Prepared vegetables get healthy food on the table fast

I’m sure you agree, vegetables are an essential ingredient in any healthy diet. They’re particularly important when it comes to eating for weight loss. Frozen vegetables are one of my favorite time savers. Alone, they make a quick, healthy side dish. Even better, it takes hardly any effort to add frozen vegetables to eggs, soup, pasta, casseroles, taco meat and so much more.

In addition to raising two daughters and a son, my mom worked part time, went to school part time, sewed some of our clothes, maintained a lively garden and was responsible for the majority of the daily domestic tasks. She was a very busy lady. (Still is.)

Mom’s constant task-juggling meant she had to be thrifty with her time.

When it came to family meals, she did her best to always serve healthy food but she didn’t want to spend the entire day prepping and cooking. To accomplish her goal, Mom kept a supply of frozen and canned vegetables on hand to make sure we always had something green to push around our plate.

I giggle to think about all the nights I stared at a lump of French cut green beans on my plate. They were Army tent green with a tang of aluminum can. My sister and I tried every antic in the book to get out of eating those wormy beans. At some point, my parents struck a compromise that we could dip green beans in ketchup as long as we ate them. To this day I consider green beans a finger food — although it has been more than 20 years since I ate one from a can.

The great thing for busy moms today is how easy it is to grab vegetables at the grocery store that are already prepped. The variety of salad kits in the produce section has spoiled us with choices. In the freezer aisles, not only can you find peas and carrots, but kale, cauliflower, beets and butternut squash. With all these easy ways to eat the rainbow, I can’t help but get excited.

Today I share my mom’s desire to put healthy food on the table fast. Just like my mom, I rely on a supply of ready to serve vegetables to help get healthy food on the table fast. However, after years of staring at green lumps from a can I stick to frozen veggies to supplement the fresh food in my produce drawer.

Some weeks get nutty and we get out of sync with the fresh food in the house or aren’t able to get to the store to restock until we are down to the last brown banana. With a freezer full of easy options, I can throw together a healthy meal from pantry staples then add texture and color with a generous serving of vegetables. Best of all, my kids will always have something to push around their plates at dinnertime.

Now, before you hit send on those emails, I know this recipe does not utilize frozen vegetables but rather corn and potatoes, both starches. It just happens that tiptoeing down memory lane and reminiscing about the family meals of my childhood put me in the mood for some comfort food. To make sure I still get my veggies I like to serve this soup diner style in a small bowl with a large side salad.

This quick corn chowder is excellent for the end of summer. By mid-September the leaves have a tinge of rust around the edges and you need a jacket in the morning and evening but there are still plenty of summer ingredients available. If you can find fresh corn in the market, please use it for this soup. In fact, you can plan ahead and make broth from the cobs after removing the kernels.

Corn broth really highlights the fresh corn flavor of this quick corn chowder. It is also a great option for anyone who would like to omit the ham and enjoy a vegetarian version of this creamy comfort food. Of course, in the spirit of keeping things simple, prepared chicken stock (as noted in the recipe ingredients) works great, too.

To make corn broth: Cut the kernels from 5 ears of corn. Reserve the kernels for the soup. Place the cobs in a pot with 5 cups of water and simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes or until the liquid reduces by a cup. Strain the broth through a fine mesh sieve then store, tightly covered, for up to a week.

Quick corn chowder with ham

Perfect for those first fall days when you are still in the mood for the tastes of summer

1 teaspoon grapeseed oil

1½ cup diced onion

1 tablespoon minced rosemary

Pinch of salt

3 cups frozen O’Brien potatoes, defrosted

5 cups corn kernels (fresh or frozen)

Pinch of chili flakes

4 cups unsalted chicken stock

¾ cup half ‘n’ half

1 pound lean ham steak, diced

Additional salt to taste

In a heavy bottomed soup pot or 6-quart Dutch oven, warm the oil over medium-high heat then add the onion with the rosemary and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion begins to turn translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and cook until they begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Then add corn, broth and chili flakes.

Simmer the soup over medium heat for 30 minutes. Adjust the heat if needed to keep the soup from boiling.

Remove 2 cups of soup and puree in a blender (or with an emersion blender) until smooth, return the puree to the pot. Stir in the ham cubes and half ‘n’ half then simmer gently over low heat until the ham has heated through — about 5 minutes. Do not let the soup boil or the half ‘n’ half will break and become lumpy.

Note: If you are not able to find unsalted chicken stock you may substitute a low sodium chicken stock. Be aware the sodium level in this recipe is high.

Prep time: 15 minutes. Cook: 50 minutes. Yield 8 (1 cup) servings

Approximate nutrition per serving: 273 calories, 6.3g fat, 1385mg sodium, 40g carbohydrate, 2g fiber, 17g protein