kale

Slow Cooker Tuscan White Bean and Sausage Soup

This simple but flavorful Tuscan white bean soup with sausage doesn’t require any pre-cooking or searing, making it a true slow-cooker meal.

Slow Cooker Tuscan White Bean Soup

“Okay mom, let’s play the smell game.”

I sort of cringed at the idea. Sweaty feet. Burnt toast. The 4th hole at the golf course that sits next to the water treatment plant and man does it reek when the wind blows. Why do I immediately go to the dark side?

“Okay. What’s the smell game?” But of course I already know.

“It’s where we say the things we think smell the best. You go first.”

I thought for a minute. More like seconds. Immediately those gross smells vanished to make way for the good.

The smell of burnt pumpkins after being lit too closely to their lids on Halloween night. Summer rain on black top. The smell of Gardenias and tuberose. Puppy breath. Only to be outdone by the nuzzle spot right below the ear in the crook of the neck of a newborn baby that’s a mixed perfume of milky baby lotion.

And of course, the obvious at our house. Food cooking in the kitchen.

From steaks grilling to cookies baking, food that’s cooking in the kitchen just might possibly be the most universally loved smell of all. It’s one reason I love cooking in the slow cooker. Its perfume lingers on low for eight hours or on high for four.

The other reason I love the slow cooker is for sheer ease. And this Crockpot bean soup recipe is really one of the easiest. And deceptively so.continue to the recipe… about Slow Cooker Tuscan White Bean and Sausage Soup

Slow Cooker Tortellini Soup with Sausage and Kale

A clean, herb-infused broth makes this slow cooker tortellini soup with Italian sausage a favorite to keep in your weekly meal plans.

This post is in partnership with McCormick.

“Oh babe, this is so good. Hey! Don’t eat all the broth! That’s mine.” My husband. He’s usually really good about sharing. “Oh. This is really good.” Until it comes to soup. He LOVES a good soup. And he wants it all for himself.

I’ve said it here before. My man is a soup aficionado. And if you can spell aficionado without having to hit dictionary.com, you are one swell spelling bee winner, because I can’t. But back to the crockpot tortellini soup…

Not only does the slow cooker create a broth for this tortellini soup that tastes flavorful and ultimately craveable, but the perfumed scent of sausage, onion, celery and garlic that wafts from the kitchen as it cooks will also have you wishing you could give that lid on the slow cooker just a crack to dip a spoon in for juuuuuust a bite for taste testing.

Or better yet, dip in a big old slice of sourdough. Fancy that. We’re a family of dippers.continue to the recipe… about Slow Cooker Tortellini Soup with Sausage and Kale

Kale Caesar Pasta Salad

This 5-ingredient pasta salad recipe has all of the flavors of traditional Caesar salad with the addition of kale and sweet roasted cherry tomatoes for an easy and healthy potluck pasta salad.

Most often you’ll hear me professing my love of making and using homemade dressings. I make a lot of them. Why? Because they’re easy and healthy and I know exactly what’s in them.

But sometimes, I need a pasta salad recipe in a hurry, something I can throw together quick. That’s when I turn to my pantry and the impromptu creating begins.

Since nobody-never-ever says no to a quick and simple healthy-ish pasta salad, having this potluck salad recipe with store-bought dressing on hand is my golden unicorn.continue to the recipe… about Kale Caesar Pasta Salad

Kale Salad with Cranberries, Apple and Cheddar Cheese

This easy, healthy, delicious kale salad with cranberries, sliced apples, sharp white cheddar cheese, and crunchy sunflower seeds is massaged tender with a maple syrup sweetened apple cider dressing for a savory and sweet salad everyone at the table will love.

A Delicious Kale Salad that Doesn’t Taste Raw

Kale has easily become one of the most healthful ingredients in salads today. The health benefits of kale and the virtues of eating this superfood raw—like in salad—are many, including being one of the most nutrient dense foods around. Besides being high in fiber to help you feel full (and regular), every 1 cup of raw kale providing nearly 3 grams of protein and contains more vitamin C than an orange.

With stats like that, you really can’t ignore kale’s super delicious super powers any longer.

This easy kale salad is one you can make up any night of the week, yet it’s pretty enough to add to any holiday dinner table.

But even better, because kale likes to sit and soak in it’s dressing and still hold it’s leafy shape, this kale salad is awesome for the buffet table or to take to potlucks, too. In fact, the last photo in this post is from when I pulled it straight from the fridge and into a bowl to eat for lunch 2 days after I made it.

Now that’s a trendy salad that stands the test of time.continue to the recipe… about Kale Salad with Cranberries, Apple and Cheddar Cheese

Curry Lentil Soup with Butternut Squash and Greens

Simple vegetarian soups are easy to come by, but this healthy curried lentil soup recipe serves a purpose, too.

