I love a good soup that has simmered for hours on the stove. The house is filled with that savory aroma. Everything just seems warmer and cozier. This delicious soup with beans and kale and sausage – fits the bill perfectly.

Here’s How to Do it:

The night before, rinse the beans to get any loose skins off. Put them in a pot and cover with water about two inches higher than the top of the beans. Add 1 teaspoon salt to the water and bring it all to a boil.

Let it boil for about 5 minutes, then turn off heat and cover.

In the morning, turn the beans back on and simmer for two hours, adding water as needed.

Add the remaining ingredients to the pot and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low.

Simmer, uncovered, for three to four hours, adding water as needed.

While the soup simmers, cut the pork belly into small pieces.

Heat 2 or 3 Tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy skillet, then add the pork belly and cook until it’s crisp. The idea is to render that fat.

Scoop out most of the pork belly, then add a ladle of the soup broth to the skillet to deglaze the pan.

Pour it all back into the soup pot.

About 1 hour before serving, put about 1/3 of the pork belly into the soup. Save the rest to garnish.

The beans should be soft at this point. If not, they may need to simmer longer.

Serve hot with warm bread ^[1] or toast.

© Copyright 2022 The Lazy Gastronome

Print ^[2]

White Bean, Kale and Sausage Soup

A hearty meal in a bowl.

Course: Main Course, main dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: andouille, beans, kale, sausage, sun dried tomatoes, white beans

Servings: 4 servings

Author: HelenFern

Ingredients

Beans

• 1 cup dry Great northern white bean
• 3 cups water
• 1 teaspoon salt

Soup

• the beans from above
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 12 oz andouille sausage, cut and browned
• 8 oz. raw, chopped kale
• 4 large fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces
• 1 14-oz can diced tomatoes
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• pinch allspice (about 1/16 teaspoon)
• 1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
• 12 oz. cooked pork belly

Instructions

Beans

1. The night before, rinse the beans to get any loose skins off. Put them in a pot and cover with water about two inches higher than the top of the beans. Add 1 teaspoon salt to the water and bring it all to a boil.

2. Let it boil for about 5 minutes, then turn off heat and cover.

Soup

1. In the morning, turn the heat back on beans and simmer for two hours, adding water as needed.

2. Add the remaining ingredients to the pot and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low.

3. Simmer, uncovered, for three to four hours, adding water as needed.

4. While the soup simmers, cut the pork belly into small pieces.

5. Heat 2 or 3 Tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy skillet, then add the pork belly and cook until it's crisp. Cook it low and slow. The idea is to render the fat.

6. Scoop out most of the pork belly, then add a ladle of the soup broth to the skillet to deglaze the pan.

7. Pour it all back into the soup pot. 

8. About 1 hour before serving, put about 1/3 of the pork belly into the soup. Save the rest to garnish.

9. Serve hot with warm bread or toast. 

Recipe Notes

© Copyright 2022 The Lazy Gastronome

Here are some things that are perfect to use for this recipe!

Disclosure: The items below are affiliate links through Amazon.com. If you purchase any of these products through the links, I receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thanks for your support!

I’m trying to eat healthier and I love salty snacks. I made kale chips in the past but it’s so much work to remove the spines, cut it up, and you hardly have any kale left! So I made some with baby kale. No cleaning, no cutting, just watching them crisp and eating them!

Here’s How to Bake Kale Chips:

Wash the kale and let it dry for a couple of hours.

Place all the ingredients in a large bowl and

gently massage it all into the kale leaves.

Lay some parchment paper on a baking sheet and preheat the oven to 250°.

Spread the kale out evenly on the cookie sheet. It’s OK if they overlap. They will merge into one larger chip.

Let them cook for about 20 to 25 minutes. Watch them carefully, they will burn fast!

When they are nearly done, but still not quite crispy, turn the oven off and let the pan stay for about and hour.

Remove them from the oven and carefully put them in a bowl.

I should have done a bigger batch. My son came over to visit and he loved them!

© Copyright 2021 The Lazy Gastronome

5 from 1 vote

Print ^[6]

Baked Parmesan Kale Chips

I made some with baby kale. No cleaning, no cutting, just watching them crisp and eating them!

