Easy to make and full of protein, fiber, and potassium, this is a satisfying meal. Put up some brown rice while you’re putting the rest of the meal together to serve along side the ragu.
If you don’t grown them, buy lots of local tomatoes this year! Great in phytonutrients-cans and freezes great!
I Just Picked This Large Garden Fresh Eggplant. Entitled: What Happens When I Travel, the Garden Gods Take Over
This recipe is a great way to use the fresh produce of the summer: eggplant, peppers, scallions, basil, & greens. The longest part of this recipe is roasting the eggplant, which can be done ahead of time. It’s a hands-off procedure, but does take about an hour. The rest of the meal comes together in a flash, especially if you are using canned beans*.
Peppers: packed with Vitamin C
If you have left overs, this is great cold on top of a salad the next day, add broth to it to make it a soup, top it on a grilled portobello mushroom, or in a wrap as a burrito.
*Note: we suggest making your own beans. Canned goods have BPA liners in them to prevent the cans from breaking down. We avoid eating foods with the chemical. To make your own, simply soak beans the night before or in the morning before work. Rinse, and cover with water in a pressure cooker (or large stock pot). Bring to pressure, turn temp down to low, and cook 12 minutes. Turn off stove and allow pressure to drop. Drain and use. Can be made in a large batch and frozen for future use (best way to do it). If you don’t have a pressure cooker, cover soaked beans with water, bring to boil, then reduce to simmer until soft, around 1 1/2-2 hours.
Ingredients:
- 1 c onions, chopped
- 1 large eggplant, roasted (see instructions)
- 1 quart of tomatoes (about a 28 oz can): if in season, use 2 large tomatoes or 3-4 cups fresh tomatoes
- 1 green pepper (a little over a cup)
- 4 cups cooked white/cannellini beans
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Black pepper to taste
- 4 cups of chopped kale or other greens
- 1 cup of fresh basil
- 1/4 c scallions
- 1 tbsp chopped garlic
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Pierce eggplant in several places and place on a baking sheet. Roast for about 60 min, until eggplant deflates
- Allow to cool slightly, and slice open. Scoop out flesh and add to a large frying pan, saving the liquid from the eggplant to use as a saute’ base, instead of oil or water.
- Add eggplant cooking liquid, onions, and tomatoes to pan. Cook until onions have softened.
- Add in beans, peppers, salt, and pepper and cook until heated, no more than 5 minutes.
- Add basil, kale, and garlic in last 5 minutes before serving.
- Remove from heat and stir in scallions or reserve for topping
- Serve over brown rice or on its own. This is also great cold on top of a salad the next day.
Nutritional Benefits:
- Great source of plant-based protein, great for healing and repairing tissues
- High in fiber, great for regulating blood sugar, good for diabetic control, digestive health, preventing many cancers, and improving satiety
- No cholesterol, heart healthy
- Great source of iron, 40% per serving: helps with blood oxygenation
- Great source of potassium,1,550 mg: helps with nervous function, blood pressure regulation, helps to lower cholesterol
- High in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory: Vitamin A 158%, great for bone and dental strength, skin and eye health, lowers blood pressure; Vitamin C 135%, great for boosting immunity, both nutrients help decrease risks of many forms of cancer
- Lycopene in tomatoes: antioxidant linked to heart health, antioxidants-cancer prevention, improves bone health/prevents osteoporosis,
- Great source of plant-based calcium 24%, great for bone, dental strength, fights osteoporosis, body absorbs better than dairy forms of calcium
- 1 c onions, chopped
- 1 large eggplant, roasted (see instructions)
- 1 quart of tomatoes (about a 28 oz can): if in season, use 2 large tomatoes or 3-4 cups
- 1 green pepper (a little over a cup)
- 4 cups cooked white/cannellini beans
- ½ tsp salt
- Black pepper to taste
- 4 cups of chopped kale or other greens
- 1 cup of fresh basil
- ¼ c scallions
- 1 tbsp chopped garlic
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Pierce eggplant in several places and place on a baking sheet. Roast for about 60 min, until eggplant deflates
- Allow to cool slightly, and slice open. Scoop out flesh and add to a large frying pan
- Add onions, peppers, and tomatoes to pan. Cook until onions have softened.
- Add in beans, salt, and pepper and cook until heated
- Add basil, kale, and garlic in last 5 minutes before serving.
- Remove from heat and stir in scallions or reserve for topping
- Serve over brown rice or on its own. This is also great cold on top of a salad the next day.
