What's For Dinner

Since our spring break has been rather cold and not very spring like we are still eating cold weather food.  Even though all I really want is some sun and a spring salad.

So a few days ago while it was snowing this is what we had...

Creamy White Beans with Sausage

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon minced garlic

12 ounces hot smoked sausage, sliced into 1/2-inch-thick rounds

One 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, with juices

Five 15-ounce cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

3 cups fresh spinach or arugula, rinsed and spun dry

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Extra-virgin olive oil, for serving

Crusty French or peasant bread, warmed, for serving (optional)

Cooking Directions

Heat the oil in a large heavy Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. 

Add the sausage and tomatoes. Increase the heat to medium-high

and simmer for 2 minutes. 

Add the beans and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the beans are tender and flavorful, about 20 minutes.

Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the rosemary, thyme, and spinach. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve hot in wide shallow bowls, drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil. 

I did a few things differently -- I sautéd the sausage first and browned it.  Then I removed it from the pan and got all the good brown bits off the bottom of the pan by sautéing 1/2 of a diced onion.  Then I added the garlic and made the rest of the dish the same.

I used canned beans and Polska Kielbasa. The sausage gives most of the flavor so I 
would use one you love.

Enjoy -- with any luck we wont have this again until fall because it will be too warm.  
A girl can dream can't she?