Course: Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine: American, Vegetarian

Keyword: baked, chip, kale, parmesan, snack

Servings: 2 cups

Author: HelenFern

Ingredients

• 8 cups baby kale
• 1/8 cup olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/3 cup grated parmesan, the canned

Instructions

1. Wash the kale and let it dry for a couple of hours.

2. Place all the ingredients in a large bowl and gently massage it all into the kale leaves.

3. Lay some parchment paper on a baking sheet and preheat the oven to 250°.

4. Spread the kale out evenly on the cookie sheet. It's OK if they overlap. They will merge into one larger chip.

5. Let them cook for about 20 to 25 minutes. Watch them carefully, they will burn fast!

6. When they are nearly done, but still not quite crispy, turn the oven off and let the pan stay for about and hour.

7. Remove them from the oven and carefully put them in a bowl.

Recipe Notes

© Copyright 2021 The Lazy Gastronome

Here are some things that are perfect to use for this recipe!

Disclosure: The items below are affiliate links through Amazon.com. If you purchase any of these products through the links, I receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thanks for your support!

I’m trying to add more vegetables to my diet and less fat. As I get older, all the indulgences (and over indulgences) are catching up. So I’m trying to get back on track. This recipe uses that wonder food, kale, and some low-fat, high flavor, chicken Italian sausage. And it came out really good!

How to Do it:

Start by cooking the kale. Place the raw, cleaned kale in a large kettle. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Simmer until it’s tender. Drain and cool. You’ll need about 2 bunches of kale.

And now the casserole…

Heat the olive oil in a skillet on medium heat. Add the onions and cook until they are starting to soften. Add the garlic and the sausage, letting the sausage pieces brown on each side.

Next, add 1 Tablespoon of the butter to the pan and let it melt. Continue cooking until the butter begins to brown very slightly. Remove from the heat.

To prepare the kale, place the cooked kale, egg, 1/2 cup of the ricotta, the salt, pepper, Italian herbs and pepper flakes in a large bowl. Stir in 1/3 cup of bread crumbs and 1/4 cup of the parmesan cheese. Mix until well blended.

Place the kale mixture in the bottom of a casserole dish. Top it with the sausage mixture.

Place the remaining ricotta on the top of the sausages.

Next, sprinkle the remaining bread crumbs and parmesan topped with the pine nuts.

Bake at 350° for about 30 minutes, or until the top gets golden brown.

Serve hot!

A variation – add some polenta to the bottom of the casserole before baking!

© Copyright 2018 The Lazy Gastronome

5 from 2 votes

Print ^[10]

Kale and Sausage Casserole

This recipe uses that wonder food, kale, and some low fat, high flavor, chicken Italian sausage. And it came out really good!

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: casserole, kale, one pot, sausage

Servings: 4 people

Author: HelenFern

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup onions, chopped
• 4 links chicken Italian sausage (I like Open Nature)
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 2 large cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 Tablespoons butter
• 3 cups cooked kale
• 1 whole egg
• 3/4 cup part skim ricotta cheese
• 3/4 cup fresh parmesan cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs or panko bread crumbs
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian herb blend
• pinch red pepper flakes
• 2 Tablespoons pine nuts

Instructions

1. Start by cooking the kale. Place the raw, cleaned kale in a large kettle. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Simmer until it's tender. Drain and cool. You'll need about 2 bunches of kale.

2. Next, heat the olive oil in a skillet on medium heat. Add the onions and cook until they are starting to soften. Add the garlic and the sausage, letting the sausage pieces brown on each side.

3. Add 1 Tablespoon of the butter to the pan and let it melt. Continue cooking until the butter begins to brown very slightly. Remove from the heat.

4. To prepare the kale, place the cooked kale, egg, 1/2 cup of the ricotta, the salt, pepper, Italian herbs and pepper flakes in a large bowl. Stir in 1/3 cup of bread crumbs and 1/4 cup of the parmesan cheese. Mix until well blended.

