Escarole and white beans

So, my get-the-kid-into-the-kitchen mission backfired this week. We had some yogurt to use up and a friend who is a million weeks pregnant, so I decided to make her Smitten's lemon yogurt cake.  M helped with the measuring and mixing and stirring and we had a lovely time until lunch rolled around and he only wanted to eat cake. Cue the EPIC TODDLER MELTDOWN. Oy. So many tears. Teaching him patience is trying my patience.

But! In my never ending quest to get M to eat green things, I decided to take a stroll down Escarole Lane. And it was successful! (Before the cake crying episode, though. If I had offered this instead of cake, his head might have exploded.)

I think the LOAD of garlic, onions, and lemon (and a dash of crushed red pepper if your kiddo can tolerate a little spice), made a big difference. I usually see greens and beans with either pasta or in a soup (either of which you could easily do with this recipe) but I went for a more straight forward green veg presentation and I was surprised at the results. Fry an egg on top and call it lunch or eat it as a side dish with your protein of choice for dinner.

White beans and escarole

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion
3 cloves garlic
2 heads escarole, rinsed and chopped
2-3 Tbsp water
1 can white beans, rinsed and drained
2 Tbsp lemon juice
Crushed red pepper
Large pinch of salt, to taste

Heat the oil over a medium flame. Add the onions and cook until caramelized, about 20 minutes. Add the garlic and continue cooking until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the escarole and water and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes. Add the white beans, lemon juice, and crushed red pepper and continue cooking until all the liquid has evaporated and the beans are heated through.

Yield: 18 oz, or 2.25 cups