Meatless Monday with Navy Bean and Vegetable Gratin

Happy Meatless Monday!  As you may or may not know, Miratel supports the Meatless Monday campaign which is a non-profit initiative in association with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.  The purpose of the program is to reduce the consumption of animal products in favour of a plant-based diet to fight global warming and improve our personal health.  This week we bring another hearty vegetarian recipe for you to try.

Beans are an excellent source of protein and complex carbohydrates.  Navy Bean and Vegetable Gratin is a great combination of nutrients and is best served with crusty bread and a side salad.

Ingredients:

• 4 Cans Navy Beans (reserve liquid)
• 1 cup bean liquid (combine with water to make one full cup)
• 2 teaspoon Olive oil
• 1   Onion
• 8   Garlic cloves
• 2 cups Tomatoes, fresh plum
• 10 oz Spinach
• 1 tablespoon Lemon rind, grated
• 2 tablespoon Red wine vinegar
• ½ teaspoon Salt
• ½ teaspoon Black pepper, ground
• 1 cups Bread crumbs, fresh (whole wheat/grain or gluten-free)
• ½ lb Low-fat Swiss cheese
• 1 tablespoon Butter
• Hot chili flakes to taste (optional)

Preparation:

1. Chop onion, mince garlic, chop tomatoes, chop spinach, and grate lemon rind.
2. In a small saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and saute 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute 1 minute. Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl; add tomatoes, spinach, lemon rind, vinegar, salt, pepper, and half the beans.
3. Put fresh bread and cheese (cut in chunks) in food processor and process until small crumbs. Set aside.
4. In food processor fitted with chopping blade, combine remaining half of beans and reserved bean liquid. Process until mixture is a smooth puree. Stir puree into vegetable mixture in bowl, mixing until well combined.
5. Heat oven to 350 F. Grease a 9 x 13 pan and spread vegetable-bean mixture in pan and top with bread crumb/cheese mixture. Cut butter into small bits and dot top of mixture. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until top is golden brown. Cool 10 minutes before serving.  Serves 6-8.

If you haven’t already (and are so inclined) join the movement by signing up online at meatlessmonday.com.   Every week you have another opportunity to jump on board.  So join us and enjoy!

Thanks to recipe4all.com for their easy and healthy recipe.