Getting Back To Simple... a Mother's Promise... and Italian Sausage, Lentil & Spinach Stew with Grilled Parmesan Toast

I was sitting at the lake Shack on Labor Day and my heart sank as the cloud of smoke on the horizon grew larger and larger…a wildfire was now rushing through the Montgomery area. By the grace of God, our area was spared. Many others were not so lucky…their homes gone… families left to sift through the ashes in hopes of finding any simple piece of the life they knew.
The billowing smoke brought back memories of 9/11…watching that plane hit the second tower and later that day being witness to the towers falling…the smoke and ash that filled the skies haunted me then and continue to haunt my mind now. That day in September changed our lives as a nation forever...I held tight to my children that day and thanked God for all the simple pleasures in my life…a hug from my sweet baby boy (he was three at the time), the gentle cooing sounds that Tori made as she drifted to sleep in my arms (she was 10 months old), hearing my husband whisper “love you” in my ear every morning before leaving for work. My heart was heavy for the families that would never again enjoy such simple moments with the ones they love.
The wildfires ravishing my beautiful state and the tenth anniversary of 9/11 made me take a step back and ask myself, “Rox, are you taking the time to enjoy the simple things life has to offer”. Unfortunately, my answer was a resounding “no”…in the fast paced, rush from activity to activity life we all lead, the simple moments had been pushed aside. If you are reading this, you are most likely nodding in agreement. I prayed and promised God to do my best not to overlook the simple beauty in my world.

Earlier this week when Emily rushed into the room thrilled to show me her latest loose tooth, I had to remind myself of my promise and how that simple loose tooth was so very important to my little girl and instead of half way paying attention to her because I was cooking dinner, I stopped what I was doing, hugged her and did a happy dance right in the middle of our kitchen. I shared in her enthusiasm of an impending visit from the Tooth Fairy.

We tend to focus on the “big bang” moments in our lives and unfortunately the simple moments get lost in the shuffle. As Emily would say, “that makes God sad”. It makes me sad too…life doesn’t always need to be extravagance, over-the-top, gourmet…after all, at the end of the day are you going to cherish the bling, the glitz, the gourmet meal or the sound of your children breathing as they sleep?

The kitchen tie to this post is a simple one…dinner for your family doesn’t need to be a “black tie” affair every night. Sure, I love, love to prepare gourmet meals for my family, but I also enjoy pulling together simple kitchen staples that when simmered together create a delicious (and yes, simple) Italian Sausage, Lentil & Spinach stew for my family to enjoy…combine that with a (all together now…simple) grilled Parmesan toast for a simply wonderful dinner.

Italian Sausage, Lentil & Spinach Stew with Grilled Parmesan Toast

The original recipe is from Rachel Ray. I tweaked it and love the results!

For The Stew:
1 tbsp. Olive Oil
1 lb. bulk sweet Italian sausage
1 small onion, chopped
3 large carrots, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. freshly minced Rosemary
3 sprigs fresh Thyme
1 cup lentils, rinsed and drained
4 cups chicken stock
1 14oz can diced tomatoes
3 generous handfuls of baby spinach
¼ cup sherry
Salt and freshly ground pepper

For The Parmesan Toast:
1 loaf of your favorite French bread, sliced into 1 1/ 2" slices
Softened butter
1 cup finely grated Parmesan Cheese

In a large Dutch oven or stock pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the sausage, breaking up meat with back of a large spoon and cook until browned; transfer to a plate with slotted spoon. Add onion and carrots to pot. Cook veg until softened, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic, rosemary & thyme and stir. Cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Add stock, tomatoes (& their juice) and lentils. Cover the pot and simmer until lentils are tender 30-45 minutes. Once lentils are tender, add sausage,spinach and sherry and continue cooking another 5 minutes. Taste for seasoning and correct to taste with salt and pepper. Remove thyme sprigs before serving. Ladle stew into bowls and serve with Parmesan toast...Enjoy!

Parmesan Toast

Heat a large griddle or skillet to medium heat. While pan is heating, butter each slice of bread on one side. Place parmesan on a plate and press bread, butter side down into cheese. Lift bread slice and gently shake to remove excess cheese. Place bread slices, cheesy side down onto griddle. Cook until golden brown, 5-7 minutes. Serve warm with stew.