This recipe is brought to you by Kroger

My best friend is one of the most enthusiastic people I know. She is a PhD. She is a dreamer. She is a CEO. She is an avid, and I mean AVID animal rescuer. She travels, she mentors, she’s curious, she’s beautiful, she loves mimosas, and in business and in life, she is the ultimate planner.

And my best friend has Stage 4 Metastatic HER2 Positive Breast Cancer.

Wait. Hold up. This is not part of Kim’s plan.

Stage 4. Cancer. Those words…they’re so scary to hear. I have no idea what it’s like to live with them banging about in your brain, rattling your heart, day in and day out.

Ironically, I received her call about the cancer diagnosis on a Saturday morning while at a Kroger retreat in Detroit. She had been to the doctor the day before. She told me the cancer was back. She told me she wished that five years ago her insurance would have allowed her to have the double mastectomy she wanted, instead of just the one she did have. I’ll never forget that phone call as I paced the floor, talking to Kim, my head spinning out and my heart breaking for my friend.

And now, here I am, sharing our story and a very special recipe in a post sponsored by Kroger’s Sharing Courage breast cancer awareness program for women, their families, and their support systems. And each and every one of them are very important stories to tell.continue to the recipe… about Curry Lentil Soup with Butternut Squash and Greens

Chopped Mexican Kale Salad

Creamy, crunchy, and with mild Mexican flavors, this healthy kale salad with roasted butternut squash is a favorite for lunch, dinner and potlucks alike.

This past fall I was with a group of fantabulous blogging friends at the Better Blog Retreat in Deer Valley, UT. It’s a 3-day and night affair hosted by me and my friend Maria of Two Peas and Their Pod where we all brainstorm, share and inspire one another on how to improve our blogs, aka our businesses, and make them, well…better.

And given it’s a food blogging retreat, naturally we eat really, really well.continue to the recipe… about Chopped Mexican Kale Salad

Immune Booster Sweet Green Smoothie

This healthy and creamy immune-boosting green smoothie made with Almondmilk, is naturally sweetened with frozen fruit and packed with vitamins and antioxidants to help keep colds at bay.

I’m happy to share that I’m partnering with Blue Diamond Almond Breeze to share healthful recipes made with almond milk, like this immune booster solution that’ll keep everyone in tip top form.

Because every year, like clockwork, it’s the same dang thing.

The weather warms up. The trees send out their leafy starts and flowering buds. We shed our coats too quickly because, hey! It’s sunny out. Summer is practically here (even if it is only 43 degrees.)

And every year, as the seasons change, that’s when the whole family comes down with one ailment or another. Whhhhhyyy now? We made it through the whole winter with nary a chill. Now we have sneezing. Aches. And pains. And heads that just might explode if one were to lift their gaze just a little too quickly. Just let me lay in bed and bring me another blanket please?

This year I’m sick and tired of everyone else being sick and tired. So this sheriff is enforcing some new rules in this here neck of the woods.

And it starts with nourishing and protecting from the inside out. It starts with this immune boosting green smoothie made with Almond Breeze for some good old fashioned preventive medicine.

continue to the recipe… about Immune Booster Sweet Green Smoothie

Superfood Salad with Lightened-Up Poppy Seed Dressing

Kale, brussels sprouts, broccoli, quinoa, and salmon are just a few of the superfoods in this powerhouse salad that packs a nutritious punch in just one bowl.

Again this year I’m happy to share that I’m partnering with Blue Diamond AlmondBreeze to share healthful recipes made with almond milk. Today we’re adding Almond Breeze’s new Almondmilk Cashewmilk Blend to the recipe mix for a creamy, healthy dressing to one of my standard lunchtime salads.

This however, is no normal salad. It is simply packed, and I mean PACKED with a bounty of superfoods that should make any normal human being feel, well, superhuman.

In a previous version of my professional life I designed natural health magazines. Each month I designed the pages of those magazines where the article’s authors explained the merits of things from shark liver oil to CLA, from GLA to SAM-e, from whey protein to spirulina and all the vitamins, minerals and healthy alternatives to what is standardly subscribed, or ignored, by mainstream medicine.

We talked a LOT about eating well for good health. It’s a philosophy I’ve adopted in my own life And in my family’s. And it’s a philosophy I’m happy to share here on FoodieCrush, too.

continue to the recipe… about Superfood Salad with Lightened-Up Poppy Seed Dressing

Quinoa and Kale Protein Power Salad

Quinoa, chickpeas and pistachios add protein and healthy fat to this seasonal kale salad, making it a favorite side dish or healthy vegetarian main meal.

Even though I knew better, I still asked.

“Should we do something with kale, or swiss chard, or spinach, with the quinoa?”

