Sausage w/spinach, mushroom and tomatoes

So, I used to think adding vegetables made a dish healthy. When my husband and I first decided we were going to lose weight together, we used Dr. Ian's Fat Smash diet. I'm sure we both thought our worlds were going to fall apart. Him because there was no meat for the first part of the diet. Me because I didn't know white rice was bad (heck, it tastes so good). These are the foods we grew up eating, and we realized we had a lot of bad eating habits we had to change. That might be why I now try to throw vegetables in a dish anytime I can.

One go to dish before my epiphany was Italian sausage and peppers over pasta. It was quick and satisfying. Of course, as we became more selective with our food choices, I decreased the amount of sausage and increased the number of vegetables in this dish. As I continued to try to make my "go to" healthier,  I learned mushrooms add a bit of protein, Vitamin D and are great for your metabolism. Spinach adds vitamin C, Vitamin K, folate and a whole bunch of other nutrients. Hmmm, that's why this dish is just the right amount of wrong and right. The sausage provides the old school comfort you want from sausage and peppers and the vegetables provide great health benefits. Comfort food doesn't always have to make you feel guilty or be bad for you. Yay!!

Sausage with spinach, mushroom and tomatoes

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

1 pound of italian sausage
1 medium onion(sliced)
4 cloves of garlic (minced)
2 roma tomatoes(quartered)
12 ounces of mushroom (sliced)
10 ounces of spinach
1 teaspoon of dried basil
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper to taste.

Tools: cast iron pan

Directions:

Place sausage in cast iron pan over medium high heat and cover with water.

Boil sausage for approximately 8 to 10 minutes.

Remove from pan and allow sausage to cool. Once cooled slice diagonally.

Return sausage to pan and allow to brown. Remove once sausage is brown and full cooked

Heat olive oil in pan, add sliced onions, garlic, mushrooms, and tomatoes. Cook for  2 to 3 minutes.

Add spinach, dried basil and stir allowing mixture to cook for  2 to 3 minutes.

Return sausage to pan with vegetables. Reduce heat to low and allow to cook for 10 to 15 minutes while flavors meld.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

If you care not for guilt, add pasta and parmesan or mozzarella cheese to this dish and enjoy.

Sausage w/ White Beans & Spinach

The creation of this dish is actually pretty funny. Several years ago we decided we were going to try to work out and eat healthier. One of the first dishes I tried to make healthier was my sausage a peppers over penne. I'm not sure what it is that I love about that dish but I absolutely love it. It's super comforting, probably the carbs & pork but probably also because it reminds me of hanging out at my friends' houses. In hind site, it was probably a smart move on the parents to feed us pasta. Many times there were at least 3 of us if not more. Pasta is filling and affordable. But I digress.

One of the first "healthy" changes to the dish was to add spinach and remove the tomato sauce and replace it with real tomatoes and olive oil. I was excited to present the dish to hubby. Of course, he turns to me a says just because you removed the tomato sauce doesn't make it healthy. So back to the drawing board. To be honest, I not sure how many combinations I tried before I go to this recipe but it eventually happened.

This recipe in particular is really good if you are trying to increase your protein. I switched pasta for white kidney beans and finally had a winner. For this particular recipe I dropped the peppers but feel free to add it. Additionally, after a bit of research I learned the Vitamin C in tomatoes and red peppers helps the body absorb iron better. Especially, iron from plants. So, if you decided to make this dish without the sausage you still get reap the protein benefits.

Sausage w/White Beans and Spinach
Makes 6 servings


Ingredients
1 pound of Italian Sausage
12 ounces spinach
4 Roma tomatoes (sliced)
2 cans of white kidney beans
1/2 white onion (sliced)
4 cloves of garlic(minced)
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes

Directions
Fill a large pot with water and place it over medium high heat. Place sausage in pot and allow sausage to cook for about 15 minutes.

Place a stew pot/ dutch oven over medium heat with 1 tablespoon of oil.

Place sliced onions in pan and allow to cook until slightly translucent.

Add minced garlic and allow ingredients to cook for 30 seconds to a minute.

Add spinach to garlic and onions. Cook for 5 minutes.

Remove sausage from water allow to cool then slice diagonally.

Place a cast iron pan over medium heat.

Once pan is hot, place sausage in pan. Allow sausage to cook about 3 minutes until crisp and brown.

Add browned sausage, sliced tomatoes, red pepper flakes and beans to spinach, onions & garlic.

Gently stir and allow to cook or another 5 minutes.

Now your protein rich dinner is done... Mangia!!

Lasagna Soup

This holiday has been a wonderful time for me to experiment with some favorite comfort dishes. One of my family's favorite dishes is lasagna. But I don't make it as often as I'd like because making lasagna can be time consuming. Especially, when you are making most of it (minus the pasta) from scratch. But I came across a twist on this favorite comfort dish that makes it quick to make.

To be honest, I'd been dying for some lasagna for a while but I just didn't have the time to make it. Then one night I stop by my favorite convenience store to get a bowl of soup and there it was...lasagna soup. Now, at fist I was hesitant. You know when you have a taste for something and you know if it's not spot that craving will not go away? Well, I didn't want that to happen. I didn't want something that was almost like lasagna but not quite right because then I would still have a hankering for it.

Luckily, the wonderful people at the store suggested I try it before I buy it. Woo hoo. Those words were music to my ears. I tried it and I liked it. Of course, then I had to figure out how to make my own. I knew the toughest part would be getting the broth to taste just right. Eventually, with a little help from the gravy maker (hubby) I figured it out. I hope you like it just as much as we do. It's going to become a main staple in our house especially, during the fall and winter.

Lasagna Soup
Makes 8 - 10 servings

Ingredients
1/4 pound of sausage
1/2 pound of ground beef (gently seasoned with salt & pepper)
1/2 red pepper
1/2 green pepper
1/2 medium onion
1/2 tablespoon of garlic
1/8 cup of Italian seasoning
(fresh thyme, oregano, basil & parsley)
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
15 oz can of crushed tomatoes
4 cups of beef broth (or chicken)
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon of olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 box of lasagna noodles
Optional: ricotta or sour cream
                  parmesan or mozzarella cheese
                  parsley for garnish

Tools: Dutch oven or metal stock pot and a wooden spoon

Directions:
 Finely chop peppers and onion.

In a dutch oven or heavy metal pot, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium- high heat.

Add onion and peppers.

Cook until onion is slightly translucent and soft ( about 4 minutes).

Add ground beef and sausage.

Allow meat to slightly brown then begin breaking it up with a wooden spoon.

Add garlic and italian seasoning, continue to mix all ingredients together.

Add tomato paste and stir for an additional 3 to 4 minutes.

Add beef broth and crushed tomatoes.

Cover pot and allow the mixture to come to a simmer (just a couple of bubbles rising to the surface. If your soup is boiling reduce the heat.)

Allow soup to cook for an additional 30 minutes. Remove the cover for the last 10 minutes of cooking.

While the soup is cooking, in a separate large pot bring salted water to a boil.

Add lasagna noodles and cook as directed in the label.

Once cooked, drain and drizzle with olive oil.

The final step is putting it all together.

I cut up my noodles and put it in the bowl first. Then pour the soup over and add a little parmesan cheese, dollop of sour cream and sprinkle of parsley. Yum.

It's a quick and easy dish that really hits the spot. Hope it becomes one of your fav comforts.