Thursday, January 3, 2013

Cassoulet Anyone?

Happy Thursday :)

Well, that was a nice short week, wasn't it? I wish all work weeks were this abbreviated! In keeping with the theme of brevity,  my post today will be rather short and sweet.With that said, dynamite does come in small packages, so I promise I'll provide some goodies in this little post.

Sausage and White Bean Cassoulet

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Last night for dinner , I used a recipe that I've had in my files for quite some time now to create a lovely meal for PJ and I.  My mother has made the dish (pictured above) multiple times, and she's  given it rave reviews. After finally making and enjoying this comforting and nutritious meal, I do have to concur with Mom that it rocks. The best part? It's easy, and it makes your house smell divine. Here is the recipe:

White Bean Cassoulet

(adapted from Sweet Sugar Bean)

 
2 pints of cherry tomatoes
4-6 hot Italian sausages OR Chorizo sausages
4 large garlic cloves, smashed
1 onion, cut into wedges
extra virgin olive oil
balsamic vinegar
coarse salt and pepper
few sprigs fresh thyme OR rosemary
3 cups cooked white navy beans or white kidney beans OR 1 19 oz can (540ml) of white beans, rinsed and drained well
chicken broth or white wine(optional)

Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 425 *F.
Scatter tomatoes over bottom of dish (reserve about 1/2 cup to add later).  Add garlic, onion and sausages over top.  Drizzle with balsamic and olive oil.  Toss on thyme and sprinkle with S & P.  Bake about 25-30 minutes, for sausages to be golden and tomatoes start to burst.  Remove from oven and stir in beans and reserved 1/2 cup of cherry tomatoes.  If you'd like a bit more sauce with your beans, add a glug or white wine or chicken stock.   Return to oven and bake 20 minutes longer or until beans are cooked through.  Serve with bread and butter for dunking; green salad on the side.  Makes enough for 4.  Recipe adapted from Dinner with Julie via Pam Anderson and the Merry Gourmet

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**I used precooked turkey/chicken sausage, so I added them in when I added the beans. You could easily use fennel sausage or chorizo, but in the nature of keeping things a little more nutritious, I chose to go the white meat route. Also, make sure to add a good 3/4 cup of chicken or vegetable broth when you add the beans!

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For breakfast this am, I happily resurrected an old staple- Overnight Oats. Last evening, I was texting with a friend who said she was popping her overnight oats in the fridge, and I thought it sounded like a great idea as well! I gotta tell ya..this breakfast will stick with you(especially if you add a nice plop of nut butter on top!).

Simple Overnight Oats

2/3 cup rolled oats

1 cup almond milk

1-2 tbs chia seeds

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1 ripe banana mashed

* Mix all together. cover and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, add any toppings you like; my faves are almond butter and some real maple syrup!

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Lunch was also pretty spectacular. I recreated a salad that I had seen at my favorite local juice bar, DOCO. It was composed of quinoa, pistachio, craisins, artichoke hearts, chopped kale, and a mustard vinaigrette. It was delish and satisfying, and I also loved the change-up from the typical veggie based salad. I didn’t have a protein on hand that I thought would compliment the salad, so I brought cottage cheese to have on the side.  I am one of those people who needs protein or  else the monster in my tummy is growling about 20 minutes after eating.

toby yoga 004My new lunch box that I toted my goodies to work in! Awesome Christmas gift :)


Back to lunch. I decided to make my lunch last night to save time this morning, as one of my goals for the new year is to be on time! I am always trying to squeeze too many things into too little time which leaves me perpetually late and stressed out. I'm sure this habit has also results in my ever patient friends and family becoming a tad annoyed.  I'm going to strive to be more present and to focus on moving a bit more slowly as I go through my day.  As things stand currently, if you see a tornado churning through your neighborhood, the likelihood is that its me! :) I hope by next year that I have downgraded to a minor tropical storm!

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Ok, time for bed.

xo

Saran

2 comments:

  1. That cassoulet looks delish! I will def have to try it. Thanks for the overnight oats too. It was so delish ( mine was almond butter banana too!) :-)

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  2. I'm totally making this Cassoulet for book club. I hate beans though, so I may pump up the veggies in place of some of those, do you think that would work?

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