Tau Pok & Brussels Sprouts

On one of our trips to Mississauga as part of Mom's never-ending eye saga, we branched out and went to a Chinese grocery. I was very excited to be able to got some fried tofu puffs. They have a lot of names in various Chinese and other Asian languages, and have gotten translated into English in a variety of ways and can be surprisingly hard to chase down on the internet as a result. But whatever you want to call them, they are delicious little things. Frying tofu does not make it greasy so much as it drives out a lot of water and makes them somehow dense-airy-chewy all at once.

Since we had some Brussels sprouts in from the garden I did a stir-fry with them. Next time I would cut the tofu puffs in half; they were a bit too big for the other ingredients, especially our piddly little sprouts. 

You could make this with quite a few different green vegetables in place of the Brussels sprouts, when they are in season. Broccoli, or bok choy, or similar Chinese greens are probably the best choices. 

Like many Chinese (inspired) recipes, this one requires everything to be prepared in advance because once the cooking starts it all goes very quickly. Start your rice in good time before you get going, especially if you are cooking brown rice. (Because of course you are going to serve this with rice.)

 

3 to 4 servings

30 minutes prep time 

Make the Sauce: 

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon fish sauce OR sherry

2 teaspoons arrowroot OR corn starch

1 cup water

 

Mix the oyster sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce, and starch in a small bowl. Slowly mix in the water. Set aside. 

Make the Dish:

2 cloves of garlic

6 slices peeled fresh ginger

1 medium-small onion

1 medium-small carrot

60 - 75 grams (4 - 5 ounces) shiitake OR oyster mushrooms

400 grams (14 ounces) Brussels sprouts

150 grams (5 ounces) tau (fu) pok - fried tofu puffs 

2 tablespoons mild vegetable oil

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

 

Peel and mince the garlic, and put it aside in a small bowl. Peel and slice the ginger. Leave it whole to be picked out if it seems fibrous; otherwise cut it in small slivers. Add it to the garlic. 

 

Peel and sliver the onion. Peel, trim, and slice the carrot. Clean the mushrooms, discarding any tough stems and slicing the rest. Wash and trim the Brussels sprouts. If large, cut them in quarters or slices; if small, cut them just in half. Check the tau pok; it should be clean and dry. If the pieces are large (likely) you may wish to cut them in half.

 

Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the onion, carrot, and mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 or 3 minutes.  Add the Brussels sprouts, along with several tablespoons of water, and continue cooking and stirring for about 5 minutes more, until the water is cooked off and the Brussels sprouts seem well on the way to being done. Add the ginger and garlic and mix in well. Add the tau pok and mix in well. Stir up the sauce and pour it over, then mix in well. Sprinkle with the sesame oil. Continue cooking and stirring until it is all done to your liking, then serve at once. 

Last year at this time I made Broiled Muscovy Duck Breast.

Broccoli Italian Style

What is there to say about this? It's a classic and very simple Italian treatment for broccoli, and the Italians know their broccoli.

I say 20 minutes prep time, but it divides into 2 sessions of about 10 minutes each; first you prepare all the ingredients and then 10 minutes before dinner is to be served, start cooking (I say 12 minutes in the recipe, to give the water a couple of minutes to come to a boil). This is a dish that requires last minute attention, but if you are organized in advance, it goes very quickly and easily. We had ours with some broiled fish which cooked in about the same time but required no attention while it was in the oven so that was a good choice.

Next time I'd like to use some better quality, coarser bread crumbs than what I had; they are prominent part of the dish after all. Still, we really enjoyed this a lot and I suspect I'll be making it more often.

Odd as it sounds, I wonder if replacing the anchovies with a little miso rubbed into the crumbs would make a good vegetarian version?

2 to 4 servings
20 minutes prep time

Prepare:
2 to 3 cloves of garlic
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon red chile flakes
4 to 5 anchovies
1/3 cup dry but coarse bread crumbs

Peel, trim, and mince the garlic. Put it in a small bowl with the chile flakes. Mince the anchovies and add them. Add the bread crumbs. Mix and set aside.

