It’s been two months since my surgery, and I’m slowly coming back to myself. My strength is up, my stamina is up, and while I’d say I’m only about 80%, I can do SO MUCH MORE these days. It’s exhilarating to feel like me. To that end, I’ve been cooking again this past week. And since Saturday was the first distribution from the Shared Harvest CSA, I knew I had to get cracking in the kitchen in order use all we have.

This soup is a lip-smacking, hearty, nutritious, complete meal-in-a-bowl. The beauty of this is that it’s both forgiving and “hands-off”. If it’s taking you longer to clean your kale and your onions are done, just turn off the burner and finish your chopping. Just be sure not to chop your sweet potatoes too small, or to cook them for too long. It’s nice to have bright orange chunks of potato in this soup and otherwise, they’ll turn to mush. As always, this soup is even better day two. Serve with a really good loaf of crusty bread.

Enjoy!

Kale, Sweet Potato, and Kielbasa Soup (adapted from the LATimes)

1 large bunch curly kale, roughly chopped
2 very large sweet potatoes (or 6 small ones), peeled and cut into large bite-size chunks
3 large yellow onions, chopped
3 T. garlic, chopped
5 T. extra-virgin olive oil
2 bay leaves
1¼ t. dried thyme
26-oz. box diced tomatoes (such as Pomi), and their juice
2 quarts low-sodium chicken broth
1 link fully-cooked turkey kielbasa (around 1 lb.), cut in slices 1/3” – 1/2” thick
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Heat a 6-quart heavy pan or stock pot over medium-low heat. Add the olive oil and then the onions and cook for about eight minutes, stirring frequently until the onions become translucent. Add the garlic and continue to cook and stir for 2-3 minutes.  Pour in the chicken stock, tomatoes and their juice, thyme, bay leaves, a few grinds of pepper, kielbasa slices and the kale. Turn up the heat, bring to a boil, and then adjust heat to a simmer. Cover the pot and let the soup simmer for about 15 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes, cover again, and simmer until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 15 more minutes. Remove from heat. Taste the soup and add salt or additional pepper as desired. Serve.

Serves 8-10.

© 2011 – 2013, Sarah. All rights reserved.

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I dunno about you, but I’ve got a plethora of root veggies here . . . my winter CSA share dropped a boat-load of squash on us and I’ve been clamoring for a way to use it all up, without getting sick of it.  To boot, D.’s not a huge squash fan – and 6 butternuts is a little much for even this veg-tastic mama.

Today’s recipe uses 1 butternut, but if you double it (either for freezing or for entertaining), it’ll use two.  Add to that onions, parsnips, carrots, brussels sprout, fennel . . . you have a vegetable-heavy winter stew that’ll warm you up from the inside out . . . . And guess what?  A little spicy Italian sausage turned even D., the butternut-hater, into a big fan of this stew.

Savory Root Vegetable Stew (adapted from MarthaStewart.com)

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add the sausage and cook, stirring, until it breaks into small pieces and is no longer pink, about 10 minutes.  Remove sausage with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Pour off all but 2 T. of the rendered fat and discard.  Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, 5-6 minutes.  Add tomatoes, broth and herb bundle; simmer until liquid starts to thicken, about 20-25 minutes.  Remove the herb bundle and add the sausage, squash, carrots, parsnips and fennel; cover and simmer until the veggies are tender, about 15-20 minutes.  Add Brussels sprouts and cook, covered, about 5 minutes more.  Remove the lid and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid thickens, 10-15 minutes more.  Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Serves 4.

© 2011, Sarah. All rights reserved.

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I’m happily carving out time for cooking this week, despite my hairy schedule.  I’ve always found cooking to be relaxing, and I have to say it’s nice to have a warm, “real” meal at the end of a long day.

My quest for flavorful slow-cooker meals continues . . . today’s recipe is an adaptation of a Better Homes & Gardens recipe I found at a great site, Fatfree Vegan Recipes.  I have de-veganized it and added some fat to it, but the option for a hearty vegan stew is there.  Veggie or not, take just 30 minutes to chop up your ingredients and throw them into your Crock-pot, then belly-up for a warm bowl of nutritious and flavorful goodness.

Slow-Cooker Spiced Butternut Squash and Lentil Stew

Rinse and drain lentils. Place lentils, squash, onion, carrot, celery, curry and garlic in the slow-cooker. Pour the broth over the top.  Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours or on high for 4-4 ½ hours. Add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve in bowls, topped with either a drizzle of olive oil or a dollop of Greek yogurt, if desired.

Serves 4.

© 2010 – 2012, Sarah. All rights reserved.

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We’re all over the world this week, and it’s only Tuesday!?  As I mentioned, I got the second of my two winter CSA shares on Saturday, and I found myself with even more carrots and parsnips . . . now, I will admit to you that while I like carrots, upwards of 8 lbs. of carrots is a bit much for me.  And parsnips?  I really want to like parsnips, but I just don’t.  I’ll admit it.  They’re a little licorice-y or something on their own.  But as I have also said, I hate to waste food.  So I went looking for inspiration on the ‘net – and I came up with a flavorful way to use up a boatload of root vegetables (and a butternut squash . . . ’cause I now have 7 of them). 

Moroccan Vegetable Stew

Heat the oil in a very large, heavy pot over medium-high heat (I used my 7 1/4-in. Dutch oven).  Add onion to the pot and saute until golden, about 4 minutes.  Add the garlic and stir for 1 minute.  Add the curry powder, cumin and cinnamon and stir for 30 seconds.  Add the squash, parsnips, carrots turnips, rutabaga, broth and currants.  Cover and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Add tomatoes and beans to pot. Simmer until flavors blend, at least 10 minutes longer (but this can simmer for much longer and the flavors will deepen). Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serves an army.  In fact, I’m taking the rest of the week off from posting, ’cause this is what I’m going to be having for breakfast, lunch and dinner, there’s so much of it.  Just kidding.  But seriously, if you’re in the ‘hood with a Tupperware, stop by for a schmeck.  It’s good stuff.  You can fool around and add whatever veggies you have on hand – and sweet potatoes would be good in lieu of the squash.  If you like, you could serve this over whole wheat couscous and it’d be super.  But it’s great straight-up.

A note on butternut squash.  I officially conquered my fear of preparing a butternut squash on Sunday.  Mark it on your calendar.  Yes, you read correctly – survived cancer but freaked by a gourd.  And you’ll never guess who helped me through?  The oil-burner guy.  I wish I remembered his name, but he was here a couple weeks ago and he gave me great advice (he noticed my CSA stash in the basement, in case you’re wondering how the heck this subject came up).  Mr. Burner Guy said:  Cut a little off the top and bottom of the squash.  Then stand it up on its big end and cut it vertically down the middle.  Then cut each half into a few wide, horizontal slices.  Stand each slice on its widest end, and carefully cut the peel off the outside of each slice by running your knife between the peel and the squash – this is very similar to the method used to segment a citrus fruit. Then slice and/or cube the squash according to your recipe directions.  Looks beautiful, and no severed digits!  Works like a dream . . . as does my burner.

© 2009, Sarah. All rights reserved.

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