This 3-ingredient kielbasa with lentils recipe is a skillet dinner win

Throughout this pandemic, our household took each precaution to keep away from getting sick, however like thousands and thousands of others, covid discovered us in the end. The timing couldn’t have been worse.

(When I instructed my mother and father I had covid, my mom, with an unusual-for-her wryness, quipped, “Remember when we were leaving Russia and you got chickenpox?”

I assume timing has by no means been my robust swimsuit.)

During the week of the transfer, other than the relentless migraines, I felt considerably okay. But as soon as the weekend arrived, a deep fatigue set in. I’d begin out the day with excessive hopes for all of the packing containers I’d unpack, however by 2 p.m. I’d really feel as if Dementors had sucked all of the life out of my physique, and I’d retreat to mattress. On prime of every part, the air con in our new home broke.

Thanks to a reward card from my colleagues, we ate a lot of takeout. We additionally ate a lot of takeout leftovers. My new kitchen, simply ready for its inaugural meal, sat just about untouched.

After a week, I made a decision I needed to cook dinner one thing. Anything. I knew that given my restricted vitality, the dish needed to be easy but scrumptious sufficient to create a heat reminiscence of our first home-cooked meal within the new home.

In my coronary heart, I felt like I used to be letting my tribe down. Didn’t my household deserve one thing really magnificent and momentous? Yes. And but right here I used to be, about to make a meal with the least quantity of effort required.

When my 7-year-old requested me what was for dinner that night time, I smiled and mentioned I used to be making the kielbasa-lentil-kale skillet, to which he exclaimed: “Yum! I love that dish so much!” (This is not the form of enthusiasm my child exhibits for a lot of issues.)

While I used to be feeling ho-hum about my low-effort cooking, my child was positively levitating with pleasure.

You begin out by browning kielbasa slices within the skillet, then toss within the lentils, stirring right here and there, till warmed by way of. Then you add handfuls of chopped kale (this time I purchased a bag of pre-chopped kale on the retailer and no, I’m not sorry), drizzle with apple cider vinegar and water to assist season the combination and wilt the kale, and cook dinner for a jiffy extra.

Call it dishonest, name it semi-homemade — I name it scrumptious.

And right here’s the very best half: This ridiculously straightforward dish occurs to be super-tasty, nutritionally sound, and interesting to each grown-ups and children. As my colleague Ann Maloney famous, “You could write this dish on a small scrap of paper in just a few sentences and hand it to me, and I’d know what to do.” Prep and cleanup are a cinch — one thing I’m particularly grateful for given how a lot unpacking there’s nonetheless left to do. Plus, my prime precedence proper now is resting extra so I can heal quicker.

There might be loads of nights for elaborate, festive meals with household and associates, however for now, this humble skillet is greater than sufficient. This is the form of dish that’s so useful to have in my again pocket.

Which leads me to marvel, what’s your minimal-ingredient, low-effort meal that really shines? Let us know within the feedback beneath.

Skillet Turkey Kielbasa With Lentils and Kale

This skillet turkey kielbasa, lentil and kale dish is thrifty, tasty and requires minimal time and effort, making it a true weeknight dinner dream. The recipe is straightforward to adapt, too: Swap out kale for one more hardy inexperienced, corresponding to collards; use hen, turkey or plant-based sausage instead of kielbasa; and take a look at one other vinegar, and even lemon juice as a substitute of the apple cider vinegar.

Storage: Refrigerate leftovers for as much as 3 days.

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• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra as wanted
• One (12-ounce) turkey kielbasa, sliced 1/4-inch thick
• Two (15-ounce) cans lentils, rinsed and drained (or 3 cups cooked brown lentils)
• 1 small bunch kale (5 ounces), stemmed and chopped
• 1/2 cup water, plus extra as wanted
• 1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• Fine salt
• Freshly floor black pepper

In a giant skillet over medium-high warmth, warmth the oil till shimmering. Add the kielbasa and cook dinner with out shifting till browned on the underside, 2 to three minutes. Flip the items and cook dinner till browned on the opposite aspect, about 2 extra minutes.

Decrease the warmth to medium, add the lentils and stir to mix. Cook, stirring often, till the lentils are warmed by way of, about 2 minutes. Add the kale, water and vinegar, season to style with salt and pepper (allowing for that kielbasa is salty and lentils could also be, too), and cook dinner, stirring often, till the kale has wilted some however nonetheless retains a inexperienced coloration, 2 to three minutes, including extra water if the combination is wanting dry.

Remove from the warmth, divide amongst plates or shallow bowls, and serve.

Calories: 423; Total Fat: 17 g; Saturated Fat: 3 g; Cholesterol: 75 mg; Sodium: 918 mg; Carbohydrates: 56 g; Dietary Fiber: 13 g; Sugar: 7 g; Protein: 30 g

This evaluation is an estimate based mostly on obtainable components and this preparation. It shouldn’t substitute for a dietitian’s or nutritionist’s recommendation.

From assistant recipes editor Olga Massov.

Tested by Olga Massov; e mail inquiries to [email protected].

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