Culinary Collaboration 8: Quinoa, Kale, and Sausage
No matter how much I try to avoid it, the cold weather has arrived. It is very tempting to let go and eat cookies for the next seven weeks but I’m hoping this Culinary Collaboration will help curb that temptation. The comfort factor is high while still keeping a healthy edge.
Three dinners and one lunch are listed below to help you through the week. If you follow the prep in advance suggestions, these meals will be faster to pull together after work. I’ve altered the original recipes slightly to use similar ingredients to keep that grocery list and bill low. Using online shopping at a local store without discounts, these 4 meals (8 servings) cost $61. That is $7.63 a serving which is a lot cheaper than eating out.
As always, the meals are broken down with a grocery list, prep in advance suggestions and notes on order of the meals. I’ve gone ahead and listed steps for each meal in this one so you don’t have to flip over to the recipe. This should save time and allow for printing if you like a hard copy.
As always, feedback is appreciated! Let me know if you enjoy this or if you have a suggested change to the format.
CC8 Meals:
Tuscan Sausage Soup: Hearty soup, great for leftovers
Shakshuka: An interactive meal
Stuffed Acorn Squash: Filling meal, good for leftovers
Quinoa and Kale (lunch): Simple and easy
Grocery list and recipes are written below for 2 servings. Double as needed for larger families or for leftovers.
Grocery List
Produce
2 lemons
2 sweet yellow Onions
3 medium Red Bell Peppers
4 medium Red potatoes
1 large bunch kale
1 jalapeno
2 large Acorn Squash
1 small red onion
Cilantro (optional)
Canned /Grain
1 can coconut milk
Veggie or beef Broth (homemade ideal - ~6cups)
1 can petite diced tomatoes
Quinoa
Cheese / Bread
Crumbled Feta (5oz)
Flatbread / Naan
3oz sliced cheese (pepper jack, gouda, or provolone)
Meat / Eggs
2 lbs ground sausage
2 Eggs
1 large chicken breast (or 3 chicken thighs)
Pantry Items
Flour (or alternate thickening agent)
Italian Seasoning
sriracha
Minced Garlic
Olive Oil
Cumin
Red pepper flakes
Salt
Pepper
Ground ginger
soy sauce
Prep Options
Cook ¾ cup quinoa in 1 1/4 cup broth
Rinse, de-stem, and chop kale
Slice all the bell pepper (some will need to be chopped later)
Cook Chicken and shredd
Tuscan Sausage Soup
Place 1 pound sausage in a deep pot (deep dutch oven or stock pot)
Season pork with 3 TBS Italian seasoning and 2 TBS sriracha and brown in med-high heat. Break up meat while cooking
Drain fat and set meat aside.
Turn down heat to medium heat
Add ½ cup diced onion, 1 small bell pepper diced and 2 TBS minced garlic.
Cook until onions are soft and translucent.
Add four chopped red potatoes and season with ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp pepper, and ½ TBS Italian Seasoning
Add 4 cups broth and bring heat up to med-high until it comes to a simmer and cook until potatoes are tender.
Mix ¾ cup coconut milk and 1 ½ TBS flour (alternative thickening items work too). Take out ½ cup of hot liquid into the coconut mixture and stir to help with combination.
Stir coconut /flour mixture into the soup.
Add 2 ½ cups chopped kale, 1 TBS lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste.
Cook for additional 10 minutes. Serve
Shakshuka
In a medium pan, brown ½ pound sausage, seasoning with ¼ tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper, ¼ tsp red pepper flakes and 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning.
Drain and set aside
Cook ½ medium sliced bell pepper, ½ sliced jalapeno, and ¼ sliced onion in olive oil over med low until tender.
Add 1 can petite diced tomatoes, 1 TBS minced garlic, 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning, ¼ cup diced kale, and additional salt and pepper to taste.
Stir and continue to simmer.
Add cooked sausage
Turn down to low and wait for a couple minutes to allow to cool down, crack two eggs into the tomato mixture, cover, and cook for 5-8 minutes. (Wait for the white to cook through but the yolk is still runny)
Top with fresh feta and cilantro. Serve with warmed flatbread / naan
Stuffed Acorn Squash
With a very sharp knife, cut the two acorn squash in equal halves and scrape out pulp and seeds with a spoon.
Lightly salt and pepper squash interior.
Add 2 tablespoons water on a large microwave safe plate. Place two halves of the squash, insides down, on the plate. Cover and microwave for 5 minutes or until the squash in soft. Repeat with the other squash halves.
While squash cooks, bring 2/3 cup broth and 1/4 cup quinoa to a boil in sauce pot with a lid. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes or until done.
Preheat oven to 375
Add olive oil to a sauté pan at medium high heat then add ½ pound sausage, 1 tsp cumin, ½ tsp red pepper flakes, ½ tsp kosher salt and break up the meat into smaller pieces while it cooks (8 minutes).
While meat cooks, dice onion (1/2 cup) and bell pepper (1/2 cup). (Need help? I have a post on onions and peppers)
Mince 3 garlic cloves (or have pre-minced garlic on hand)
Drain any excess grease from sauté pan and set sausage aside. (paper towel covered plate is a good way to soak up extra grease.)
Add onion, bell pepper, garlic, and 2 tsp ginger to the pan and stir. Cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes
Stir in quinoa and sausage to the veggie mixture
Place acorn squash on baking sheet, with inside hole facing up. Add filling to the squash, pressing down to pack fully.
Leftover filling can be placed in an oven-safe dish and cooked on the side.
Bake stuffed squash for 20 minutes.
Divide 3oz cheese on top of the four squash halves, and bake for 5 more minutes or melted
Quinoa & Kale Bowl
Add 1/2 cup quinoa and 3/4 cups broth or water to a pot and heat on high until it comes to a boil
Turn down to low and simmer for 15 minutes
While quinoa cooks, chop kale (1/2 cup packed), ¼ cup red onion, and slice ½ bell pepper
When quinoa is cooked, add 1 TBS soy sauce, ½ TBS sriracha, and ¼ tsp ground ginger, stir
Add kale to quinoa, top with ½ TBS lemon juice and ¼ tsp sea salt. Mix all
In a pan, add 1/2 tsp olive oil, bell pepper and red onion
Cook over medium low heat for 10 minutes or until onion and pepper are softened
Mix onions and pepper with quinoa mixture
Stir in shredded chicken
Top with feta and divide into two servings
Eat cold or reheat in microwave
