Easy Sausage, Bean & Kale Stove Top Casserole

Thinking up an easy but hearty & healthy recipe that everyone will love, every evening, can be something of a trial. This we know. So i'm sharing this recipe as it's one super simple dish that includes plenty of veg, filling pulses, plenty of flavour and good amounts of protein & can be knocked up in around 30 minutes. The kale, added at the end, is a welcome splash of mineral rich greens and this dish also works brilliantly with baked potatoes, brown rice, warm quinoa or cauliflower rice as a side. Most of the ingredients are from your store cupboard. What is not to like?!

If you like to get ahead by batch cooking, this is a perfect one for the freezer too. And if you have veggies to leftover to use up, this is the perfect moment - mushrooms, peppers, green beans etc etc.

Serves 3 or 4

Ingredients:

1 pack of quality sausages - veggie or meat - 1 or 2 per person

3 tbsps olive oil

1 large onion or leek, peeled & chopped

2 carrots, peeled & chopped

1 celery stick, chopped

2 garlic cloves, sliced

1 bay leaf

1/3 tsp cayenne pepper, hot paprika or chilli powder

1/2 tsp turmeric powder, or grated fresh root

1/2 cup of red lentils, rinsed

1 tin or TetraPak of beans : cannellini, kidney, black, butter beans etc, rinsed

2 tbs tomato puree

1 litre of hot stock, maybe. splash more..

2 handfuls of kale - or Cavil Nero - ripped or shredded

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1. Get your ingredients ready: cut the sausages into thirds, prep/chop the veg, drain & rinse the beans, measure & rinse the lentils

2. Heat a little oil in a wide pan, add the sausages & fry them off gently until lightly browned

( you can de-glaze the pan with a splash red wine at this stage ;-)) then..

3. Add the onion or leek, followed by the garlic, carrot, celery & the bay leaf

4. After a minute, add the cayenne or paprika, along with the turmeric powder

5. Keep stirring as you add the tomato puree, beans, lentils & stock

6. Simmer, with a lid on the pan. for 20 minutes, stirring frequently

7. Add the handfuls of ripped kale, increase the heat a little

8. Cook the kale in for ab most 5 minutes, then check the seasoning & serve piping hot with sides of your choice