When I first tried kale, I was afraid I wouldn't like it because I thought it was going to be bitter. I mean, dark greens are bitter, you know, compared to iceberg lettuce. But I was impressed with the flavor and crunch when it's lightly steamed. I'm trying to eat more dark leafy greens these days, and kale is my go-to, so be prepared for more kale recipes in the future.
[Note: I do not eat kale raw, because I'm still scared it will be too bitter. I'll put that on my list of goals for the year.]
[Other note: I tried it in a smoothie once and it was awful. But I'll try that again sometime, too. And I'll post it here, because that's what I do. You're welcome.]
So anyway, after my excellent pasta dish last week, I still had about a half a bunch of kale leftover. Thankfully my crisper does an outstanding job at keeping things crispy, since I have not had time to cook until this morning. Oh yeah, I definitely made this for breakfast today. Because that's totally normal. Right?
Beans and greens go together like... um, beans and greens. I think beans and greens is kind of a southern dish, but made with a variety of greens like collard greens, mustard greens, and the like. Or I totally made that up. You decide. I flavored it with chipotle chili powder and vegan Worcestershire sauce (the non-vegan kind has anchovies. Gross.), and a little liquid smoke. Add some onion, garlic, and tomato, and you've got yourself a tasty pot of love! This is really more of a side dish, though, not super filling. It would be great served with wild rice or grits or something of the sort. Add some pan-fried tempeh and you've got a darn good meal!
[Dang it, now I have to put tempeh on my list of things to make for the blog. Man, I need to stop typing!]
Ingredients:
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
28 oz can petite diced tomatoes
15 oz can black-eyed peas (or beans of choice), drained and rinsed
1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder (if you're not a fan of spicy food, start with 1/4 tsp and add more as desired)
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp liquid smoke
1/2 bunch of kale, stems removed and leaves torn into smallish pieces
Directions:
In a large pot, saute onion and garlic over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until onions are tender. Add tomatoes, beans, chili powder, cumin, Worcestershire, and liquid smoke, and stir to mix well. Let cook for about 5 minutes then add the kale, stirring to combine. Cook the kale for about 5 minutes until wilted but still bright green. Season with salt and pepper to taste (although I didn't have to add either, I thought the flavor was perfect.)
More notes! I am on a roll!
1. Vegan Worcestershire can be found in health food stores. At least, I've been able to find it at every health food store I've been to.
2. If you can't find vegan Worcestershire, you can omit it. I'm not even sure how much flavor it added, but I wanted to use it because I saw it in the fridge when I was looking for something else. Yay, spontaneity!
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