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:
- 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).
- 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.
- Pour the (cooked) veggies into a large mixing bowl, and add the cooked bacon and garlic. Mash the lot using a hand potato masher.
- Add the two (beaten) eggs and half the parmesan (2 tablespoons) plus salt, pepper and any other spices you fancy.
- 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 :)
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