New Broccoli Favorites

 Raise your hand if you love broccoli. Now raise your hand if your family only tolerates it! For me that's my gig, my husband and son just tolerates broccoli and it's got to be prepared in a specific way. Here are some new ideas that might perk up those old stand by's.



Italian Roasted Broccoli

1 large head broccoli, sliced into longer stalks
1 oz. pepperoni, diced (make sure it's nitrate free)
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs (gluten free Van's or C4 are great)
2 tbsp parmesan cheese (I used the green can)
1/2 clove garlic
2 egg whites
red pepper flakes to your liking
1/2 tbsp Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with nonstick aluminum foil or parchment paper.
In a small food processor (or with a knife) pulse together the pepperoni and garlic until finely diced. Toss with the panko, parmesan, breadcrumbs and red pepper flakes and set aside.
In a shallow dish or bowl. whisk the egg whites with the mustard.
Season the broccoli with salt and pepper. Then dip one side into the egg whites and then press into the breadcrumbs. Place with the breadcrumbs facing up on your baking sheet. Repeat with all the broccoli.
Roast for about 15 minutes and then serve.

Dip them into marinara!

Adapted from Food & Wine 

This recipe is really refreshing. It comes to us from 101cookbooks.

Carmelized Onion Broccoli

4 cups tiny broccoli florets (and chopped stalks if you like)
1 garlic clove, smashed and chopped
scant 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1/4 cup almond butter
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon honey
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons hot water
2 small crisp apples, cut into bit-sized pieces (if you aren't going to use the apples immediately, let them sit in a bowl of water with the juice of 1/2 a lemon)
1/2 cup toasted or candied walnuts or almonds
1/3 cup pan-fried crunchy shallots*
chives (optional)

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and salt as you would pasta water. Boil the broccoli just long enough to take the raw edge of - 10 or 15 seconds. Drain and immerse it in cold water (or let cold water run over it). At this point, I like to spin the broccoli in a salad spinner to get the water off, but a few good knocks against the sink in a strainer can do the trick pretty well. Set aside.
Make the dressing by sprinkling the salt over the clove of garlic. Smash the clove and chop, smash and chop - turning it into a paste. In a small bowl whisk the salty garlic paste with the almond butter, lemon juice, honey and olive oil. Add the hot water and whisk until light and creamy. Taste, make any adjustments and set aside.
In a large bowl gently toss the broccoli, apples, most of the shallots and nuts with a generous drizzle of the almond dressing. Turn out onto a platter and finish with the rest of the shallots and chives if you like. *Stir together the shallots, a splash of clarified butter (or olive oil) and big pinch of salt In a large skillet over medium heat. Stir every few minutes, you want the shallots to slowly brown over about fifteen minutes. Let them get dark, dark brown (but not burn), and if needed turn down the heat. Remove from skillet and onto a paper towel to cool in a single layer where they will crisp up a bit.

 
Creamy Broccoli Soup

4 tablespoons butter, (I used vegan hemp)

1 tsp olive oil
1 1/2 pounds fresh broccoli
1 large onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped 

1 tsp garlic
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 cup cream

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (a way to make it super creamy, add kraft sliced cheese, it melts great)

Melt butter and olive oil in a stock pot. Saute broccoli and onion for about 8 minutes. shredded or chopped carrot, garlic and season with salt and pepper. Add stock and cook on a medium heat for about 20 minutes. If you like a creamier soup, take out 1-1/2 cups of soup and set aside. Use an immersion blender and blend the soup till it reaches the consistency you desire. Add remaining soup back into pot, add cream, cheese and re-season with salt and pepper. 

How about a burger change up? Try these broccoli burgers with tahini sauce and you'll never miss that ground beef burger. This recipe is not gluten free, but you could exchange the couscous with rice and you'd be set. 

Broccoli Burgers
1/3 cup dry couscous
1 cup water
1 1/2 cups broccoli florets
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped scallions
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 15 ounce can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon sesame tahini
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
Tahini:
1/3 cup sesame tahini
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, chopped
3/4 teaspoon sea salt

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a small pot, bring the water and couscous to a boil.
Remove from heat immediately and allow the couscous to sit in the pot for 10 minutes, soaking up the water.
While the couscous sits, steam the broccoli in a steamer for 5-7 minutes (or use a microwave or stove method, you just want the broccoli to be soft in the end)
In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add in the onion and scallions, stirring occasionally for 3-5 minutes until the onion softens.
Remove the onions from the heat and stir in the cumin.
Gather your couscous, broccoli, onion mix, chickpeas and sesame tahini and combine together in a food processor.
Pour the mixture into a bowl and stir in the bread crumbs.
Form it into patties and place the patties on a cookie sheet lined with foil.
Bake for 50 minutes, turning the patties over halfway through. You’ll know they are done when the tops begin to brown.
To make the tahini sauce, place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until combined, roughly 30 seconds.
Top your burgers with the sauce, throw some pickles, tomato and lettuce on there, and go to town!