White Bean and Greens Stew

Since my mom has been putting up some healthier recipes for those of us who need to detox a bit from the gluttonous holidays, I decided I would add one to the mix. I classify this dish as..."yummy vegetarian."

This is a delicious dish with a spicy kick.  You might want to consider making this not only if you're vegetarian, but if you want to make doing meatless Monday easy. With all the protein in the beans and vitamins in the kale you won't miss the meat. 

You know those "But wait! There's more!" commercials? Yep, there's a bonus with this stew...it's cheap to make. And, even if you're not on a budget, it's just damned good.

White Bean and Greens Stew

Makes 6 servings

• 2 lbs Kale (or Spinach) rinsed, stems removed, and cut into strips
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 Medium red onion, chopped
• 5-6 cloves of garlic
• 1 Tablespoon dried jalapenos, less if you don't like it spicy (if you don’t have dried jalapenos you can sub in red pepper flakes)
• 2 cans diced tomatoes (I usually use the onions with garlic and onions)
• 2 cans cannellini beans (drained and rinsed)
• 2 Teaspoons chile powder or to taste
• salt and pepper to taste

Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the kale for 5-6 minutes, until tender. Drain the kale well and set aside.
 

Wipe out the pot making sure it is dry (so the oil doesn't spatter). Put it back on the burner, heat the oil and cook the onion until almost translucent. Add the garlic and dried jalapenos and cook for another minute, being careful not to burn the garlic.
 
Add the tomatoes with the juices and the chile powder; bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Add the cannellini beans and cook 2-3 minutes. Add the cooked kale and simmer until the mixture comes together nicely. 
 
Add salt and pepper to taste and serve! 

This is great with good crusty bread.

NOTE:  One serving has approximately 222 calories and only 6 grams of total fat.  And it's LOADED with fiber!

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