White Beans with Sausage and Tomatoes

beansuasage

beansuasageWhat You Need:

1 onion, halved and sliced thin
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 (14 oz.) cans of Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
2 t dried thyme
1 t celery seeds
1/2 t of salt
1/4 t of pepper
6 (1 ½ lbs.) sausage links
1 zucchini, sliced thin
2 (14 oz.) cans diced tomatoes, drained

How to Make It:

Spray the bottom and sides of a cast iron Dutch oven pan with cooking spray.
Place the oven temperature at 450 degrees and allow the oven to preheat.
Spread the onions and garlic over the bottom of the pan.
Spread the beans out into a smooth layer over the onions and garlic.
Evenly sprinkle the thyme, celery seeds, salt and pepper into the pan.
Place the sausage in a single layer over the beans.
Spread the zucchini over the sausage then add the tomatoes.
Cover and bake for 35 minutes until the sausage is cooked through and the beans are soft.

Makes 4 servings

5 or 6 fresh tomatoes, chopped may be used in place of the canned tomatoes if you prefer.
You may also use cooked coarsely crumbled sausage in this dish instead of the links.

Preparation Time: approximately 10 minutes
Baking Time: approximately 35 minutes
Total Time: approximately 45 minutes

Nutritional Information: (approximate values per serving)
Calories 373; Fat 19g; Carbohydrates 29g; Cholesterol 40g; Sodium 875 mg; Protein 24g;
Fiber 9g

Kielbasa and Mushroom Stew

kielbasa

kielbasaWhat You Need:

3/4 oz. dried shitake mushrooms
6 C of beef broth
3/4 C of shallots, sliced
1 1/2 lb. white potatoes, chopped
1/2 lb. fully cooked Kielbasa, sliced
1 C lentils, rinsed and drained
1 t dried thyme

How to Make It:

Place the mushrooms into a bowl and pour the broth over the mushrooms.
Let the mushrooms soak in the broth while preparing the remaining ingredients.
Spray the cooker with a non stick cooking spray.
Place the shallots in the prepared cooker and cook on high for 3 minutes or until golden brown.
Add the potatoes, Kielbasa and lentils to the cooker.
Pour the soaked mushrooms and the broth into the cooker.
Sprinkle the thyme over the top.
Place the cooker on medium heat and bring to high temperature.
Cook for 20 minutes then allow the pressure to release on its own.

Shitake mushrooms can be purchased either dried or fresh in most grocery stores. They have a strong garlic flavor so they work well in soups and stews. They have a great nutritional value. Regular mushrooms can be used.

Makes 8 servings

Sausage Patties with Zip

sausage1

sausage1Ingredients:

1 lb. ground turkey
3/4 t of salt
1/2 t of rubbed sage
1/2 t dried thyme
1/2 t ground nutmeg
1/8 t cayenne pepper
2 t canola oil

How to Cook It:

In a small mixing bowl crumble the ground turkey.
Add in the salt, sage, thyme, nutmeg and cayenne pepper.
Mix together well and formed into 4 patties.
In a skillet over medium high heat put the vegetable oil.
Cook the patties 5 minutes in the hot oil.
Turn the patties and cook an additional 5 minutes or until cooked through.
Place the patties on paper towel to drain before serving.

Because of the cayenne pepper these patties have a little zip. These patties go well with eggs. If you like you can leave out the cayenne pepper or adjust it to your taste.

Makes 4 servings

Preparation Time: approximately 5 minutes
Cooking Time: approximately 10 minutes
Total Time: approximately 15 minutes