SAUSAGE & KALE STEW WITH OLIVE OIL MASHED POTATOES

mr. miles everett

first off, as you can see, i have not been contributing to my poor deprived blog. the last post was in april, which was when i found out i was pregnant with my first baby. a couple things were going on then: 1) i was too nauseous to even think about food (being pregnant is NOT a foodie's friend in the first trimester), then 2) when i finally got my appetite back, all i wanted was take out. i probably won't have time in the new year with a new baby, but i will try to post something at least once a month because blogging about food makes me happy and one of resolutions is to cook more. don't be surprised, however, if my next post are lactation cookies or baby food.

anyway…on with my comeback...

i found saw this recipe in the november issue of real simple and knew i wanted to make it. i assumed it was something that can be whipped up in a couple hours, but then quickly realized that it was a slow cooker recipe, which would take 8 hours of cooking time. so, i had to choose a time when i could make it in the afternoon for dinner that night.

typically for christmas dinner, the husband and i order a honey baked ham and i make all the sides. this year was not like any other…my new baby arrived the beginning of december and there was no way i'd be able to pull together any extensive sides or a dinner. the best thing about slow cooker recipes is that you literally put all the ingredients in, press a button, & wah-lah…dinner! this was exactly what we needed, plus i wanted to try something new. another bonus from this recipe is that i found a new way to make mashed potatoes…instead of using butter, you use better-for-you olive oil and the flavor is amazing!

also, good to know that this serves 6 and each serving is 459 calories; 26g fat (5g saturated); 25mg cholesterol; 1,196mg sodium; 19g protein; 39g carbohydrates; 7g sugar; 5g fiber; 4mg iron; 160mg calcium

SAUSAGE & KALE STEW WITH OLIVE OIL MASHED POTATOES
posted on real simple magazine in november 2013 issue

• 1lb sweet italian sausage links, casings removed & broken into pieces
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 28oz can diced tomatoes
• 2T tomato paste
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1c water
• salt & pepper
• 2 large russet potatoes (about 1lb)
• 1 small bunch kale, stems removed and leaves torn (about 7c)
• 1/2c milk
• 1/2c olive oil, plus extra for serving

combine sausage, onion, tomatoes & juices, tomato paste, garlic, water 3/4t each of salt & pepper in a 4-6qt slow cooker. nestle the potatoes in the liquid. top with kale.

cover & cook until potatoes are tender, on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours.

transfer the potatoes to a medium bowl. add milk, oil, and 1/2t each of salt & pepper. mash.

serve the stew topped with the mashed potatoes. drizzle more olive oil, if desired.

my yummy tip: you can prep this the night before by combining everything, except the sausage and kale. refrigerate, covered. then, just add sausage and kale in the morning to start stewing.