Vegetables will be the focus of this new cook book as we have potatoes or rice at each dinner and at least three other vegetables.  The old New England way of eating vegetables was to boil them in salted water and drain and add lots of butter and a  little more salt.  This is not a healthy way to served vegetables and they don’t keep you coming back for more.  So I have been looking up and trying out as many recipes as I can find and collecting them all into one place.  Today we are having a tried recipe that I like called Broccoli and Cheese Custard.  I had to addapt this a little to use my frozen broccoli.  It takes 1 bunch of broccali, or two packages of frozen broccali, 3 eggs, 2/3 cup milk and 1-1/4 cup of grated sharp cheddar cheese.   Steam the broccoli until barely tender, if using frozen broccoli thraw well and drain out all liquid. ( If the broccoli is not dry the custard will not set, the dish is still good but instead of a set custard you have an egg/cheese sauce.) When the broccoli is dry put into a shallow buttered casserole.  Beat 3 eggs, add 2/3 cup of milk, 1 and 1/4 cups of grated sharp cheddar cheese, a little salt and pepper to taste.  Mix well and pour over the broccoli.  Set the cassrole in about 1 inch of hot water and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until the curstard is firm.  Serve hot.  Save any left overs and just reheat in the microwave.  Broccoli is one of our most nutritious begetables.  Over the last 20 years, numerous studies have found that peopke who eat an abuncance of broccoli have a significantly redued incidence of cancers of the colon, breast, cervix, lungs, prostate, esophagus, larynx, and bladder.  Broccoli is high in bioflavonoids and other antioxidants, substances that protect cells against mutation and damage from unstable maolicules.  It has an abundance of essential vitamins and minerals.  A 1 cup serving of cooked broccoli contains only 40 calories, yet it provides almost twoice the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of vitamin C and 1/3 or more of the RDAs for vitamin A and folate.  A cup of broccoli also provides 130 mg of calcium, 1.2mg of iron and 5g of protein.  Becausde 1 cup of cooked broccoli provides 2.5g of fiber and contains natural laxatives, it is often suggested to prevent constipation..  Steaming or stir-frying broccole retains the most nutrients; boiling in a large amount of water destroys many of the cancer-fighting compounds as well as Vitamin C and other nutrients.  Other benefits of this dish is 3 eggs which are a excellent source of protein, vitamin B12 and many other nutrients.  B12 is essential for proper nerve function.  Eggs also contain Lecithin- a natural emulsifier- is rich in choline, which is involved in moving cholesterol through the blood stream as well as aiding fat metabolism.   Choline is also an essential component of cell membraines and nerve tissue.  although the body can make enough choline for its normal needs, some researchers have suggested that dietary souces may be helpful in reducing the accumulation of fat in the liver as well as repairing some types of neurological damage.  The cheese is high in protein and calcium, its a good source of vitamin B12 and cheddar and other aged cheese may fight tooth decay.   So this dish is not only good but very good for you but remember like all foods while it is very good for you moderation keeps it that way, too much of anything is not good, too much cheese or eggs can be harmful if eaten every day in large quantities.    I am trying a new recipe for our meat today Orange Pineapple Honey Chicken.  If it comes out good I’ll give you recipe tomorrow.  Have a great day.