Many of us are thinking of eating healthier, and I’m a firm believer that eating well and eating foods you enjoy should go hand in hand. Rustic Potato and Sausage Soup is guilt-free comfort food that’s loaded with kale and vegetables.It’s a homey soup that’s warming and hearty with a rich tomato laced chicken broth, tender baby potatoes, Italian sausage and vegetables. Paprika, garlic, and fresh herbs give added depth of flavour to this rustic, chunky soup.
Healthy potatoes, rich in potassium and vitamin C add fibre with their skins and a rustic earthiness.Tender kale, also rich in nutrients, gently clings to all it surrounds for a wonderful spoonful.It’s the best of both worlds, being hearty and comforting while still being healthy, satisfying, and full of flavour.So even if eating better is not on your resolution list this year, you’ll still want a big bowl of this satisfying soup.Enjoy!
Over medium heat add 1 tbsp of olive to a large pot or dutch oven. Add sausage links and cook until golden and no longer pink, turning often about 15 minutes.
Pour in chicken broth and tomatoes crushed with your hands. Add potatoes, bay leaf, oregano, parsley, and both paprikas. Cover and simmer on low for about 10 minutes until potatoes are almost tender. While soup is cooking, chop kale and cooked sausage into bite-size pieces.
Add kale and sausage to the pot and continue to cook partially covered for about 5 minutes until kale is cooked but still has some colour and bite. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately with crusty bread if desired.
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Do you like lamb? I certainly do, and I believe it’s a meat you either like or don’t. I also believe that some people associate lamb with mutton, which has turned them away from it. Mutton is from the same animal as lamb, but stronger in taste and usually much tougher due to the age of the animal. Mutton is meat from a sheep that is 1-3 years old, which yields a stronger, gamier taste, and is tougher due to the muscles working longer. Lamb, on the other hand, is meat from young lambs that are less than a year old. Young spring lamb is tender and milder in comparison to mutton.
My personal favourite in cuts of lamb is chops, specifically grilled chops, which are delicious with a mustard rub. I also enjoy lean ground lamb and lamb shoulder. The wonderful thing about lamb is that it can take on robust, bold flavours and pairs wonderfully with the tomatoes and olives in this Mediterranean style dish. Saucy, rustic and full of flavour, Lamb Meatballs with Olives and Feta is a welcome change from regular beef meatballs. Perfect with rice or toasty bread! Enjoy!
If you’re a lamb lover like me, you’ll also want to try Braised Lamb Shoulder. Fork tender lamb shoulder braised in a creamy mushroom sauce.
Recipe source for Lamb Meatballs with Olives and Feta: Â Compelled to Cook
Add all ingredients except oil to a large bowl. Gently combine with your hands or a wooden spoon. Roll mixture into 17-18 evenly sized meatballs approximately 1 1/4 ounces each.
Heat oil in a cast iron or oven safe skillet over medium heat until hot. Arrange meatballs in a single layer and brown on all sides, about 20 minutes. Remove meatballs to a paper towel lined plate and drain all but 1 tbsp of fat from skillet.
Using your hands, crush tomatoes and add to skillet along with oregano, paprika and pepper. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer. Add meatballs back to pan, stirring to coat with sauce.
Place in oven uncovered and bake for 20-25 minutes until sauce is reduced, stirring once. Remove from oven and stir to coat with sauce. Sprinkle with feta cheese and olives, return to oven for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and garnish with chopped red onion and fresh oregano if desired and serve immediately on top of rice or with crusty bread.
With this weeks wintery weather here in western Canada I can safely say it’s casserole season! Which for me is a great because I love saucy and satisfying dishes that warm the house and fill it with mouth watering aroma. So while I’m not actually crazy about the weather, it does give cause to make Italian Turkey Kale Rolls. They’re a tasty way to warm your belly and beat off this weeks chill.
Ground turkey is spiced up with Italian sausage, herbs and spices then combined with rice and rolled into kale leaves. Baked until flavours meld and the turkey is cooked through then topped with a sprinkling of cheese and given a quick broil. The resulting roll is tender, full of flavour and laden with tomatoey sauce. These tasty rolls are hearty and satisfying without being heavy, not to mention a great way to eat a little kale.
I would consider Italian Turkey Kale Rolls a weekend recipe as there’s some prep and an hour long baking time. So a lazy Sunday afternoon is in order. The recipe does make 14 large rolls which for many of us will mean leftovers. Easy to portion out and freeze the leftovers to save for another wintery day when your time is limited.  Enjoy!
Recipe source for Italian Turkey Kale Rolls: Â Compelled To Cook
Bring water and salt to a boil, add rice, cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for 15 minutes and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and allow to cool while continuing.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a simmer. Trim the bottom 2-3 inches from kale leaves. Blanch leaves in water for 3 minutes. Remove using a slotted scoop to a cold water bath or cold running water to stop the cooking process. Drain well.
In a large bowl combine ground turkey, Italian sausage, onion, green pepper, garlic, herbs, salt, pepper and chili flakes. Mix gently just to combine all ingredients. Gently mix in rice.
Preheat oven to 350℉. Lay a kale leaf flat and dab with a paper towel to grab any excess moisture. Scoop a generous 1/4 cup of filling onto leaf and roll leaf over filling, tucking in the sides as mush as possible. If the leaf is not large enough to tuck the sides simply press them around the filling. Place roll into a greased 13"x 9" casserole dish. Repeat with remaining kale and filling, stacking rolls tightly in pan getting 2 rows of 7.
Pour sauce evenly over rolls, cover tightly with foil and bake for 1 hour. Remove foil and sprinkle with parmesan cheese if desired and broil 2-3 minutes. Allow to rest for 5 minutes prior to serving.
Sauce
In a medium bowl whisk together all ingredients and set aside until rolls are assembled.
Recipe Notes
I found that it takes 3 bunches of fresh kale to yield the 14 large leaves. Â Save the smaller leaves for another use. It may be necessary to trim out about 1" of the center stem from the bottom of the cooked kale leaf to allow the leaf to roll nicely. Â Don't worry too much about tucking in the sides as they are packed tightly in the pan and hold their shape when cooked.
Don’t be fooled by the humble celery! Look beyond what is thought to be boring, and used only for mirepoix and stuffing myth.  What lies there is an irresistible crunch and distinctive yet mild flavour. Braised Celery and White Beans lets this veggie take centre stage along side white beans to show off its best assets, the crunch. Even after cooking, the celery retains some of its inherent firmness which gives the otherwise soft ingredients a bit of character.
The tomatoey sauce provides the perfect bath for everything to soak and simmer together in. The melty and gooey cheese makes the dish homey and comforting. Served with crusty bread, Braised Celery and White Beans is a healthy yet rustic and satisfying meal.
Recipe source for Braised Celery and White Beans: Â Compelled To Cook
Stir in broth and allow to simmer over medium low heat for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Whisk cornstarch into canned tomato juice until dissolved. Add to pan along with canned tomatoes. Heat until mixture comes to a simmer and thickens. Stir in cannelloni beans, smoked paprika, fresh herbs, salt and pepper.
Divide equally between 4 individual coquette dishes or ramekins. Place on a large baking sheet and cover with foil. Bake for 45 minutes. Top each with 1/4 cup of grated cheese and broil until cheese has melted and is golden. Serve with crusty bread if desired.
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