I like the DASH Diet because of its sensibility. Because my husband has hypertension, it’s very important for us to eat sensible meals. However, because we loooove food that tastes good, it’s also important for us to eat yummy foods in moderation. We don’t obsess over being healthy, but we like to integrate healthiness into our meals as often as we can.
The DASH Diet is an interesting dietary concept. When I first heard about it, it was presented to me as a hypertension-friendly diet. When I attended the Five Day Comprehensive Diabetes and Management Program (for medical professionals) at the Scripps Whittier Diabetes Institute (an *EXCELLENT* program about diabetes management for medical professionals from all levels of patient care—outpatient, inpatient, home health, you name it… well worth the time and money you invest into it, if you’re looking for a great and useful CEU program to take), it was also mentioned as a great well-rounded dietary practice.
The Mayo Clinic has a DASH Diet recipe collection online that we love to peruse every once in awhile. The recipes are not only delicious: they’re easy and affordable to make, which means they make a great addition to any busy family’s arsenal of homemade meals.
One favorite is the broccoli cheddar bake. My parents love it so much that sometimes they leave the ingredients out on the kitchen table for me to see whenever we visit—their not-so-subtle way of suggesting I make it while I’m at their house (then again, they were never known for being subtle… haha!).
We modify it from time to time by adding cauliflower to the mix (and substituting it for half of the broccoli). We also tend to make it with more broccoli than called for.
Broccoli Cheddar Bake
Ingredients
- 4 cups chopped fresh broccoli (we often do 1/2 broccoli and 1/2 cauliflower if you want to mix it up)
- 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 1/2 cups egg substitute (or substitute 6 eggs)
- 1 cup fat-free milk
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Lightly coat a baking dish with cooking spray.
In a nonstick skillet, combine the broccoli, onion and water. Saute over medium-high heat until the vegetables are tender, about 5 to 8 minutes. Keep adding water to prevent the vegetables from drying out, but use as little water as possible. Drain and set aside when the broccoli is done.
In a bowl, combine the egg substitute, milk and 3/4 cup cheese. Add in the broccoli mixture and pepper. Stir to mix well.
Transfer the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Set the baking dish into a large pan filled with about 1 inch of water. Bake uncovered until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and top with the remaining 1/4 cup shredded cheese. Let stand about 10 minutes before serving.
