Your beans, your franks, and low-fat

Associated Press

Beans and franks sounds hearty, even diet-breaking, doesn't it? Not when it's made with this Tuscan-style recipe, which calls for Italian turkey sausage, your choice of bean varieties, garlic and sage, and red wine, if you wish, for seasoning.

Beans and franks Tuscan-style

1 pound turkey Italian sausage links

1/4 cup water

1 small red bell pepper, sliced

1 small green bell pepper, sliced

1 medium red onion, sliced

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil

15-ounce can red beans, or 1 1/2 cups cooked dry-packaged red beans, rinsed, drained (see note)

15-ounce can great northern beans, or 1 1/2 cups cooked dry-packaged great northern beans, rinsed, drained

14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained

1/4 cup dry red wine (optional)

1 teaspoon dried sage leaves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Cook sausage in covered skillet over medium heat with 1/4 cup water until sausage is cooked through, about 8 minutes; uncover and continue cooking until sausage is browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Cool slightly; cut into 1/2-inch slices.

Cook bell peppers, onion and garlic in oil in covered large skillet over medium heat until vegetables are tender and soft, but not browned, about 10 minutes.

Combine sausage, peppers, and remaining ingredients in 2-quart casserole. Bake, covered, at 350 F for 30 minutes; uncover and bake to desired thickness, about 1 hour. Makes 6 servings (about 1 cup each)

Note: Although recipe mentions specific varieties, any canned or dry-packaged bean variety can be easily substituted for another.

Nutrition information per serving: 300 cal., 34 g carbo., 10 g fat, 1,169 mg sodium, 22 g pro., 10 g dietary fiber, 38 mg chol.