Slow-cooker: Chickpea and Kale Stew

Several sources of inspiration and circumstances created this this dish this week.... but  most of all, I was inspired by the bunch of kale I bought last week still sitting in my crisper.

You could say, if you believed in such things, that a higher power was telling me to eat my kale. First was this article that popped on my Facebook page.

Then there was this blog.... I could totally relate, so could the kale buried deep in my fridge at the time.

You really don't have to tell me to eat more kale. I already know I should eat more kale. I buy kale every chance I get. I just don't always get around to eating it.

And of course there is a small matter of a nasty cold we are fighting this week.  We (and when I say we, I mean the whole family - me, my husband, and the kids) have been, quite literally, a nasty bunch of beings. I'd stay away if I were you.

Needless to say I was looking for something comforting and warm to heal us and clear our heads.  I think it should also go without saying ... I did not feel like cooking.

You see – I love my slow-cooker, but I don’t pull it out and use it all that often.  Slow-cooker meals, crock-pot meals, whatever you want to call them - are never fancy. But they are satisfying in a rustic, and utilitarian kind of way. I was saving this recipe for a time when I needed it. I time, like this one, when I could not bear the thought of doing anything more than plugging in a couple of appliances.

I made the stew with some very minor modifications and I added a full bunch of kale - about 2 tightly packed cups thinly sliced - in the last 20 minutes of the cook time.  Served with brown rice from the rice cooker.

Perfect. Just what the doctor ordered

Slow-cooker Chickpea and Kale Stew

Ingredients:

• 1  tsp olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tsp ginger, grated
• 1 teaspoon, each: curry powder, cumin, coriander and turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt, or to taste
• 3 cups chickpeas, cooked or canned.
• 14 oz can of diced tomatoes
• 2 cups water
• 1 bunch thinly sliced kale, about 2 cups

Directions:

In a medium frying pan, heat oil over medium heat and sauté onions, garlic and ginger. 2-3 minutes until fragrant and beginning to soften.  Add spices – curry powder through salt and cook another 2-3 minutes. Careful not to burn, reducing heat if needed. Add this mixture plus everything else to the slow-cooker. Turn it on high. Clean up your mess and go have a nap.

Cook on high for 3 hours, reduce heat to low and add kale and cook, covered for 15-20 minutes.

Dish could also be cooked on low for 6-8 hours, if your schedule needed it.