Sausage on a Bed of Kale & Cannellini

Sausage on a Bed of Kale & Cannellini

Sausage on Kale and Cannellini

 

This is not an original recipe, I ripped it off of one of the Greats.  I have never made a recipe from Emeril before to my recollection, but I’d definitely try more from him based upon my results with this one.  I really do not understand our culture of famous cooks.  There are some famous food bloggers whose recipes I’ve attempted multiple times with zero success.  I’m left scratching my head—how did it get to be that people hang on every word?  I want to ask, “Have you TRIED any of those recipes?”

Maybe it is just because I’m looking for a few simple things in a recipe:

* Real, nourishing ingredients (and the ability to use food storage, even)

*The ability to create the meal or dish without using every dish I own

*Flavor, and the ability to adapt it to my family’s tastes or needs

This is one of those meals and it is now in the family rotation: I stayed fairly true to this recipe, but I did adapt it a bit and I’ll share my adaptations with you.

If Using Food Storage

The Night Before:  Soak 3 cups Cannelini beans (white beans) in water; I recommend adding some whey (the liquid floating on your yogurt, if you have that).  Another do ahead step:  boil the beans.  My altitude requires the use of a pressure cooker, which I prefer anyway since I have the task done in just 15 minutes that way.

 

First Step

The first step is to boil your homemade sausages for 15 minutes to help seal in the moisture.  What’s that you say?  You don’t make homemade sausages? Well, you probably just cannot do this one justice then, because for as much as I enjoyed the recipe, I liked it as a base for the savory, rich flavors of our homemade pork & lamb sausages; and since I have yet to bite into a store-bought sausage with the same deep gratification, you might want to peruse our book section or consider a Chop Rite grinder and sausage press before going any further.

 

Sausage on a bed of Kale & White Kidney Beans

Homemade Sausages on a Bed of Kale & Cannellini

Once the beans are reconstituted and sausages boiled (do-ahead steps), the recipe takes only 10 minutes!

Serves 4-5 people

 

Ingredients

3 Tbs Butter

3-4 cloves garlic

Pinch of dried rosemary

¼ tsp Cayenne (or crushed red) Pepper

1 lb kale, chopped

1 small sliced red onion

3 Tbs lemon (or lime) juice—I’ve tried both with satisfaction

1 tsp sea salt

Pepper to taste

3 cups Cannellini Beans (White Beans)

 

 

  1.  Heat the butter in a cast iron skillet and add garlic and onion.  Saute on medium heat until onion is carmelized.
  2. In another skillet (simultaneously)brown sausages over medium heat, turning occasionally.
  3. To the garlic & onion skillet, add the kale and season with rosemary, salt and pepper; sauté for about 2-3 minutes, stirring.  Add lemon juice and beans, mixing the flavors.
  4. Place the finished sausages on top of the kale & cannellini, and serve!

 

Alternately: I made this with only 1 skillet once.  I cooked up the sausages first, set them aside, made the rest, and just warmed the sausages back up  in the mix at the end. 

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