Broccoli Recipes

Flirting with the vegan style or just looking for a tasty side? Check out these Broccoli recipes to get ready for the ride!

As incredible as it may sound but broccoli is a type of cabbage. Sure, if someone has ever seen one in the wild, or more likely in a garden, making connections to cabbage isn’t that hard as it is when meeting broccoli florets frozen in bags.

The reason, we may fail to make the connection between the two, may lie along the lines of which parts of the two plants are used in our kitchens.

Cabbage is cultivated for its leaves while broccoli is grown for its flowering head and stalk. Its name reflects this fact as it is derived from the Italian “broccoli” which simply means “the flowering crest of cabbage”.

Like cauliflower, which is another plant of the same family, broccoli has large flower heads arranged in a tree-like structure which opposed to the white cauliflower heads, is generally dark green.

Those, who have ever tried coleslaw, know that cabbage as all other vegetables, can be eaten raw, so it should comet to no surprise that broccoli can be too.

Probably not many of us have met raw broccoli florets on their plates but once someone plunges into the world of uncooked plants, a whole new and surprisingly flavorful world opens up its gates.

Sure, simply suggesting that eat veggies raw wouldn’t make much of a recipe nor get much of an applause from those that try their taste buds in the health-conscious world, but luckily, there is hope for those who can’t bear the crunchiness of green stalks under their teeth, yet.

Many of us are well aware of the fact that simply boiling vegetables reduces their nutritional content greatly, due to many vitamins being water soluble substances and seep into the cooking water.

Of course, if we make soup then those goodies are going to the right place, given that they aren’t destroyed by hours long simmering, but if we simply discard the cooking water, all we end up is some green, bland tasting mush of fiber that no wonder kids reject so vehemently.

Apparently, microwaving, steaming and sautéing, aka stir-frying in little oil, are all methods that preserve the nutrition content of broccoli and make it more convenient for those who don’t like chewing hard.

The jury is out there to decide which method is the best but based on general human preferences that leans towards starchy and oily stuff, sautéing is the tastiest method.

Unfortunately though, only boiling reduces the amount of glycosylates which stands as the plant natural defends system and accounts for the perceived bitterness of the plant.

Strangely, not everyone is affected by this flavor, as its detection in the human body is connected to a specific gene that isn’t active in all of us.

So, if someone can’t stand broccoli, cauliflower or cabbage because of its smell, that’s really for a reason and not just because they try to reason their way into sugar bun covered burgers.

Those, who are blessed with ignorance and eating broccoli doesn’t bring up memories of force feeding from childhood, can enjoy this vegetable in many ways.

Microwaving and steaming will provide the least painful way of preparing it since we only have to put broccoli on then take it off when finished but the most exciting way of preparing broccoli is by sauteing it.

Searing will provide additional flavor to the vegetable while oil makes it more desirable, not just for our taste buds but for our brain too.

Using some salt, black pepper and our favorite spices and herbs will make all the difference with endless possibilities to choose from. Yet, these options only stand as the beginning of an exciting journey into a land, sprinkled with seeds and nuts, that was hiding in plain sight shadowed by our own ignorance and soothed by our constant yearning for refined starches.

Ingredients

• 6 cups / 500g Broccoli florets
• Optional
  • Salt
  • Black pepper
  • Onion powder
  • Garlic powder
  • Paprika
  • Mustard
  • …

 

How to make Broccoli

Common step

1. Rinse the broccoli then take it apart into 1″ -2″ / 2.5 -5cm florets. Try to be uniform with the size so it will cook evenly.

Cooked Broccoli

1. Place broccoli florets into pot with water. Put the lid on then bring it to boil.
2. Reduce heat to low then cook the vegetables until a sharp knife poked into the broccoli meets little to no resistance.
3. Discard the cooking water and rinse the broccoli in running cold tap water or iced bath (blanching) to cool and preserve its color and texture.

Oven roasted broccoli

1. Place broccoli florets onto a lightly greased baking sheet. Sprinkle it with spices and herbs if desired like salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder or paprika.
2. Put the broccoli with the baking sheet into the middle rack of a 390°F / 200°C oven and bake until a sharp knife poked into the broccoli meets little to no resistance.

 

Steamed Broccoli

1. Add water to a steamer, put the lid on then bring it to boil. Place the broccoli florets in.
2. Steam until a sharp knife poked into the broccoli meets little to no resistance.

Microwaved broccoli

1. Place the broccoli florets into a microwave oven safe dish.
2. Microwave on highest setting until a sharp knife poked into the broccoli meets little to no resistance.

Roasted Broccoli

1. In a skillet, heat some oil to high then add the broccoli florets. Season with salt and pepper or any other seasoning of choice if desired.
2. Sauté (stir-fry) broccoli until golden brown spots appear on the surface of the broccoli and desired texture achieved. Mind not to overcrowd the skillet and do it in batches if necessary.

 

Enjoy!

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