Vegetables

Sunday supper becomes doubly satisfying when your favorite sports team is winning and you’re passing bowls of hearty chili. If chili doesn’t seem to be a dish you can reconcile with your resolution to slim down, rest assured that this version is healthy (and happens to be thrifty too). It’s a vegetarian bowl with a spicy kick, so it will stand up to the meatiest opponents. Begin with dried beans, which need an overnight soak to soften. Saute onions with poblano and jalapeno peppers, adding the spices to the oil to release their aromas.

Cooking beans at home is renowned as a simple way to save money and provide the base for many a healthy meal. It requires little effort and they're easy to keep on hand in the fridge or freezer. And then you can quickly put together everything from basic beans and rice (seasoned differently in different cultures) to soups, salads, dips and spreads.

We reduced fat by coating the eggplant with egg whites instead of whole eggs and baking, rather than frying, the slices for a lighter version of this classic.

Austin, Texas, firefighter Rip Esselstyn and his wife chose this hearty lasagna as their wedding entree. Because sweet potatoes are prominent in "The Engine 2 Diet," Esselstyn usually cooks a few to keep on hand. If you're starting this from scratch, begin by baking two sweet potatoes and start layering the lasagna once they're done.

Sicilian caponata is similar to southern French ratatouille; both are stews of eggplant and other vegetables. And like ratatouille, caponata is served as a side dish with roast meat or grilled fish. To my taste, caponata is best on its own, served as a first course, or as an entree for lunch, with some lightly dressed greens on the side. Serve caponata at room temperature with roast meats, grilled fish, or with a green salad.

After an hour or so in the oven, individual cloves of garlic become sweet, carmelized and infinately spread-able. 

Like broccoli and kale, Brussels sprouts are cooked when the green gets a little darker and glossy, and the white powdery residue disappears.

The broccoli retains its lovely green color when stir-fried, so this dish is not only easy to make but pretty to serve. The almonds add a nutty crunch that everyone really likes. 

This is chilled soup is made by pureeing canned black beans with strained salsa, cherry tomatoes and cumin.

"I used to LOVE going to Boston Market for their beans but they were loaded with butter and fat. You really don't need a lot of olive oil in this recipe so it's much healthier and good for the waste line. I also love the texture of the beans- very fresh."