{Slow Cooker} Sausage and Bean Soup with Pasta & Kale

Once again, I've come to the time of year where I can't decide if it's still soup weather or not.

Some days lately it's been up in or near the 70's with sunshine streaming in the windows, inviting me to unpack my summer box of clothes. But other days, like today, the gray returns and the chill creeps back in like an unwanted guest who has overstayed their welcome.The warm sunny days make me eager to dust off the grill and make big crisp salads, but when the rain and fog roll back in I still cling to my warm, comforting, hearty soups.

This soup is so delicious that even if it's warm where you are, you might not want to wait for fall!

It is full of hearty things like sausage, beans, pasta, and of course, veggies! The sausage adds a bit of zip and the kale gives it a vibrant freshness.

Enjoy!

Sausage and Bean Soup with Pasta & Kale

(printable version)

adapted from The Italian Dish

serves about 6

1 cup dried cannellini beans, soaked (or 1 15 oz. can, drained)

1 lb. ground sausage (turkey or pork)

1/2 med. onion, diced

1 med. carrot, diced

1 TB olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

 1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes

6-8 cups chicken broth

1 tsp dried thyme

1 bay leaf

salt and pepper

1 cup ditalini pasta (or any small pasta)

a few handfuls of chopped kale

grated Parmesan cheese (for topping)

In a large skillet, brown the sausage; remove from pan and drain off the fat. Do not wipe clean. Add onion, carrot and olive oil and saute 2-3 min. or until softened. Add garlic and saute about a minute more.

Combine sausage, sauteed vegetables, tomatoes, chicken broth, thyme, bay leaf and salt and pepper in crock pot. Cook 6-8 hrs. on low setting.

15-20 min. before serving, add pasta; stir. Cook on high until pasta is almost tender, about 10 min. Add kale and stir, cooking for several minutes or until wilted.

Serve topped with grated Parmesan.

Chicken Orzo Skillet

I present to you: another delicious skillet supper!

This tasty dish is full of flavor and healthy ingredients- tender chicken, white beans, orzo pasta, roasted broccoli and stewed tomatoes. All easy to prepare and even easier to enjoy!

Tip: Heating up leftovers the next day, I topped my helping with a handful of grated cheese...definitely an upgrade!

Chicken Orzo Skillet

(printable version)

adapted from Taste of Home

serves 6

1 cup uncooked orzo pasta

1 lb. chicken breast, cubed

3 tsp. olive oil, divided

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 cans stewed tomatoes, cut up

1 can cannellini beans

1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

1/2 tsp salt

about 2 cups fresh broccoli florets, roasted (for instructions on roasting broccoli, click here)

Shredded mozzarella cheese, if desired.

Cook orzo according to package directions. Meanwhile, cook chicken in 2 tsp oil over med-high heat for 6-7 min. or until no longer pink. Remove to a plate and keep warm.

In the same skillet, cook garlic in remaining oil for 1 min. Add tomatoes, beans, seasoning and salt. Bring to a boil. Stir in broccoli and chicken and heat through. Drain orzo, stir into chicken mixture. Top with cheese, if desired. Enjoy!

Three Bean and Grilled Corn Salad

This salad is so good, I made it Saturday for dinner and couldn't stop eating it all weekend. We had leftovers for lunch after church Sunday, then I took a nap and when I woke up, all I could think about was eating more salad and granita. I think I practically had a dream about it. Sad, right?

Pre-grilling...

Post-grilling...

But seriously- this is so amazing! I think it just took up residence in the top slot of my "Favorite Summer Salads" list. The grilled vegetables and the abundance of lime juice take the flavors to a whole new level and the addition of creamy avocado is to die for. I went a step further and added a grilled chicken breast to "make it a meal" (the recipe was for a side dish), but it really isn't absolutely necessary. The beans are quite filling and there is plenty to go around.

Fresh, crisp veggies infused with smoky grilled flavor, colorful beans, juicy tomatoes, topped with buttery avocado and sparkling with zesty lime...

Is your mouth watering yet?

Three Bean and Grilled Corn Salad

(printable version)

adapted slightly from Myrecipes

serves 12 as a side dish, 6 as a main dish

1 cup halved grape tomatoes

1 tsp salt, divided

3 ears shucked corn

1 med. yellow onion, cut into 1/4 in. thick slices

1 jalapeño pepper

2 chicken breasts (optional)

about 1 TB olive oil

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/3 cup fresh lime juice

1 can pinto beans

1 can black beans

1 can kidney beans

2 diced, peeled avocados

Preheat the grill to med.-high heat.

Place tomatoes in a large bowl and sprinkle with 1/2 tsp salt. Let stand 10 min. Drain and rinse beans.

Brush corn, onion, jalapeño and chicken evenly with olive oil. Place on grill rack. Grill chicken until cooked through, turning once. Grill onion and jalapeño 8 min. or until lightly charred, turning halfway through. Grill corn 12 min. or until lightly charred, turning halfway through. Let vegetables stand 5 min. 

Cut kernels from cobs. Coarsely chop onion. Finely chop jalapeño, discarding stem and seeds. Dice chicken.

