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.

Make-Fast Mondays: Chicken with Chickpeas and Artichoke Hearts

Want to make something zippy and zesty in just a matter of minutes? Here you go!

Chicken with Chickpeas and Artichoke Hearts 
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into chunks
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 14-ounce can artichoke hearts, drained and halved
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons lemon juice

In a large frying pan, heat olive oil over moderate heat. Add chicken, garlic and oregano and cook until chicken is thoroughly cooked, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low and add artichoke hearts, chickpeas and lemon juice. Cook, stirring occasionally, until everything is nice and warm, about 5 minutes. Enjoy!

Rosemary Potato and Chicken Pizza

There’s a Sacramento restaurant, Paesanos, that used to serve a phenomenal Patata y Pollo pizza covered with roast chicken, potatoes, herbs and cheese. This pizza was so good my friend Lucy called the restaurant in hopes of getting the recipe, (unsuccessfully) spinning a tale that her (nonexistent) child had food allergies and that she needed to know all the ingredients so she could make sure it was safe for her fake kid to eat.

I haven’t visited this restaurant in years (and don’t think the Patata y Pollo has been on their menu for a while), but I still crave that pizza. Not sure if my attempt to recreate this pizza is a perfect match, but it is still sooooo good.

Rosemary Potato and Chicken Pizza 
8 ounces Yukon Gold potatoes, sliced thin (use a mandoline for super thin slices)
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary, divided
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 pound chicken breasts, cut into small chunks
1 chicken bouillon cube, smashed
¼ cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons water
Pizza dough (I use one 16-ounce ball of Trader Joe’s dough)
Flour and cornmeal (for prepping the pizza dough)
1 tablespoon butter, melted
2 ounces goat cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Toss potatoes, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon rosemary in a bowl. Arrange potato slices in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast until golden and tender, about 18-20 minutes.

While potatoes are in the oven, warm the remaining olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté for a minute, until fragrant. Add chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is no longer pink. Add bouillon, wine and water to the frying pan and cook for a couple minutes, until chicken is completely cooked and sauce has thickened.

Roll out your pizza dough on a floured surface and transfer to a cornmeal-dusted pizza pan. Brush dough with melted butter and sprinkle with remaining rosemary. Top dough with potatoes, chicken, goat cheese and mozzarella and bake for 15-20 minutes, until crust and mozzarella are golden.

Make-Fast Mondays: Grilled Salmon with Black Bean Salad

Grilled salmon is so simple yet so tasty. Pair it with a quick salad packed with black beans and hearts of palm and you’ve got a fresh, delicious dinner in no time!

Grilled Salmon with Black Bean Salad 
¼ cup olive oil
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon minced jalapeno
½ cup chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon agave syrup or honey
1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 14.5-ounce jar hearts of palm, drained and sliced
¼ cup sliced green onions
4 4-ounce salmon fillets
Salt and pepper

Make the dressing by blending first six ingredients in a blender until smooth. Reserve ¼ cup of the dressing.

To make the salad, put black beans, hearts of palm and green onions in a bowl and drizzle with the rest of the dressing, giving a quick stir so everything’s lightly coated with dressing.

Preheat the grill at medium-high heat. Season salmon fillets with salt and pepper. Place salmon, flesh side down, on a lightly oiled grill rack. Grill salmon for 8 minutes, flipping once.

Plate each salmon fillet with a scoop of the bean salad, drizzle with a little bit of dressing, and enjoy.

Wild Rice Casserole with Chicken, Mushrooms and Broccoli

Nothing innovative about this casserole, but damn, is it good.

Wild Rice Casserole with Chicken, Mushrooms and Broccoli 
4 cups water 1 cup wild rice, rinsed
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 celery stalks, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
½ pound cremini mushrooms, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
½ cup nonfat milk
½ pound broccoli crowns, chopped
1 pound cooked, chopped chicken meat
Salt and pepper
1 cup grated sharp cheddar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium saucepan, bring rice and water to boil. Reduce heat, cover and cook rice until tender, about 40 minutes or so. Drain well.

While rice is cooking, warm olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add celery, carrots, onion and thyme and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables start to soften. Stir in the mushrooms, ground mustard and poultry seasoning and sauté for another 2-3 minutes. Add butter, flour and chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Cook mixture for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens a bit. Stir in milk and continue simmering for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper, and stir in broccoli, chicken and rice. Transfer mixture to a 9-by-13 glass baking dish, top with cheese, and bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and enjoy.

Frittata with Sausage, White Cheddar and Beet Greens

Ever buy a bunch of beets and can’t figure out what to do with the greens? Don’t toss them out -- cook and eat them! I recently chopped some up and tossed them in this frittata and loved how it turned out. Don’t have a bunch of beet greens lying around? Try using kale, swiss chard or spinach instead.

Frittata with Sausage, White Cheddar and Beet Greens 
8 eggs
1 tablespoon dried minced onion
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper
1 cup grated aged white cheddar
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 ounces Italian sausage, casings removed
2 cups chopped beet greens

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Beat the eggs, onion and garlic powder in a bowl with salt and pepper to taste. Mix in shredded cheese and set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, using your spoon or spatula to crumble the meat, until browned. Add beet greens to the skillet and cook for a minute or two. Add the eggs, give a quick stir to make sure everything is evenly mixed, turn off your burner and put skillet in the oven. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the eggs are set and golden.

Make-Fast Mondays: Skillet Sausage with Green Apples and Cabbage

What do I love about this meal? Lots of flavor, short shopping list and you only have to wash a couple dishes!

Skillet Sausage with Green Apples and Cabbage 
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small yellow onion, sliced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme (dried thyme will work, too)
12 ounces smoked turkey sausage, sliced
2 Granny Smith apples, cored and sliced
1 pound shredded green cabbage
¼ cup water
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Warm olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and thyme and sauté for 4-5 minutes, until onions start to soften. Add sausage and apples to pan and continue to cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add cabbage and water, cover and simmer until cabbage is tender, about 5 minutes. Remove skillet from heat, stir in the red wine vinegar, and enjoy.