White Beans with Spinach and Chicken Sausage

Something has changed in me over the last few months. Competing in CrossFit has lost its "fun." It was the thing that I used to love the most, I trained for it, planned for it, and reveled in doing them. I maintain when something has lost its fun it is time to make a change. I don't know if it is my frustration with not being able to be as good as I want to be because my priorities affect my time, or if I am ready to just take a step back for a short time and re-group because I am in a funk. I have told my friends that these next few competitions are in for me for the foreseeable future. I don't like that they effect the little time I get to spend in the gym and make me so sore for days after I can't train hard again for a bit. Last weekend I competed in a 6-person team competition called the Great Lakes Games. I like team competitions a lot, especially with the right people. 

This competition was crazy heavy for me and I spent time preparing to lift weights 95%+ of my PRs. I didn't have a bad day, but I wouldn't say I had a good day either. The GHDs got to me which is surprising since I am not bad at them, the muscle-ups felt good, the lifts were what I expected and the running on the TrueForm was god awful! But my team was a blast and that's all that matters. Next up is Swolemates with Matt. I took 4th in it last year with a different partner so I am excited to see where we place since I am in a new category this year being that I am actually dating my partner. 

I meant to post this recipe a while back when I posted my meal prep found here...oops! I know beans are not Paleo, but they are cheap, have protein, I like them and I had them on hand so you do what feels right sometimes. :)

White Beans with Spinach and Chicken Sausage

- 1lb Chicken Sausage (5-6 Large Links), cut in 1/2" pieces
- 2 15-oz Cans of White Beans (great northern, cannellini), rinsed and drained
- 1-2 Cups Chicken Stock
- 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 1/2 Sweet Onion, finely chopped
- 1 14.5-oz Can Diced Fire Roasted Tomatoes
- 6-8 Cups Baby Spinach
- Salt
- Fresh cracked Pepper to taste
- Pinch of Thyme (optional)

1. In a large skillet or sauce pan over medium-high heat, drizzle in a little olive oil and sear the sausage on both sides. 

This will only take a few minutes. Remove it from the pan. I always put it in the container I will be storing it in later. :) 

2. Add the garlic and onion and saute for a few minutes until it is turning translucent and fragrant. Add the tomatoes (with juice), beans and 1 cup of the chicken stock. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook 30-45 minutes until the beans are tender.

3. Add the spinach and stir until it wilts. Add the sausage back. If it is thicker than you would like add more stock. Taste for salt and pepper. It will thicken slightly after being stored in the fridge. 

Nutrition Facts
Servings 5.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 205
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 7 g	11 %
Saturated Fat 2 g	10 %
Monounsaturated Fat 0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 48 mg	16 %
Sodium 989 mg	41 %
Potassium 879 mg	25 %
Total Carbohydrate 21 g	7 %
Dietary Fiber 11 g	42 %
Sugars 7 g
Protein 16 g	32 %
Vitamin A	157 %
Vitamin C	64 %
Calcium	19 %
Iron	31 %
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA.