 2 carrots, chopped

- 3 stalks celery, chopped

- 2 cloves garlic, minced

- 1 14 oz can diced tomatoes

- 5 cups chicken broth  *I use reduced sodium to control sodium levels

- 2 cups water

- 2 tablespoon tomato paste

- 1-2 teaspoons italian seasoning

- 1 14 oz can white beans (I used cannelini beans), drained and rinsed

- 1 bunch kale, stemmed and chopped

1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium high in a large stock pot. Remove the sausage from their casings and cook in the pot. Using a wooden spoon, break up the sausage to smaller crumbles. Cook until sausage is browned, about 8-10 minutes. 

2. Add remaining olive oil (if needed) and add onions, carrots, and celery. Season with salt and pepper.  Cook until veggies are soft, about 7 minutes. Add garlic and cook for one more minute. 

3. Pour chicken broth and water into pot. Using the spoon, scrape any brown bits off of the bottom. Add the entire can of diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Bring to a boil and stir, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer soup (I had the pot partially covered) for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

4. Add rinsed and drained beans and the chopped kale. Raise heat to medium/medium high and cook the soup for 15 more minutes to wilt the kale and heat the beans. Taste for seasoning and salt and pepper accordingly.

Soup's on!

Grilled Eggplant Tower

I wanted to create a recipe inspired by eggplant parmesan, and came up with a dish perfectly portioned for one. I grilled my vegetables first and then stacking them with cheesy layers and topped with garlic bread crumbs. It is a very rich and delicious dish very reminiscent of eggplant parmesan with a side of garlic bread. Although it is a little messy-it is an incredible use of some more of my eggplant.

Grilled Eggplant Tower

Serves 1. 

- 4 slices of eggplant (about 1/2 inch thick)

- 1/2 red bell pepper, sliced

- 2 slices yellow onion

- 1 tablespoon olive oil

- 1/4 cup shredded parmesan

- 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella

- 1/4 cup marinara sauce

- 1 tablespoon bread crumbs

-1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1. Brush veggies with olive oil and grill for about 3-4 minutes each side, or until grill marks are made.

2. In a baking dish, spread a spoonful of marinara and make a circle in the center to be the base of the tower. 

3. Stack 1 ring eggplant, 1- 2 red bell pepper slices, a couple onion rings. Top with a big pinch of parmesan, a big pinch of mozzarella, and a spoonful of marinara. Continue this process until the tower is made. 

4. Top the tower with remaining marinara. Mix together bread crumbs and garlic powder and sprinkle the mixture over the top. Sprinkle a little olive oil over top. Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes. 

Enjoy!

Spaghetti Squash with Spinach and Feta

Challenge Recipe #2

So my original plan was to split the spaghetti squash and make two separate dishes, but I made enough sauce to cover all of the veggie, so I just made one big dish. Talk about leftovers. Luckily, it is absolutely delicious and a healthy alternative to pasta... so I won't mind having my lunches packed for the rest of the week.

Other than preparing the spaghetti squash, this recipe is a snap and extremely cheap. To add more protein to the meal, it could be used as a perfect side dish to grilled shrimp or meat. I do know one thing for sure though, spaghetti squash is going to become a regular in my fridge.

Spaghetti Squash with Spinach and Feta
Serves 4.

- 1 spaghetti squash
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 can diced tomatoes (I use no salt added)
- 2 cups spinach
- Crumbled feta cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Split spaghetti squash in half vertically. Spoon out the seeds and pith. Rub the exposed flesh with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper. In a baking dish, place the squash cut side up and fill the bottom of the dish with 1 inch water. Bake for 1 hour.

2. When the squash is done, pull out and cool for about 5 minutes. Place one half of the squash in a big mixing bowl, and using a fork scrape the squash into the bowl. The squash will come out looking just like short spaghetti. Repeat with the second half.

3. Heat the remaining olive oil in a pan over medium high heat. Add garlic and cook for one minute. Add tomatoes and turn heat to high. When the sauce is boiling, stir in the spinach and turn the heat down to medium. Keep stirring the wilt the spinach. Season the sauce with salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and italian seasoning.

4. In the bowl with the squash, pour the sauce and mix together. Taste for seasoning and serve on a plate. Top with feta cheese and enjoy!

