Joe Bastianich’s Healthy White Bean Stew

I watched chef and restauranteur Joe Bastianich on the Today Show just prior to last November’s New York Marathon – apparently he’s become a runner in the past couple of years – where he prepared this nutritious, delicious, protein-rich white bean dish.  Oh yes, and it’s seriously easy to make.

After one pass, I modified the amounts of some of the ingredients to get a bit more out of the recipe.  I’ve included my changes in italics.

Quick white bean stew with Swiss chard and tomatoes

– Joe Bastianich

4 servings/ Total time: 35 minutes

Low in fat but high in protein, beans are one of Bastianich’s favorite ingredients. He uses white beans here, but he also loves making this recipe with chickpeas and flat gigante beans: “The bigger and creamier the beans, the better.”

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 pounds Swiss chard, large stems discarded and leaves cut crosswise into 2-inch strips  (2 large bunches of red or green Swiss chard)

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

• 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced  (4 cloves)

• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

• 1 cup canned tomatoes, chopped (2 cups)

• One 16-ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (19-ounce can)

• Salt

DIRECTIONS:

1. Bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Add the chard and simmer over moderate heat until tender, 8 minutes. Drain the greens and gently press out excess water.

2. In the saucepan, heat the oil. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper and cook over moderate heat until the garlic is golden, 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and bring to a boil. Add the beans and simmer over moderately high heat for 3 minutes. Add the chard and simmer over moderate heat until the flavors meld, 5 minutes. Season the stew with salt and serve.

TIPS:

Wine to serve with this dish: Earthy, cherry-rich Sangiovese:2007 Canneto Rosso di Montepulciano.

One serving: 274 cal, 16 gm fat, 2.1 gm sat fat, 13 gm carb, 11 gm fiber

You can watch the video here.

Buon Appetito!

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