The combination of kidney beans and crisp cabbage sautéed and stewed in a tomato curry sauce turns these humble ingredients into an exotic and flavorful quick meal.

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 15oz can of Kidney Beans
1 15 oz can of Diced Tomatoes
1 Leek
½ Green Cabbage (about 2 cups)
1 ½ tsp of Curry powder
¼ tsp of Coriander powder
¼ tsp of Cinnamon powder
2 tbs of Olive or vegetable oil, enough to lightly cover the bottom of your pan.

Preparation:

Rinse and drain the kidney beans and set aside.
Remove the thick leaves from the leek. Wash and pat dry the white and tender green part then thinly slice and set aside.
Wash the cabbage and pat dry. Cut the cabbage in half by starting at the bottom and cutting through the thick stem. Dice ½ the cabbage into small pieces and set aside. Save the remaining half for another meal.
Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat.
Add the spices to the oil and let them brown for about 10 seconds.
Quickly add the leek and cabbage to the pan and sauté for a minute or two letting the veggies brown a bit on the edges.
Add the kidney beans, tomatoes and a dash of salt.
Stir then cover the pan and simmer for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Cooks Notes:

The cinnamon adds a unique and subtle flavor to this dish. The tri-blend of grains made up of long grain white (basmati type) rice, buckwheat and quinoa makes a wonderful side dish for this recipe. A green salad and some flat bread will round out this meal.

Quick Kidney Bean and Cabbage Curry

Preparing healthy and hearty meals doesn't have to be a time-consuming task. Nutritious vegetarian meals can be quick and easy to make, and taste great as well! In some instances, you may not even have to make a special trip to the supermarket for ingredients. A quick rummage through the cupboard or refrigerator may be all that is necessary. Imagine being able to create a wonderful meal from just two main ingredients--kidney beans and cabbage.

The mainstay of this recipe is cabbage, which contains more Vitamin C than oranges. Cabbage has also been found to possess anti-inflammatory and cancer fighting properties. Cabbage is a great source of fiber, is a blood detoxifier, and is rich in iodine, which helps proper brain function. To preserve as much of these health benefits as possible, try to buy fresh cabbage, rather than the bagged, pre-cut version.

As healthy as cabbage is, the other ingredient in this recipe is no slouch when it comes to nutrition. Kidney beans are rich in both soluble and insoluble fiber, which are important for proper elimination and for maintaining a healthy colon. Like all legumes, kidney beans contain lots of protein--one cup yields more than 15 grams. Kidney beans are also a good source of folate and iron, as well as important trace minerals such as manganese.

We are willing to bet that you never realized how nutritious these two vegetables are, nor how easily they come together to form a delicious meal. They may not seem substantial on their own, but when you combine them with spices, tomatoes, and a leek, you end up with something amazingly nutritious and tasty: Quick Kidney Bean and Cabbage Curry. Quick and easy to prepare, this dish is hearty and filling enough to feed an entire family.