Broccoli Gratin

Ingredients:

• 4 cups broccoli florets
• 1/3 cup crème fraîche
• 1 cup grated Gruyère
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoon panko

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven.
2. Blanch the broccoli in salted boiling water for 2 minutes and drain well.
3. Toss the broccoli with the cream fraîche, three quarters of the cheese, and salt and pepper.
4. Spoon the broccoli mixture into a greased baking dish.
5. Top with the panko, and the remaining cheese.
6. Bake until the top is golden and bubbling (30 to 35 minutes).

Source:  http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2011/06/french-in-a-flash-broccoli-gratin-recipe.html

 

Broccoli-Cheddar Oven Risotto

Ingredients:

• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 bunch broccoli, cut into small florets
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 3/4 cups arborio rice
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 425.
2. Bring the chicken broth to a low simmer in a saucepan.
3. Toss the broccoli with the olive oil on a rimmed baking sheet.
4. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large Dutch oven or ovenproof pot over medium-high heat.
5. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, about 2 minutes.
6. Add the rice and stir to coat.
7. Pour in the wine and cook until evaporated, about 1 minute.
8. Add the hot broth, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste; bring to a boil.
9. Cover and set on the bottom oven rack. Place the broccoli on the upper rack.
10. Bake, stirring the rice and broccoli once halfway through cooking, until most of the liquid has been absorbed in the rice and the broccoli is tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
11. Remove the rice and broccoli from the oven.
12. Add 3/4 cup hot water, the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and the cheese to the rice and stir until creamy (add a little more hot water to loosen, if necessary).
13. Stir in the broccoli.

Source:  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/broccoli-cheddar-oven-risotto.html

Ten Minute Couscous Soup

Ingredients:

• 7 cups great-tasting vegetable broth
• 2 or 3 pinches crushed red pepper flakes
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup whole wheat, barley, or regular couscous
• 1 1/2 cups broccoli florets, cut into tiny pieces smaller than your thumb
• 1 1/2 cups cauliflower florets, cut into tiny pieces smaller than your thumb
• 4 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (opt)
• 4 green onions, trimmed and thinly sliced
• an ounce or two of goat cheese

Directions:

1. In a large pot heat the broth, red pepper flakes, and olive oil.
2. When it comes to a boil remove the pot from the heat and stir in the couscous.
3. Wait two minutes and stir in the broccoli and cauliflower.
4. Wait another two minutes – just long enough for the vegetables to loose their raw edge, and ladle into bowls.
5. Top each bowl with some sun-dried tomatoes, green onions, and a bit of goat cheese.

Source:  http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/ten-minute-couscous-soup-recipe.html

Spicy Sausage & Broccoli Pasta

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic
• ½ tsp crushed red pepper
• ½ lb. Italian sausage
• 1 lb. frozen broccoli florets
• 1 lb. bow tie pasta
• 2 oz. (1/2 cup) smoked gouda
• 2 oz. (1/2 cup) shredded Italian cheese
• to taste salt & pepper

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package directions (boil for 7-10 minutes or until al dente). Drain in a colander.
2. While the pasta is cooking, begin the rest of the dish. Mince the garlic. Heat 2 Tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes and saute for 1 minute more.
3. Squeeze the Italian sausage out of the casing into the skillet. Break it up with a spatula as it cooks. Saute until cooked through. Add the broccoli (thaw before hand) to the skillet and saute for 3-5 minutes or just until the broccoli is tender. Turn off the burner to prevent the broccoli from over cooking (it will begin to turn an olive green color if it overcooks).
4. When the pasta is cooked and drained, add it to the skillet with the sausage and broccoli. Stir to coat it in the garlic and red pepper infused oil. Sprinkle with salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste. Sprinkle with shredded cheese, stir, and serve warm!

Source: http://www.budgetbytes.com/2012/02/spicy-sausage-broccoli-pasta/

Grilled Broccoli & Cheese

Ingredients

• 1 cup frozen broccoli florets
• 1/16 tsp garlic powder
• pinch salt & pepper
• hearty bread
• 1 oz. cream cheese
• ¼ cup shredded mozzarella

Instructions

1. Place the broccoli florets in a microwave safe bowl and microwave on high until warm (about 90 seconds). Season the broccoli with a pinch of salt and pepper and about 1/16th teaspoon of garlic powder. Stir to combine.
2. Spread the cream cheese over the inside surface of both slices of bread. Add the shredded cheese to the bowl with the broccoli and stir to combine. Pile the broccoli and cheese mixture onto one of the slices of bread and place the other slice on top.
3. Place the sandwich in a non-stick skillet and cook over medium-low heat until the bread is crispy on the bottom. Flip the sandwich and cook on the second side until brown as crispy on the other side. If the cheese filling has not melted by this time, place a lid over the skillet to help hold in the heat until the interior is melted.

Source:  http://www.budgetbytes.com/2013/09/grilled-broccoli-cheese/

Broccoli-Cauliflower Cheddar Soup

Ingredients:
3 cups chicken or vegetable stock, divided use
1 1/4 cup shredded extra sharp cheddar
1/2 cup milk
1 medium onion, chopped
1 shallot, chopped
1 stalk celery, diced
1 head cauliflower, chopped into florets (about 4 1/2 cups)
1 head broccoli, cut into florets (about 3 cups)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
salt

Directions:
In a large pot, heat the olive oil. Add the onions and celery and cook until the onions and shallot are soft and translucent. Do not let them brown. Add the cauliflower, spices and 2 cups stock. Bring broth to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce to a simmer and cook 20-30 minutes or until the cauliflower is tender and easily cut, stirring occasionally. The broth will not totally cover the cauliflower but don’t worry- stirring will be enough to ensure the cauliflower cooks through.

