broccoli

Orecchiette with Roasted Broccoli /  by Cynthia Raub

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Olivia has a spectacular appetite, and she really enjoys eating, much like her mommy and daddy. This year, in Junior Kindergarten, she is required to bring her own lunch every day. This excited both of us, and we made quick work to brainstorm ideas of things she loves. She started a journal and began drawing pictures of meals that she enjoyed, so we could remember what to include for lunch. Her very first idea was pasta and broccoli, and this recipe is a version with seasoned breadcrumbs that she really loves. This pasta dish is light and tasty and simple to make. The reserved pasta water and a pungent cheese make a light sauce and the tender-crisp broccoli is the perfect texture for kids. I find that kids cannot be fooled and really just want to eat delicious food like cheesy pasta! This is a healthier alternative to macaroni and cheese, so it's imperative to season these simple and few ingredients very well. 

I find that involving my kids in any part of the planning or cooking of meals makes them more enthusiastic to eat. The foods I send with Olivia to school are an extension of our food priorities at home: I focus on homemade and simple. Because Olivia has such an impressive appetite, satisfying meals are another priority since a variety of snacks will most likely not fill her up when she's hungry. This makes a filling lunch or an easy weeknight dinner!

Notes: This recipe can be simplified even further by skipping the blanching step for the broccoli before roasting it; you can even oven roast the broccoli for a nuttier flavor and a less hands on step. Substitute the cheese for any other finely grated hard cheese like Parmesan, but personally, I like the more pungent flavor of Pecorino-Romano with broccoli. These breadcrumbs are delicious on EVERYTHING and you can also enhance them in so many ways. A while back, I cooked them in rendered pancetta fat and herbs, which would be spectacular in this dish too.

Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 6

1 lb pasta
5 cups broccoli florets
6 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
2/3 cup bread crumbs
Kosher salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 cloves of garlic, smashed
1 cup finely grated Pecorino-Romano
1 teaspoon lemon zest (about 1 small lemon)

Cook pasta according to package directions and your preference. Don't forget to season the boiling water liberally with salt! Strain pasta, reserving 2/3 cup of pasta water. Fill your pot back up with water and bring to a boil (for the broccoli).

While your pasta is cooking, make the breadcrumbs. In a large skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil on medium heat. Add breadcrumbs to the hot oil and stir to combine. Season breadcrumbs with 1/2 teaspoon of salt, garlic powder, and a pinch of black pepper. Cook breadcrumbs until golden and crunchy. Set aside.

Cut broccoli into large bite sized pieces. Blanch broccoli florets: bring water to a boil in a large pot and season with salt. Drop in broccoli and cook for 60-90 seconds or until desired doneness has been reached. Plunge broccoli into an ice bath, (large bowl filled with ice and water,) to stop broccoli from overcooking. Once cooled, drain, dry on a clean kitchen towel and set aside.

In a large skillet, add 3 tablespoons of olive oil and garlic and cook garlic until fragrant and barely browned. Remove garlic from oil and dispose. Add strained broccoli to the oil and season with salt and pepper. Over high heat, roast broccoli on the first side until crisp and browned. Toss the broccoli to roast on another side. Once browned, remove broccoli from the pan and set aside.

In the same large skillet, heat reserved pasta water and pasta together. Add finely grated cheese and stir to combine until pasta becomes creamy. Add roasted broccoli and lemon zest and heat through together. Transfer to a serving plate and garnish with breadcrumbs.

Broccoli Cooked Forever /  by Amy Cantu

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I cannot rave more about this broccoli . . . confit? Sauce? Butter? Stuff that I could eat straight from the pot with a spoon? Whatever you want to call it, Roy FInamore's Broccoli Cooked Forever is truly magical. Normally broccoli cooked for longer than a few quick minutes conjures up words like soggy, mushy, stinky, and other rather unpleasant thoughts. I assure you, that this broccoli is none of that. Cooked slowly in a bath of rich olive oil, slivers of garlic, piquant peppers, and umami-rich anchovies, the broccoli transforms into this ethereal substance that tastes almost sinful when spread over slices of toasted rustic bread, smeared onto a pizza such as in Pizza Two Ways, tossed into a pasta, or spooned over softly scrambled eggs. It even makes a fantastic sandwich spread or topping for fish or chicken with a squeeze of lemon. You get the idea.

