Broccoli and Cauliflower Torte

I stumbled upon this recipe quite by accident.  I remember (many moons ago!) having just bought myself my first set of stainless steel pots and pans, and included in the set, there was a large pot with a wire basket attached.  I seriously did not know what the attached basket was for - remember, I was brought up eating meat and chips - so I asked the kindly person who was doing the delivery...

"It's a vegetable steamer, Miss", came the reply.  "You put a little bit of water at the bottom, put all your vegetables in, cover it, and they are cooked by steam.  So they don't go soggy", he explained.

Turns out, not only steaming vegetables makes for firmer veggies, it also helps bind all those essential nutrients present in the vegetables and makes them actually stay put and remain there, as opposed to being dispersed in the cooking water. And if you are following an all-vegetarian diet like my husband, making sure you get the most out of your veggies is a must.

Anyhow I quickly got into the habit of steaming and steamed and steamed to my heart's content, but let's be honest, merely steaming the vegetables don't make them appetising, as we quickly found out.  So one of the first recipes I came up with includes tons of steamed vegetables, with a bit of cheese and (vegetarian) bacon thrown in. It's actually very easy to make and keeps up to my promise of 600 calories per portion if the dish is shared between 2 persons.  There you go....

Amanda's Broccoli and Cauliflower Torte (Serves 2)

You will need:

• 450gr fresh or frozen broccoli
• 450gr fresh or frozen cauliflower
• 2 large carrots
• 2 medium sized potatoes
• 3-6 garlic cloves
• 3 rashers vegetarian bacon (I guess you can use regular bacon but then the calorie count will increase drastically)
• 2 large eggs
• 4 tablespoons (60gr) grated parmesan
• finely chopped parsley for the topping
• salt, pepper, and any other spices you fancy! (such as garam masala, curry, etc)

Method:

1. Grab a large steamer (or failing that, a large pot full of water; however I reccomend steaming).  Put the chopped and washed vegetables and steam for approx 45 minutes (depending on your kind of steamer:  mine is basically a big pot so I have to turn the vegetables around, and it takes a bit of time.  If you use an electric steamer with compartments, the cooking time should be approx 25 minutes.  The veggies must be cooked but not mushy).
2. Meanwhile, fry the garlic and the veggie bacon together.  You can get Quorn bacon (green packet) from most supermarkets in Malta, and it tastes and smells just like regular bacon, with the added benefit of having a fraction of the fat.  However if you are not a vegetarian and not concerned about calories, I guess regular bacon should do just fine.
3. Pour the (cooked) veggies into a large mixing bowl, and add the cooked bacon and garlic. Mash the lot using a hand potato masher.
4. Add the two (beaten) eggs and half the parmesan (2 tablespoons) plus salt, pepper and any other spices you fancy.
5. Pour into an oven proof dish, level the top and decorate with the remaining 2 tablespoons of parmesan and parsely.  Pop on the top shelf of your oven for appox. 25-35 minutes at 175C.

The finished product should look something like this...

Some nutritional information about this recipe:

• Broccoli are rich in antioxidants,  chromium, anti-viral and anti-ulcer components plus lots of vitamins, amongst these A, B6, B12, C, K and E.  They also contain iron, calcium, zinc, folate, protein, omega-3 fatty acids, magnesium and potassium.  For a full list of broccoli benefits visit
• http://www.ehow.com/facts_4795914_broccoli-health-benefits.html.
• Cauliflowers too are full of antioxidants and activate the body's detox system.  They are also known for their cardiovascular benefits.  Cauliflower can also be effectively substituted for potatoes (for less fat and carbs) in some recipes - visit http://www.ehow.com/how_5321915_make-high-carb-mashed-potatoes.html
• Regular bacon contains approx. 100 calories per slice, whilst the quorn bacon I use in this recipe only has 37 calories per slice.  Your choice...
• Because this dish is high in essential vitamins and nutrients, it can be served as a meal on its own and serve as a hearty dinner for 2 persons.  If however you would like to use this as a side dish (instead of chips for example) it can yield 4-6 portions.

I hope you enjoyed my first recipe, more to come soon :)

How I became a veggie cook...

When I was young I SO NEVER ate vegetables.  Why? My mother (god bless her today and always) grew up during WWII, a time where the only meat available on the island came from animals which were very, very low down the food chain and which certainly would not feature on a healthy food pyramid today.  Many, many years later, when she started having kids of her own, her instincts told her to stuff as much meat as possible down their throats, because she had gone without, and god forbid any kid of hers would have to go without too.  It didn't really mattar what kind of meat or which part of the animal it came from really: as long as it was once a living creature, it was good enough for HER little creatures.  She couldn't even prepare a vegetable without stuffing it with mince, ham or corned beef.

Many years later, I realised that vegetables had a scope in life (apart from appearing colourful and pretty on green-grocers' shelves).  They were good for you, so full of lovely minerals and vitamins. AND they were low in fat, too.  In my 18 year old mind's eye, vegetables were a great way to keep down the weight. In fact it was around this time that I started experimenting in the kitchen, and my transition from carnivorous to vegetarian unwittingly started...

I still ate meat especially when I went out with friends (if burgers and hot dogs can be classified as meat - oh the joy of being 18 and totally clueless!) and naturally had meat on Sundays with the family.  However when I did cook, it was vegetables, mostly.  Around this time I also bought my first cook book - Carmen Tedesco - which although was a mixed bag of recipes, they were all healthy and with a heavy emphasis on vegetables.

The crunch came four years later when I started dating my husband.  I had known him for some years prior to dating so I was aware that he was a vegetarian. Up to then I sort of thought that vegetarians could, if they felt like, enjoy a piece of chicken or fish once in a while. My husband swiftly informed me that vegetarianism is not a whim that people can drop in or out of:  it's a way of life, and once you decide to become a vegetarian, well, it's for life.  

I tried to be a vegetarian myself for a while however it didn't fully work out at the time. So by the time we got married two years later, I had developed a system whereby I cooked vegetarian meals 7 times out of 10, whilst allowing myself fish and very occasionally chicken.  The system worked well and I find myself craving meat less and less these days (except for fish: I don't think I could survive without fish).  This is also party due to the fact that meat substitues these days are not only easier to find in supermarkets and health food shops but also the taste has drastically improved; and therefore I find myself going for the substitutes as well (and save myself cooking an extra dish just for myself too).

Throughout the years I also learned important things about the nutritional value of food, and essential foodstuffs that a vegetarian cook must always keep in his or her cupboards.  Staples include lentils (for iron) nuts (essential fats and proteins) and soya (not that I drink it neat myself, but it's a good nutritious substitute for milk).  For I am not a vegetarian, my husband is. I just pride myself in being a veggie cook.

Welcome to my blog!

Greetings, and welcome to my blog! I have been an active blogger for many, many years now, however this is the first time that I have ever deigned myself to start off a blog which focuses not on eLearning, teaching or ICT (i.e. WORK!) but which would enable me to share some titbits on the the other things that interest me...such as my favourite home-brewed vegetarian recipes, nutrition facts and occasionally also share some travel stories with you. So thank you for taking the time to read this blog, and I hope you enjoy the ride :)