3 Ingredient Dinner

Well, I finally made it back to Trader Joe's for haul #2! Want to see what I got? This rang up for under $60:

• English muffins
• jalapeno crunchy sticks
• the infamous peppermint Joe-Joe's
• mac n cheese
• strawberries

• sparkling water
• 2 bottles of 2buck chuck (1 Chardonnay and 1 Cabernet Sauvignon)
• peppermint coffee (It's kind of weird - tastes like peppermint tea. I think it needs more coffee flavor so I mix it with plain coffee grounds. But I think it'd be good mixed with chocolate flavored coffee, too.)
• roasted tomato salsa
• ratatouille
• white beans in tomato sauce
• dog treats (for Stella, because I love her and she loves treats.)

• frozen veggie burritos
• 2 packages of yogurt cheese slices (1 plain, 1 pepper jack; so excited to find these! Katie is lactose intolerant and these are lactose free. )
• turkey bacon (for Kate, because I love her and she loves bacon)
• peppermint UFOs (I thought these were filled like Junior Mints. They are not. But they are super minty and delicious.)
• pimento cheese spread

I was rushed for dinner last night, but instead of calling Jimmy John's (my original plan) I threw something together using just 3 ingredients! And it was quite tasty, indeed.

When I opened the fridge, I couldn't help but see a forlorn bunch of kale staring up at me. I knew it was time to enjoy it in all of it's calcium-iron-vitamins A & C-rich glory.

To go along with it, I pulled out the white beans and tomato sauce that I recently got at Trader Joe's, as well as a box of 5-minute couscous.

Put 10 minutes on the clock, and let's getting cooking!

• First, put the water on to boil for the couscous (according to the package directions.)
• Preheat a large skillet over medium-high.
• Pull the kale leaves from the thick stems and tear into bite-sized pieces.

• Rinse the kale and toss into the hot skillet. Add a couple of tablespoons of water to the pan and cover to steam.
• By now, your other water should have come to a boil. Stir in the couscous, bring to a boil, cover, and remove from heat. (It needs to sit, covered, for 5 minutes.)

• Once the kale has softened and turned bright green (about 5 minutes), remove the lid, lightly season with salt and pepper (those don't count as ingredients), and let the rest of the water evaporate.

• Reduce heat to medium and add the beans in tomato sauce. Stir until warmed through (about 1 minute.)

• Fluff the couscous with a fork and you're done!

I served this by topping bowls of couscous with the kale & bean mixture. And, I admit, I added a 4th ingredient at the last minute when I topped it with some grated parmesan cheese.

Such a satisfying meal with very little effort. And you could mix this up is so many ways:

• instead of couscous: rice, pasta, polenta, quinoa, etc
• instead of kale: spinach, broccoli, mixed frozen veggies, etc
• instead of the premade beans in sauce: canned beans (black, white, pinto, chick peas, etc)+ jarred sauce (tomato, alfredo, pesto, salsa, etc)

I love when I'm able to come up with a quick, healthy, and hearty meal in a pinch. It reminds me that I always have time to eat well!