Kale with Pancetta and Cannellini Beans

Now for something a little more seasonal. We all know kale rocks because it's so healthy, but this dish is also really delicious. I swear.

2 slices pancetta (chopped into cubes)
1 1/2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 small red onion (chopped)
3 cloves garlic (crushed)
1 bunch of kale (roughly chopped)
1 can (15 oz) cannellini beans
Salt

Microwave the chopped pancetta for 3 minutes, until pancetta is crispy. Drain the drippings. Set aside.

In a very large frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft. Add the garlic and cook a minute or two more. Stir in the chopped greens. Add salt to taste, but be conservative as the kale will wilt down considerably and absorb a lot of flavor. Cover the pan partially and let cook until greens begin to wilt. Stir in the pancetta and cannellini. Partially cover again and cook for another 5 minutes. The dish is ready when the kale is nice and tender.

White Bean Dip

This is the easiest recipe yet. It takes about 5 minutes to prepare and is so fresh and flavorful that it is hard to resist. You don't even really need a blender, but it makes the process a lot quicker.

1 can white beans
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 medium cloves garlic
1/2 a lemon
2 Tablespoons fresh rosemary
Salt
Pepper

Toss the beans, olive oil, whole garlic cloves, and juice from 1/2 a lemon into the blender. Blend until creamy and smooth. Stir in rosemary, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle some rosemary on top and voilà! You have yourself an awesome dip. Great on pita bread.

Cannellini, Mushroom, and Tuna Spaghetti

This dish was born from a combination of vegetables that, at first, did not seem to complement each other in an obvious way. But with the magic uniting power of olive oil and lemon, they came together in perfect harmony.

2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
10 large white mushrooms (sliced)
3 stalks celery (sliced into crescents)
Olive oil
1 lemon
Parsley
Salt
Pepper
1 can cannellini beans
1 small cucumber (cut into wedges)
1 can tuna in olive oil
Spaghetti

Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Cook garlic until it begins to brown. Add mushrooms and cook for about 5 minutes or until mushrooms begin to reduce in size. Add celery, salt, parsley, and more olive oil. Cook for a few minutes. Squeeze the juice from half the lemon into the pan and stir. Let everything cook together until both the mushrooms and the celery are soft.

Next, drain the cannellini beans and add them to the vegetable mixture. Squeeze the juice from the other half of the lemon over the mixture. Add salt, pepper, and more parsley as desired at this time. Take off the heat and toss the fresh cucumber wedges into the veggie mix.

Meanwhile, set a large pot of salted water with some oil added on high heat to boil. Once boiling, add spaghetti and cook until al dente.

Mix the tuna fish in olive oil into the pasta, being sure the break up chunks. Pour the vegetable mixture over the spaghetti and enjoy!