Recipes

Baked Italian White Beans

Ingredients:

• Preheat oven to 350◦ F (180◦ C)
• 8-cup (2 L) shallow baking dish, sprayed with vegetable cooking spray

2 tbsp olive oil, divided 25 mL
2 cups chopped Spanish onion 500 mL
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar 15 mL
5 tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme 15 mL
1 bay leaf
Freshly ground black pepper
2 small zucchini, halved lengthwise, thickly sliced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
1 can (19 oz/540 mL) white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup soft fresh bread crumbs 250 mL
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley 25 mL
1 large clove garlic, minced

Tips:
♦ Canned dried legumes such as kidney beans contain significant amounts of fiber. They are also valuable sources of protein and are included in the meat group. Some other varieties in this group are black beans, black-eyed peas, chickpeas, great Northern bean, lentils, navy beans, pinto beans and split peas. Most are canned with salt, so be sure to drain and rinse them well.
♦ To make 1 cup (250 mL) fresh bread crumbs, process 2 slices crusty bread in a food processor until fine.
♦ Recipe can be prepared through Step 3 up to 1 day ahead; cover and refrigerate.

Instructions:

1. In a large saucepan, heat 1 tbsp (15 mL) of the oil over medium heat. Cook onions and garlic, stirring often, for 5 minutes or until softened. Add vinegar and cook until evaporated. Add tomatoes, thyme and bay leaf; season with pepper to taste. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

2. Add zucchini and peppers; cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until vegetables are tender-crisp. Gently stir in beans. Spoon mixture into prepared baking dish.

3. In a bowl, combine bread crumbs, parsley and garlic. Drizzle with remaining olive oil and toss to coat. Sprinkle over beans; bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until bubbly and top is golden.

Notes:

Serves 4

Nutritional Analysis per Serving:
Calories 198,
carbohydrate 32g
fiber 9g
protein 8g
total fat 6g
saturated fat 1g
sodium 245 mg
cholesterol 0 mg

Canada’s Choice per Serving: 1 ½ Carbohydrate, ½ Meat & Alternatives, ½ Fat

Recipe reprinted with permission from Diabetes Comfort Food, Johanna Burkhard and Barb Selley, Robert Rose Inc., 2006, http://www.robertrose.ca