Whether you are looking to adopt a nutrient-dense, plant-based diet or are just trying to find healthier alternatives to some of your favorite dishes, we have great recipes on our site to suit your tastes! Some of our recipes can look a little intimidating, though. That’s why we created a weekly segment called RecipEASY — to make healthy eating easier. We (Kate and Kayla) make a recipe from our site and break it down to give you helpful tips and modifications. Since neither of us are professional chefs, we are always looking for ways to simplify healthy recipes!
This week we made…
Italian White Bean and Vegetable Saute in Balsamic
Fall is a great time to make dishes with different types of squash and more hearty vegetables -- which is just what this recipe calls for! Our shopping list included onion, garlic, eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, red peppers, crimini mushrooms, tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, vegetable broth, Italian seasoning, fresh basil, cannellini beans, and ground black pepper. Find the full list of measurements here.
First, we used the balsamic vinegar to make a balsamic reduction -- which didn’t turn out too great on our first attempt. To make the reduction, simmer a cup of balsamic vinegar until it’s a syrup consistency and only about ⅓ cup is left. We left our balsamic on the stove a little too long, however. Instead of becoming a syrup, it turned into a gooey, tar-like substance that was way less than ⅓ cup -- not quite what we needed. We tossed the first batch and tried again, keeping a closer eye on the balsamic. It turned out much better (more like a syrup and not like tar) the second time around.
While our balsamic vinegar was simmering, we chopped an onion and 3 cloves of garlic and started sauteing them in vegetable broth. When the onions were translucent, we added the eggplant, covered our pan, and cooked for 10 minutes. We also added a bit more vegetable stock to prevent sticking.
The zucchini, yellow squash, and red peppers went in next. They cooked with the delicious smelling garlic, onions, and eggplant for about 5 minutes. When the timer went off, we tossed in the mushrooms and tomatoes for 2 more minutes.
Italian seasoning, basil, cannellini beans, and ground pepper were the final ingredients added to our pan. It was a little hard to get the seasonings mixed evenly through the saute due to how full the pan was by the end.
Once our second batch of balsamic reduction was finished, we drizzled it on top of the saute and served!
Italian White Bean and Vegetable Saute was pretty easy and inexpensive to make. Try it for yourself and let us know what you think!
