Black Lentil Stew with Sausage & Kale – Dark Food for Dark Days

There’s nothing like a big, steaming bowl of comfort food to make everything seem all right, and this dark, but delightful black lentil stew with sausage and kale is no exception. Whether you’re battling a lack of sunlight, or troubles at work, or you’re a NY Giants fan, a dish like this can do wonders to brighten your mood. 

Sausage and lentils is a marriage made in heaven, and so good together, that not even kale can ruin it. I’m kidding, and actually love kale, but if you’re not the biggest fan in the world, maybe try it one more time in this. As long as you cook the greens until they get nice and tender, you’ll be surprised how sweet, and mild they become.

In case that’s asking too much, spinach, and/or other vegetables will also work here, as these types of recipes are a perfect catch-all for seasonal produce. You people with neighbors who grow zucchini should pay especially close attention to that last part. Regardless of what you add, or don’t, I really do hope you give this black lentil stew a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 large portions:

2 tablespoons butter

1 yellow onion, large dice

1 large carrot, cubed

1 rib celery, cubed

12 ounces smoked garlic sausage, or any kind of sausage (cook fresh sausage first, and then slice)

1 bay leaf

1 1/2 cups black lentils

6 cups chicken broth

freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

2 bunches (about 12 ounces by weight) kale or other leafy dark greens, chopped, washed

1 large diced tomato, optional

sour cream and cayenne to garnish

Green Chicken Chili – Sorry, Red and White, But There’s a New Color in Town

If I had to pick a favorite color chili, it would have to be green. And, if I had to pick a favorite kind of green chili, it would be this chicken and white bean green chili, which, notwithstanding a very minor pumpkin seed issue, really came out amazing.

A true “chili verde” is made by roasting and pureeing fresh tomatillos, which is kind of labor intensive, if you can even find fresh tomatillos, so we’re going with a ready-to-use green salsa from the market. You should be able to chose from several varieties, but just be sure to read the labels carefully. Tomatillos must be the first ingredient, followed by onion, and chilies.

If you never had tomatillo before, I’d describe it as having a less sweet, slightly more acidic, but fruitier, tomato-like flavor. It’s very bright, and refreshing, and makes a chili prepared with it especially excellent for pairing with things like cornbread, or homemade corn tortillas. 

Once you find some tomatillo salsa, there’s not a lot that can go wrong, as we’re simply going to simmer everything until tender, assuming you’re using the recommended thighs. If you decided to use chicken breast, you’ll only need to simmer it until it’s cooked through, otherwise, unlike the thigh, it’ll get dry. No matter what you use, I really do hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 to 6 portions of Green Chicken Chili:

3 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, seasoned with salt

1 bottle (24-oz) tomatillo-based salsa verde, about 3 cups

1/2 cup fire-roasted hatch chilies, or other roasted green chili

3 garlic cloves

1 large jalapeno, sliced

1/2 cup cilantro leaves

1 tablespoon cumin

1 teaspoon ground chipotle

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed

2 cans white kidney beans (cannellini beans), drained, rinsed

sour cream and avocado to garnish