White Beans and Kale

I had a friend over for lunch, and decided to make a vegan meal to counteract all of the heavy food we've been eating over the holidays!

This recipe is rustic and the flavors are hearty, but you won't need to take a nap afterwords! Here's to eating well in the New Year. Enjoy!


Recipe serves 3 to 4

Ingredients
1/2 cup quinoa
1 cup low sodium vegetable stock
1/2 lb of kale (half of a pre-washed bag, or 6-8 leaves washed and torn)
1 can of cannelloni (white) beans, drained and rinsed
3 tablespoons chopped yellow onion
1 heaping tbsp of chopped garlic (or more, you can't over do it)
3 tbsp of toasted pine nuts
3 tbsp dried cranberries
1 tsp of EVOO and Pam spray
salt and pepper to taste
A splash of soy sauce

Place a small sauce pan over high heat and add quinoa. Allow quinoa to lightly toasted over a high heat for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add vegetable stock, bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Allow quinoa to cook for 10 to 15 minutes. Quinoa should be dry and fluffy when ready.

In a medium saute pan or wok, add oil and a few good sprays of Pam. When hot, add onions and saute for 2 minutes, then add garlic and saute for an additional minute. Add drained beans, cranberries, and pine nuts and cook for 3 to five minutes. Add a pinch of salt and pepper while cooking.

Before you add the Kale to the pan, make sure to remove any large pieces of stalk from the leaves, as they will not soften when cooked.

Add kale to the pan (it will be overflowing at first but Kale cooks down to almost nothing once it is exposed to heat, so be patient). Toss with the bean mixture so that the Kale begins to wilt. Add a few splashes of soy sauce and continue to toss until your kale has cooked down (3 to 5 minutes).

Serve 1/2 a cup of quinoa with 1 cup of Beans and Kale.