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| This meal came together so quick I only took this one picture! |
I started a new job this week! I finally got a full-time job, and so far I love it. It’s so nice to have a routine and more responsibilities. The company is awesome too—they have free breakfast every Friday and will reimburse my gym membership, so my two favorite things are covered, and I love it.
However, no matter the job, there’s always that feeling of after-work dinner dread. After a long day the last thing you want to do is go home and cook, but you’re fricken starving. In my past life I would stop at Chipotle on my way home and wolf a burrito bowl, but whole30 (today is my last day!!!) keeps me from leaning into that temptation.
So I decided to start making a game of it. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t, but it’s always fun. I like to pretend I’m on Chopped. I take a bunch of ingredients out of my fridge and pantry and give myself 30 minutes to come up with a delicious meal. It forces me to get creative and use up all of the food I have.
Tonight I had a head of broccoli, a can of white beans, some leftover parsley, and my half-used tube of tomato paste. I remembered something my friend’s mom whipped up once when I was over at her house and used it to inspire my quick stew.
Makes 2 servings:
• Olive oil for the pan
• 1.5 cups (or as needed) vegetable broth
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 2 cups ready to cook kale
• ¼ onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 can white beans, rinsed and drained
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 pearl tomatoes or 1 roma tomato, diced
• Fresh parsley to taste
Seasonings:
• Black pepper
• Red pepper flakes
• Oregano
• Basil
Heat some olive oil in a walled pan or medium pot. Add the broccoli and kale and 1/3 cup of broth and cover with the lid to steam.
Once they start to soften, add the garlic and onions and a bit more broth. Season well and cover for another minute or two.
Add the beans, tomato paste, and broth to achieve the stew consistency. Add more seasoning, depending on how flavorful you like your food. Cover and simmer for 5-8 minutes.
Stir again and add the fresh tomato, parsley, and more broth if needed. Simmer another 3 minutes and serve in bowls. In an ideal world it would be served with fresh parmesan cheese and a thick slice of toasted whole grain bread, but that will have to wait until after whole30.
An important note for this is that you shouldn’t add any salt. The canned beans, tomato paste, and vegetable stock are all very high sodium, so any more salt would make the dish way too salty.
This dish costs a measly $1.75 per serving and is high in protein and fiber!