Comforting Kale and Great Northern Beans

There are certain kitchen staples that I simply cannot be without.  They’re the items that I reach for again and again to enhance and brighten flavor or to awaken a dish.  Those things are garlic, red onions, lemons, and olives.  Their presence adds a certain completeness to an entree, and they’re useful for a wide variety of meals, from Mediterranean to Mexican, from stew to salad.  In addition to their added flavor, they are also nutritional powerhouses.  Onions and garlic have been shown to lower high cholesterol levels and high blood pressure.  Onions and olives have been shown to reduce the risk of colon cancer, and the vitamin C in lemons makes the iron in kale more bioavailable.  Add those other pantry-staples, beans, dry pasta, and nuts, and you’re practically there for this lunch and dinner favorite.

Comforting Kale and Great Northern Beans

Serves 2 as an entrée, 4 as a side

• 1/3 cup whole-wheat fusilli pasta
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 bunch kale, remove tough stems and then coarsely chop
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 5 cremini mushrooms, sliced
• ½ small red onion, chopped
• 1 lemon, half juiced and half cut into slices and served with entree
• 1 15 oz. can Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 tsp rubbed sage
• 5 Greek olives, pitted and chopped
• Handful of pine nuts
• Salt, to taste

In a steamer pot, put a few inches of water to boil.  Once boiling, add pasta to water for 10 minutes.  Put chopped kale into steamer basket on top of pot with a cocked lid.  Allow the kale to steam 3-4 minutes, until it is bright green.  Then remove it from the pot and set it aside while the pasta continues to cook.  While the pasta is boiling, put a small amount of extra virgin olive oil into a sauté pan on a medium heat.  Sauté the garlic, mushrooms, and onion for a few minutes, until the onion and garlic are translucent.  Add the kale to the pan with the juice of half of the lemon.  Use the kale leaves to sop up any glazing of the onions or garlic on the pan.  Add the beans and sage.  Fully combine until the beans are heated through.  If it begins to stick, add a splash of water into the pan.  Drain the pasta and add it to the pan, combine.  Top with a handful of pine nuts and olives and salt to taste.

To make this dish gluten-free, omit the pasta.  This dish is also delicious with collard greens instead of kale, served over creamy polenta, or with chopped sun-dried tomatoes in place of or in addition to olives.  If you’re not a fan of sage, swap it out with a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar instead.

[Via http://cadryskitchen.com]