My workouts have been quite intense this week (check out the average hear rate for one of my workouts). I guess I shouldn’t wish for Sunday, I just want it to be Saturday afternoon so I can chill.

Anyways, I wanted to share a soup recipe with you that Marc made this past weekend. He had a recipe that he has been wanting to make and without me asking he started prepping and cooking soup on Sunday!! A break from cooking is always nice for me!

These past couple of weeks, it has been so cold and snowy around here. I don’t know about you guys but we have definitely been making more “comfort foods.” Soup is very comforting for me. It warmed me right up and left me with a full belly! We all know a Full Belly= Satisfied!

SAUSAGE, KALE, & POTATO SOUP

Ingredients:

• 1 package chicken sausage
• 1 bunch Kale, pulled or cut into small pieces
• 1 large onion, diced
• 4-5 white potatoes cut into small chunks
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ¾ tablespoon oregano
• 1-teaspoon basil
• 1-teaspoon crushed red pepper flake (more if desired)
• 2 cups low sodium chick broth
• 2 cups of water
• ¼ cup milk
• Add Salt & black pepper to taste

Directions:

Place sausage in a large pot on medium-high heat. Turn occasionally until all sides are brown. Remove from pan and cut into slices ¼ wide. In same pan add onion and olive oil cook on low heat until golden brown. In another pot boil potatoes for 5-10 minutes to soften. Add all remaining ingredients except the kale, into the large pot with the onions and cut sausage and simmer for 35-40 minutes. Before serving the soup, add the kale to the pot and cover for 10 minutes to wilt the kale.

I love the Kale in this soup, it adds a nutritious punch, but the potatoes keep it hearty and filling. If you aren’t into kale try subbing in spinach. ENJOY!

What is one of your winter comfort foods?

Are you a big soup fan?

When I got home from picking up Ava at daycare yesterday I had nothing planned for dinner. I literally opened the fridge and found a bag of kale and a pint of grape tomatoes in my vegetable drawer and thought, what can I do with this? Luckily I had some chicken sausage in the freezer that I quickly thawed and was excited I had something to throw together. While Ava napped I got to prepping… this meal literally took 20 minutes and was a huge hit. The flavors were on point.

We will definitely be making this recipe again.

Chicken Sausage with Kale, Chickpeas, & Tomatoes

Ingredients:

1 package Al Fresco Sweet Italian Chicken Sausage

1 bag of chopped kale

1 can of chickpeas, drained

1/2 pint of grape tomatoes, halved

1/4 cup sherry wine

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp oregano

salt & pepper to taste

2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:

Heat a large pan to medium heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add in grape tomatoes and saute for 3-4 minutes. Add in kale, chicken broth, & sherry wine and cook for 5 minutes.

Drizzle remaining oil and seasonings, mix well. Remove kale mixture from pan and place into serving dish. Add chicken sausage to pan and cook 8-10 minutes or until cooked (as directed by package). Add the Kale mixture back to the pan and mix well. Return everything back to serving dish and eat!

This meal would also be great served over whole grain pasta or rice… or even on a sandwich!