“I’m not a good one to ask about that sort of thing,” he replied. “How about you do something with sausage, butter and cream?”

Typical. Oh…so…typical.

Didn’t he hear the bleating of the noise makers? Didn’t he see the ball drop? Doesn’t he know there’s been the annual calendar flip that puts us all into dietary shock following the previous two month’s full-steam-ahead intake of gluttonous anything and everything?

Lucky for him (ahem) he has me and this protein-packed quinoa and kale salad to remind him.

continue to the recipe… about Quinoa and Kale Protein Power Salad

Moroccan Soup with Kale and Chickpeas

This hearty vegetarian soup of chickpeas, kale, butternut squash and potatoes gets it’s exotic flair from the vibrant Moroccan spices of saffron, cumin and cinnamon and is so easy to make.

Happy to the new, to the year, to you!

Let’s start off the new year exactly where we should, with a big, fat THANK YOU to all of you readers. Cheers to your eyeballs, graciously deep bows for your desires to peruse this blog, and high fives for making recipes that are featured here. I wouldn’t be here without you, and, why would I want to be? It would be mighty lonely around here if you weren’t in it here with me.

Whiz, bang, boom. 2014 seems to have come and gone in the wink of an eye. Or was it just that jolly old man in the red and white suit? Either way, 2015 is already shaping up to be fit for a king.

But wait? Who wants to be some old, rolly-polly bully who sloths about his castle draped in old furs while wielding turkey legs and brandishing silver goblets of the most expensive wine as servants attend to his every whim.

Maybe I’m painting too rosy a picture here because that actually doesn’t sound half bad.

But no! This year we’re going to keep things balanced. We’re going to rely on our instincts, on our guts, and make the most of every bite of fresh, ultra-flavorful food to nourish our bellies and our souls.

continue to the recipe… about Moroccan Soup with Kale and Chickpeas

Kale Salad with Butternut Squash, Chickpeas and Tahini Dressing

One of my favorite parts about cooking is gathering inspiration from different sources and then bringing them together into one, big recipe creating party.

Normally, salads can have the tendency to be predictable, maybe even a bit boring. But if I’m going to sell my husband on the idea that a salad for dinner once a week so we can become part of #meatlessmonday, the salad needs to be hearty and full of flavor.

Wish me luck.

I’d say this kale salad recipe is the perfect example of recent inspiration to hit me over the head when the first bite hit my tongue, meets the jogging of my ever-failing memory thanks to my ever-persistent seasonal cravings and my extreme talents of blog bookmarking and cookbook post-it note tagging.

I have mad skills that way.

So where’s all this inspiration stemming from?

continue to the recipe… about Kale Salad with Butternut Squash, Chickpeas and Tahini Dressing

Skinny Slow Cooker Kale and Turkey Meatball Soup

This healthy spin on classic Italian Wedding Soup is made lighter with turkey meatballs, white beans, and plenty of kale, all in a light and comforting broth.

We’re all feeling it, aren’t we? It wouldn’t be the New Year without focusing on cleaning up, clearing out and and cleansing from tip to toe.

Keeping with my new year tradition every single year, I’m taking advantage of my healthy resolve and I’m eating clean. This week. And maybe next. With just a side of butter and maybe a bite or six of cheese. And please, don’t hold it against me if there’s a nibble of chocolate here and there.

Balance, it’s the new black.

In thinking about eating strategies and menu planning, I still have cravings that need to be filled. Savory but simple. Filling and fortifying.

And can we make it in the slow cooker please?

continue to the recipe… about Skinny Slow Cooker Kale and Turkey Meatball Soup

Tabasco Braised Chicken with Chickpeas and Kale

This post is sponsored by Tabasco as part of its 10-Ingredient Challenge. Thanks for supporting companies I believe in, which allows me to create more unique content and recipes for you.

When most of us think of chicken stewy soup-ish meal, what usually comes to mind is a chicken broth version with chunks of carrots and celery maybe with rice, maybe with potatoes. But in my opinion, It’s time to broaden our horizons, and this Tabasco Braised Chicken with Chickpeas and Kale is the reason why.

Lately I’ve been hearing a lot of requests for quicker, easier weeknight dinners. Yes, that was me you heard pleading for divine intervention under my breath, or maybe I was screaming it out loud.

Regardless, it’s what’s needed now, with high fives and knuckle bumps when you can make it all in one pot.

My Tabasco Braised Chicken with Chickpeas and Kale is my fourth recipe for the Tabasco 10-Ingredient Challenge that started with Tabasco Brined Spicy Drumsticks and Tabasco Chicken Meatballs in a Spicy Tomato and Apricot Sauce. This time around we’re gathering at the table for a little comfort eating.

