Most of the dishes you can put on the table in a hurry are higher in convenience than nutrition or health benefits.
People looking for ways to eat well, but do it without a lot of fuss, can find 250 ideas for dishes to eat from morning through night, plus desserts and options for vegetarians, in a new compilation of recipes, “Weight Watchers in 20 Minutes” (Wiley, $29.95).
A kitchen-friendly feature of the book is that it’s in a concealed wirebound format for easy viewing while cooking. Here’s an option for either lunch or a light dinner.
Make this soup even heartier by doubling the carrots, celery and bell pepper. Serves 6.
Ingredients
1 teaspoon canola oil
1/2 pound low-fat turkey kielbasa, thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 small carrots, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
Directions
Heat oil in a large nonstick pot or nonstick Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add kielbasa and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about three minutes. Add remaining ingredients except the spinach; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Add the spinach and cook until heated through, 2 minutes longer.
Per serving (1 1/2 cups): 167 calories; 4g fat; 0g trans fat; 19mg cholesterol; 980mg sodium; 19g carbohydrates; 7g fiber; 13g protein; 111mg calcium.