Continue & Finish:
4 to 5 cups broccoli florets
1 medium onion
2 tablespoons olive oil

Wash, trim, and cut the broccoli into florets. Peel the onion and cut it in half, then into slivers.

Exactly 12 minutes before serving time, put some water in a pot to cook the broccoli and bring it to a boil. Add the broccoli and cook the it for 5 to 6 minutes - essentially cooked, as it won't really cook any more in the skillet.

Put the olive oil in a large skillet and heat over medium-high heat when the broccoli has 2 or 3 minutes left to cook. Add the onions and cook, stirring regularly, until softened and reduced in volume. When the broccoli is cooked, drain it very well, and add it to the pan, Mix in well, cooking for a couple minutes until the broccoli and onions are well combined and any lingering liquid from the broccoli is gone.

Add the little bowl of crumbs, etc, and mix in well. Continue cooking and stirring until the broccoli is well-coated in the crumbs, the garlic is fragrant, and the crumbs are browning slightly. Transfer everything to a serving dish and serve at once.





Last year at this time I made Poblano Chiles with Corn & Onions (Rajas y Elote).

Broccoli Salad with Vaguely Thai Peanut Dressing

We went on a pic-nic! It was an adventure; we had forgotten that not a pic-nic table in the province has been put out, and also it was a midweek day but it was an August midweek day, and the day-trippers were swarming like mosquitos.

I was sure I could take a photo of our pic-nic salad at the actual pic-nic, but just in case I took a few photos at home before we left. Good thing! We ended up eating standing up, out of the back of the car. We were pretty happy though. This salad was made the night before, apart from the onion and parsley being added in the morning, and it stood up to that and to being hauled around in a cooler for half the day just fine. Some cold baked chicken and some muffins rounded out the menu and we came home feeling like we had had a worthwhile trip; traffic, maskless crowds, table-less parks, and all.

4 to 6 servings
45 minutes prep time

Make the Dressing:
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 tablespoons tahini
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
2 cloves of garlic
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon chile-garlic sauce
the juice of 2 to 3 limes
a few tablespoons water to thin

Measure the peanut butter, tahini, and sesame oil into a small mixing bowl.

Peel and finely mince the garlic, and add it. Add the remaining ingredients up to the juice of 2 limes. Mix well and taste the dressing; add the juice of up to another lime if you think it is required. This is also the time to adjust the chile garlic sauce, and anything else, really. Thin the dressing with a little water, mixing well after each spoonful, until it is about the consistency of mayonnaise. Keep in mind that dressing should be pretty sharp in flavour - it has a fair bit of territory to cover once it goes on the salad. This can be made up to a day in advance and refrigerated.

Make the Salad:
4 cups finely chopped broccoli florets
2 stalks of celery
a medium carrot
1/4 orange or red bell pepper
1/2 medium sweet onion
1/3 cup chopped cilantro OR parsley
1/2 cups roasted unsalted peanuts

Put a pot of water on to boil to blanch the broccoli. Wash and trim the broccoli, and cut it into fairly small florets. When the water boils, boil them for 1 to 2 minutes, then drain and rinse in cold water until they are cool. Drain very well, then add it to your salad bowl.

Meanwhile, wash, trim, and chop the celery. Peel and grate or shred the carrot. Trim, de-seed, and dice the pepper finely. Peel the onion, and chop. I like to salt mine and let it drain for a few minutes before rinsing it and adding it to the salad. Wash, dry, and finely chop the cilantro or parsley - I think cilantro is the best choice, but there wasn't a leaf to be found in the garden, so parsley it was - and add that to the salad along with the peanuts. You can toss it with the dressing - although you may not wish to use all of it - or pass the dressing separately.





Last year at this time I made Greek Feta-Stuffed Peppers.

Peas in Butter Sauce

Well yes; just a little rich!

