I'm in a Broccoli Cul-de-Sac

[scubadoo97]

My wife has been dealing with a bad case of TMJ so I've been experimenting with broccoli dishes that are soft. Recently broccoli cheese soup, broccoli casserole and most recently broccoli quiche.

[Doodad]

I remembered another blast from my past that involves broccoli. Google Jade Chicken. Great presentation dish.

[percival]

Surprised no one has mentioned my fav ways to serve broccoli: good 'ole cream of broccoli soup, and tempura. As opposed to root vegetables, broccoli nubs turn a nice brown and have a different flavor than just "warm vegetable in crispy batter" like sliced carrots or potatoes. Not as nummy as onion tempura but still good.

[christine007]

We like it best, especially in the warmer months, chopped onto a salad of greens with plenty of red onion and cheddar, and a creamy dressing, usually a garlic type.

[SobaAddict70]

Fry up some chopped garlic, lots of sliced fresh chiles (as many as you can stand) and some mustard seeds in ghee, then add thinly sliced broccoli (stalks and florets). Salt to taste.

Serve with steamed rice.

This is also great with cauliflower or cabbage.

[andiesenji]

Here's the recipe I use for pickled vegetables.

This shows a mix of vegetables but I have used just broccoli and carrots, broccoli and cauliflower and have substituted celery for some of the vegetables.

I have also used just peppers, hot or mild, depends on what I have on hand.

If you want to can them, it is simple to pack the vegetables into jars, pour the hot liquid into the jars, cap and process in a simmering water bath for 15 minutes.

Mixed Pickled Vegetables

• 1 pound sweet banana peppers cut into strips (or substitute any sweet pepper you like)

• 2 Hungarian hot banana peppers cut into rings (use more if you like more spice heat or use other hot peppers)

• 1/2 pound cucumbers, cut into 1/4 inch slices, cut on diagonal

• 2 carrots, cut into 1/4 inch rounds - or into long thin strips if you have a mandoline

• 1/2 pound cauliflower flowerettes

• 1/2 pound broccoli flowerettes

• 1 cup peeled boiling onions (the red variety are very nice)

• 12 peeled garlic cloves

• 6 cups cider vinegar

• 3 cups water

• 2 tablespoons pickling salt (must be non-iodized)

• 1/4 cup brown sugar

• 1/4 cup mustard seed

• 2 tablespoons dill seed

• 2 tablespoons celery seeds

• 1 tablespoon caraway seeds (use black caraway if you have it)

• 8 whole cloves

• 10 whole peppercorns

Wash vegetables, seed peppers and prepare them and other vegetables as suggested or as you prefer.

Place vegetables, onions and garlic in a four quart container - I use a Cambro clear square type - with a lid that will seal tightly.

Measure vinegar, water, salt and sugar into a 3-quart saucepan and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat so liquid is just simmering.

Add the spices, stir well and simmer for 8 minutes.

Strain the hot liquid and pour over the vegetables, cover loosely with a towel and set aside to cool.

When cooled, cover with lid and allow to sit at room temp for 24 hours.

Store in refrigerator.

Recipe developed by Andie

[sheo]

I love brocoli soup. I usually fry a few slices of bacon, remove and crumble. Then cook a head of broccoli in chicken or beef broth, perhaps a coarsely chopped onion, a few sprigs of fresh thyme,and a potato for the added texture, leaving, of course some of the bacon grease in the pot. Cook till tender, then puree with a stick blender (remove thyme first). You'll find it to be quite creamy at this point, but I usually add some 2% at this point, or a smaller amount of cream. If I'm lucky enough to have applewood smoked cheddar, or very aged gouda, I shred and swirl it into the soup. Don't need much because of the rich flavours. Oh yeah...lotsa white pepper is my little trick here. It's wonderful in the soup. Once it's ladled into bowls I top with the bacon crumbles, and perhaps a little more cheese. I know the stick blender isn't the most professional way to puree, but I love the texture it gives this soup - not exactly chunky but not completely smooth either.

I use this same method with alot of other vegetable based 'cream soups'.

[DanM]

Recipe?

Sure.

I have made this one and substituted 1 cup of stock with wheat beer or pilsner. I also added 1/2 tsp mustard powder.

Dan

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/almost-famous-broccoli-cheddar-soup-recipe/index.html

Edited September 16, 2010 by DanM (log)

[Jenni]

One of my fav ways of cooking broccoli is this: Heat some mustard oil and add a teaspoon or two (depending on how much broccoli you are cooking) of panch pooran and some dried red chillies. When the mustard seeds start to pop, add a little asafetida and then add the broccoli and salt to taste. Stir and fry until tender. You can also add garlic with the asafetida for a nice variation.

[goldie]

Here are a few more:

Steam al dente, meanwhile crisp up some prosciutto and set aside, heat olive oil and garlic until fragrant, toss in patted dry broccoli, top with prosciutto.

Mix panko and parmesan together and set aside. Drop broccoli in egg wash, dip in panko, pan fry in olive oil. Serve with a squeeze of lemon.

Steam, top with dark sesame oil and black sesame seeds.

Steam, dip lightly in soy sauce with grated fresh ginger and garlic (sometimes I add rice vinegar, too).

[Pierogi]

Used it in a pasta dish the other day, with preserved lemons. Dice the rind of a preserved lemon and add some Parmesan cheese to it in a serving bowl. Sautee some shallots in EVOO until soft, add garlic & red pepper flakes. Sautee a bit and pour in about 1C white wine and half as much chicken stock, and reduce by 1/3rd. Add some cream and simmer until thick. Season with black pepper. Blanch the broccoli florets for the last 2 minutes the pasta cooks (the recipe said angel hair, but I ended up with a big cheese goober, as I always do with this sort of technique, so next time I'd use a shorter, sturdier pasta, easier to toss, IMO....). Drain the pasta/broccoli, don't rinse. Dump into the serving bowl on top of the lemon & cheese. Pour on the sauce and toss. Serve with additional Parmesan.

