First of all – HAPPY NEW YEAR LAMBS!

After whirlwind Christmas and New Year’s celebrations, my brain was fried, my body was tired and my ability to cook was kaput. But I did want to start 2011 off right with a healthy dish…so of course I chose one with bacon in it.  To be fair it’s center cut bacon which is a healthier alternative, but the delicious pork product in the Garbanzo Beans and Greens recipe from Cooking Light wasn’t the only thing it had going for it.  The dish is a part of their Budget Cooking section that averages out to $1.75 per serving that yields four total. This recipe also looked super easy plus it fits into Cooking Light’s new Healthy Habits initiative that ensures you get a load of veggies. For the total win right?

Thank goodness for this recipe. It was everything I wanted/needed and was quite delicious. I’ve proclaimed my obsession with kale before and this has loads of it…YAY! What I truly loved was the Greek yogurt you place in the soup at the end. It gave it just the right silky and creamy texture that balanced out the soup perfectly. Plus, there’s bacon in it. Bacon.

Give this one a try for super duper easy weeknight meal. Tonight it’s the Bon Appetit cover recipe: Saigon Chicken Salad and here’s the rest of my menu plan for the week: Tuesday – Roast Pork Tenderloin with Apricot-Miso Glaze and Baby Bok Choy; Wednesday – Braised Halibut Filets in Coconut and Lemongrass with Smoked Eggplant and Tomato Ginger Chutney; Thursday – Turkish-Spiced Chicken Kebabs with Pomegranate Relish and Tahini Yogurt.