Nutrition Action

Whereupon the blog administrator learns that scampi is a synonym for butter and after consuming both chicken scampi and German pancakes, one meal after the other, she determines to serve a more healthy meal to her nutritionally deprived family.

Quick* Cassoulet**

3 leeks, white and pale green parts
6 sprigs flat-leaf (Italian) parsley
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
5 oz. spicy sausage, diced (e.g. Wellshire Farms Turkey Andouille or Spanish chorizo)
8 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 celery stalks, chopped
4 sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
1 15 oz. can no-salt-added diced tomatoes
2 15 oz. cans no-salt-added navy beans, drained and rinsed***
2 cups water
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
½ tsp salt

Halve the leeks lengthwise, then cut crosswise into ½ inch pieces. Rinse well and spin or pat dry. Remove the leaves from the parsley stems and roughly chop the leaves. Set aside the leaves and stems separately.

In a large, heavy pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Cook the sausage and garlic until the sausage beings to brown, about 2-3 minutes. Remove the sausage and garlic with a slotted spoon to a bowl, leaving the oil in the pot.

Add the leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until they’re softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the carrots, celery, thyme, bay leaf, parsley stems, tomatoes, beans, and water. Simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are tender, about 20 minutes.

Discard the thyme sprigs, parsley stems, and bay leaf. Mash some of the beans in the pot with a potato masher or fork. Return the sausage and garlic to the pot. Season with pepper and up to ½ tsp of salt. Garnish with the parsley leaves. Serves 6.****

Per 1 1/2 cup Serving
Calories: 290
Total Fat: 12 g
Protein: 12 g
Fiber: 10 g

* "Quick" being a relative term.
** Nutrition Action, Jan/Feb 2009, p12.
*** Full disclosure: I used 1 lb dried navy beans, soaked overnight and then gently simmered in fresh water for ½ hour, until soft. I also did not use thyme sprigs. Umm ... and I put a movie on for the kids so I could sashay around the kitchen uninterrupted (sush!).
****Verdict: Yum! Who knew leeks could taste so good? Plus, it's a perfect blend of feeling both excellent for eating beans and naughty for eating sausage.

Note: no butter was used in this recipe.