Notes: I did not change one thing about this recipe, but here are a few thoughts and tips.  I used the option for red pepper flakes, since that's what I had on hand. One cup of oil sounds like a lot, but honestly, that's also what makes it so delicious. You could certainly get away with using less oil, but then it won't quite produce the same richness. Please use a large pan for this recipe (not a stock pot or dutch oven) and don't buy pre-cut broccoli florettes. I once made this in a dutch oven with an extra pound of broccoli, using pre-cut florettes, and less olive oil. It was not the same. It was, dare I say it, tasteless mush. The broccoli needs to be cut into very large pieces (see the photos below) in order to keep just enough texture in the final product, so that it isn't pasty. It also needs the extra surface area from a large pan for the flavors to concentrate properly and not just steam. Also, even if you think you don't like anchovies, I swear that you will not taste anything remotely fishy. The anchovies add a deep, savory flavor that the broccoli wouldn't achieve on it's own. Don't leave it out! OK, if you really, really want to leave it out, you can. But maybe substitute some chopped capers for something a little different. I'm also considering giving cauliflower or butternut squash the same cooking treatment, and I imagine only great things!

Recipe from Roy Finamore's cookbook, Tasty: Get Great Food on the Table Every Day, and can also be found here.

Time: 20 minutes (2 hours inactive time)
Servings: 4 to 6

2 bunches (2-2 1/4 pounds) broccoli
1 cup olive oil
3 garlic cloves, sliced thin
2 small hot peppers, halved lengthwise (Finamore likes small red peppers, but you can substitute green Thai chiles, various dried ones, even a big pinch of red chile flakes)
4 anchovy fillets, chopped
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

While the water is heating, cut the florets off the broccoli, leaving them in large pieces. Peel the stems and cut them into rather thick slices, about 1/3 inch.

When the water comes to a boil, add the broccoli and cover the pot to bring it back to a boil quickly. Blanch the broccoli for five minutes. Drain.

Put olive oil and garlic in a large skillet over medium heat. When the garlic starts to sizzle, add the hot peppers and anchovies. Cook, giving a stir or two, until the anchovies melt. Add the broccoli, season with salt and pepper, and stir well. Cover the skillet, turn the heat to very low, and cook for two hours. Use a spatula to turn the broccoli over in the skillet a few times, but try not to break it up. It will be very tender when done.

Use a slotted spoon to transfer the broccoli to a serving dish. It is delicious hot or at room temperature.
 

Pizza Two Ways /  by Amy Cantu

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The idea to make pizzas came from an obsession with Broccoli Cooked Forever and my family's deep love for pizza and cheese. If you've never made pizza dough from scratch, I promise it's worth the effort. This dough is easy to stretch (much more so than the stuff you buy from the store), and the crust tastes better than a lot of pizza you'd get delivered! The Broccoli Cooked Forever makes a "sauce" for the pizza that's both creamy and even a little sweet, while the soft, melty fresh mozzarella is the perfect complement. The mushrooms lend the pizza some earthiness. The second pizza was born from another one of my (and Cynthia's) favorite pairings - fontina and roasted tomatoes. Roasted tomatoes topped with fontina cheese - so good! The Canadian bacon adds that salty, meaty bite. One could also make a case for using smoky bacon pieces instead. I certainly wouldn't argue! Bake this as a leisurely weekend meal, or make the dough and/or broccoli ahead of time to make this a quick weekday meal.

