Author Archives: Elaine Broughton

About Elaine Broughton

As a child I grew up eating a traditional American diet that was heavy on meat and potatoes(mostly fried). After three heart attacks I became acutely aware of the need to actively use my diet to heal the damage done to my body, which means eating a healthy, mostly plant based diet. I've always loved to cook and to garden, so I approached this change as a kind of culinary adventure in learning new ways to prepare foods that I was already familiar with, as well as trying new and different fruits and vegetables. As I used more and more fresh produce in season, I discovered that foods not only tasted better, but my grocery budget slimmed down along with my waistline. In addition, I noticed that the character of my kitchen changes with the seasons as I try to enjoy the foods that are freshest and most affordable. I've included traditional recipes (using meat, dairy and eggs) along with the vegetarian recipes. Hopefully, this will appeal to others hoping to bring a healthier way of eating to their family table. Please let me know what you think of the recipes and feel free to share your own versions of how to use the main ingredients. Elaine...in the Kitchen.

Summer’s End

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I’ve started to see the long V’s of Canada geese flocking up to head south.  That usually means that fall is just around the corner and we’ve had a few cool days now, so I’m starting to think about some of my favorite  soup recipes.  We eat soup year round, but when fall comes it often becomes the main meal.  This week I made potato soup, and I make a lot of it because it makes a great addition to the lunch box too.  The recipe below is vegetarian, but you could certainly make it with chicken broth or add bits of ham or bacon.

Comforts of Home Potato Soup

This is a simple, easy to make soup that’s great hot, or even cold.
Ingredients
4 or 5 small to medium potatoes, peeled and cut in  1 inch cubes
4 cups vegetable broth or water
1 medium onion, diced
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 large carrot, grated
1 cup skim milk
1/2 cup half and half (optional)
2 bay leaves
2 sage leaves (or use dried sage)
Salt and pepper to taste

 

 Directions

In a large pot, cover the potatoes with broth or water and bring to a boil.  Lower the heat and simmer until tender.   In the meantime, add a ladle full of the broth into a saute pan and add the onion, garlic and carrots.  Saute just until the onions are slightly softened.  Add to the onion, garlic and carrots to the potatoes along with the herbs and salt and pepper. Simmer gently for about 20 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.  Lower the heat, and add the milk and half and half.  This is a good time to add a tablespoon or two of sour cream or non fat yogurt for creaminess. Let simmer for about 5 minutes.  Remove from the heat and mash with a potato masher.  I like some chunks in my potato soup and a potato masher works perfectly.  Sprinkle with some chopped fresh dill and serve with a hearty bread.

Timesaver Tip
When you’re prepping your vegetables on shopping day, chop enough carrots, celery onions and peppers for the week and store them in containers in the refrigerator.  It will save time in preparing meals.  You can also prepare lunchbox items like carrot and celery sticks ahead of time for speedier lunchbox prep.

 

More Adventures with Zucchini!

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It’s the peak of zucchini season and I wanted to find some yummy new ways to use zucchini that don’t involve turning on the oven.  These long, hot days make salad an appealing way to not heat up the kitchen.  This deliciously crunchy zucchini salad is a new favorite of mine, easy to prepare and keeps in the fridge for snacks and lunches.  No zucchini should go to waste, so get chopping.

Zucchini Salad

 Ingredients

2 cups of sliced zucchini julienned or whatever style you like (unpeeled please)

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1 cup thinly sliced red onion

½ teaspoon minced garlic

4 teaspoons rice wine vinegar (it will be enough)

Freshly ground black pepper

Salt (optional)

½ cup chopped parsley and/or cilantro (my personal favorite)

Directions

Add all of the ingredients in a serving bowl and put in the fridge to chill.   It doesn’t get much easier than this.  Makes about 3-4 servings, so if you have more hungry mouths to feed, just make the quantities larger.   For a 1 cup serving it’s about 55 calories and less than a gram of total fat.

 

 

The Best of the Summer Garden!

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The farmer’s markets are bursting with fresh delicious fruits and vegetables, and it’s hard to  know where to begin.  The most generous of the vegies, of course, is zucchini, and as usual the big question is what to do with all that bounty.  Here are a couple of ideas that my family has always loved, and yes, we call it “hot dish.”

Zucchini Hot Dish with Goat Cheese

Ingredients:

4 small to medium zucchini, tops trimmed and sliced 1/4 inch thick (I slice them is rounds, but slicing them length-wise like lasagna noodles works too).

1 medium to large onion, sliced into thin rings

2 to 3 ripe tomatoes thinly sliced (Romas work best because they are meatier and have less juice)

goat cheese or feta crumbles

1/2 cup pesto

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Bread cumbs

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Lightly oil a baking dish and lay down a layer of zucchini slices.  Next, scatter a third of the onion slices.  Drop some dollops of pesto on top of the onions. Sprinkle chunks of goat cheese on top of the pesto and then finish with third of the tomato slices.  Do a second layer of zucchini, onion slices, pesto and goat cheese followed by tomato slices.  Make a third layer, and put the last of the goat cheese on top.  Sprinkle with  bread crumbs and some parmesan cheese (gives it a nice crust).  Bake until the zucchini is tender and the bread crumbs are brown and crispy (about 35 minutes).  Let it rest and set for a few minutes before serving.

I usually serve this as a meatless main dish, but it would also work well as a side dish.  Try it and let me know what you think.