Broccoli

Broccoli is an extremely versatile vegetable, and is a good addition to almost any recipe. Below are some of my personal favorite recipes - the broccoli soup is an especially excellent dish for the coming cold winter months!





Broccoli Soup
Adapted from the Food Network test kitchens

2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
1 medium-sized onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, smashed
1 russet potato, peeled and diced
a pinch or so dried thyme
salt and pepper, to taste
4 cups vegetable stock
about 1 lb. fresh broccoli, roughly chopped
2-4 tablespoons cream, optional

Directions: Melt/heat the butter/oil in a deep pan and add the onion and garlic, cooking about 5 minutes until translucent. Then add the potato, thyme, salt and pepper, and vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Decrease to a simmer and cook until the potato is tender when poked with a fork, about 10 minutes. Add the broccoli and simmer until broccoli is also tender. Puree the soup with an immersion blender, or in batches in a blender. Return soup to to the pot and add the cream. Return to a simmer, adding more salt and pepper if necessary. Serve with optional toppings like shaved parmesan cheese or toast points.

Oven-Roasted Broccoli

1 lb. broccoli, trimmed
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon or so sea salt
pepper, to taste
1/3 cup bread crumbs, preferably panko if you have them on hand
1/4 grated cheese, preferably parmesan or cheddar

Directions: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Cut the broccoli into bite-sized pieces, and mix well in a bowl with the olive oil, garlic, sea salt, and pepper. Spread the bread crumbs on a large baking sheet, and lightly toast in the oven until brown, about 2 minutes. Remove the crumbs from the oven and add to the broccoli mixture, tossing again. Put the entire mixture baking on the baking sheet and roast for about 10 minutes, until broccoli is slightly tender. Remove from the oven, toss in the cheese, and serve immediately.

Leslie's Broccoli, Wild Rice, and Mushroom Stuffing (just in time for Thanksgiving!

courtesy of Leslie Eikhoff-Davis, allrecipes.com

1/2 cup uncooked wild rice
1 1/2 cups water
2 cups chopped fresh broccoli
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 cup chopped onion
1 16-oz. package herb seasoned stuffing mix
1 14-oz. can vegetable stock
1/2 cup sliced almonds (optional)

Directions: Bring rice and 1 1/2 cups water to boil in a pot. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 45 minutes. Place broccoli in a pot with enough water to cover, and boil 5 minutes, or until slightly tender. Remove from heat, and drain. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a baking dish. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat, and saute the mushrooms and onion until tender. Mix in cooked rice, cooked broccoli, stuffing mix, stock, and almonds (if using). Transfer to the prepared baking dish. Bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown.