Kale.... lots of it

Yesterday was a cold and blustery day here in NYC. It was windy! And, it was the perfect day for a warm, filling dinner. I found a recipe earlier in the month on serious eats for 'quick white bean stew with chard & tomatoes' that sounded easy and tasty, so I filed it away to try sometime. Since I had yesterday off, I decided to take a try at it. After making it though, I have to say, that it's so easy and quick (hence the name of the recipe) that it would be easy to put together even after a day at work!

I'm all about the short ingredients list. This recipe easily falls in that category - 2lbs swiss chard (or kale), 1 - 16oz can of cannallini beans (drained & rinsed), 1 cup tomatoes,  chopped (although I am definitely going to add more next time), 1tsp crushed red pepper (I left this out), 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, 3 garlic cloves, finely sliced, salt & pepper to taste, grated parmesan (we left this out too).

The kale is chopped and thrown in a pot of boiling water and then allowed to simmer for 8 minutes.

After draining the kale, I put the oil, garlic, and tomatoes in the pot and brought to a boil again. Then I added the beans and some pepper and cooked it for three minutes before adding the kale back in for 5 more minutes.

We sliced two pears, got out a few crisp 'n light rye Wasa crackers and had a great meal.

Being the sweet wife that I am, I packed up the leftovers for Woody to take to work today. We agreed that this is a meal to be repeated, but we'll add more tomatoes and beans next time. It seemed more like kale with beans & tomatoes than a stew, but it won't take much to change that. People who reviewed the recipe here had other ideas too.

Woody and I just started eating kale this fall. Don't know what took us so long! It's a tasty deep green leafy vegetable that has a lot of health benefits that are great for everyone, not just runners and fitness buffs. Kale is very low in saturated fat, a good source of nutrients like vitamins A, E, C, and K, fiber, and protein. It's also very filling for the amount of calories per serving, so it is a great food if you are trying to eat healthfully while not eating a lot.

If you try this recipe, let me know what you think. Do you have any favorite quick & easy stews for cold winter nights?

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Housekeeping note: Woody and I leave early tomorrow morning for San Antonio. I'm going to try and line up a few posts, but right now I'm planning to leave my computer at home since our trip is so short. Check back tomorrow and Friday, if you're around and I'll catch up with you on Sunday!

Happy New Year! I hope you have fun celebrating!