It feels like it’s getting warmer here in Seattle- very exciting! I’m looking forward to more gorgeous view of the mountains set against cerulean skies. The promise of summer has me thinking about summer fruits and vegetables! But first, let’s have an update on our classes. This past week, we introduced turkey tacos to one of our classes. Instead of using ground beef, which had a higher content of saturated fat, we used ground turkey. No one could tell the difference with the salsa, black beans, corn and spices we added- a great success for health. In another class, I taught, along with my nutritionist, how to cook egg burritos. That class was quite amusing as I’ve never made eggs for myself (I’ll confess I’ve always had an aversion to them) and my nutritionist only learned how to cook last year. Regardless, the class appreciated our humble skills and really enjoyed the food. One of the great things about teaching these classes is the sharing of skills and learning between the instructors and the participants. It’s a humbling experience to work with participants who know so much and want to share what they know. I often feel like I should be in the audience with the participants teaching me!
Now on to food. There are some new food items coming into farmer’s markets and grocery stores (often on sale) with the progression from spring to summer. Strawberries are finally starting to be affordable and delicious. They are a great source of fiber, Vitamin C and Manganese. Manganese is a trace mineral that’s used in many of our body’s reactions. Strawberries simply look stunning and taste just as good. You can eat them whole and fresh, cut up in fruit salads or frozen in smoothies or parfaits. There are so many options that it’s hard to choose one! Broccoli is a vegetable that is coming in to season. It’s a cruciferous vegetable which many scientists believe have the potential to prevent cancers due to the antioxidants and nutrients found in cruciferous vegetables. For non dairy eaters, broccoli is a great source of calcium. It’s fabulous steamed, stir fried or pureed. Below you’ll find a recipe for Broccoli Soup from the Cooking Matters curriculum. Enjoy!
Janna
Broccoli Soup
Chef Alicia McCabe • Boston
Serves 8, 1½ cups per serving
Ingredients
1 large onion
1 medium potato
1 medium carrot
1 stalk celery
3 broccoli crowns
1½ teaspoons olive oil
1 bay leaf
2 cups non-fat milk
1 (14½ ounce) can low-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Directions
1. Rinse and peel onion, potato, and carrot. Rinse celery.
2. Dice celery and onion. Slice potato and carrot into thin slices.
3. Rinse broccoli. Cut the florets of the broccoli away from the stem.
4. Slice the broccoli stems thinly.
5. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add celery and onion and cook until soft, about 4 minutes.
6. Add potato, carrot, broccoli stems, bay leaf, milk, and broth. Bring to a boil.
7. Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are soft, about 15 minutes.
8. Remove and discard the bay leaf. If desired, purée part or all of soup in a blender.
9. Return blended soup to pot.
10. Add broccoli florets, salt, and pepper, and simmer until just tender, about 5 to 7 minutes.
Chef’s Notes
•Try cauliflower instead of broccoli.
•Serve over rice or pasta if you like.
•Top with shredded low-fat cheddar cheese or low-fat sour cream, if desired.
•Blend hot soup carefully! Only fill the blender half full and blend in batches. If your blender lid has a removable cap, remove the small cap and then cover the lid completely with a kitchen towel for safer blending. This will allow hot steam to escape.
Nutrition Facts
A M O U N T P E R S E R V I N G
Calories 60
Calories from fat 10
Total Fat 1g
Saturated Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg
Sodium 470mg
Total Carbohydrate 10g
Dietary Fiber 1g
Sugars 5g
Protein 4g
No comments:
Post a Comment