But peas are special, and when they come fresh from the garden they deserve a special treatment that doesn't overwhelm them, and now that I'm cutting way back on the carbohydrates, I am eating more in the way of fat. Butter is good for you, they now say.

You could put this sauce on all kinds of vegetables besides peas; asparagus, cauliflower, broccoli, zucchini, green beans, even cabbage or carrots. Even if you stick to peas, snap and snow peas would work very well in this sauce too. Adjust the herb and stock according to which vegetable you are using, or replace the lemon juice with a good vinegar. Use more or less of the vegetables depending on what you have, how many people you are serving, and how prominent you would like the sauce to be. It's not outstandingly assertive, in spite of all that butter. I suspect this would also work just fine in the winter, with frozen vegetables.

Classic butter sauce is made with no starch, but I'm a belt-and-suspenders kind of a cook, and took no chances of it failing to emulsify. This requires fairly precise timing but is otherwise very quick and easy to make. The butter should be cold, not at room temperature or it won't emulsify properly.

2 to 6 servings
15 minutes prep time, not including shelling the peas

3 cups shelled peas (OR use 2 to 4 cups other vegetable)
1/2 teaspoon potato starch
1/4 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon rubbed dry mint (OR other herb)
1/4 cup vegetable OR chicken stock
2 tablespoons 10% cream

3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Have the peas shelled and ready to go. Cook the peas (or other vegetable) by steaming or boiling them in the usual way, expecting them to take 2 to 4 minutes. (Other vegerables may take up to 6 minutes.) Because vegetables cook very quickly, you should have all the sauce ingredients standing by ready before you start cooking them.

Put the starch, salt, pepper, herb, stock, and cream into a small bowl and mix. When the peas or other vegetables have about 2 minutes left to cook (which is to say you have just dropped the peas in boiling water, or put them in a steamer a minute or two ago) heat a broad, shallow pan - I used my stainless steel skillet - over medium-high heat. Add the ingredients you mixed in the little bowl and whisk steadily, until the sauce thickens - about 1 minute. Reduce the heat to low and add the butter, whisking it in until melted and amalgamated. Add the lemon juice and whisk it in.

Immediately pour the sauce over the WELL DRAINED peas in their serving dish, or you can add the well drained, did I say? peas to the pan and toss them in the sauce there before transferring it all to a serving dish. Serve at once.

Roasted Chile-Garlic Broccoli & Tofu

Roasting green vegetables has been very popular for the last few years. It is not my favourite way of preparing them, but once in a while I will give it a go. It does have the advantage that most of the prep work is in advance, and very little attention is required while cooking.

It's also been a while since we have had any tofu. Since baked tofu has a chewy-crispy texture that I really like, this seemed like a good plan. This is two-thirds of that old hippie triumvirate; brown rice being the only missing element and it needn't be missing at all if that's what you make to go with this. We had quinoa and it went along very well.

This is not in any way a difficult thing to make but you must allow enough time to drain then marinate the tofu, also the baking takes some time. 

2 to 3 servings
1 hour 45 minutes - 30 minutes prep time

Press & Marinate the Tofu:
350 grams (12 ounces) extra-firm tofu
2 tablespoons tamari OR soy sauce
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons mild vegetable oil
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

Slice the tofu about 1 cm thick, then into bite-sized pieces. Arrange it in a shallow sieve, and put a weight on it. Press it for about 30 minutes (over a bowl to catch the liquid).

Meanwhile, mix the remaining ingredients. Put the drained tofu into a container and pour the marinade over it. Stir gently, then marinate for about 30 minutes.

Prepare the Broccoli, Etc:
1 head (1/2 bunch) broccoli
4 to 6 shallots
1 tablespoon mild vegetable oil

While the tofu marinates, wash and trim the broccoli. Cut and break it into small florets and other bite-sized pieces. Peel the shallots and cut them in quarters. Toss them both with the oil and arrange them on one side of a large baking (cookie) tray, lined with parchment paper if you like.

