Rib Stickin' Vegan

Like many foodies, I often find myself going through "phases," times when I'll favor certain ingredients or eschew others depending on my mood, time of year, and food supply conditions. Trust me, the e coli spinach outbreak was painful!
In keeping with my New Year's outlook, I'm in the process of rethinking some of my eating habits, hopefully making some changes that will be more than phases. I know I'm not the only one trying to do this. Around this time of year, many people vow to get healthier, make lifestyle changes, and, in the most simple terms, atone for holiday sins.
Healthy food need not be a punishment! If you're tired of stale rice cakes and frozen diet meals that make you feel hungrier than you did before the microwave dinged, stay with me.
The following recipe will get you at least 2 of the recommended servings of vegetables in one meal. It's vegetarian, but leave out the optional ingredients to make it vegan. Hot, hearty, and perfect for a cold winter weeknight, this dish can be made in less than 45 minutes.

Savory Bean Stew over Roasted Cauliflower
For stew:
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 15oz can kidney or black beans, drained and rinsed well
1 bag baby spinach
1 tsp chili powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional: Your favorite cheese

For roasted cauliflower:
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 small head cauliflower, cleaned and sliced into 1/2" sheets
Red pepper flakes to taste
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In an oven proof saute pan, heat the oil over high heat for the cauliflower until it shimmers. Add the cauliflower and sear until golden on all sides, about 8 minutes. Add salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Place the pan in the oven. While the cauliflower roasts, prepare the stew.

For the stew: In another saute pan, heat vegetable oil over medium heat until it shimmers. Add the minced onion and saute until transparent, about 3 minutes. Add the minced garlic and lower the heat to low. Keep the garlic moving to prevent it from burning. Add the beans to the pan and toss to coat. Season the mixture with salt, pepper, and the chili powder.

When cauliflower is tender after about 10 minutes of cooking and the bean mixture is hot, add the spinach to the beans. Cook for another 2 minutes, adding additional salt and pepper. When spinach is wilted, turn off the heat.

To plate: Place a good size "sheet" of cauliflower on the bottom of the plate. Top with 1/3 of the stew. Garnish the stew with some of the crispier cauliflower bits and a sprinkling of cheese if desired. Grab a fork and get ready to rethink vegetarian cuisine!

Remaining roasted cauliflower can be used as an omelet filling, mixed in with pasta, mashed and used as a spread or dip, or even cooled and mixed into your favorite meatloaf recipe instead of eggs.

Extra stew can be used over rice or even heated and served over tortilla chips!

Enjoy!
Chris