Kale, Ham and Bean; Southern style

Kale, Ham and Bean ; Southern Style

I cooked a huge ham and I have so much leftover that I am testing myself to venture off the beaten path of just plain ham sandwiches and cook something a bit different.  I remember when attending college in the south a wonderful dish of Kale and Ham.  So I reinvented the dish but added some beans to make it a hearty main course.

Kale is a very healthy vegetable rich in vitamin K, C and calcium.

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 cup diced ham

4 cups leaves of Kale chopped

1 small onion chopped

10 oz or so of canned beans of choice (I used red Kidney beans)

 1 cup water

½ Jalopena pepper chopped

½ teaspoon chili powder

Salt and pepper to taste

First clean the stems off the Kale stalks by running a knife gently down the side of the stem. Discard the stems and chop kale leaves.

Heat oil in a deep skillet/pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and onion and cook 4 minutes stirring not to stick. Add kale. When all the kale has been added, add water, chili powder, jalopena and beans.

Simmer, covered and cook for about 15 minutes on medium heat.  Uncover and simmer another 10 minutes.  Season to taste

TIPS:

1.      Add some bacon fried if you like.

2.      Remember ham is salty, so taste before you add more salt.

3.      We just made a big bowl for dinner, but it is a great side dish as well.

4.      Leftovers will make a lovely soup with the addition of broth and possibly potatoes.

As always be your own Creative Dump Cook and change this recipe to what YOU have on hand!