Time: 45 minutes
Yield: Two 14" pizzas (serves 6)

For Pizza #1:
Pizza dough (see recipe below)
Cornmeal (to prevent sticking)
1 cup Broccoli Cooked Forever
1/2 pound fresh Mozzarella, 1/4 - 1/3" slices
1/2 cup cremini or button mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup parmigiano-reggiano cheese, grated
Italian (flat-leaf) parsley, finely chopped, for garnish (optional)

For Pizza #2
Pizza dough (see recipe below)
Cornmeal (to prevent sticking to pizza peel/stone) or Olive Oil (is using a pizza pan)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 pound fontina cheese, shredded
1/2 cup parmigiano-reggiano cheese, grated
1/2 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
6 oz Canadian bacon
1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced
Italian (flat-leaf) parsley, finely chopped, for garnish (optional)

If you have a pizza stone, place it on your oven's middle rack. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit or as high as it will go. Let heat for 30 minutes or more (1 hour would be better).

If using a pizza stone, sprinkle cornmeal liberally on a wooden pizza peel or the back of a baking sheet. If using a pizza pan or baking sheet, sprinkle the pan liberally with cornmeal. Stretch rested pizza dough into a 14" round. Not being an experienced pizza tosser (and lacking good hand-eye coordination), I flatten a ball of dough into a disc. Then stretch the dough out from the middle, using my knuckles and backs of my hands - as to not poke holes in the dough with my fingernails. As it begins to stretch further, I concentrate on evenly stretching the edges. When the dough is close to the correct size, I put it on the pizza peel (or pizza pan) and continue to stretch and shape the dough until it is roughly 14" and covers almost the entire pizza peel (or pizza pan).

For Pizza #1: Spread Broccoli Cooked Forever evenly over the pizza crust. Place fresh mozzarella slices evenly over the broccoli. Next distribute the mushrooms and red onion over the top. Lastly, sprinkle the grated parmigiano-reggiano. 

For Pizza #2: Brush olive oil lightly over pizza crust. Evenly sprinkle fontina, Canadian bacon, tomatoes, red onion, and parmigiano-reggiano cheese over the crust in that order.

If using a pizza stone, transfer the pizza from the pizza peel/back of a baking sheet to the stone. (If using a pizza pan, place pizza in the oven.) Bake for 10-15 minutes. Pizza is done when cheese is melted with a few golden spots and crust is brown and crispy. Remove from oven, sprinkle with parsley (optional), and serve.

Pizza Dough


Notes: This pizza dough is very forgiving. If you don't have bread flour, you can use all-purpose flour for a chewier crust. If you don't have time to let the dough rise to double in size, let rest for at least 30 minutes before continuing. If you'd like to make it ahead, just put the dough in the fridge and let it rise slowly for several hours. If it rises too much, you can just poke a hole in the dough to deflate it. You can freeze the dough before or after letting it rise, just make sure to defrost and come to room temperature before proceeding with the next step of the recipe.

If you don't have a stand mixer, you could also use a food processor. Simply add the water and oil mixture with the processor running, until it forms a ball (less than a minute). 

To make the dough by hand, make a well in the middle of the flour mixture, and pour liquid mixture into the well. Combine with your fingers or a fork, to make a shaggy dough. Then turn the dough out onto a well floured surface and knead dough until you have a smooth, slightly tacky dough. 

Time: 20 minutes (plus 1 hour and 10 minutes inactive time)
Yield: Pizza dough for two 14" pizzas

4 cups bread flour
2 1/4 teaspoons (or 1 envelope) instant yeast
2 teaspoons kosher salt (or 1 teaspoon table salt)
1 1/2 cups warm water, 110 degrees F
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra to grease bowl

Whisk together flour, yeast, and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a dough hook. 
Combine water, honey, and olive oil. With the mixer running, slowly pour liquid into the flour mixture. Beat until a dough ball forms. If the dough is sticky, add additional flour one tablespoon at a time. If the dough is dry, add additional water one tablespoon at a time. Dough will form a ball and feel slightly tacky when done. 

Scrape dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead dough for 1 or 2 minutes. Form dough into a ball, transfer to a large, greased bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Place in a warm place like a sunny window or an oven with the light on, and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.

Divide dough evenly into two pieces and form into two balls. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean towel, and let rest at least 10 minutes before proceeding to make pizza.