Elderberries, Stormy Days and Meal Planning: Autumn Broth Recipe (5:2 Diet)

Elderberries, Stormy Days and Meal Planning: Autumn Broth for the 5:2 Diet

Elderberries, Stormy Days and Meal Planning:

Autumn Broth Recipe (5:2 Diet)

It’s Tuesday, it’s late September, it’s VERY stormy and it’s my weekly meal plan, late again, although I may just start to post it on Tuesday now…….as it seems to fit in better with my schedule, and it’s a bit free and easy this week too, with just ONE fast day, as I am out and about all week. But, I will still be sharing new diet recipes, as well as some great diary posts about what I have been up to, and some new baking recipes too……it’s a muddled jumbled week of excitement, flowers, baking, cooking, conferences, workshops, Italian cheese and meeting new people! So, please be a little flexible with my meal plan, as it is very much “on the hoof” so to speak!

Autumn Broth

And the recipe I am sharing with you today is a VERY seasonal one, an autumn broth, or potage – depending on if you liquidise it or now……..low in calories and high in Five-a-Day veggies, this is filling and true comfort food. Serve it naked, as in no bread or accompaniments if dieting, it with stacks of crusty bread and butter if calories are inconsequential…..or, how about dropping a few dumplings into the broth 20 minutes before the end of cooking for a hearty and substantial supper dish. It’s the main part of my ONE fast day this week, but my husband also enjoyed it with a stack of sliced baguette last time I cooked it! I will be posting my simple meal plan below, and linking it to Mrs M as usual, for Meal Planning Monday, although I am a Tuesday planner lately.

Elderberry Jelly

On to elderberries, which have been prolific this year, and are one of the jewels of the hedgerow; if you would like to see my Elderberry and Apple Jelly recipe, then pop over the read my latest article at the Sarah Raven blog, Garlic and Sapphire, where I have been musing about autumn and it’s bountiful fruit…..A Cornucopia of Preserves in the Autumn Pantry. It would be lovely if you left a comment there too, to let me know what your thoughts are about my article and preserving.

If this week’s meal plan is too limiting for you, as I am not eating in much (!) please take a look at last week’s meal plan here: Weekly Meal Plan and a New 5:2 Diet Recipe for Fast Days – Creamy Garlic Mushrooms on Toast (190 Calories) and the one for the week before may be useful too:  A Weekly Meal Plan, A Taste of Autumn and Allotment Soup (100 calories) for the 5:2 Diet. And, as my recipe today is VERY seasonal, I am linking up with Ren’s Simple and in Season, which is being hosted by Katie this month over at FEEDING BOYS AND A FIREFIGHTER.

But now on the the Autumn Broth recipe and my slimmed down meal plan for this week! Have a wonderful week, and I will see you later…….Karen 

Autumn Broth

Autumn Broth

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Serves	4
Prep time	10 minutes
Cook time	50 minutes
Total time	1 hour
Dietary	Vegetarian
Meal type	Lunch, Snack, Soup, Starter
Misc	Child Friendly, Pre-preparable, Serve Hot
Occasion	Casual Party, Halloween, Thanksgiving
By author	Karen S Burns-Booth

Hearty and yet low in calories, this vegetarian broth (or soup) makes a wonderful autumnal lunch or supper dish, and is perfect for those following the 5:2 diet, for fast days, as well as those on weight watchers. You can eat this with crusty bread, crackers or even add dumplings, and, the broth can be liquidised to make a creamy vegetable potage. Weighing in at an incredible 98 calories per portion, you can have your soup AND bread now on a low calorie day!

Ingredients

• 4 small carrots (5-1/2" long) (peeled and diced)
• Tomato Paste, 1 Tbsp
• 1 teaspoon Mixed Dried Herbs
• Marigold - Swiss Vegetable Bouillon Powder, 15 g (mixed with 300mls water)
• 1 small fennel bulb (trimmed and sliced)
• 2 medium cloves garlic (peeled and minced)
• 3 small tomatoes (roughly diced)
• 2 medium onions (peeled and finely diced)
• 1/2 white cabbage, about 110g (sliced in half and then finely shredded)
• 1 leek, about 90g (cleaned and chopped)
• salt and pepper, to taste

Note

Hearty and yet low in calories, this vegetarian broth (or potage) makes a wonderful autumnal lunch or supper dish, and is perfect for those following the 5:2 diet, for fast days, as well as those on weight watchers. You can eat this with crusty bread, crackers or even add dumplings, and, the broth can be liquidised to make a creamy vegetable potage. Weighing in at an incredible 98 calories per portion, you can have your soup AND bread now on a low calorie day!

Directions

Step 1	Place all the vegetables into a large pan with 2 to 3 tablespoons water, and place over a low heat with the lid on the pan; simmer for about 10 minutes, and then add the vegetable stock with the tomato paste, bring to the boil and gently boil for 20 minutes until the vegetables are nearly soft.
Step 2	Season to taste with salt and pepper, and then add the herbs, replace the lid and simmer for a further 15 to 20 minutes until the vegetables are soft and the broth has reduced slightly, so you are left with a chunky stew.
Step 3	Serve straight away with bread, croutons or crackers, or, allow to cool slightly and liquidise - this will then be a potage rather than a broth. Pour the potage back into the pan and gently reheat without boiling.

Meal Plan for Week beginning 24th September

Meal Plan for Week beginning 24th September

Monday:

Breakfast: Toast and home-made apricot and vanilla jam

Lunch: Out at Fortnum and Masons!

Tea: Pizza

Tuesday – Fast Day (500 calories)

Breakfast: Low-fat yoghurt (49 cals) and 1 small boiled egg (54 cals)

Lunch: Autumn Broth (98 calories) with 2 cripsbreads (64)

Tea: Creamy Garlic Mushrooms on Toast (190 Calories)

Milk allowance: 150mls (51 cals)

TOTAL: 506 calories 

Wednesday:

Breakfast: Omelette

Lunch: sandwich whilst out!

Supper: Beef and ale casserole with mashed potatoes (recipe to follow)

Thursday:

Breakfast: Cereal

Lunch: Out for Press lunch with Gran Padano

Tea: Toast or sandwiches

Friday:

Out all day with FBC12!

Weekend – FBC12 – so VERY fluid! 

Fairtrade baking coming soon…..

Fairtrade Tropical Flapjack Bake.