Day 27: African Pepper, Tomato & Spinach ♥

~ recipe updated & photo added in 2006 ~

Yum! A definite keeper.

The start is pretty typical, sautéed onion, pepper with tomato and spinach added. Then, the secret ingredient, peanut butter! It adds flavor, texture and protein - though skip the detail and tell the kids only that it tastes good. Will kids love this? Maybe?

New lesson: Sauté vegetables in water or chicken broth, not fat, if there's fat to be added later.

FROM THE ARCHIVES This was the best new vegetable recipe during the first month of A Veggie Venture's first year! Follow each month's favorite vegetable recipes!

AFRICAN PEPPER, TOMATO & SPINACH
Active time: About 10 minutes
Time to table: About 15 minutes
Serves 4

2 tablespoons water (vs 1 tablespoon olive oil, see NUTRITION NOTES)
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
14 ounces canned diced tomato
8 ounces fresh spinach
1/4 cup low-fat chunky peanut butter (try 2 or 3 tablespoons vs the equivalent of 4, think it would be plenty and calorie difference is significant, see NOTES)
Salt & pepper

Heat a large skillet with a cover on MEDIUM HIGH. Add water, onion and green pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and just beginning to brown. (They'll soften, not brown, if there's no oil.) Add tomato and combine. Add spinach (in batches if necessary) on top of onion/pepper/tomato mixture. Cover, reduce heat to MEDIUM and let cook until spinach is wilted, about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and let continue to cook until liquid cooks off. Stir in peanut butter and let melt. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

ALANNA's TIPS

• May 2006 Notes
  
• Next time, I'll saute the onion mixture in the tomato juice rather than water, eliminating some liquid and thus some cooking time
  
• I used a natural (unsweetened, unsalted) smooth peanut butter this time. If memory serves me, the commercial chunky peanut butter somehow tasted better.
  
• Green pepper (vs the oft-used red) really works in this combination. And they've much cheaper!
  
• If you left the liquid, this would make a great vegetarian supper atop pasta, rice or maybe especially, beans.
  

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
When sauteed in water, per Serving: 152 Cal (33% from Fat, 18% from Protein, 50% from Carb); 7 g Protein; 6 g Tot Fat; 1 g Sat Fat; 20 g Carb; 5 g Fiber; 69 mg Calcium; 2 mg Iron; 324 mg Sodium; 0 mg Cholesterol, Weight Watchers 3 points

When sauteed with 1 tablespoon olive oil, per Serving: 182 Cal (43% from Fat, 15% from Protein, 42% from Carb); 7 g Protein; 9 g Tot Fat; 2 g Sat Fat; 20 g Carb; 5 g Fiber; 69 mg Calcium; 2 mg Iron; 324 mg Sodium; 0 mg Cholesterol, Weight Watchers 4 points

When sauteed in water with 3 tablespoons peanut butter, per Serving: 128 Cal (29% from Fat, 18% from Protein, 53% from Carb); 6 g Protein; 4 g Tot Fat; 1 g Sat Fat; 18 g Carb; 5 g Fiber; 69 mg Calcium; 2 mg Iron; 304 mg Sodium; 0 mg Cholesterol, Weight Watchers 2 points

When sauteed in water with 2 tablespoons peanut butter, per Serving: 104 Cal (24% from Fat, 18% from Protein, 58% from Carb); 5 g Protein; 3 g Tot Fat; 1 g Sat Fat; 16 g Carb; 5 g Fiber; 69 mg Calcium; 2 mg Iron; 284 mg Sodium; 0 mg Cholesterol, Weight Watchers 2 points