josue atria: Crockpot Wheat Berry and Turkey Sausage Minestrone + Weekly ...

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Work holiday party in the books. It was?entertaining, to say the least.

You?ve never heard so many cheers as when the CEO of the hospital bought a round of drinks for all 400 holiday party attendees. Apparently, Michigan knows how to party.

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Who knew the ?quiet? women of the business office would burst into jumping, fist pumping unison when ?Party Rock Anthem? came through the speakers. These women were out for a good time, no doubt about it.

Luckily, we had snagged a table as close to the dace floor as humanly possible and Mr. Prevention sold drink ticket during the CEO?s speech. He proudly reported that he sold ?quite a lot? during that stretch of time that I was listening to the head honcho and not helping cater to the drinkers in the crowd. Such a good helper was he!

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The evening was a great success and that was the important thing. They had a 25% increase in the number of attendees to the hospital?s holiday party and perhaps that was the reason why dinner portions were skimpy. Who knows.

Several hours after dinner when we had returned home, Mr. Prevention and I both looked at one another and said, ?Are you hungry, too???.before fighting over for the leftovers in the fridge. I would?ve loved a little bit more food, but even family style, there was a small portion of all of the components to go around and I have to imagine that no one wanted to take more than their fair share?which was minimal.

I truly believe that some people are satisfied by the volume they are served over the quality they are served. While I?d like to think I have a liking for both, I choose quality over quantity. Even better, recipes like this one give you quality AND quantity and serve up a meal that is not short on portion or taste. A win-win, if you will!

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Crockpot Wheat Berry and Turkey Sausage Minestrone adapted from WW Online, as seen on My Kitchen Adventures

1 (28 oz) can no salt added diced tomatoes
3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
3 cups frozen cut green beans
1 (15 oz) can?navy beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1 small onion, diced
2 ribs of celery, diced
3?carrots, peeled and diced
3?garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups raw wheat berries
1 1/2 tsp dried rosemary, crumbled
1 1/2 tsp dried sage
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp fennel seed
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
10?oz turkey Italian sausage, casings removed

Directions:

Combine all ingredients except turkey sausage?in a large?crock pot. Stir to combine. Cook on?low for 8-10 hours.

Before serving, heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage and break up with the back of a wooden spoon. Once cooked through, add to the crock pot and stir. Cook an additional 10 minutes or longer.

Serve hot and garnish with Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Yield: 10 servings (1 1/2 cups each)

Nutrition Information (per serving): 231 calories; 3.3 g. fat; 18 mg. cholesterol; 630 mg. sodium; 37.3 g. carbohydrate; 8.4 g. fiber; 12.8 g. protein

Result: I truly loved this dish. Mr. Prevention wasn?t totally wow-ed, but his dad was! I took the leftovers of this to Champaign with us over the Thanksgiving holiday and my father-in-law loved it. The taste is very minestrone-like and it reheats and keeps great. I didn?t freeze any, but I have to assume it would freeze well. This makes a LOT, so feel free to cut the recipe in half. I have a very ?average? sized crock and it barely all fit in! I would definitely make this again, especially given how healthy it is. Very low in calories and packed with fiber!

Weekly Menu: December 2nd ? 6th

? Lots to do today?priorities being a workout and studying!!

Be well,