If I could, and money were no object, I would totally buy all of my favorite cookbooks. My kids tell me that I can find all the recipes I want online, and that is true to some extent. But nothing takes the place of holding a beautiful book in your hands, and using it to cook from.
Part of wanting to share more ways to be frugal on the blog this year, I wanted to say that I didn't buy the Martha Stewart Living One Pot Cookbook, but borrowed it from the library. I love my local library and it really does save me from buying so many books that I want to read. Or if it's a cookbook, books that I want to make the inspiring recipes that are in them.
I definitely encourage you to visit the library, check out books, and also see what kinds of special programs they offer, usually from senior programs all the way to toddler story hour. The library is often overlooked as a great resource for saving money.
I really like the ease of one pot cooking, it makes everything so much simpler, and cleanup is a breeze. This book is filled with delicious recipes that you can make in your Dutch oven, slow cooker, skillet, stockpot, and pressure cooker.
I use my Dutch oven all the time, especially to make soups and stews. It's been very chilly and rainy this winter, so we have had a big pot of soup for dinner a couple of times a week. There is just something so comforting to me about making and having homemade soup on a cold night. And I love that most of the soup recipes that I make are usually enough to have a bowl left over for lunch the next day.
The combination of Italian sausage, sweet potatoes and kale might seem a little unusual but they all blended together deliciously in this recipe. I followed the recipe pretty closely, but changed the shell pasta to small elbows, and used a little extra olive oil instead of just one tablespoon.
But I guarantee this soup is a keeper, and one that I know I'll be making again soon. I added big pieces of hot corn bread with butter, and it made a great dinner for us all.
Recipe for Sweet Potato and Sausage Soup
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, cut into 3/4 inch pieces
2 garlic cloves, minced
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
3/4 pound sweet or hot Italian sausage, casings removed
2 sweet potatoes (1 pound total), peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups water
3/4 cup small pasta shells
4 cups coarsely chopped mixed leafy greens, such as kale and Swiss chard
freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for serving
Directions:
In a stockpot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; cook until onion is translucent, about 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add sausage and cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 5 minutes.
Add sweet potatoes, broth, and water; bring to a boil. Add pasta and cook 3 minutes less than package directions recommend. Reduce to a simmer, add greens, and cook until pasta is tender and greens are wilted, 4 minutes.
Serve with Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Serves 6.
So look for Martha Stewart Living One Pot Cookbook at your local library. It's filled with so many great recipes, the ones that you will want to cook on your own cold night for a yummy, comfort food kind of dinner.