*Splurge: Chopped fresh basil and chopped kalamata olives would make this dish even more delectable.

Ratatouille & Whole Wheat Couscous

Challenge Recipe #1

When researching recipes with eggplant, boring old eggplant parmesan flooded my google page. Ratatouille, however, stuck out. I have to admit I have never really known what ratatouille was, other than a Disney movie (I always assumed it was pasta). I was pleasantly surprised to see how healthy and easy it is! Pairing the veggies with whole wheat couscous was a quick-cooking and easy accompaniment. I made my own rendition to make a solo portion, and was thrilled to find how delicious and savory this dish is. Another plus- all of the recipes were in my fridge or my penniless pantry!

Ratatouille & Whole Wheat Couscous

Serves 1 (generously!)

- 1 tablespoon olive oil

- 1/3 red bell pepper, diced

- 1/2 yellow onion, diced

- 1/2 - 1/3 eggplant, diced    *Depending on size of eggplant

- 1/2 zucchini, diced

- 1 clove garlic, minced

- 1 plum tomato, diced

- 1/2 teaspoon italian seasoning

- Pinch of salt

- Pinch of red pepper flakes

- 1-2 tablespoons chicken broth

- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley

- 1/3 cup whole wheat couscous

- 1/3 cup water

- Pinch of salt

1. In a large saucepan, heat one tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Sauté pepper and onion for 5 minutes or until brown. Add eggplant and zucchini and cook for another 5 minutes or until brown. Add garlic and tomato and cook for 2 minutes. Add seasoning, cook one more minute, stirring. Add chicken broth to the saucepan and scrape up brown bits from the bottom on the pan. Cover with the lid, turn the heat down to medium-low and cook for 10 minutes. 

2. In a smaller pot, bring water to a boil and add a pinch of salt. Once boiling, add couscous and stir. Cover the pan and remove it from the heat. Without opening the lid or stirring the couscous, cook for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

3. Top the couscous with the ratatouille and top with chopped parsley (or basil if available) and enjoy!

The Spaghetti Squash and Eggplant Challenge

Yesterday I stocked up at Harris Teeter and really wanted to challenge myself to load the cart with produce and to try new veggies that I don't eat often, and never cook.

The first thing to catch my eye was eggplant. Not only was it on sale, but it intrigued me because I do not eat eggplant often. What I like about eggplant is that it is a meaty vegetable and can take the place of meat in main dishes (I'm not a big meat eater). I also like the size of eggplant, and for solo cooking I can use it in multiple dishes and multiple ways. My personal challenge is to cook two new recipes using eggplant.

To add more challenge, a spaghetti squash caught my eye mainly because of its 99 cent per pound price tag. My mom has cooked spaghetti squash, and it is unbelievably delicious (and really does mimic pasta!) It is a healthier alternative, and again, a large vegetable that I am hoping to use in at least two new recipes.

So my challenge: Two new vegetables. Four entrees. Wish me luck!

Pasta Bolognese

When I'm wanting a big bowl of pasta, class pasta and meat sauce never fails. I made a quick and cheap bolognese and served it over whole wheat penne, but this sauce is a great match for whatever pasta you like! Serve with a big rip of warm, crusty bread and a glass of red wine, and this meal becomes ultimate comfort food.

Pasta Bolognese
Serves 2.

- 1.5 cups pasta (whichever you prefer- I used penne)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 stalk celery, rough chop
- 1 carrot, rough chop
- 1/4 yellow onion, rough chop
- 1-2 cloves garlic, minced (depending on how much you like garlic)
- 1/4 lb lean ground beef
- 1 cup jarred marinara sauce
- 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon parmesan cheese

1. Cook pasta according to package.

2. In a food processor, finely chop the celery, carrot, onion, and garlic. (Roughly chop the vegetables before putting them in the food processor to help finely chop the veggies.)

3. Add olive oil to a saucepan, and sauté veggie mixture for about 2-3 minutes and season with salt and pepper. Add ground beef, and work the meat with a wooden spoon to break it up. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the beef is browned and cooked through. Add the marinara sauce and season with red pepper flakes and italian seasoning.

4. Top the pasta with the bolognese sauce and sprinkle parmesan cheese over top.
  *If you have fresh basil, it would be a perfect topper. 


Enjoy!

