Wilted Kale with Cranberry Beans and Delicata Squash

4 generous portions

I made quite a few changes to this recipe, with substitutions based on what I had on hand. I’ve added my notes to the end of the recipe.

Ingredients

2 lbs Delicata squash, halved lengthwise and seeded* (I used butternut)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon olive oil

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons honey* (I used Blue Agave syrup)

5 ounces kale, large stems removed, cut into 1-inch pieces (about half a bunch)

1 large shallots, finely chopped

1 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar* (I used Sherry vinegar)

1 teaspoon coarse salt

fresh ground pepper

15 ounces cranberry beans, drained and rinsed* (I used home-cooked Anasazi beans)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut squash (no need to peel) into 1/2-inch-thick semi circles. Toss with 1 teaspoon oil, and spread onto a parchment-lined baking sheet  or oiled pan. Bake until just tender, 15 to 18 minutes.

Mix together balsamic vinegar and honey. Brush some of the mixture onto squash slices; reserve remaining mixture. Bake for 5 minutes more. (I used butternut squash; see notes below.)

Heat remaining tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add shallot and garlic, and cook - stirring frequently - until slightly softened, about 4 minutes. Add red-wine vinegar and remaining vinegar-honey mixture to saucepan, and bring to a boil. Add kale to pan, and sprinkle with salt. Season with pepper.

Add squash and beans. Cover skillet, and let stand for 5 minutes. *  Toss until kale wilts slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Per serving:

279 calories; 1 g. sat fat; 4 g unsat fat; 0 mg chol; 57 g carbs; 6 g protein; 642 mg sodium; 8 g fiber.

Laurie’s notes:

I substituted a butternut squash that I had on hand for the Delicata squash, cutting it into ½ inch thick, bite sized pieces and roasting them as described (took a little longer, about 20 minutes plus the additional 5 minutes).

No honey on hand, so I substituted Blue Agave syrup, an equal amount, and substituted sherry wine vinegar for red wine vinegar, which I didn‘t have.

No cranberry beans, so I substituted Anasazi beans which I had cooked from dry and had in the freezer. I’ve never seen canned cranberry beans, but I think rinsed, drained cannellini beans would be a good substitute.

In this recipe, the rinsed/drained beans would have been at room temperature… mine were warm. I am not a big fan of “just wilted” kale, so my process was a bit different. I made the shallot/vinegar dressing in a large pot, then sautéed the kale in the dressing for a couple of minutes, until it was tender. I turned off the heat, added the roasted butternut squash and the beans, and mixed it all together, then served it warm. Delicious!