Spanish White Beans with Spinach

I read a depressing statistic a few days ago: The average American adult gains 10 pounds between Halloween and New Years. Eek. That's a whole jean size. Yuck!

So, I'll be focusing on giving you some healthy alternatives over the next month to help keep us all fitting into our jeans! Today: Spanish white beans with spinach, originally from Gourmet (November 2009 issue).

Ingredients

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika 

2 (19-ounces cans) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup water

2 (10-ounces) bags spinach, tough stems removed

Get Cookin'

The original recipe wasn't made for a slow cooker, but I converted it into one to fit into my week. If you don't want to use a crockpot, just sautee the recipe in a pan on the stove--quick and easy, too.

Throw everything into the crockpot for 4-5 hours on low (you're really just letting the onions cook down and allowing the flavors to come together). About an hour before you're ready to eat, add the spinach to the slow cooker.