So what is it that makes this recipe so special that I made it twice in one week? Yep, twice in one week. Not even for recipe testing but just because it was so dang good.

continue to the recipe… about Tabasco Braised Chicken with Chickpeas and Kale

Mushroom and Kale Grilled Cheese and Friday Faves

Cheese. Cheese. Cheese. Oh, and can I get a side of cheese with that please?

My day yesterday was a cheese lover’s-cheesehead-dream sandwiched between slices of pretzel bread, sourdough and even a shout out to challah (hollah!) all to be consumed in less than two hours.

Over the last few months, I’ve shared the details of this contest with you and it’s finally all come down to this. The day had arrived. A grilled cheese reckoning. Homage to the great grilled cheese. The medal of honor to all things gooey and melty. The day I became an official judge for the Grilled Cheese Academy’s Grilled Cheese Recipe Showdown.

Following a selection process that had been narrowed down to the final seven recipe contestants, I went to Madison, WI to meet with my fellow judges from Wisconsin Cheese to determine which of these recipes would become the grand prize winner of a $5,000 prize package. (photos thanks to Mike)

continue to the recipe… about Mushroom and Kale Grilled Cheese and Friday Faves

Roasted Kale and Fennel Salad with Avocado Caesar Dressing Plus 20 More Kale Recipes to Love

I succombed to peer pressure. I jumped on the bandwagon. I’m intoxicated with the sweet promise of a new fangled and healthy twist on one of my favorite meals.

My lunch crunch salad.

I have a version of a salad nearly every day for lunch and it’s often a dish I’m requested to bring to pot luck dinners. It usually includes some sort of protein (rotisserie chicken, tuna, leftover salmon or chickpeas), fresh veggies (roasted tomatoes or beets, avocados, maybe peas) and just a sprinkling of firm cheese (feta or blue are my faves.)

But it wasn’t until recently that I veered from my trusty spring mix or crunchy hearts of romaine to jump into the land of kale as my main salad base. I’ve added it to several of my favorite dishes like my Kale and Cabbage Coleslaw and White Bean and Pumpkin Pork Chili but for some reason it didn’t make it into my usual lunch crunch rotation.

Until I roasted the kale leaves for the salad.

continue to the recipe… about Roasted Kale and Fennel Salad with Avocado Caesar Dressing Plus 20 More Kale Recipes to Love

Kale and Cabbage Coleslaw with Marcona Almonds

I’m into layering. Not just in my clothing options—yes, I’m a big fan of piling on the tank, then the shirt, then the sweater, jacket or blazer—but also when it comes to cooking.

Layering flavors and textures in a dish—and even an entire menu—is the sign of an adventurous and accomplished home cook. The cook that takes the uneven path and changes our anticipated cravings with a little extra crunch or flavorful zing is the cook that delivers memorable meals. And by memorable I do not mean complicated or over worked. Just. Good. Food.

I’ve been partial to this mindset ever since I can remember when my favorite after-school snack was crunchy Triscuits topped with creamy liverwurst—hey, I’m German, what can I say? A tuna fish sandwich wasn’t complete without a layer of crunchy potato chips and puckerey kosher pickles. It was all about the texture combos for me, and it still is.

Cabbage is the perfect example of an ingredient that can use an extra oomph, a little push to the flavorful side.

continue to the recipe… about Kale and Cabbage Coleslaw with Marcona Almonds

Slow Cooker Tuscan White Bean and Sausage Soup

Slow Cooker Tuscan White Bean Soup

Slow Cooker Tortellini Soup with Sausage and Kale

Kale Caesar Pasta Salad

Kale Salad with Cranberries, Apple and Cheddar Cheese

A Delicious Kale Salad that Doesn’t Taste Raw

Curry Lentil Soup with Butternut Squash and Greens

Chopped Mexican Kale Salad

Immune Booster Sweet Green Smoothie

Superfood Salad with Lightened-Up Poppy Seed Dressing

Quinoa and Kale Protein Power Salad

Moroccan Soup with Kale and Chickpeas

Kale Salad with Butternut Squash, Chickpeas and Tahini Dressing

Skinny Slow Cooker Kale and Turkey Meatball Soup

Tabasco Braised Chicken with Chickpeas and Kale

Mushroom and Kale Grilled Cheese and Friday Faves

Roasted Kale and Fennel Salad with Avocado Caesar Dressing Plus 20 More Kale Recipes to Love

Kale and Cabbage Coleslaw with Marcona Almonds

How to Make the Best Potato Salad

How to Make Classic Macaroni Salad

How to Make the Best Grilled Salmon

The Best Greek Chicken Marinade

kale

Slow Cooker Tuscan White Bean Soup

A Delicious Kale Salad that Doesn’t Taste Raw

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