Need ideas!?! Easter is coming, what's on your menu? Will your Easter look different this year? Healthy, eye-appealing, and comfort food is what I want to bring to our Easter table. Check out these lighter au Gratin with all the taste and comfort of this classic dish but it gets a healthy make-over creating a casserole that's simple, beautiful and completely satisfying, with root veggies, leeks and lightened-up creamy sauce. I guarantee this mesmerizing will be the first empty dish at any potluck. "Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success." -Henry Ford I love this quote as it represents the community we are trying to bluster here. We have all made the choice to come together, stay together, and work together in order to make a lasting difference for people like yourself, to become healthier and enjoy life to the fullest. We are driven to ‘Get America Healthy!’
Our all-time favorite side dish for the holidays! Layered veggies, baked 'til tender & crisp with a cheesy Parmesan topping. Healthy, colorful and delicious on the side of roasted meats! This is a delicious family hit!!!!! My family never used to like this type of stuff because they thought this type of healthy equals NASTY... not the case. There is so much flavor in this dish and it's packed with vitamins, how could you go wrong!?! Add in your protein of choice and you have a complete healthy meal. Check out this summer version of the same dish were we used farm fresh veggies and layers of summer squash, zucchini, eggplant, and heirloom tomatoes. But I've skipped the eggplant and tomatoes before and used sweet red and orange peppers and cauliflower, so feel free to mix it up. This is a healthy, delicious side dish that is sure to win over the crowd.
Roasted Vegetable Au Gratin: Makes 6 servings
Per serving 1/3 protein serving 2 vegetable 1.5 condiments
Ingredients:
¼ cup leeks, finely chopped
1 large garlic clove, very thin slices
2 cups raw sliced turnips, about 1.5 large turnips
¾ cup tomatoes, ¼-inch slices (I used sweet red peppers)
½ cup cauliflower, ¼-inch slices
1½ cups zucchini, each about 7 inches long, ¼-inch slices on diagonal
1 cups yellow squash, each about 7 inches long, ¼-inch slices on diagonal
1 tsp garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced
¼ cup (which is 4 tablespoons) Parmigiano Reggiano
2 cups shredded cheese, of choice (I used ½ low fat Monterey Jack, ½ low fat cheddar, ½ low fat/part skim Mozzarella, ½ low fat Parmigiano Reggiano)
¼ cup (which is 4 tablespoons) greek yogurt
1/2 cup low sodium broth (with less than 1g carb per serving)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Heat water in sauté pan big enough to hold the leeks. Cook leeks on medium low until softened and starting to brown. May take 30-45 minutes.
Add garlic slices and cook for 2 more minutes, stirring frequently.
Spread leeks on bottom of 8×8-inch glass baking dish. Dust with 2 tablespoons Parmigiano.
Mix minced garlic, rosemary and thyme together in a small bowl.
Holding the dish at a 45 degree angle, higher end near you, and starting at the far side of the dish, create a row of slightly overlapping alternating vegetable slices (Turnips, tomatoes, cauliflower, zucchini, and yellow squash) that are standing on edge.
Sprinkle row with about 1 teaspoon of minced garlic mixture and ½ tablespoon Parmigiano.
Add a row of slightly overlapping veggies slices, sprinkle with garlic mixture and Parmigiano. Continue adding alternating rows of veggies in this manner until dish is full. Try to end with a bright color row.
In another bowl mix together the yogurt and the broth and any remaining spices. Spoon the mixture over the veggies and smooth over top of everything.
Cover dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake in the center of oven for 40 minutes.
Remove aluminum foil and sprinkle shredded cheeses evenly over rows. Sprinkle 1/3 cup Parmigiano over shredded cheese. Bake uncovered for additional 30 minutes until shredded cheese is melted and golden.
ENJOY!
0.33L/2G/1.5G/0F
Ok, now it’s your turn! Make your own healthy Veggie dish with this recipe and take a photo and tag us so we can check it out!
Did you know studies show: Vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet, but VARIETY is as important as quantity. Vegetables are important sources of many nutrients, including potassium, dietary fiber, folate (folic acid), vitamin A, and vitamin C. So it's not just able making sure you get vegetables in each day, it's also super important to make sure you mix up what veggies you are eating they call it trying to eat from the rainbow. A diet rich in vegetables can lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, prevent some types of cancer, lower risk of eye and digestive problems, and have a positive effect upon blood sugar, which can help keep appetite in check.
Did you know studies show: Eating non-starchy vegetables can actually promote weight loss and decrease your HUNGER. It's simple, their low glycemic loads prevent blood sugar spikes that can increase hunger. So the Take A Way is: Eat a variety of types and colors of produce in order to give your body the mix of nutrients it needs. This not only ensures a greater diversity of beneficial plant chemicals but also creates eye-appealing meals.
However, keep in mind that adding more produce into the diet won’t necessarily help with weight loss or other health benefits, unless it replaces another food, such as refined carbohydrates of white bread and crackers. Remember it's not about depriving yourself of delicious food, it's about being mindful of your choices, portion sizes, and coming up with healthier alternatives that are just as good if not better. Thus, our mission is to not only guide you to improving your physical health but also create a healthy mindset.
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