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Friday 21 October 2011

Dieting and Weight Loss: Autumn Vegetables

Autumn Vegetables: Eat Seasonal


Autumn is a fantastic time to get more nutritional vegetables in your diet when they are in season and full of taste and flavour.

Vegetables and fruits are great for weight loss diets as they are low in fat and calories. Make the best of the large variety of seasonal vegetables. Eating seasonal provides additional benefits in your diet as seasonal fruits and vegetables are full of taste and nutrition.
Most fruits and vegetables are low in calories and fat, and high in fibre – three essential ingredients for successful weight loss. Most also contain plenty of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, all of which are important for helping us to look and feel our best.

Here’s a great resource for you to use to find out what fruits and vegetables are in season in the UK.

In Season Now

Right now at there best are artichoke, beetroot, broccoli, butternut squash, carrots, celeriac, celery, chillies, fennel, horseradish, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, marrow, onions, parsnips, potatoes (maincrop), pumpkin, swede, turnips, watercress

This is a great selection of fantastic vegetables to add variety and nutrition into your diet without adding extra calories.

This week we’ll talk about leeks. Leeks are praised for their delicacy and can add rich flavours to your dishes. They can be used to enrich soups, stews or make tasty side dishes Leeks are a source of vitamin C, iron and fibre. They also are very good for your blood and heart.

We would like to share some amazingly comforting recipes for you to enjoy.

Broccoli Mushroom Leek Quiche

Home made quiche is one of the easiest things to make. Made with eggs, mushrooms, leeks, broccoli, it is a source of protein and vitamins. Serve it with colourful salad for even more goodness and taste.

To make it easier you can use ready made or even ready rolled shortcrust pastry. We’ve replaced cream in the recipe with skimmed milk to make it suitable for your diet plan.

Ingredients:

1 pack of rolled pastry
1 tbsp olive oil
1 leek
8 mushrooms
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 broccoli crown
2 stems of fresh rosemary
3 eggs
1 1/4 cups skim milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
11 grams grated cheddar

Preparation

  1. Place a frying pan on medium heat and add the olive oil. While that's heating up, chop the leeks and add them to the pan.
  2. Slice the mushrooms and mix them in with the leeks. Add the garlic and stir often. Don't cover the pan because you want the water to evaporate. Allow to cook for five minutes.
  3. Cut up the broccoli crown in small pieces and add that to the pan. Cook for another five minutes, then add the fresh rosemary. Mix well and cook for one more minute and then remove from the heat.
  4. In a separate bowl, scramble slightly the three eggs. Add the milk, salt, and pepper and stir well.
  5. Pour the vegetable mixture into the pie shell.
  6. Place the pie shell on a foil covered cookie sheet. Then carefully pour in the egg mixture. If you want to, sprinkle some cheese on the top. Since this quiche contains no cream, it takes longer to cook, so bake for 40 minutes. You'll know it's ready when you poke a knife in the quiche and it comes out clean.
  7. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting. It tastes great out of the oven, but even better the next day, just warm it up in the microwave.
Recipe adapted from Fitsugar

Sweet Potato, Leek, and Ham Soup

Add this soup into your great for weight loss recipe collection. It is not only easy to make, tasty and nutritious, but also low fat and low calorie meal to make on a cold autumn or winter day. Add a pinch of nutmeg, curry powder and cayenne for stronger, more aromatic flavour.






Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 cup diced cooked ham
  • 1 1/2 cups sliced leek (about 1 large)
  • 2 tablespoons water (optional)
  • 3 cups cubed peeled sweet potato
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup skimmed milk
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • Thinly sliced leek (optional)
  • Thinly sliced green onions (optional)

Preparation

  •  Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in the frying pan oven over medium heat, add chopped ham; cook 3 to 4 minutes or until browned, stirring frequently. Remove ham from pan; set aside.
  • Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil and add leeks. Cook leek, covered, 5 minutes or until very tender, stirring occasionally. Add 2 tablespoons water to pan, if needed, to prevent burning.
  • Add sweet potato and next 4 ingredients, scraping pan to loosen browned bits; bring mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until sweet potato is very tender. Place half of potato mixture in a blender or food processor. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Process until smooth. Pour puree into a large bowl. Repeat procedure with remaining mixture. Return pureed mixture to pan. Stir in 3/4 cup reserved ham.
  • Ladle soup into bowls; top servings evenly with 1/4 cup reserved ham. Garnish with sliced leek and onions, if desired.
Recipe and photo from My Recipes

    1 comment:

    1. They can be acclimated to adorn soups, stews or accomplish appetizing ancillary dishes Leeks are a antecedent of vitamin C, adamant and fibre.

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