Soups/Salads

Kale, Bean, and Sausage Soup with Parmesan Cheese

The temperatures are dropping into the 40s this week which puts me in the mood for some warm soup!  Kale, Bean, and Sausage Soup with Parmesan Cheese to be exact.  The recipe actually calls for escarole but my grocery store didn’t have any so I used kale instead.  Normally, the old me wouldn’t have even looked for escarole and would have automatically reached for spinach instead.  But part of the point of this blog is to try new things and expand my palette so instead of taking the easy way out with spinach, I turned to kale, which I don’t think I’ve ever eaten before.  A nutritious leafy green, kale wilts easily like spinach so it works well in soup like this.  Mixed with sweet turkey sausage, fennel, and cannellini beans, this soup is satisfying and exactly what I want on a chilly evening.

The ingredients:

Cook together onion (I used shallot because it’s what I had on hand), fennel bulb, garlic, and sausage in olive oil.

When the sausage is browned and the vegetables tender, add in chicken broth, water, and beans.

While the soup comes to a boil, wash and chop the kale.

Add the kale into the soup and cook until wilted.

Top with parmesan cheese and enjoy!

Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:

  • Kale for escarole
  • Shallot for onion

Overall Rating:  Love It

Source:  Cooking Light Magazine

Spinach, Apple, and Walnut Salad

If you’ve been paying attention, this week I’ve eaten peanut butter blondies, cheesy enchiladas and pizza.  Um, wasn’t I supposed to be watching my weight?  Maybe, just maybe, it’s time for a salad?  I certainly think so!  This time of year brings out my love affair for apples, particularly McIntosh, so I decided to grab a couple and make Spinach, Apple, and Walnut Salad.  This salad mixes together baby spinach (I used spring mixed greens), chopped apples, toasted walnuts, and goat cheese (I used feta) and is flavored with a light lemon-honey vinaigrette.  The apples are tart yet sweet, the toasted walnuts add a little crunch, and the feta provides a slight tang.  This is one filling and tasty salad that isn’t boring and won’t leave you feeling hungry afterward.

The ingredients:

Chop the apples and mix with lemon juice to prevent browning.

In a bowl, combine olive oil, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper.

Mix the greens and apples in a separate bowl.  Drizzle with vinaigrette.

Toast the walnuts in a small pan over medium heat.

Add the toasted walnuts and feta to the salad.  That’s it!

Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:

  • Spring mixed greens
  • Reduced-fat feta cheese

Overall Rating:  Like It

Source:  Real Simple Magazine

Chicken and Wild Rice Salad with Almonds

Chicken and rice in any combination is usually a standard meal in my house.  This recipe for Chicken and Wild Rice Salad with Almonds will be a new favorite that I will make again.  I couldn’t find wild rice in my grocery store so I bought packaged long grain and wild rice and prepared it according to the box directions (substituting chicken broth for water).  The preparation of the rice takes the longest but substituting pre-cooked rice (the kind that cooks for 90 seconds in the microwave) for the long-cooking wild rice will make this recipe a quick and easy dinner after a long work day.  The light dressing adds a tangy accent and the celery and toasted almonds provide a welcome crunch.  What I love about this salad is that you could easily use other ingredients like apples, pears, walnuts, brown rice, or dried cherries (which I used) and that it can be eaten warm or cold.

Additions:  None

Omissions: 

  • Red onion

Substitutions:

  • Dried cherries for dried cranberries (because I already had them)

Overall Rating:  Love It

Source:  Cooking Light Magazine

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