• Salad:
    6 oz. long grain or wild rice
    1.5 c chopped broccoli
    1/3 c sliced red or green onion
    1/4 c simple vinaigrette (recipe below)
    1/2 tsp. lemon pepper
    1 - 1.5 c sugar snap peas
    1/3 c slivered almonds
     
    Vinaigrette:
    1/4 c. olive oil
    juice of 1/2 to 1 lemon (to taste)
    1 tsp. dijon mustard
    dash of sweetener, like honey, maple syrup or sugar (to take the bite out of the lemon acid)
    dash of basil, oregano or thyme - fresh or dried
    Whisk all together until blended smooth.
     
    Directions:
    Prepare rice according to package directions. Cool slightly. Steam broccoli lightly until crunchy-tender. Toss with remaining ingredients and refrigerate 2-24 hours. Serves 4.
     

  • Makes 4 servings
     
    1/2 cup chicken broth
    1/2 tsp. dried thyme
    3 cups broccoli or romanesco florets
    2 Tbsp. sour cream
    2 tsp. flour
    2 tsp. Dijon mustard
     
    1.  Bring broth and thyme to a boil over high heat.  Add broccoli or romanesco.  Return to a boil.
    2.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer 5 minutes, or until tender-crisp.  Retain cooking liquid, and remove broccoli;  keep warm.
    3.  Blend sour cream, flour, and mustard.  Stir into cooking liquid still in saucepan.  Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened, about 2 minutes;  cook and stir 1 minute more, but do not boil.  (If sauce is too thick, add more broth, 1 Tbsp. at a time)
    4.  Return broccoli to saucepan with sauce.  Stir gently until coated.  Serve at once.
     

  • Makes 6 servings
     
    2 Tbsp.  sesame oil
    1/2 cup chopped walnuts
    1/4 cup chopped onion, shallot, or leek
    4 cups broccoli florets
    1/4 cup sweet pepper strips
    2 Tbsp. soy sauce
     
    1.  Heat oil in skillet until hot.  Add walnuts and onion;  stir-fry for 1 minute.
    2.  Add broccoli;  continue to toss for 3-4 minutes.
    3.  Add pepper and soy sauce;  cook 1 minute longer.  Serve immediately.
     

  • You can toss any veggies you like into this basic curry. It would be great with Brussels sprouts, broccoli, romanesco, potatoes, other winter squash or any root vegetable.
     
    Serves 4.
     
    2 Tbs. oil
    1 onion or 1 large leek, chopped
    1 Tbs. curry powder
    1 Tbs. minced fresh ginger
    1.5 pounds butternut squash, peeled and roughly chopped
    1 c. coconut milk, stock or water
    salt and freshly ground pepper
    chopped fresh cilantro for garnish (optional)
     
    Put the oil in a pot or deep skillet over med-high heat. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the curry and ginger and cook until the onion just starts to brown, about 2 minutes more.
     
    Add the squash and coconut milk and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover and turn the heat down to low. Cook, stirring once or twice, until the squash is tender, about 20 minutes. Check periodically to make sure there is adequate liquid. If the squash is done and there is ample liquid, turn up the heat, take the lid off and cook down until the consistency is thicker than stew.
     
    Taste and adjust seasonings, garnish and serve warm.

  • Serves 8 or more. A zesty way to do up Brussels sprouts, romanesco, broccoli and/or cauliflower. This has become a staple at our Thanksgiving table.
     
    Mustard-Caper Butter:
    2 garlic cloves
    sea salt and fresh pepper
    6 Tbs. unsalted butter, at room temp
    2 tsp. Dijon-style mustard
    1/4 cup drained small capers, rinsed
    grated zest of 1 lemon
    3 Tbs. chopped marjoram, or 2 tsp. dried
     
    Pound the garlic with 1/2 tsp salt in a mortar until smooth, then stir it into the butter with the mustard, capers, lemon zest, and marjoram. Season with pepper. Can be made a day ahead and then refrigerated. Bring back to room temp before serving.
     
