A bit of chorizo sausage gives these beans a sassy hit of smoke and spice. Serve them as is (on small plates) or heaped onto slices of garlic-rubbed toast.

Makes 12 servings, about 1/2 cup each

ACTIVE TIME: 40 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 1 hour 10 minutes

EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 medium carrots, minced
1 large red onion, peeled and minced
1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
3 ounces reduced-fat Spanish-style chorizo, finely diced (see Tip)
3 10-ounce packages frozen baby lima beans
1 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add carrots, onion, thyme and crushed red pepper and cook, stirring, until beginning to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in chorizo and cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 5 minutes more. Add lima beans, wine, broth and garlic and cook for 5 minutes, scraping up any browned bits. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, vinegar and salt. Let stand for at least 10 minutes before serving.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 150 calories; 5 g fat (1 g sat, 3 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 17 g carbohydrate; 7 g protein; 5 g fiber; 125 mg sodium; 357 mg potassium.

Nutrition bonus: Vitamin A (35% daily value).

1 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 very lean meat, 1 fat

TIP: Tip: Spanish-style chorizo is a seasoned, smoked pork sausage commonly used in tapas dishes, but it's rather high in fat. There is also a Mexican style of chorizo, typically uncooked; the Spanish chorizo is fully cooked. Wellshire Farms offers a delicious reduced-fat Spanish-style chorizo, available at Whole Foods and wellshirefarms.com. If you can't find reduced-fat chorizo but still want to keep the fat in check, use just 1 ounce of full-fat chorizo in this recipe.

MAKE AHEAD TIP: Prepare up to 2 days in advance. Bring to room temperature or reheat on medium-low heat before serving.

An inspired combination of flavors - the Wellshire Farms chorizo really gave the beans a kick, and was worth seeking out.

Raedia