Hearty bean and veggie medley
Here’s a flavorful vegetable one-pot dinner that takes only minutes to make. One secret to the flavor is escarole. It is part of the chicory family. When escarole is raw it has a slightly bitter flavor and when cooked it adds a mellow touch to the dish. Toasted pecans add a crunchy texture. I use dried thyme and oregano for the dish.
Here’s a note, if your dried spices are more than 6 months old, they’ve probably lost their flavor. I like to add the date I bought the spice to the bottle to help me know when it’s time to buy a new one.
HELPFUL HINTS:
Any type of beans can be used. Walnuts or almonds can be substituted for pecans.
Four crushed garlic cloves can be used instead of minced garlic.
COUNTDOWN:
Toast pecans and set aside. Prepare ingredients.
Make the recipe.
SHOPPING List:
To buy: 1 package pecans, 1 container minced garlic, 1 bottle dried thyme, 1 bottle dried oregano, 1 container reduced-sodium vegetable broth, 1 head escarole 1 can reduced-sodium cannellini beans
Hearty bean and veggie medley. and 1 piece Parmesan cheese. Staples: olive oil, onion, salt and black peppercorns.
Hearty bean and veggie medley
Recipe by Linda Gassenheimer
1/2 cup broken pecan pieces
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 cups sliced onion
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 cups reduced-sodium vegetable broth
3 cups coarsely chopped escarole 1 cup reduced-sodium canned cannellini beans
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Toast the pecans in a toaster oven or under a broiler for 1 minute or until they start to color. Set aside. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in the onion and saute 4 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme and oregano. Saute, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes. Add the vegetable broth, escarole and cannellini beans. Cook for 5 minutes or until the escarole starts to wilt. Add salt and pepper to taste. Spoon into 2 dinner soup bowls. Sprinkle toasted pecans and parmesan cheese on top. Yield 2 servings.
Per serving: 511 calories (46 percent from fat), 26.4 g fat (3.4 g saturated, 13.6 g monounsaturated), 4 mg cholesterol, 19.4 g protein, 58.1 g carbohydrates, 12.7 g fiber, 312 mg sodium.