Chicken and Curry Vegetables

For this warm fall dinner, I use fall produce and chicken breast from the freezer. It is a similar cooking method to my chicken, kale, and white bean stew with some changes in the vegetables and a big flavor switch up in the broth. So easy and filling, and easy to make vegetarian! The chickpeas can stand alone as the protein in the dish.

Chicken and Curry Vegetables

Serves 2.

- 1 chicken breast

- 2 tablespoons olive oil

- 1 clove garlic, minced

- 1/4 yellow onion, diced

- 1 carrot, diced

- 1/4 bunch kale
- 1 roma tomato
- 1/2 cup mushrooms
- 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- 1/4 cup chicken broth

1. Cut chicken into strips, about 1 inch. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat and add chicken to the pan. Brown the chicken on all sides for about 5 minutes. Remove chicken from pan and rest it on a plate.

2. Add remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and add the onion and carrot to the pan. Cook for about 4 minutes. Add garlic, kale, tomato, mushrooms, and chickpeas and sauté for another 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add curry powder and cook one more minute. Add chicken broth to saucepan and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to get all of the flavors off.

3. Place chicken back in the pan, and nestle it in between the vegetables so that it is direct on the heat. Cover and cook for about 12-15 minutes, turning chicken once. Continue to simmer until chicken is white all of the way through. Season with red pepper flakes and top with chopped parsley.

Enjoy!

Shrimp Linguine with Lemon Ricotta

This pasta dish sounds fancy, tastes fancy, but is so cheap and easy to make. A delicious and hearty pasta dinner, accompanied by a glass of white wine. Pop in a movie and you have a nice relaxing Saturday night.

Shrimp Linguine with Lemon Ricotta

Serves 2.

- 2 cups whole wheat linguine (or any long pasta)

- 1 tablespoon olive oil

- 1/2 zucchini, diced

- 1 clove garlic, minced

- Shrimp (6-8 shrimp per person)

- 1/2 cup chicken broth

- 1 tablespoon lemon juice

- 1 tablespoon butter

- 1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese

- Zest of a lemon 

- Handful of parsley, chopped

1. Cook pasta according to directions.

2. In a saucepan, heat oil over medium high. Sauté zucchini for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic, and cook for another minute more. Season with salt and pepper. Add shrimp, and cook shrimp one side down for 2-3 minutes. Turn shrimp and cook for another minute. Add broth and lemon juice, and simmer for a couple minutes. 

3. In a small bowl, mix ricotta cheese and lemon zest . 

4. Drain pasta, and add the pasta into the saucepan. Mix together for a minute, and add butter and season with red pepper flakes. Serve pasta on a plate, and top with about 2 tablespoons of the ricotta mixture. Top with chopped parsley. 

*Next day idea: Ricotta Stuffed Zucchini

Using the leftover lemon ricotta mixture, this recipe is an easy and healthy football Sunday snack. 

- Remaining half of zucchini

- Remaining lemon ricotta

- 1/2 teaspoon italian seasoning

- 1 teaspoon bread crumbs

- Drizzle of olive oil

1. Half zucchini in length

2. Scoop out seeds of zucchini and spoon ricotta mixture into the zucchini.

3. Mix italian seasoning and bread crumbs with a pinch of salt and pepper. Top zucchini and ricotta with bread crumb mixture. Drizzle with olive oil and bake at 375 for 10 minutes. 

Sweet Potato "Fries"

If I'm going to eat a burger, I need some fries. Sticking with my healthy burger meal makeover, I made my favorite side dish - sweet potato "fries." These fries are so tasty and easy, and healthy!

Sweet Potato Fries

Serves 1. 

- 1 small-medium sweet potato

- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

- Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Skin sweet potato and cut into big wedges. 

3. On a cookie sheet, toss the wedges with olive oil and salt and pepper until all of the fries are lightly coated. Spread on a single layer.

4. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, turning the fries once or twice.

Healthy fries never got easier!

Goat Cheese & Spinach Burger

When the mood for a burger hits, there is no stopping it. In an attempt to change up my running route because of too many hills, I ended up running uphill for about 30 minutes. Exhausted, the only thing to change my night around was going to be a burger.

This is a burger that you can actually feel good about. With a healthy version of a creamy cheese sauce and served on a wheat flatbread wrap, my red meat craving was satisfied, and hopefully my run wasn't a wash.

