A Sweetheart of a Dinner

I made a very simple, but very delicious dinner this evening. J was skeptical when I told her I was making white beans & kielbasa, but she ended up liking it very much and we both adored the hearts salad. That was all we had and it was all we needed. Pie did not love it, but he ate a little of the bean dish.

White Beans & Kielbasa

15 oz. can cannellini beans, drained

14 oz. stewed tomatoes

1 lb. kielbasa, cut into chunks

1 clove garlic, minced

Salt and pepper, to taste

1/2 tsp. fennel seeds, crushed

1/4 tsp. thyme

1/4 c. dry breadcrumbs

2 tbsp. olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 2 qt. casserole with cooking spray. Mix everything but breadcrumbs and olive oil. Put in casserole. Top with breadcrumbs and drizzle with olive oil. Cover and bake 20 minutes. Uncover and bake 20 minutes. Serves 4.

Hearts Salad

6 tbsp. mayonnaise

A generous pinch of dried mint (or, if you have fresh, about 3 tbsp., chopped)

A smidge over a tbsp. of lemon juice, freshly squeezed

12 oz. marinated artichoke hearts, drained & chopped

1 c. chopped hearts of palm (Trader Joe's has a very good jarred variety)

Salt, to taste

Pomegranate seeds/dried cherries

Spring mix or other salad greens (since J chose the house salad this week, we had romaine and that was just fine but if I were serving this for company, I'd use spring mix so that's what I recommend here)

Mix together the mayo, mint and lemon juice. Add the hearts of palm & artichoke. Taste and salt, if needed. Serve on greens, sprinkled with pomegranate seeds or dried cherries. Serves 4.