    The Vegetables:
    1 lb. Brussels sprouts, or 1 whole stalk stripped of its sprouts
    1 head romanesco and/or broccoli and/or cauliflower
     
    Trim the base off the sprouts, then slice them in half or, if large, into quarters. Cut the cauliflower and broccoli into bite-size pieces.
    Bring a pot of water to a boil and add salt. Add the Brussels sprouts and cook for about 3 minutes. Then add teh other veggies and continue to cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
    Drain, shake off any excess water, then toss with the Mustard-caper butter. Taste for salt, season with pepper and toss again.

  • I recently purchased this cookbook. The first recipe I attempted was this soup and it was fabulous.  I DID substitute half and half for the cream, I must admit. 
    I wrote and asked permission from the authors to share it with everyone, they were delighted to.  Was able to use 4 items from my weekly basket!
    serves 6
    6 cups (1.5 L) vegetable stock (p. 35)
    2 tbsp (3O mL) vegetable oil
    1 yellow onion, diced
    6 garlic cloves, minced
    1 tbsp (15 mL) minced fresh thyme
    1 112 tsp (7.5 mL) salt
    1/4 tsp (1.2 mL) red chile flakes
    1 large potato, peeled and diced
    4 broccoli stalks (2 cups florets
    reserved)
    1/2 lb (225 g) spinach, stemmed
    1 cup (24O mL) heavy cream
    1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) cracked pepper
    pesto
    1/2 bunch ltalian parsley, stemmed
    1/2 cup (12O mL) toasted, sliced
    almonds
    2 .garlic cloves
    1/2 cup (12O mL) grated Romano
    cheese
    1/4 cup (60 mLi olive oil
    salt and pepper, to taste
    Heat stock and keep it warm while preparing the soup. Heat oil
    in a soup pot over medium-high heat and saut6 the onion until
    translucent. Add garlic, salt, thyme and chile flakes and saut6
    until golden. stir in broccoli and potato; cook for several minutes.
    Add warm stock to cover; bring to a simmer and cook, paftially
    covered, until the broccoli and potatoes are just tender.
    stir in the spinach leaves and turn off the heat. Let the soup rest
    until the spinach wilts, then pur6e until smooth. Reheat the
    pur6e, add cream and more stock to thin, if necessary. Season
    to taste with salt and pepper.
    Meanwhile, bring a small pot of water to a hard boil. Add the
    salt and reserved broccoli florets and blanch until just done and
    bright green (about 1 minute). Strain immediately and plunge the
    florets into a bowl of ice water. Let them cool off, then strain
    and spread out on a clean, dry towel to drain. Set aside
    To prepare the pesto, place the parsley, almonds, garlic and
    cheese in a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the
    olive oil and pur6e, stopping short of making it completely
    smooth. Blend in salt and pepper to taste.
    Serve the soup hot, with a swirl of pesto in each bowl and
    garnished with broccoli florets.

     

     
     

  • This is a recipe that can be enjoyed as a side dish, smothered over bruschetta, or tossed with pasta and parmesan cheese.
     
    1.5 pounds broccoli
    salt and freshly ground pepper
    1/4 c olive oil
    1 onion
    1 T choped marjoram or oregano, or 1 tsp dried
    3 garlic cloves, coarsley chopped
    2 T olive paste or finely chopped Gaeta olives (or any kind of brined olive)
    grated zest of 1/2 lemon
     

    • Separate the stalks from the broccoli crowns. Thickly peel and trim the stalks and chop into 1/2 inch pieces. Peel the base of the crowns and separate into florets.
    • Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil; add salt, then the broccoli. Cook for 5 minutes (even if the water doesn't return to a boil), then scoop into a colander and drain, reserving a cup of the water. Chop into small pieces just smaller than bite sized.
    • Warm the olive oil in a wide skillet, then add the onion, herbs, and garlic. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring now and then, until the onion is softened, 5-7 minutes. Stir in the olive paste or olives; add the broccoli and stir to coat well. Taste for salt, season with pepper, and add the lemon zest. Add the reserved broccoli water and simmer gently until the broccoli is very tender, 15-20 minutes.