Goat Cheese & Spinach Burger

Serves 1. 

- 1/4 lb lean ground beef

- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard

- 1/2 teaspoon Worchestire sauce

- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

Goat Cheese Sauce:

- 2 tbsp crumbled goat cheese

- 1 tablespoon nonfat greek yogurt

- 1 teaspoon light sour cream

- Handful baby spinach leaves

- 1 Flatout 5-Flax Flatbread Wrap

1. Combine meat, mustard, worchestire sauce and garlic powder in a bowl. Using your hands (and careful not to overwork the meat) combine the ingredients and form a patty. 

2. I grilled my burger on my George Foreman grill, for 5 minutes (flipped once). 

3. In a separate bowl, combine cheese, yogurt, and sour cream until creamy. Season with salt and pepper. 

4. Place spinach on one side of the wrap, and spread the cheese sauce on the other. Place the burger in the middle, close, and enjoy!

Stewed Chicken with White Beans and Kale

It was a beautiful fall Monday in Nashville, and I wanted a nice warm dinner to start my week off right. I was in the mood for chicken, and wanted a dish that reflected the beginning of October. Full of hearty veggies and juicy chicken, this meal is not only filling and hearty, but healthy!

Stewed Chicken with White Beans and Kale

Serves 2

-1 chicken breast (about 1/3 pound), cut in half

-Italian seasoning

-1 tablespoon olive oil

-1 clove garlic, minced

-1/2 yellow onion, diced

-1 cup sliced baby portabellos

-1/2 bunch kale, chopped

-1/2 cup chicken broth

-1 can white beans (I used Great Northern), drained and rinsed

-1 can diced tomatoes

-Salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and italian seasoning to taste

1. Sprinkle chicken with salt, pepper, italian seasoning. In a large saucepan, heat olive oil on medium high. Add the chicken and brown the meat. It will take about 2-3 minutes on each side of the chicken. Once the chicken is browned, remove it from the pan and have it rest on a plate.

2. Turn down the heat on the pan to medium. Add onions, kale, and mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper, and cook for about 5 minutes. Add garlic, and cook one more minute.

3. Add the chicken broth, and using a wooden spoon, scrape the bottom of the pan to get all of the seasonings from the chicken. Add tomatoes and beans. Add chicken back to the pot. (Nestle the chicken breasts into the veggies, so that they will cook).

** I cut my chicken breast in half for two reasons. The first, the have two smaller portions (dinner tomorrow night!). The second, so the chicken cooks quicker.

4. Keep the heat at medium, and simmer the chicken and vegetables for 15-20 minutes. Check the chicken, and flip halfway through cooking. Once chicken is cooked all of the way through, serve. Place one chicken breast in the bottom of a big bowl, and spoon vegetables over top. Using a ladle, scoop some of the sauce into the bowl Top with red pepper flakes and italian seasoning as desired.

This is one of the best chicken dishes I've made. I suggest you try it!

Grocery List 10/3

My last two meals put my refrigerator officially on empty, and the recent cold weather excited me to buy my favorite fall vegetables. Chilly weather and football leaves me wanting big warm stews and soups and nice hearty dinners. I went to Publix for my groceries, and stocked up on the fall essentials for produce. Remember, I only list my interchangeable produce, cheese, and items unique to this list. Refer back to my penniless pantry page to stock up on my essentials.

Total for this list: $29.28

Broccoli crowns - $1.65
Sweet Potatoes (2) - $0.97
Zucchini Squash (1) - $1.00
1 Bunch Kale - $1.49
Sliced Baby Portabella Mushrooms - $2.29
1 Lemon - $0.67
Garlic - $0.39
1 Bunch Parsley - $1.19
1 lb Petite Baby Red Potatoes - $1.49
Stoplight Peppers (Red, yellow & green) - $3.99  *This was a great sale at Publix. Stoplight pepper packs (which I splurge on because I cook with peppers so often, are usually priced around 5 or 6 dollars). 
Baby Spinach - $3.99
4 oz Crumbled Feta - $2.39
4 oz Crumbled Goat Cheese - $2.39
Pillsbury Pizza Crust - $2.39
Part Skim Ricotta Cheese (15 oz) - $2.49

Happy shopping... happy cooking!