2 vegetable dishes you've got to try

Sometimes the easiest way to incorporate more vegetables into your diet is to choose dishes that wouldn't taste the same without them. Vegetables take centre stage in these recipes.

• Preparation: 15 minutes.
• Cooking time: 1 hour 5 minutes.
• Serves 8.

Ingredients:

•  500 g (1 lb) carrots, peeled and cut into slices1 cm (1⁄2 in) thick
• 30 ml (2 tbsp) canola oil
• 1 small onion, coarsely chopped
• 16 ml (2 tbsp) all-purpose flour
• 125 ml (1⁄2 c) 1% milk
• 4 large eggs, separated
• 1 medium zucchini, grated
• 2 ml (1⁄2 tsp) salt
• 1 ml (1⁄4 tsp) black pepper
• 1 ml (1⁄4 tsp) ground nutmeg

Instructions:

1. Steam carrots until tender in a medium saucepan over simmering water, about 20 minutes. Purée in food processor.
2. Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). Coat a two litre (eight cup) soufflé dish with non-stick cooking spray.
3. Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until softened, or five minutes. Stir in the flour. Cook, stirring occasionally, one minute.
4. Add milk and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Transfer to a large bowl. Stir in carrot and egg yolks, fold in zucchini and stir in salt, pepper and nutmeg.
5. Beat egg whites in a medium bowl until soft peaks form. Fold whites, a third at a time, into vegetable mixture.
6. Spoon into the prepared dish. Bake until puffed and golden, or 30 to 40 minutes. Serve immediately.

Per serving:

• 116 calories
• 5 g protein
• 6 g fat (including 2 g saturated fat)
• 109 mg cholesterol
• 10 g carbohydrates
• 2 g fibre
• 215 mg sodium

• Preparation: 20 minutes.
• Cooking time: 45 minutes.
• Serves 4.

Ingredients:

• 2 large sweet Vidalia onions, sliced
• 192 g (1 1⁄2 c) all-purpose flour
• 7 ml (1 1⁄2 tsp) thyme leaves, chopped
• 2 ml (1⁄2 tsp) salt
• 75 ml (1⁄3 c) iced water
• 30 ml (2 tbsp) olive oil
• 2 large zucchini (250 g/8 oz each)
• 4 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced
• 30 ml (2 tbsp) grated parmesan cheese

Instructions:

1. Coat a large non-stick frying pan with non-stick cooking spray and set over medium-high heat until hot. Reduce heat to medium-low.
2. Add onion and sauté until very soft and golden, or 20 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
3. Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). Mix flour, thyme and half the salt in a large bowl. Mix in water and oil until a soft dough forms. Lightly sprinkle work surface with flour and pat out dough into a 40 by 25 centimetre (15 x 10 inch) rectangle or 33 centimetre (13 inch) round.
4. Fold in half and transfer to 32 x 22 centimetre (12 x 9 inch) tart pan or 23 centimetre (nine inch) round tart pan with removable base. Trim the edges.
5. Cut zucchini diagonally into long, 2.5-centimetre-thick (one-inch-thick) slices. Coat frying pan again with cooking spray and set over medium heat. Add zucchini and sauté until golden, or five to seven minutes.
6. Arrange zucchini, tomato and onion in rows on the pastry base, standing them up and overlapping them slightly. Sprinkle with remaining salt and all the parmesan.
7. Bake until crust is golden, or about 20 minutes. Serve warm or room temperature.

Per serving:

• 305 calories
• 9 g protein
• 9 g fat (including 2 g saturated fat)
• 2 mg cholesterol
• 49 g carbohydrates
• 5 g fibre
• 354 mg sodium

Check out these recipes and get antioxidants into your diet by basing you meals around nutrition-packed vegetables.