Collard Greens with Adzuki Beans

Potholes are everywhere here. Nearly every road you travel has them. They are so bad in some areas that sometimes it's a case of choosing to drive through the smaller ones in order to miss the huge ones. Yesterday I couldn't avoid hitting a large one and damaged my car, so it's in the shop being repaired today.  It was not a good day for that to happen- my hubby had to go out of town, and I had a lot of driving to do. I dropped my daughter and her friend off at one of the colleges for a seminar/competition in the morning. They needed a ride home in the afternoon. My other daughter didn't get my text message in time to catch the bus after school, so she also needed a ride home. And last night my daughter's orchestra had a concert. In between working all of this out, I needed to come up with a quick dinner. I had planned to shop yesterday, too. Obviously grocery shopping was out, so I had to work with what I had on hand.
A drawer full of collard greens and some cooked adzuki beans filled the bill perfectly.

The single most important food to include in a healthy diet is greens. They are the most nutrient dense food on the planet, and their health benefits are legendary. Most days I include a green smoothie and a salad in my diet. But occasionally I do like to cook greens, especially in winter. Yesterday was one of those days.

Collard Greens with Adzuki Beans

1 lb. collard greens, washed and chopped

1 red onion, diced

2 large cloves garlic, minced

3/4 c. salsa (I used my home canned salsa, use your favorite)

1 fresh tomato, chopped

1/4 c. apple cider vinegar

1 1/2 c. water

1 tsp. sea salt

1 c. cooked adzuki beans

1/2 of a red pepper, cut into matchsticks

In large pot combine everything except adzuki beans and red pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 30-40 min. till collards are tender. Serve with adzuki beans on top and garnish with red pepper sticks. Serves 2 as a main dish or 4 as a side dish.