Crispy Sausage & Sautéed Kale with Shallot Vinaigrette

This one’s even better the next day, which makes it a solid Sunday meal prep option. It holds up great in the fridge and gives me a few good meals to look forward to during the week. Everything comes together in one pan—quick to cook, easy to clean. I love a meal that’s all-in-one: protein, hearty greens, and something punchy and flavorful to tie it all together.

~ Camilla

Harlan’s Food For Thought

The following are the approximate macros for this week's meal, per serving, 5 servings per meal:

Protein: 27g
Carbohydrate: 28g
Fat: 26g
Calories: 450

This meal has a well-balanced load of carbs, protein, and fats. At 9 calories per gram, most of the calories are coming from the fat. The sausage and beans will provide essential amino acids, and the kale will provide plenty of fiber to support your gut microbiome.

Since we are piling on the Parmesan with this meal, let's talk cheese. Many are unaware of this, but the creation of cheese was actually a happy accident.

People once used to keep their liquids in the stomachs of animals, ruminants like cattle, for preservation and storage. Once dried, the stomach provided a water-tight and flexible pouch for all your liquid needs. Milk, among other things, was stored in them as well. It is thought that milk interacted with an enzyme called rennin (a coagulant found in the stomach of ruminant animals), and it separated the curds (the solid components that would eventually be called cheese) from the whey (the watery byproduct of the separation).

Once this was discovered, the process became intentional and common practice. It was easier to preserve cheese than milk, and cheese was of greater value. The art of cheese-making expanded into many different varieties and aging methods that still appeal to the modern-day palate.

The common practice for creating cheese now is to use rennet generated from bacteria, mold, or plant sources, which mimics the action of rennin. Check out a cheese label and you’ll likely see it listed as a common ingredient.

I hope you enjoyed the food history—and now you’ll have a relevant conversation starter when you’re gathered around the fondue fountain.

~ Harlan Wolff, Registered Nurse and Clinical Educator

Crispy Sausage & Sautéed Kale with Shallot Vinaigrette

Serves: 4–5
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

For the Shallot Vinaigrette

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 large shallot, finely minced

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp honey

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 tsp salt

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Everything Else

2 bunches Lacinato kale, stems removed, leaves torn into bite-size pieces

1 lb pork sausage (Italian works great, but I used an herb and white wine sausage from my local butcher that was especially good)

1 (15 oz) can white beans, drained

1/4 cup shaved Parmesan

Instructions

Make the vinaigrette:

In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the red wine vinegar, minced shallot, Dijon mustard, honey, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Set aside.

Crisp the sausage:

Heat a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sausage (casings removed if needed) and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until deeply browned and crispy, about 8–10 minutes.

Sauté the kale:

Add the kale to the pan with the sausage. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2–3 minutes, until wilted but still vibrant green.

Add beans and vinaigrette:

Stir in the drained white beans and the shallot vinaigrette. Cook for another 2–3 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld.

Finish and serve:

Serve warm, topped with generous shavings of Parmesan.