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Roast the Broccoli & Tofu:
3 to 4 tablespoons potato starch
1 or 2 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon (to taste) chile-garlic sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce

Drain the tofu - drizzle any unabsorbed marinade over the broccoli. Pat the tofu dry with a paper towel and put it in a sieve. Sprinkle the potato starch, a tablespoon at a time, over the tofu pieces. Shake and turn them after each spoonful to get them as evenly coated as possible. Once they all have a thin coating of starch, put them on the other half of the baking tray, spread out in a single layer.

Bake the broccoli and tofu at 400°F for 20 minutes. While they bake, peel and mince the garlic. Mix it with the chile-garlic sauce and the soy sauce.

Turn the tofu over and drizzle the prepared sauce over the broccoli. Stir and turn the broccoli gently. Return the tray to the oven and bake for a further 20 minutes.

Mix the tofu into the broccoli and serve at once, with rice or noodles (or quinoa pilaf, as I did).





Last year at this time I made Beans & Sausage with Peppers & Onions.

Broccoli & Mushroom Pasties

Do you remember Pepperidge Farm broccoli puffs? I used to love them back in the '80s. Maybe they even still make them, I don't know; although I haven't seen them in years. They were always a little hard to find and I could rarely afford them since that era coincided with my poor student days.

Anyway, I got a bee in my bonnet to make them myself, and since frozen puff pastry is reasonably available and good quality, it makes these fairly simple to make. The only real trick is to have enough self-discipline to not over-fill them. Also, the filling holds its shape better if it is cool when you fill the puffs. So allow plenty of time to make these - they can sit a bit once formed.

I made 8 puffs. You may wish to make smaller ones as appetizers or hors d'oeuvres. In either case, if you wish to add cheese, put no more than 2 teaspoons in a large puff or 1 teaspoon in a small puff.

8 or 18 pasties
1 hour 45 minutes - 45 minutes prep time
plus time to thaw pastry and cool

1 medium head of broccoli
1 small carrot
100 grams (1/4 pound) button mushrooms
2 large shallots
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 teaspoon rubbed savory or thyme
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3/4 cup unsalted chicken stock
1/4 cup 10% cream
450 grams (1 pound) prepared puff pastry
about 1/2 cup grated old Cheddar cheese (optional)

Don't forget that if you are using frozen puff pastry it must be thawed in advance - allow at least 2 hours. 

Put a small pot of water on to boil for the broccoli florets. Cut the stem from the broccoli. Peel and grate it. Peel and grate the carrot. Cut the broccoli florets into small pieces and cook them in the boiling water for about 3 minutes, until just barely tender. Drain them very well and set them aside.

Clean and chop the mushrooms finely. Peel and mince the shallots.

Heat the butter in a medium-sized skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and mushrooms, and cook gently, stirring regularly, until softened and reduced in volume - 2 or 3 minutes. Add the grated broccoli stem and carrot. Continue cooking and stirring for another couple of minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture. Season with the salt, pepper, savory, and mustard. Mix well.

Begin to slowly stir in the chicken stock, 1/4 cup at a time until the mixture is smooth. Let it simmer for a minute or two, then stir in the cream. Let it thicken back up for a minute or two, then remove the pan from the heat and let it cool for 15 minutes, enough to work with. This can all be done a day in advance and the filling refrigerated, if desired.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a large baking tray with parchment paper.

Gently open and roll out the puff pastry. Cut each 1/2 pound sheet into 4 even squares (or 9, if you want smaller pasties). Dollop an evenly proportionate amount of the filling onto each square, but be careful not to over-fill them. Wet the corners and sides of the pastry with cold water, and fold all 4 corners up into the middle. Pinch them together, along with the sides as well as you can. Don't worry about doing it well; steam needs to escape and in any event they are likely to split open in baking anyway.

Bake the pasties for 35 to 40 minutes until the pastry is light brown and the filling is bubbling. Let cool at least 10 minutes before serving, warm or at room temperature.




Last year at this time I made Pollo alla Romana.

