Kale, Black Bean and Freekah

This is an easy, healthy and delicious lunch or dinner if you want something light, but filling. Bonus points if you use braised dried beans instead of canned, and use the cooking liquid for the freekeh, it gives it a great flavor. I like to braise black beans (in the same amount of water you would cook any dried bean in but simmered very slowly) with plenty of kosher salt, thyme, oregano, a dried guajillo chile, and bacon fat or a pork lard if you have it. I finish them with some lime juice.

Recipe by Tierney Larson

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

1/2 cup freekeh

kosher salt

1 bunch kale, stems removed and leaves torn to bite sized pieces

1 garlic clove peeled and smashed

1 yellow pepper seeded and diced

1 shallot finely diced

1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed (or you can use cooked dried beans if you have some leftover, you will need about 2 cups of cooked beans)

a squeeze of lemon juice

4 oz of goat cheese

Aleppo pepper (optional)

ok so…

In a small pot, bring 1 1/2 cups of water (or broth, or black bean cooking liquid if you made them from scratch) the freekeh and a pinch of kosher salt to a boil, then cover and lower the heat and allow it to simmer for 10 minutes. Taste and if you like it a little softer, cook for 2 min more. Drain and set aside.

Add the garlic clove and 2 tbl of olive oil to a medium sauté pan and place on medium heat. When the garlic starts to sizzle, add the peppers and a pinch of salt. Stir and let cook for about 3 min. until almost tender. Add the shallots and let cook for about 1 min more until they’re tender. Then add the torn kale in batches, along with a splash of water and sprinkling a bit of kosher salt on top of each batch as you add them in. Let each batch wilt before adding the next. After you add the last batch, add in the beans and give them a stir to combine, if the pan seems dry add a splash of water. Cover and let the beans heat through for about 3-4 minutes. Taste and add a bit more salt if necessary and a squeeze of lemon. To serve, pile the freekeh into a bowl, then top with the kale bean mixture, then top with crumbles of goat cheese and a sprinkling of aleppo pepper.