We have been slowly eating more and more vegetables instead of meat over the last six months or so, but my goal for 2010 is to eat even more vegetables. A few months ago, I read Mark Bittman’s book Food Matters: A Guide to Conscious Eating, which discusses all of the health and environmental impacts of eating less meat and more vegetables and fruit.

In his book, Bittman details his new eating lifestyle that helped him lose 30 pounds, improve his health drastically, and help him run faster and longer than he had in a long time. Basically his diet boils down to eating a heavy plant, fruit, and whole grain-based diet, especially at breakfast and lunch (he is a flexible vegan during these meals), and then eating whatever he wants at dinner. Whenever we eat like this, we feel much better and sleep like babies every night! Plus the last time I did it before Christmas, I lost 4 pounds in 1 week. So we are starting off the new year following this diet, even though it doesn’t even feel like a diet, just a better and healthier way to eat.

Bittman took over the pages of Runner’s World in October 2009 to talk about his eating style and his running. In this spread, he talks about his diet and its effect on his life and lists 8 easy rules for better eating. I highly recommend reading these articles and if you are still interested to learn more, be sure to check out Food Matters.

Here is a recipe that Bittman included in his spread in Runner’s World. He called it cassoulet, but considering that Carlo and I ate our way through Southwest France when we first started dating and that included lots of cassoulet, I hesitate to call this cassoulet but instead call it Vegetables and White Beans with Sausages. This dish makes a great dinner: you get your fill of tons of veggies and beans with a little bit of meat for some flavour. This recipe makes enough for 4 large dinners at $2.60 per serving.

Vegetables and White Beans with Sausages, adapted from Mark Bittman in Runner’s World, October 2009
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound Italian sausage
1 tablespoon garlic, chopped
2 onions, sliced
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch lengths
3 celery stalks, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 medium zucchinis, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 cups canned tomatoes (and juice), chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
2 bay leaves
4 cups canned white beans, drained and liquid reserved in case needed
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the sausages and cook, turning them until they are browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove the sausages from the pan and drain off all but a couple tablespoons of fat.

Lower the heat to medium, and add the garlic, onions, carrots, celery, and zucchini. Season the veggies with salt and pepper, and cook for five minutes, or until everything is softened. Add the tomatoes and their juice, sausages, and herbs. Bring everything to a boil. Add the beans and bring the dish to a boil again, stirring occasionally; reduce the heat so the mixture simmers gently. Let everything cook for 20 minutes, adding the stock or some reserved bean liquid when the mixture gets thick.

When everything is cooked, take out the sausages and chop them up. Return them to the pot and add a bit of cayenne pepper to the dish. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.