Christmas Memories and Sausage, Kale, and Bean Stew

Jan here.

The Christmas season is very different for me this year because I'm spending my days as "Santa's Helper" at our local Cabela's.

If you think that sounds like a fun job, you're right! There is nothing like watching the children interact with Santa.

And not only the children, but adults, too! We've had siblings in town for their mother's funeral who decided to have their picture taken with Santa in order to mingle good memories with the sad ones. We've had ranchers compare their whiskers with Santa's. And we've had grandparents who wanted a picture to show their grandchildren that they know Santa!

We've also had numerous dogs, and even one cat.

And one evening, the Drexler clan showed up to have a family picture taken. Good memories!

Check out Santa's Wonderland here!

In the middle of all this, I have a book deadline today. That means there hasn't been a lot of cooking going on at our house!

But one of the things on the menu for next week is this Sausage, Kale, and Bean Stew I shared at the Cafe a few years ago. It's still delicious, and perfect for a cold winter evening!

And yes, it does fit in with my seasonal healthy recipes series. :-)

Enjoy!

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The weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful!

Winter has finally come to the Black Hills with a bit of snow and cold temperatures. But we're ready! The wood pile is full and overflowing, the pantry is stocked, and new soup and stew recipes are lined up for tasting!

This recipe was delicious! The flavors wrapped around each other in a delightful savory blend.

Now, if that description doesn't make you want to try this stew, maybe the easy preparation will...

Sausage, Kale and Bean Stew

ingredients:

2 pounds bulk sausage (I used turkey sausage)
1 cup chopped carrots
2 or 3 potatoes, peeled and cubed (optional)
1/2 onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 16-oz. can tomato sauce
8 cups broth (I used 4 cups vegetable broth and 4 cups chicken broth)
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon ground cumin

beans (see below for the explanation of this ingredient)

4 cups coarsely chopped fresh kale, or 1 1/2 to 2 cups frozen chopped kale

The beans: You can use any bean you like in this stew. I used lentils when I made mine. The only prep was to rinse the lentils and put them in the stew.

For other types of beans, you will need to soak and cook them first, or use canned. Some varieties that would be good are black beans, Great Northern beans, Navy beans, or Small Red beans.

The amount of beans you use depends on the type of bean. You'll want more of the small ones, like lentils or black beans, and fewer of the larger ones, like Great Northerns or the Small Reds. In general, I would use 1 - 2 cups of dried beans or 2 cans of canned beans.

The amount also depends on your own preference. Do you like lots of beans? Add more! Not so much? Keep the beans to a minimum. :)

You could make several batches of this stew, vary the beans you use, and it will turn out different every time!

directions:

In a large Dutch oven or soup pot (I used my 8 quart stock pot), cook the sausage, carrots, garlic and onion over medium-high heat until the sausage is no longer pink, breaking up the sausage as it browns. Drain the fat, if needed. Since I used turkey sausage, there wasn't any extra fat.

Add the tomato sauce, vegetable broth, bay leaf, cumin, and beans or lentils.

Bring the stew to a boil, then reduce the heat. Simmer, covered, for about twenty minutes.

Stir in the kale and cook for 10-15 minutes more.

Remove the bay leaf and serve.

This stew freezes well, which is good, because it makes a large batch!

And a bonus: If you're following "Trim, Healthy Mama," this is a hearty "E" meal when you leave out the optional potatoes. That means it's lower fat and filled with healthy carbs. The non-sugar, stick your ribs kind of carbs. And packed with protein. A win/win, right?

How is the weather where you are? Are you ready for soups and stews yet?