Or feta cheese (about 1/4 cup) Place beans in a strainer, rinse under running water removing any debris. In a medium saucepan place beans and water; bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 1 hour. Stir in cabbage, carrots, onion, chilies, garlic, salt and pepper. Continue to simmer, covered, until the beans are tender and the broth is slightly thickened, 45 minutes to an hour, adding more water, if necessary, to keep the beans covered with liquid. Wash the spinach and remove the thick stems. Tear or cut leaves into small pieces; set aside. Cut tomatoes in halves lengthwise. Remove stems from mushrooms. Lightly brush tomatoes and mushrooms with olive oil. Arrange on a broiler pan. Broil under high heat until the tomatoes and mushrooms are lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Or, the tomatoes and mushrooms may be arranged on skewers and broiled or charcoal grilled. Just before serving, stir spinach into the white beans; cover and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Spoon the white bean mixture onto individual serving plates; arrange broiled tomatoes and mushrooms over the beans. Drizzle lightly with remaining olive oil and sprinkle with queso fresco (cheese). 4 servings. Nutrition information per serving: 390 calories, 12 grams fat, 800 milligrams sodium. The Team: Robert Del Grande, chef/owner of Cafe Annie in Houston, teamed up with registered dietitian Carolyn ONeil, CNNs Atlanta nutrition correspondent to develop this recipe. The American Insitute of Wine and Food has a booklet of recipes developed by top chefs and nutritionists. Review by Loretta Scott of the Riverside Press Enterprise, who tested this recipe. "Be sure to roast or boil the mushrooms and tomatoes, as directed. It adds flavor to the finished stew." "Somehow I forgot to add the cheese the first time around; the stew was even better with the cheese the next day." - PE 2 Apr 92 [mcRecipe 19 Au 96 patH] Posted to Digest eat-lf.v096.n127 Date: Mon, 19 Aug 1996 08:50:38 -0500 From: matejka@bga.com (Anita A. Matejka)