Using a regular blender or immersion blender, blend the cauliflower mixture until very, very smooth and creamy. If you are using a regular blender, you will probably have to do this in steps so pour the blended soup into another large pot as you go. If using an immersion blender, you can blend the soup right in the same pot. Once blended, add the milk, remaining stock, vinegar and broccoli. Return to heat and allow to simmer until the broccoli is fork tender. Pulse the blender until the soup is mostly smooth. Stir in the cheese and serve.

Source: http://www.coconutandlime.com/2010/02/broccoli-cauliflower-cheddar-soup.html

Broccoli Cheese Casserole

Ingredients

• 2 pounds broccoli, stems removed (can use vegetable peeler to peel, then slice and eat like celery), large florets cut, yielding about 8 cups of broccoli florets
• Salt for blanching water
• 2 strips of thick-cut bacon (about 2 ounces), cut crosswise into 1/4-inch wide strips
• 1/3 cup all purpose flour
• 5 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup cream
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 to 3 teaspoons of freshly cracked black pepper (1 to 2 teaspoons if using fine ground black pepper)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 8 ounces cheddar cheese, grated

Method

1 Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (1 Tbsp salt for 2 quarts of water). Add the broccoli florets and boil for 3-5 minutes or until just tender enough so that a fork can easily pierce the floret, but still firm. Strain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking.

2 While the water in step one is coming to a boil, cook the bacon pieces on medium heat in a frying pan until lightly browned, but not crisp. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb the excess fat. Set aside.

3 Preheat oven to 425°F. Butter a 2 1/2 quart casserole dish. In a bowl, whisk the eggs into the flour, then whisk in the cream and milk. Add the black pepper (more or less to taste), salt, and mustard. Mix in about a third of the cheese.

4 Place the parboiled broccoli florets in the casserole dish, sprinkling about a third of the cheese over the broccoli florets as you lay them down. Sprinkle the bacon pieces over the broccoli. Pour the egg, cream, milk, cheese mixture over the broccoli, moving the broccoli pieces a bit so that the mixture gets into all the nooks and crannies. Sprinkle the casserole with the remaining cheese.

5 Bake for 25-40 minutes, or until set. Once the top has browned, you may want to tent with aluminum foil to keep from burning.

Source: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/broccoli_cheese_casserole

Broccoli shells n’ cheese

INGREDIENTS

• 8 oz. pasta
• 1 lg. crown broccoli
• 1/2 med onion
• 3 Tbsp butter
• 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2.5 cups milk
• 8 oz. (2 cups) sharp cheddar, shredded
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan
• 1 tsp hot sauce (optional)
• to taste salt and pepper

STEP 1: Get a large pot of salted water on to boil. Rinse the broccoli well and cut it into small florets.

STEP 2: The pasta and broccoli will be cooked in the same pot to save on dishes and time. When the water comes to a full boil, add the pasta. Set a timer for 8 minutes then add the broccoli. Cook the pasta and broccoli for two minutes more and then pour everything into a colander to drain. Set them aside until ready to add to the cheese sauce.

STEP 3: While the pasta and broccoli are doing their thing, you can begin the cheese sauce. Finely dice the onion and cook with butter over medium heat until softened (about 2-3 minutes).

STEP 4: Add the flour to the butter and onion. The flour and butter will form a paste like mixture (roux). Using a whisk, stir and cook the roux for 1-2 minutes more taking care not to let it scorch. This slightly cooks the flour preventing the cheese sauce from having an overly flour or paste like flavor.

STEP 5: Add the milk and whisk well to dissolve all of the flour clumps. Add freshly cracked black pepper at this point. Bring the mixture up to a simmer (you may need to raise the heat just slightly). When the sauce reaches a simmer, it will begin to thicken. When it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, it’s time to add the cheese.

STEP 6: Turn the burner off and whisk in the shredded cheese (and parmesan if using) until it is fully melted in. Give the cheese sauce a taste and add salt, pepper and hot sauce to taste.

STEP 7: Once you have the cheese sauce seasoned to your liking, stir in the cooked and drained pasta and broccoli. Serve hot and gooey!

 

Source: http://budgetbytes.blogspot.com/2011/02/broccoli-shells-n-cheese-605-recipe-101.html

Broccoli with Caramelized Pearl Onions Pasta

Ingredients:
2 heads broccoli, cut into florets
3 cloves garlic, chopped
8 oz pearl onions*
8 oz crimini mushrooms, sliced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
salt
pepper
to serve: 14-16 oz hot short pasta (like penne)
parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:
Heat oil in a large pan and add the garlic, red pepper, salt, pepper and pearl onions. Saute until the onions are starting to caramelize, then saute in the mushrooms for about 1 minute. Add broccoli and cook until almost tender, about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Toss with pasta.

Source: http://www.coconutandlime.com/2008/02/broccoli-with-caramelized-pearl-onions.html

Bacon & Broccoli Risotto

Ingredients:
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 cup dry white wine
4 cups bite sized pieces of broccoli
1 small onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups Arborio rice
1/3 cup Parmesan, grated
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
3 slices thick cut bacon, cooked and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 tablespoon butter
zest one lemon
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
In a saucepan, bring the broth to a simmer. Heat oil and butter in a large saucepan Saute the garlic and onion until lightly caramelized. Add the rice, salt and pepper and sauté for 2-3 minutes, stirring continually. Add the broth a 1/2 cup at a time, stirring continuously, and waiting until the liquid is absorbed before each addition. When you are about half way through the broth, add the broccoli to the rice.
Continue to add broth and stir. When the risotto is creamy and the rice is al dente remove from heat and stir in the Parmesan, bacon and zest.

Source: http://www.coconutandlime.com/2012/12/bacon-broccoli-risotto.html