Hey daffodil, it’s not spring yet! According to my calendar, we still have a few weeks to go…
I love that here in Tennessee the daffodils start popping up in mid February and show us that the brightness of spring is right around the corner. Once I see their little shoots poking up, the game is on to see who can spot the first bloom.
It’s a wonderful sign of beautiful days to come, and it makes you want to go out and get a jump on the garden. (Right this moment, one of the tabs open on my web browser is for the Farmers’ Almanac planting dates!) But we really need to reign ourselves in just a bit…
The weather people are dashing our hopes and dreams, and we’re going from days this week with highs in the mid-70s to a low of 29 with the possibility of sleet and snow! (Why are we surprised? The “spring tease” happens every year.)
Honestly, this weather roller coaster is okay with me. I’ll just have more opportunities to work a few extra cozy meals into our weekly plans.
If you’ve never had a cassoulet, it’s the perfect example of what I want in dreary weather food - meat, beans, and vegetables slow cooked in wine and broth until creamy and tender, then tucked in under a blanket of crispy breadcrumbs.
Cassoulet historically started as a simple French peasant dish using whatever ingredients were available, and every region has their own version. A simple google search can take you on quite a journey through different opinions on what a true cassoulet is, and everyone thinks they are correct. It really is quite divisive.
My vegetarian cassoulet below lightens things up and replaces the meat with earthy mushrooms and hearty kale that can stand up to a long cook time and fresh fennel that almost melts into a silky sauce. Is it traditional? No. But when I am serving up piping hot bowls of this rich casserole while rain and sleet pelt the windows, do I care? Also no. So, if you too need a couple more cozy meal ideas to get you to spring, I encourage you to give this one a try!
A couple of thoughts - You can make this vegan by omitting the parmesan cheese (and checking the bread you use for the breadcrumbs). Also, I highly recommend using dried beans as the recipe shows. You’ll have to plan ahead for them to soak overnight. In a pinch, you can use three cans of white beans, drained and rinsed.
Now, on to the good stuff!
MONDAY - Cheesy Stuffed Shells and Salad
I have a meeting tonight, so one of the stuffed shells casseroles from last weekend’s stock-the-freezer cooking day will be perfect to pop in the oven on my way out the door.
TUESDAY - Leftovers Night
Somewhere along the way last week, I made too much food. (That tends to happen around here.) So, we’ll just let eveyone pick and choose and make sure nothing goes to waste!
WEDNESDAY - Chicken Soft Tacos and Rice
This is the latest one the Kiddo picked out of his cookbook. (Getting back on track with him helping in the kitchen!) The recipe has you cook boneless chicken breast in a simple sauce on the stove-top and then shred it for the tacos. Fresh toppings and rice on the side.
THURSDAY - Roasted Chicken and Potatoes
I’m having a heck of a time getting a good picture of my butterflied and roasted whole chicken, so I keep having to make it. (Oh darn.) We never say no to a roasted chicken, and the leftovers are great for so many things!
FRIDAY - Friday night pick-up!
SATURDAY - Dinner at Yaya’s (the in-laws!)
We shoot late (again!) for the Kiddo’s archery tournament this week, but we should be able to squeeze in toasted sandwiches on some focaccia bread I made earlier in the week. I picked up several different options of meat, cheeses, and toppings, and everyone can build their own.
SUNDAY - Dinner at Dad’s!
Beef Stroganoff inspired by a recipe in the cooking section of the newspaper!
LUNCHES for this week - Cleaning out the freezer
There are so many times when I have just a little bit of something leftover, and I stick it in the freezer thinking “I can eat that for lunch one day”, only to forget it’s there. So I went through and wrote down everything in my stash - perfect for ready-made lunches all week!
EXTRAS for this week
I’m still making sourdough bread about every other week, and this is a bread week. I think I have a recipe now that I really like, but I’m making four loaves at a time! (And giving away a lot of bread…) Also, I’m playing with the idea of turning this Lemon Posset from Food52 (a cold, creamy dessert) into more of a Key Lime flavor with a graham cracker crumble.
Vegetarian Cassoulet
Makes about 6-8 servings.
· 1 pound dried White Beans (Navy Beans or Cannellini), soaked overnight - see below
· 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
· 1 Fennel Bulb, cored and cut into ½-inch dice (mince and reserve fronds)
· 1 medium Yellow or White Onion, diced
· 1 cup chopped Carrot, ½-inch dice (3-4 medium carrots)
· 1 cup chopped Celery, ½-inch dice (about 2 large stalks)
· 8 ounces Cremini (Baby Bella) Mushrooms, halved or quartered
· 3 cloves Garlic, minced
· 1 tablespoon minced fresh Thyme Leaves
· 1 teaspoon dried Rosemary Leaves
· 1 ½ teaspoon kosher Salt, divided (Morton or other store brand)
· ½ teaspoon ground Black Pepper
· 2 tablespoons Tomato Paste
· ½ cup White Wine
· 3 packed cups chopped Kale
· 1 quart (4 cups) Vegetable Broth
Breadcrumb Topping
· 2 cups fresh Breadcrumbs
· ½ cup Olive Oil
· 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
· 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Parsley
To soak the beans – In large bowl, soak the beans in 4 quarts of cold water with 3 tablespoons of salt, making sure to stir to dissolve the salt. Leave at room temperature overnight, up to 24 hours. Drain and rinse beans before cooking.
To make the cassoulet – Preheat the oven to 350 and arrange the rack in the middle position.
Heat the two tablespoons of olive oil in large, heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid, such as a dutch oven, over medium to medium-high heat. Add diced fennel, onions, carrots, celery, mushrooms, and ½ teaspoon of salt and cook for about 15 minutes until vegetables have softened and lightly browned.
Stir in garlic, thyme, rosemary, remaining one teaspoon of salt, and pepper. Cook just 30 seconds or so until garlic is fragrant. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for about one minute. Add in the white wine and cook until most of the liquid is gone.
Add kale, drained beans, minced fennel fronds, and vegetable broth to the pot and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer and cover. Move pot to oven. Cook for 1 hour and 30 minutes, stirring at the halfway (45 minutes) point.
Meanwhile, make the breadcrumb topping. Combine the breadcrumbs, olive oil, parmesan, and parsley. Set aside.
After the cassoulet has cooked in the oven for one and a half hours, remove it and carefully take the lid off. Sprinkle the entire top of the cassoulet with the breadcrumb mixture, spreading into an even layer. Replace cassoulet into the oven, uncovered, for another 25-30 minutes, until the breadcrumbs are toasted and medium brown in color.
Remove from oven and let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.
NOTES – The cassoulet can be partially made ahead of time. Follow the instructions above all the way through cooking for the 1 hour and 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Do not add breadcrumb mixture. Refrigerate cassoulet. An hour before serving, cook the cassoulet in the oven at 350 for 30 minutes to re-warm, then add breadcrumb mixture and continue cooking another 30 minutes to toast the top.