5. Place the kale mixture in the bottom of a casserole dish. Top it with the sausage mixture.

   
   

6. Place the remaining ricotta on the top of the sausages.
7. Next, sprinkle the remaining bread crumbs and parmesan topped with the pine nuts.
8. Bake at 350° for about 30 minutes, or until the top gets golden brown.

Below are some of the items we used to create this recipe!

Disclosure: The items below are affiliate links through Amazon.com. If you purchase any of these products through the links, I receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thanks for your support!

Superfoods are something that just about everybody should make an effort to eat for optimal health.  The only problem?  Most people don’t know what to do with them! This is understandable.  After all, they can look, taste, and smell funny.  Some of them are great alone, but for others, you’re going to need to add them to your cooking to get the full benefits of them.  You wouldn’t want to try to eat a spoonful of chia seeds alone!

Here’s a list of some of the healthiest superfoods and how you can incorporate them into your diet:

Matcha Powder

Matcha powder is one of the healthiest possible superfoods you can incorporate in your diet.  It’s bright green, and it can be used in numerous delicious ways.  Some people choose to simply mix with hot water and drink it.  This is how monks have used the powder for years and I find the flavor delicious!  It’s so popular because it gives you clarity and focus, without any of the jitteriness of coffee, like the most effective green tea you could possibly drink.  It’s also been linked with weight loss and a faster metabolism.  Take a look at the benefits for yourself ^[14].

Don’t like the taste of matcha powder?  You can make just about anything you want with it.  Add it to a fruit smoothie, or make an ice lolly. Some people like to make matcha ice cream and even matcha cake! The list is endless.

Chia Seeds

Chia seeds come in colors white and black, but it does not make a difference which you choose.  They both have high levels of protein, healthy fats, and fibre, and can make a wonderfully healthy addition to any meal.  They can be sprinkled over salads, added to overnight oats, and so much more.  They’re great at soaking up moisture, so bear that in mind.  Drink plenty of water and only consume 1/2 oz of these per day!

Cacao Nibs/Powder

If you love a chocolate fix but you want to do it the healthy way, using cacao (pronounced ca-cow) nibs or powder is a great way to do so.  You can top your cereal or oatmeal with the nibs, and add the powder to smoothies.  You can even make a healthy hot chocolate. If you choose to liven up your cereal with this, make sure you only choose healthy cereals.

Ingredients like trisodium phosphate can be found in cereal, and they are seriously unhealthy.  Find out more here https://stoppoisoningus.org/trisodium-phosphate-in-cereal/ ^[15].  You don’t want to defeat the object of adding superfoods to your diet!

Kale

Kale is a green leafy vegetable, full of micronutrients and goodness.  Some people like to chew it raw, but it can be tough to eat.  Instead, why not stop any chip cravings by baking kale ^[16] in the oven with a little salt, pepper, and lemon juice?  You can even add your own toppings to create unique flavors.

Spinach

Spinach is another green leafy vegetable, but you don’t have to eat it raw like Pop Eye.  To enjoy the nutrients that spinach has to offer, why not add it to a banana and peanut butter smoothie?  It’ll turn green, but it will still taste delicious!

Which of these superfoods is your favorite?  I can’t decide!

Those wonderful leafy greens, so full of vitamins, minerals and fiber – a health boon to our bodies!!  So what to do with them?  Here’s a few ideas to get you started!

Spinach –

Chicken and Spinach Enchiladas ^[20]

Spaghetti with Spinach, Chicken & Parmesan ^[21]

Or, how about an Asian treat?

Thai Pork Chops with Baby Bok Choy ^[22]

We like mixing them too – like mustard and collards.

BBQ Ribs and C ^[23]ollards

Greens, Beans & Ham Soup ^[24]

Or Kale with Chard –

Crockpot Beef Shanks & Leafy Greens Soup ^[25]

And speaking of Kale –

Tortellini Soup (with Sausage & Kale) ^[26]

Kale and Mushroom Omelet ^[27]

So there are a few ways to put those amazing vegetables into your meals – hope these inspire you to add them more to your diet!

© Copyright 2017 The Lazy Gastronome