Stew without stewing!

   I love stews...any kind, any flavor, meat-less or meat-full. Justin's favorite are kielbasa-full, so I decided to make one of those for him. I kind of took the inspiration from a Polish dish, changed it a little bit to make it less soupy (Justin is not a big fan of soups) and I got delicious and satisfying dish. Why did I call it a stew without stewing? Because it takes only a few minutes to make and it has the "stew" flavor and heartiness without hours of cooking, simmering, reducing, and concentrating. Here is the recipe (serves 4):

Ingredients:

*  1 lb turkey kielbasa, chopped
*  2 cans (15 oz each) white beans
*  1 can (15 oz) crushed tomatoes
*  1 large onion, chopped
*  2 tbsp ketchup
*  2 tbsp dry marjoram
*  1 tbsp olive oil
*  salt and pepper

Directions:

1. In a deep pot or a Dutch oven heat the olive oil and saute onions with salt and pepper for 5-6 minutes.
2. Add kielbasa and cook everything for 8-10 minutes until nicely browned
3. Add white beans, tomatoes, ketchup and marjoram. Mix everything together and cook for about 10 minutes to marry the flavors.

   It's a very simple, but hearty dish. Ready in minutes, doesn't involve much work or ingredients... prefect for a busy night. You might find adding ketchup a little bit odd, but trust me it's a perfect addition. It adds a little bit of sweetness and tang at the same time. I actually use ketchup in lots of dishes (people who know me well, know that I might have a small ketchup addiction!).

Enjoy,
Magda.