Add corn, onion, jalapeño and chicken to tomato mixture; toss well. Add remaining salt, cilantro, lime juice and beans to corn mixture; toss well.

Top with avocado.

Cowboy Beans

When Hubby and I were married, three years ago, we got some very cool wedding gifts. One very unique gift we received was from my Aunt Marion. My aunt and uncle live in Malawi, Africa, with their family, serving as missionaries with African Bible Colleges. Unfortunately, because it wasn't a furlough year for them, they were unable to attend our wedding. However, they sent a very special present with my grandparents (also missionaries in Malawi).

It is a beautiful, African-made beanpot. Before I received the pot, along with instructions from my aunt (and a recipe- which I will share with you!), I had never heard of a beanpot. It is ceramic or stoneware (I'm not sure which) with a lid. I think it works much like a crock pot, designed to cook slow and low. If you don't have a beanpot, you may be able to try this recipe in your crock pot instead (although I haven't tested it!).

The recipe my aunt included with the special pot is SO good. I made it for our church's fourth of July barbecue last week and people couldn't stop raving about it! When so many wonderful ingredients are combined, how can you go wrong?

Cowboy Beans

(printable version)

makes approx. 8-10 side-dish servings

1/4 lb. bacon

1/4. lb. hamburger

1 onion, chopped

1 28 oz. can pork and beans

1 16 oz. can kidney beans, drained

1 16 oz. can butter beans, drained

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup white sugar

1/4 cup barbecue sauce

1/4 cup ketchup

1 TB mustard

2 TB molasses

a few drops of liquid smoke (optional)

Preheat oven to 250.

Fry and crumble the bacon. Brown hamburger and onions in bacon grease.

Combine all ingredients in beanpot and bake 4-5 hrs.

(If you don't have a beanpot, try using the crockpot on low for 4-6 hrs)

Roasted Tilapia with Black Bean & Mango Salsa

I have been off the blogging kick lately- for several reasons. I have had a cough for 3 weeks now (already did the antibiotics...it just might be starting to go away) and even though I made some yummy food, I just didn't feel like writing. I was also gone a good part of last week to a mini-reunion in Seattle with my Ecola housemates! We had a great time catching up and enjoying lots of girl silliness. But now I'm back and I am determined to make an effort to share with you some of the yummy foods that we've enjoyed the last couple of weeks.

To start us off, I bring you a delectable fish entree! The mild, white tilapia is oven-roasted to perfection, but the real star of the show is the salsa. If you've ever been leery about using fruit in a savory dish (such as salsa), now is your chance to branch out! The mango, black beans, lime and cilantro meld beautifully (both in taste and in visuals!) and the salsa pairs perfectly with the mild fish. Not only does the mango add a pop of color, it pops with flavor as well! I was pleasantly surprised to find that fruit salsa can be absolutely delicious!

Oh, and if you're wondering what the green stuff is in the picture, it's an avocado cream sauce- perfect for dipping and great on rice. Simply mash 1 avocado and mix with 1/3 cup greek yogurt and 2 TB sour cream!

Roasted Tilapia with Mango & Black Bean Salsa

(printable version)

adapted from Kalyn's Kitchen

serves 4

4 tilapia filets, room temperature

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 mango, peeled and diced

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

2-3 TB lime juice

2-3 TB olive oil

1/2 tsp cumin

Preheat oven to 400.

Lightly spray glass baking dish with cooking spray. Place tilapia in pan, drizzle lightly with olive oil. Roast 25-35 min. or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Prepare salsa: if beans are wet, blot dry with a paper towel. Mix beans, mango, cilantro, 2 TB lime juice, 2 TB olive oil and cumin in bowl. Add more lime juice and oil to taste.

Spoon salsa over hot roasted tilapia.

Ground Turkey and Black Bean Enchiladas

So, I've been tweaking recipes again...

I tend to do that when:

a) What's on the menu doesn't sound good

b) Some particular ingredient is begging to be used

c) A recipe sounds absolutely amazing but I don't have everything it calls for

d) c) happens and I decide to risk turning up something semi-amazing instead by substituting something else

e) all of the above

So the scenario last week was that I had ground turkey tacos on the menu (enter reason A). For some reason, tacos just didn't float my boat that day, so I was trying to think if there was something else yummy I could make with the ground turkey and tortillas. Enchiladas immediately came to mind, enhanced by the fact the a can of black beans was calling my name (enter reason B). So, I began a diligent internet search for enchiladas with black beans. I stumbled upon a delicious looking recipe including homemade enchilada sauce on a blog called "Scrambled"- but alas! it included not ground turkey but shredded beef using a chuck roast and some crazy long preparation that I am sure creates a magnificent enchilada but which I had neither time, ingredients nor desire to invest in (enter reason C).

SO.

If you think that reason D enters here, you would be absolutely correct.

So, in essence, E just happened, didn't it?

Anyway, back to the enchiladas. Thanks to the ground turkey, some amazing whole wheat tortillas from Trader Joe's, Scrambled's fantastic, flavor-packed sauce, and my hubby picking up a few things at the store, we knocked these enchiladas out of the park!

