Weight Loss Surgery Cookbook

216 Part II: Now You’re Cooking! Healthy and Hearty Dishes

T Hearty Moussaka with Beans

This layered masterpiece is easy to make and takes an hour to bake. You form layers

with eggplant and zucchini, replace the usual ground meat with beans, and top it off

with a creamy white sauce. Food doesn’t get any better than this! Salting and rinsing the

eggplant improves its taste by drawing out bitter liquid, and peeling the eggplant

reduces the chance of food getting stuck.

T Easy Cheesy Navy Bean Bake

Canned beans make a quick high-fiber meal. In this recipe we add vegetables and

cheese to jazz them up. If you want a fast meal, you can mix up the dish ahead of time

and store it in refrigerator. Just pop the pan into the oven when you get home, and 30

minutes later, dinner is done!

Stage: Regular foods

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 36 minutes

Yield: 6 servings (^3 ⁄ 4 cup each)

1 teaspoon olive oil

2 cloves fresh garlic, chopped fine

(^1) ⁄ 2 cup diced onion
(^1) ⁄ 4 cup diced green pepper
1 cup diced tomato
1 teaspoon dried thyme
One 14.5-ounce can navy beans, rinsed and
drained
One 14.5-ounce can low-sodium pinto beans,
rinsed and drained
(^1) ⁄ 2 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
1 cup shredded low-fat cheddar cheese
1 Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Coat an 8-x-8-inch ovenproof pan with nonstick
cooking spray.
2 Add oil to a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, onion, green
pepper, tomato, and thyme and sauté for 3 minutes. Add the beans and broth and bring
to a simmer for 3 minutes.
3 Pour the bean mixture into the pan. Top with cheese and bake for 30 minutes, or until
cheese is bubbly. Let stand to thicken slightly and serve.
Per serving: Calories 180 (From Fat 30); Fat 3g (Saturated 1g); Cholesterol 5mg; Sodium 430mg; Carbohydrate 26g
(Dietary Fiber 7g); Protein 13g; Sugar 2g.