LENTILS WITH SAUSAGE AND SWISS CHARD

Adapted from an Epicurious recipe – flavorful sausage really makes this dish. Both girls liked it a lot but I think Audrey ate mostly sausage. Great leftover as well.

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 lb. sweet Italian turkey or chicken sausage, casings removed, crumbled
1/2 cup peeled diced carrot
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup diced celery
2 – 4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup dried lentils
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary and/or thyme
2 (or more) chicken stock
1 bunch Swiss chard, stems cut away and diced, leaves coarsely chopped
white wine vinegar, salt and pepper

Heat olive oil in a large deep nonstick skillet. Add and sauté sausage over medium-high heat until cooked through, about 6 minutes. Remove excessive fat from skillet. Add carrot, onion, celery, chard stems and garlic to skillet; sauté until vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in lentils, bay leaf, fennel seeds and rosemary. Add 2 cups stock and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until lentils are almost tender, 20 – 25 minutes.
Add Swiss chard atop lentils; fold in, cover and cook until lentils are tender and chard is wilted and tender, adding more stock if mixture is dry. Stir to blend. Season with salt and pepper and a splash or two of vinegar. Discard bay leaf. Eat.