Make-Fast Mondays: Bratwurst with Beans and Greens

I’ve been firing up the oven a lot lately, the direct result of a long string of gloomy, rainy days (but please keep it coming, El Niño). Chase the gray away by making this delicious, cozy, quick meal!

Bratwurst with Beans and Greens 
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic
12 ounces bratwurst or smoked sausage, sliced (I used Saag’s Natural Chicken Bratwurst)
3 cans white beans, drained and rinsed
3 cups diced tomatoes (from two cans; you’ll have a little bit extra)
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 cups chopped greens (I used a mix of kale and spinach)
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a skillet or other oven-proof pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for a minute. Add sausage and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add beans, tomatoes, smoked paprika, thyme and pepper flakes. Cook for another 3-3 minutes so everything’s nice and warm. Remove skillet from heat and stir in the greens. Season with salt and pepper, then put skillet in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.

Suffering from kale fatigue? Change it up with chard

I can only eat so much kale. Yes, I know it's good for you for all kinds of reasons, but sometimes it just feels like tedious work. The next time you’re eyeing leafy greens at the farmers market or grocery store, grab a bunch of chard and give this hearty soup a try.

Sausage, Bean and Chard Soup 
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 medium yellow onion, diced
12 ounces smoked chicken sausage, sliced
2 cans Great Northern beans (or white beans of your preference)
3 cups chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1 bunch green chard, ribs removed, sliced into thin ribbons
Salt and pepper, to taste

Warm olive oil over medium heat in Dutch oven or other large pot. Add garlic and onion and cook for a minute or two, stirring occasionally. Add sausage to the pot and continue cooking for a couple more minutes. Increase heat and add broth, beans and bay leaf to pot. Bring contents to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 25 minutes. Remove bay leaf, stir in chard, cover and simmer until chard is soft, about five minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve.