Tag Archives: vegetarian

Recipe: Herb Roasted Vegetables

Posted on by MaryO
A single week's fruits and vegetables from com...

A single week’s fruits and vegetables from community-supported agriculture share: peppers, okra, tomatoes, beans, potatoes, garlic, eggplant, squash. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

 

We have belonged to a CSA (Consumer Supported Agriculture) Farm for 13 or so years.2013-04-30 21.03.21

We originally joined Great Country Farms so our son could see what farm life is like.  Our son has long left home but we still love the farm, now more than ever.  They deliver each week during the growing season and we can go out there whenever to pick our own.  Sometimes, we go just to walk around in the country air.

By chance, I also found a winter CSA that I’ll join next fall and a buy-as-you-go farm that delivers each Thursday, if you want what they have on offer each week.

I originally found East Side Produce through a half-off deal on Groupon.  We got $40 worth of fruits and veggies for only $20 – including delivery.  You can’t beat that!

We’ve only had one of the East Side boxes so far, but the dog was very interested in the pineapple they brought us along with all kinds of wonderful things.  She even looks like she’s licking her lips!

With all these fruits and veggies coming into the house, we’ve started eating more healthfully.

This is one of our newer recipes when I have the time to heat up the oven.

 

veggiesHerb Roasted Vegetables

Oven roasting concentrates the flavors of the vegetables resulting in a flavorful side dish that’s still low in sodium.

6 cups assorted cut-up vegetables (1 1/2-inch chunks), such as red onion, potatoes, red bell pepper, yellow squash or zucchini (I also add green peppers when I have them)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon Thyme Leaves

2 tablespoons Mrs. Dash

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Toss vegetables with oil in large bowl.

Sprinkle seasonings over vegetables; toss to coat.

Spread vegetables in single layer on foil-lined 15x10x1-inch baking pan.

Roast 30 minutes.

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Monday – Eight Weeks Post-Op

Posted on by MaryO

Monday

I’m happy to report that life continues to return to normal.

I was out walking the dog this morning, and it was snowy again.  The sidewalk was very slippery and it reminded me of that Monday two months ago when I was out with her and slipped and fell.  My shin still hurts a bit from that day.

DH has been out to several meetings and has won a court case – all without driving himself.  He’s still having to “pay” for a lot of activity by napping later.

He’s able to easily put on sweaters now that go over his head.

Tomorrow is our first rehab appointment.  We’re both looking forward to that for different reasons.  I’m eager to get my life back on a schedule.  He’s looking forward to being able to drive and become stronger.

We’re still mostly vegetarian.  I hope to get some food/cooking advice at the rehab meeting tomorrow.

DH went to church again yesterday for Palm Sunday, then we went out for breakfast again.  He’s found a healthy meal at a local restaurant without too much prodding.

He’s busy trying to find a timeshare in Japan that we could trade for although it will be a while before we could consider that kind of travel.

On the 20th, I had to make a very difficult decision.  There’s a Cushing’s Conference in Las Vegas next month.  I already had plane tickets but hadn’t registered for the conference or a hotel room.  I decided that I didn’t feel comfortable leaving DH alone for 5 days with a dog he couldn’t walk or a car he might not be able to drive.  I’m also just afraid to be away that long, just in case…

Hopefully, next week’s update will have more good news to report.

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Low Sodium Crockpot Vegetable Broth

Posted on by MaryO
a slow cooker Oval Crock Pot

An Oval Crock Pot (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I’ve been making this for years, even before the heart attack, mostly because I’m too cheap to buy pre-made vegetable broth.  I also do something similar with chicken.

I save all my vegetable scraps such as carrot peelings, celery ends, onion skins, garlic skins and ends, bell pepper scraps, ends from trimming cabbage, trimmings from tomatoes, broccoli stalks.

Belonging to a CSA farm, we get lots of veggies during the summer.

I put all the peelings in a Ziplock Freezer 1 gallon bag and save them in the freezer, and keep adding to the big bag until it’s full.

When I’ve gathered a  couple of full bags, I take them out and dump them in the crock pot and fill with water (about 6 quarts), cover and set on LOW for overnight.

Allow to cool completely and ladle into a colander in it with a big bowl under it.   Discard all the scraps in the colander.

Package up the broth into quart-sized Ziplock freezer bags, 2 cups per bag, canning jars or other freezable containers.

You can also freeze some of the broth in an ice cube tray. Pop out the cubes and put in a freezer bag, labeled and dated. Use these when a recipe calls for 1 to 2 Tbsp. of stock or broth.

To use this with chicken – I do all of the above and save chicken bones and parts in a separate freezer bag,  When it’s time for the crockpot, I add the chicken to the veggies and cook overnight.  Strain well!

Reduced-sodium Tomato Soup

Posted on by MaryO

The original recipe:

Ingredients for heart healthy homemade tomato soup:

  • 1 can (15-ounces) reduced-sodium tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes
  • 1 cup sodium-free or reduced-sodium vegetable broth
  • 2 cups fat-free milk
  • 2 Tablespoons Smart Balance or Olivio Light buttery spread or similar heart healthy buttery spread
  • ½ to 1 Tablespoon granulated white sugar
  • ¼ to ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
  • You can also add rice

In a medium saucepan on medium heat, melt the Smart Balance or Olivio Light

  • Add vegetable broth, canned reduced-sodium tomatoes, salt, sugar and pepper to the saucepan. Stir to incorporate. Over medium-low to medium heat, bring mixture to a slow bubble, but do not allow mixture to reach a boil.
  • Add the fat-free milk to the tomato mixture in the saucepan. Over medium-low to medium heat, stirring occasionally, bring to a slow bubble for approximately 5 minutes. Do not allow soup to reach a boil.
  • Remove from heat and cover the saucepan; allow soup to sit for 3 to 5 minutes before serving.
  • One cup equals one serving; recipe yields approximately six servings

Adapted from The Examiner

My version:

Ingredients for heart healthy homemade tomato soup:

  • 1 can (15-ounces) reduced-sodium stewed tomatoes
  • 1 cup sodium-free vegetable broth
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • Chunks of red and green pepper
  • 2 cups fat-free milk
  • 2 Tablespoons Olivio Light buttery spread
  • ½ to 1 Tablespoon granulated white sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon Mrs. Dash
  • Leftover rice

In a medium saucepan on medium heat, melt the  Olivio Light

  • Add vegetable broth, canned reduced-sodium tomatoes, onion, peppers, sugar and Mrs. Dash to the saucepan. Stir to incorporate. Over medium-low to medium heat, bring mixture to a slow bubble, but do not allow mixture to reach a boil.
  • Add the fat-free milk to the tomato mixture in the saucepan. Over medium-low to medium heat, stirring occasionally, bring to a slow bubble for approximately 5 minutes. Do not allow soup to reach a boil.
  • Remove from heat and cover the saucepan; allow soup to sit for 3 to 5 minutes before serving.
  • One cup equals one serving; recipe yields approximately six servings