Amy's version of Cassoulet

6:40pm
Terri: What are you doing right now?
Amy: Driving home from the gym.
Terri: Oh… then I guess you wouldn’t want to get a drink.
Amy: Oh…… I’ll drink! We can meet somewhere or you can come over. I have wine, vodka, gin…… well, a ½ bottle of Cotes du Rhone and a ½ bottle of Rioja.
Terri: Should I stop by Ralph’s and get a bottle and have you thought about food?

Have I thought about food? I don’t think I ever stop thinking about food. I did a quick inventory in my head of what I had in my fridge. I decided to make some sort of white bean stew; a quicker version of cassoulet, minus the big cuts of meat. I figured something hearty and comforting would pair well with the rest of my E. Guigal Cotes du Rhone.* I’ve also been on an Iceberg Wedge kick so I asked Terri to pick up a head of lettuce.
Believe it or not, there is a method to my madness, so follow the cooking instructions in order.


Serves 4

STEW
½ package Hilshire Farms Polska Kielbasa Sausage [slice in ½ then in half moons]
1 can white beans [drained]
1 package washed/trimmed leeks from TJs [slice into ¼ inch rounds]
2 handfuls of diced sweet potatoes from TJs [slice the cubes in ½]
3 celery stalks [slice the stalks in ½ then dice]
1 ½ handfuls of baby carrots from TJs [slice into ¼ inch rounds]
3 cloves of garlic [finely diced]
Olive Oil
2 dashes of thyme
1 bay leaf

2 pinches of dark brown sugar
2 dashes of smoked paprika [make sure it’s smoked – not regular paprika]
Le Saunier de Camargue Fleur de Sel sea salt *
Fresh ground black pepper
1 cup chicken broth

RICE
1 cup medium grain rice
½ white onion [coarsely diced]
2 cups chicken broth

SALAD
1 head of cold iceberg lettuce [cut into quarters]
1 tomato [diced]
¼ jar of marinated Danish blue cheese in oil [I’ll come back later w/ the brand]
1 shallot [finely diced]
½ cup red wine vinegar


STEW
Preheat oven to 400
Toss the sweet potatoes in olive oil until they’re lightly coated. Sprinkle with thyme.
Place on cookie sheet. Cook for about 5mins, use tongs to move the potatoes around and turn over.
Continue cooking until they’re golden brown. Take the potatoes out of the oven and set aside.

Brown the sausage extra well then put them in a bowl.
Use the same pan to sauté all the veggies.
Add 1 bay leaf, 2 generous pinches of sea salt, 2 dashes of smoked paprika, 2 pinches of dark brown sugar and about 6 turns of fresh ground pepper.
Cook until the veggies soften and add the white beans. Return the sausage to the pan and add the roasted sweet potatoes.
Add 1 cup of chicken broth
Turn the heat down to low and simmer while you prepare the rest of the meal.

RICE
Sauté the onions in olive oil until they’re brown. Add the rice and continue sautéing until the rice is slightly toasted.
Add 2 cups of chicken broth. Let it boil on high for about 1min, then cover and turn heat to low.
Cook for 4mins and stir so that the rice doesn’t stick to the bottom. Continue cooking for 5mins or until the liquid evaporates.

SALAD
Add shallots, red wine vinegar and marinated blue cheese to a bowl. Be sure to add some of the oil that the cheese is in. (It’s flavored with herbs and spices) Use a fork to crumble the blue cheese and mix the dressing.
Wash and quarter the iceberg lettuce. Dry thoroughly in a salad spinner or use paper towels.
Dice the tomatoes and spoon them on top of each iceberg wedge. Top with blue cheese vinaigrette.


PLATING
In a shallow bowl, spoon the rice first, then the stew. Time to eat!

* E. Guigal Cotes du Rhone can be found at some Trader Joes stores and most Whole Foods and Bristol Farms. Less than $20 a bottle.
* Le Saunier de Camargue Fleur de Sel sea salt can be found at Whole Foods and Bristol Farms. It’s worth the price. Just buy it. Trust me.