Braised Kale with 'Bacon' and Cider

Kale is an easy-to-prepare winter vegetable - similar to spinach, collard greens and chard, it wilts way down, so don't be alarmed by the amount called for in the recipe. You'll get a nice dose of beta carotene, lutein (good for the eyes!), potassium, vitamin C, fiber, and calcium.

The original recipe began by cooking 2 slices of bacon in their own fat in a Dutch oven. Since vegan bacon has the benefit of not only being cruelty-free, but also healthier, you'll need to add cooking spray to a Dutch oven. Heat over medium heat, add 2 slices vegan bacon (such as Smart Bacon: www.lightlife.com) and cook 5 minutes until crisp. Remove from the pan, crumble and set aside.

Increase the heat to medium-high and add 1 and 1/4 cups vertically sliced onion; cook 4 to 5 minutes, until tender. (Whoops - I had chopped nearly my whole onion before seeing that it called for sliced onion instead. So I used a mixture of vertically sliced and coarsely chopped - it really made no difference).

Add one pound of chopped kale (about 2 bunches). Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the kale wilts.

Add 1/3 cup apple cider and 1 tablespoon cider vinegar; cover and cook for ten minutes, stirring occasionally.

Uncover and add one and a half cups diced granny smith apple, along with 1/4 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. black pepper. Cook a final five minutes.

Sprinkle with the 'bacon' before serving. 2/3 of a cup is 80 calories - you'll have 6 side servings.

Cost:
vegan bacon $3.39
onion $0.67
kale $3.98
apple cider $4.69
Granny Smith apple $1.28