Serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS:

• 6-8 slices bacon, cooked until crisp and crumbled


• 1 medium diced white onion


• 1 large clove garlic, minced


• 1Tbs fresh chopped thyme (optional)


• 1 medium large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes


• approx. 1 cup chicken or vegetable stock (or water)


• 5-6 cups chopped fresh kale (tougher center ribs removed before chopping)


• 1 15-ounce can white beans, well drained


• salt and pepper to taste

PROCEDURE:

Use a large, heavy bottomed pan to cook 6-8 pieces of bacon, until they're nice and crisp, and then take them out of the pan and drain them on paper towels.

Pour off most of the rendered fat, but not all of it, and then add the diced onion and minced garlic to the pan and the 1 Tbs of fresh chopped thyme now, if you're using it.

When the onions are soft, take those out of the pan and put them in a small bowl and add the sweet potatoes and add a good splash of chicken or vegetable stock, enough to come half way up the potatoes and put a tightly fitting lid on top and turn the heat to high.

After 5-6 minutes, add the kale and 1, well drained, 15-ounce can of white beans and stir that in and put the lid back on top.

Keep your eye on this as its cooking to make sure the pan doesn't dry out., you may have to add a little more stock, and after another 4-5 minutes, when the kale is nicely wilted, add the onions back to the pan and the crispy crumbled bacon and stir that in and season with a little salt and pepper and it's time to eat!

HINTS:

Make this a vegetarian dish by leaving out the bacon and starting the recipe by cooking the garlic and onions in olive oil instead. Substitute 1/2 tsp dried thyme for the fresh thyme if you like.