I had a sleepover at my sister’s the other night, and she brought out this deliciously filling “snack” that could have been dinner if it weren’t for the Grotto pizza we were already sharing. This is one of those super easy recipes that you can just throw together with ingredients you already have, and in no time at all you have a hearty, healthy dish (to go with the pizza that you’re eating).
KALE, CARROT, AND WHITE BEAN BLEND (serves 4 as a side or 2 as a main dish)
– 1/2 a bunch of kale, “ribs” removed, washed and roughly chopped
– 3 carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/8 inch rounds
– 1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
– 2 cloves garlic, chopped
– 1 tbsp. EVOO, 1 tsp. butter
1. Wash your kale and carrots. Even though you’re going to peel the carrots, you should wash them anyway. Any dirt on the skin will get dragged into the carrot itself when you peel them unless they’re clean.
2. Remove the “ribs” from the kale, and roughly chop.
3. Cut the peeled carrots into 1/8 inch rounds.
4. In a large saucepan, bring enough water to cover the carrots to a boil. Add the sliced carrots and boil until just tender (approx. 5 minutes). Drain the carrots and return the saucepan to the burner, now lowered to medium heat.
5. Add 1 tbsp EVOO and a smidge of butter to the saucepan and, when hot, add the garlic and stir until fragrant – appox. 90 seconds.
6. Add carrots to the pan and stir to cover with the EVOO/butter/garlic mixture. Then add the chopped kale, and stir together with the carrots until slightly wilted.
7. Finally, add the can of rinsed and drained white beans, and combine with the kale and carrots until beans are warmed through. Both the kale and carrots will continue to soften during this time, so make sure the kale isn’t too wilted in the step above.
8. Add seasonings if necessary – kosher salt, freshly ground pepper, garlic powder – to taste and serve warm. This is even good cold as leftovers the next day.
— Happy 64th birthday to my mom, who would love this recipe! xoxoxo