It was really tasty, even with the problem of the cheese goober. I will absolutely make it again, but with the shorter pasta. Don't skimp on the black pepper....

[Chris Amirault]

Made it the other day inspired by Jenni's post, with some mustard seeds, red chili, and coriander and finished with lemon. Would've been nice with some crisy fried shallots on top....

[Jenni]

Made it the other day inspired by Jenni's post, with some mustard seeds, red chili, and coriander and finished with lemon. Would've been nice with some crisy fried shallots on top....

You should really try it with the mustard oil and the panch pooran. The mustard oil gives it a lovely kick, and the panch pooran has a great flavour that goes brilliantly with it. [Please note that many panch poorans in the shops these days have mustard seeds instead of radhuni, which is why I mentioned panch pooran popping in the recipe I gave]

[djyee100]

I've only tried mustard oil once, in a fish pitika recipe of Assam origin. The mustard oil has an unusual taste. The person who taught me the recipe cautioned that mustard oil is slightly toxic (as I recall, it's related to mustard gas). I was taught to heat the oil until it smokes, remove it from the heat and let cool for a minute, then proceed to use it in the recipe. This process is supposed to detoxify the oil. Ventilate your kitchen well when you do this, of course!

Edited September 25, 2010 by djyee100 (log)

[heidih]

Mustard oil is interesting. I was a bit freaked out when I saw that the label says "external use only". I asked around and know it was ok to use.

[Jaymes]

When I was bringing up three picky eaters, I always tossed some broccoli flowerettes in with our Mac & Cheese as a blatant bribe to get them to eat more veggies.

And back in the day, one could not go more than a month without being served the then ubiquitous Chicken Divan at this dinner party or that.

You can google for hundreds of recipes for this beloved chicken & broccoli classic.

____________________________________

Edited September 26, 2010 by Jaymes (log)

[Jenni]

I've only tried mustard oil once, in a fish pitika recipe of Assam origin. The mustard oil has an unusual taste. The person who taught me the recipe cautioned that mustard oil is slightly toxic (as I recall, it's related to mustard gas). I was taught to heat the oil until it smokes, remove it from the heat and let cool for a minute, then proceed to use it in the recipe. This process is supposed to detoxify the oil. Ventilate your kitchen well when you do this, of course!

Some people do heat the oil to smoking point to make it less pungent, but there are plenty of people who would look at you aghast if you suggested that! The oil is even sometimes used completely raw, added to a dish at the end, when extra pungency is desired.

I use mustard oil in most of my pickles, raw in a bengali mashed potato dish and cooked (but not heated to smoking point) in many vegetable dishes. I have never had a problems with it, and I like the pungency.

[Chufi]

roasted until very crispy, then tossed with toasted almonds and Chinese black vinegar

steamed, then mixed with smoky tahini dressing

broccoli blue cheese quiche

boiled, mashed into potatoes (equal amounts of both) then topped with crispy bacon

[Stephanie Brim]

When I was bringing up three picky eaters, I always tossed some broccoli flowerettes in with our Mac & Cheese as a blatant bribe to get them to eat more veggies.

And back in the day, one could not go more than a month without being served the then ubiquitous Chicken Divan at this dinner party or that.

You can google for hundreds of recipes for this beloved chicken & broccoli classic.

____________________________________

I make something similar to that all the time because it's one way to get my husband to eat broccoli. I've found that my creamy vegetable soup is another, but that's beside the point.

Set broccoli, cut into florets, to steam lightly. Salt and pepper about a pound to a pound and a half of bite-sized chicken chunks. I use boneless skinless breast most of the time, but I've done it with really well trimmed boneless thigh meat as well. Brown in butter and set aside. I tend to then add another three tablespoons of butter to the pan and 1/4 cup of flour. I cook this to blond or just slightly darker for more flavor. Then I add a total of 16 ounces of milk, preferably whole, to the roux. Cook until thick. Combine chicken and broccoli, pour roux over, and check for seasoning. Pour into a casserole dish and top with bread crumbs mixed with parmesan and a little butter. Bake at 350 until heated through and the bread crumbs are crispy. We eat it with salad or, strangely, potatoes. Or both.

Some people put cheese in the sauce. I like swiss, a quarter of a pound of really good stuff is all you really need. I've also used chicken or vegetable broth and cream instead of milk in the sauce for a slightly different flavor, and with that I use no cheese except for a bit of parmesan. I tend to add a little sage and rosemary to that version, too. Putting it in pastry like a pot pie is also another interesting variation, and I add a lot of parmesan to that one.

I'd throw the whole recipe, with notes, in Recipe Gullet, but I'm sure a variation is already there. Heh.

[heidih]

Broccoli was the featured fresh green vegetable at the market,- 98 cents per pound.. Temp finally dropped to high 50's so the super simple Gordon Ramsay touted soup came to mind. It is 6am, the roosters have not crowed 3 times, but I am off to simmer it. I like to stir in a touch of cottage cheese at service. It melts!   https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/gordon-ramsays-broccoli-soup-50090789

[gfweb]

Lately I've been eating roasted/lightly charred broccoli.  Blanch then onto a pan in the oven at 375 for about 20 min. 

[heidih]

45 minutes ago, gfweb said:

Lately I've been eating roasted/lightly charred broccoli.  Blanch then onto a pan in the oven at 375 for about 20 min. 

 

Good advice about the pre-blanch - yields a more even end result. 

[dtremit]

My recent go-to for simply cooked broccoli (and its relatives -- used this on gai lan the other night) has been a quick mixture of butter and a dark miso.