Paleo Tuscan Soup

This was inspired by a copycat recipe from Olive Garden called "Zuppa Toscana."  It took a few tweaks to get it to work with our low-carb diet.  It's still a tasty, creamy soup that's great for cold evenings at home.

Ingredients:
1 pound Italian sausage (or Italian seasoned ground turkey)
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 steamer bags of cauliflower florets
1/2 onion, diced
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
5 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
3 cans chicken broth
1 cup milk
2 or 3 stalks kale, chopped

Directions:
1.  Cook the sausage and red pepper flakes in a pan until the meat is no longer pink.  Set aside in a colander to drain off the grease.  While the meat is cooking, steam the cauliflower in the microwave according to the package directions and set aside to cool
2.  Add the onion and garlic to the pan and cook a few minutes, until tender.  If you used ground turkey, there won't be much grease leftover, and you might have to add a bit of oil to cook the vegetables effectively. 
3.  Add the onions, garlic, bacon, chicken broth and cauliflower to a large pot and heat to boiling.  Boil for twenty minutes, using a spoon or spatula to stir and break down the cauliflower.
4.  Reduce the heat and add the milk and sausage, heat for a few minutes.  Stir in the kale just before serving.

Pasta Shells with Sausage, Spinach and Cheese

I came across this recipe in a Redbook magazine, and thought it would be a great crowd-pleaser.  Think of it as lasagna stuffed in shell pasta, rather than layered in a casserole.  One batch will fill two 9x13 casserole pans, enough to feed four to six people.

Ingredients:
12 oz package jumbo pasta shells
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 lb ground Italian sausage
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large egg
16 oz tub ricotta or cottage cheese
9 oz frozen spinach, thawed
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
6 oz shredded cheese (Mozzarella or Cheddar Jack)
32 oz tomato sauce

Directions:
1. Bring a large pot of water to boil, add pasta shells and cook according to package directions.  Drain in a colander, rinse under cold water and set aside to dry.
2. While pasta water is boiling, heat oil in a large skillet and add onion, cook until softened.  Add sausage, breaking up into small bits, and cook until no longer pink.  Add garlic and cook for another minute.  Remove pan from heat.
3.  Combine egg and ricotta cheese in a large bowl.  Add spinach, Parmesan cheese, 4 oz of the shredded cheese, and the cooled sausage mixture.  Stir it all until well combined.
4.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spread a few spoonfuls of tomato sauce along the bottom of the pans until the bottom is covered.  Fill pasta shells with the cheese and sausage mixture, then arrange them in rows in the pans.  Spread the remaining tomato sauce over the top of the shells.  Cover the pans with foil and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove the foil, sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese, and bake for another 10 minutes.

Sausage and Veggie Stew

This is a very filling meal for cold nights, or just any night you want it. It's a good serving of veggies, too. I found a similar recipe online, and tweaked it to our tastes.  Serves four, possibly more if you serve it with French bread.  Yum!

Ingredients:
1 pound Italian sausage, thickly sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon dry basil
1 cup chopped cabbage
1 can chicken broth (low sodium if you can get it)
1/2 cup water, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 can Great Northern beans (or white beans)
1 cup small shell pasta, uncooked

Directions:
1. Cook sausage with the olive oil in a large sauce pan until browned.  Add onion, carrots and garlic, cook another 5 minutes.
2.  Add tomatoes, basil, cabbage, chicken broth, water and black pepper, bring to a boil.  Simmer for 30 minutes.
3.  Add beans and pasta, simmer another 15 minutes or until pasta is cooked.  Ladle the stew into bowls and serve.