Kale, chorizo, and white bean stew

First of all, I'm pleased to announce the winner of the Italian cookbook giveaway is Valentinigirl, the gnocchi lover! Congratulations Valentinigirl :-)

Stay tuned everyone because I've got some VERY exciting giveaways coming your way very soon... In the meantime, thanks so much to everyone who entered and shared their favourite Italian foods with me, I had a great time reading all your comments! My own favourite Italian recipe is rabbit stew with marsala (coniglio al marsala), which was one of my most unforgettable meals in Tuscany. Basically, you put a whole skinned rabbit in a crock pot, pour an entire bottle of marsala over it, and let it soak for 24 hours. You then stew it up with bacon, tomatoes, celery, and herbs. I recreated the dish a few years ago for a New Year's dinner and it shot me through a portal right back to Tuscany, though my dinner guests were mildly freaked out by the whole rabbit and the fact you could see his dear little head (teeth and all) poking out from the stew. Oops. In my defense, I grew up in rural Quebec with a mom who, though she was a gentle soul, regularly trapped and skinned wild rabbits without batting an eyelash. So I sometimes forget that seeing an animal head staring back at you from the depths of a juicy stew may not be the most appetizing thing to many people.

So I have another kind of stew to share with you today. A much simpler one that takes mere moments to prepare and is hearty and warming for chilly days. 

This is one of my go-to recipes in the winter months. And since February is my least favourite month of the year, I always try to fill it with delicious comfort foods otherwise I tend to despair that spring will ever come. Especially this year, given my most unpleasant experience ever at US customs last week, one which threw a serious wrench in my winter plans and left me feeling like the wait for spring this year will be longer than ever before. Let's just say cross-border romance is not always an easy thing when grumpy customs officers are involved. Now onwards with comfort stew and the fact that March is just around the corner.

KALE, CHORIZO, AND WHITE BEAN STEW

3 or 4 chorizo sausages
1 tbsp olive oil
1 bunch of kale, finely chopped (about 3 cups)
2 cups tomato sauce
2 cup water
1 to 2 cups cooked white beans
1 tsp smoked paprika
Salt to taste

Chop chorizo sausages into bite-sized pieces and cook in a tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat for about 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Add the shredded kale and cook for about 2 minutes or until wilted. Add 2 cups of your favourite tomato sauce, 2 cups of water, your cooked white beans, and the smoked paprika. Salt to taste. Simmer gently for 10 to 15 minutes. Serve with grated parmesan and warm bread.