Tuscan Bean Skillet

Hi! It's been awhile since I shared a recipe; and I'll be honest: it's because I haven't been really making anything new. When the pandemic first hit, I had even stopped my weekly meal prep because I was home so figured I'd just prepare each meal as the time came.

...That started turning into me just grabbing whatever was handy for a lot of my lunches, and I started feeling sluggish and bloated.   BACK TO meal prep I went! However, like I said, I went back to my standbys because they are easy and the family (for the most part) likes them.

I pulled out this recipe at the recommendation of a friend and WOW it is so flavorful! Now, I didn't have any kale on hand so I subbed zucchini. I also double-batched the recipe to make 6 lunch portions and enough for my family of 4 to have it for dinner.

Hope you enjoy!

TUSCAN BEAN SKILLET

~1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth 

~1/2 tsp unflavored gelatin

~1 1/2 lbs lean ground turkey

~4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

~1 Tbsp ground paprika (+ 1 1/2 tsp)

~1 Tbsp cold water

~3/4 tsp ground black pepper (+ 1 dash)

~3/4 tsp fennel seeds

~3/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

~1/2 tsp sea salt or Himalayan salt (+1 dash)

~1 Tbsp olive oil

~6 cups shredded kale, stems removed

~3 cups canned cannellini beans drained, rinsed

~1/4 cup grated pecorino Romano cheese (or Parmesan) (+ 2Tbsp)

~6 lemon wedges

Sprinkle broth with gelatin; set aside. To make sausage, combine turkey, garlic, paprika, water, 3/4 tsp pepper, fennel, pepper flakes and 1/2 tsp salt in a medium mixing bowl;  mix well with hands until sticky and well blended. Set aside.  Heat oil in large skillet over high heat until fragrant. Add sausage; cook, breaking up into small pieces, for 5-7 minutes, or until cooked through.  Add kale; cook, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes or until slightly crispy. Reduce heat to medium.  Add beans, broth mixture, remaining dash salt and pepper; cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes or until pan is almost dry.  Divide into 6 servings. Top each with 2 Tbsp cheese. Serve each with a lemon wedge.