I did not want to stop eating them- seriously! I have not normally been a huge fan of red-sauce enchiladas (see my recipe for "white enchiladas"), but this delicious flavor combination made me a believer!

Ground Turkey and Black Bean Enchiladas

(printable version)

adapted from Scrambled

serves 6

1 1/2 lbs. ground turkey

1 TB oil, if needed

1 lg onion, diced

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 TB chili powder

2 tsp cumin

2 tsp coriander

1/4 tsp cayenne

4 cloves garlic, minced

28 oz. tomato sauce

1/4 cup red wine

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

2 15-oz. cans black beans, drained and rinsed

12 whole wheat flour tortillas

cilantro and sour cream for garnish, if desired

Brown ground turkey. Drain and reserve fat (if there is any). Set turkey aside. 

Return 1 TB fat to pan (if there isn't any, add a TB of oil) and add onions. Sprinkle with salt and cook till soft, about 10 min. Add spices and cook one minute. Add garlic and cook an additional minute.

Add tomato sauce and red wine and bring to a boil. Add turkey to the sauce, reduce heat and simmer about 15 minutes. 

Using a slotted spoon, remove as much of the meat from the sauce as you can, placing it in a large bowl. Add beans and one cup of the cheese to turkey and mix well.

Spread 1/2 cup of the sauce in the bottom of a greased 9 x 13 pan. Preheat oven to 375. Warm tortillas (place in microwave between paper towels for 10-15 sec. or until slightly warm).

Working one at a time, roll 1/4 cup of the meat/bean mixture into each tortilla. Place seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat for each one until the pan is full. Top with remaining sauce and cheese. 

Cover loosely with foil and bake 20-25 min. or until cheese has melted.

Garnish with cilantro and sour cream if desired.

Note: I found that these enchiladas do not freeze very well when prepared beforehand. I would recommend if you want to freeze half the batch that you freeze the filling, then when ready to use, thaw filling and roll enchiladas. Bake as directed.

Creamy Tuscan White Bean Pasta

This amazing pasta dish requires quite a few ingredients I do not consider "staples", and it was probably one of our more expensive dinners, but for a treat and something out of the ordinary, it was WAY worth it! I absolutely love the combinations of all the vegetables with the creamy sauce and pasta, complimented by delicious white beans. As far as I can remember, I have never had beans in pasta before- it was awesome! I used whole wheat shells, and the beans sort of hid inside the shells, giving the pasta a new, rich flavor and texture. Mmm, mmm!

The first step of this delicious meal from "How Sweet It Is" is to roast a red pepper- something I had never done before! It was super easy and provided fantastic results! The roasted pepper lent an incredibly smokiness to the whole dish. It's so simple, you don't even need a recipe. Just preheat the broiler of your oven, slice the pepper and lay skin side down on a baking sheet. Broil about 10 min. or until the pepper skins start to get good and blackened. Immediately remove peppers from the sheet with tongs and put into a Ziploc bag. Seal and let them "steam" for 20-30 min. Peel the skins off if they're really charred. It really is that easy!! Can I get a "YUM!"? Now that I know this amazing trick to roasting my own red peppers, I will definitely be looking for recipes including them. I bet they would be awesome on pizza...

The other amazing vegetables included in this dish account for the "Tuscan" title: spinach, sun dried tomatoes and artichoke hearts. What a winning combination!

And the only thing that can make all this even better? If you said bacon, you are absolutely correct (really, could there be another answer to that question?)! Pancetta, also known as Italian bacon, adds a delightful, smoky flavor to the pasta, especially since the onions are cooked in the grease...

And the glue that holds it all together...a creamy, light Parmesan white sauce. What a perfect compliment to an outstanding meal.

Creamy Tuscan White Bean Pasta

(printable version)

adapted from How Sweet It Is

serves 4

2 cups whole wheat shells or other pasta

1/4 cup chopped pancetta

1/2 onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

4 cups fresh spinach

1 roasted red pepper, chopped

1/4 cup sliced sun-dried tomatoes

5-6 artichoke hearts, chopped (about 1/3 cup)

1 can white beans (I used Great Northern)

2 tsp dried basil

1 TB butter

1 TB flour

1 (15 oz) can skim evaporated milk

1/2 cup low-fat milk

3 TB Parmesan cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Boil water and prepare pasta according to package directions.

Heat large skillet over med-high heat. Add pancetta and cook until crispy and fat is rendered; remove and drain on a paper towel. Reduce heat to med-low and add onion, stirring to coat. Cook 3-5 min or until softened. Add garlic and spinach and stir until spinach is wilted. Add in peppers, tomatoes, artichoke hearts, beans, and basil, stirring to mix. If pasta is done, add it as well. Reduce heat to low and stir every few minutes while you make the sauce.

Heat a small saucepan over low heat and add butter. Once sizzling, whisk in flour and cook until golden and fragrant. Add in milks, allow to come to full boil while stirring continuously. Reduce to simmer and stir another 5 to 7 min until it thickens a bit. Reduce to low and add Parmesan cheese. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Pour cream sauce into skillet with vegetables, pasta and beans, then add in bacon. Stir to mix, then transfer to a large serving dish. Enjoy!

Source: How Sweet It Is