Broccoli Tabbouleh

Tabbouleh is such a satisfying salad - the bright and zingy lemon juice, the green rush of parsley and mint, the chewy bite of the bulgur, the burst of red juiciness of the tomatoes... oops. The tomatoes. I forgot to put them in. I meant to, and I really wish I had.

I did put in broccoli, which is what makes this slightly different from a standard tabbouleh recipe. Some baked chicken served with it made for a very simple yet well-rounded meal. This was one of the meals I served to company and the fact that the bulgur and broccoli could be prepared in advance made it very useful for entertaining. Right about the time that three-quarters of it had been eaten, I remembered that I had intended to put in the tomatoes... too bad, so sad. People didn't seem to miss them and the whole thing was hoovered up. But you can make it even better by keeping track of those tomatoes.

6 to 8 servings
20 minutes to prepare the bulgur and broccoli
20 minutes to finish the salad

Cook the Bulgur & Broccoli:
225 grams (1/2 pound) bulgur wheat
1 large head of broccoli

Put a large pot of well-salted water on to boil. Wash, trim, and finely chop the broccoli. When the water boils, add them both and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain and rinse with cold water until cool, then drain very well. This can be done a day in advance - keep them in a sealed container in the fridge.  

Make the Salad:
1 medium sweet onion
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
the finely grated zest of 1/4 large lemon
the juice of 1 large lemon
1 cup finely chopped parsley
2 to 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint
4 to 6 salad tomatoes

Peel and chop the onion finely. Sprinkle it with salt and put it in a strainer to drain as you prepare the rest of the salad.

Mix the oil, salt, pepper, and lemon zest in a salad bowl. Add the lemon juice, chopped parsley and mint. Mix in the bulgur and broccoli. The salad can be prepared to this point then kept in the fridge for an hour or so until serving, if necessary - but don't forget to add the tomatoes!

Wash, core, and dice the tomatoes. Stir them into the salad. Serve at once.




Last year at this time I made Peach Flan with Caramelized Peach Sauce. 

Stir-Fried Beef with Broccoli, Shiitakes & Oyster Sauce

A popular and classic take-out dish, made in about the same time it would take for your order to arrive and probably cheaper and better too. Dirty dishes though; but you can't have everything.

That was the last red pepper from our garden, which had been sitting on the counter for a while and required some trimming. Hopefully you can get greenhouse peppers now. It could be omitted if you can't. As with all stir-fries, the cooking is very quick so everything should be ready and organized before you turn on the burner.

2 servings
30 minutes prep time

Make the Sauce:
1/4 cup beef stock
2 teaspoons corn starch
1 tablespoon soy sauce

Measure the cold stock and mix in the starch and soy sauce. Set aside.

Prepare the Ingredients:
250 grams (1/2 pound) sirloin or similar steak
1 small head of broccoli
1 medium onion
1/4 of a red pepper
75 grams (3 ounces) shiitake mushrooms
2 cloves of garlic
3 to 4 very thin slices of ginger

Cut the steak into 1/4" thick slices; if your beef was from frozen it is easiest to do while it is still semi-frozen.

Put a large pot of water on to boil. 

Wash, trim, and cut the broccoli into florets. Peel the onion and cut it into slivers. Wash the pepper and cut it into thin strips. Remove and discard the stems of the shiitakes, and cut them into strips. Peel and mince the garlic. Mince the ginger very finely.

When the water boils, blanch the broccoli for 1 or 2 minutes, then drain well. 

Make the Stir-Fry:
1 tablespoons mild vegetable oil
2 tablespoons good quality oyster sauce

Heat the oil over high heat in a large skillet or wok. When it is hot, add the beef, and stir-fry for a minute or two. When it is sizzling hot, add the onion, pepper, and mushrooms. Continue cooking for a few minutes until the vegetables begin to soften, and the meat looks mostly cooked. Mix in the garlic and ginger, then after a minute or so, mix in the drained broccoli.

Cook for several minutes more, stirring frequently, until the broccoli is done to your liking. Stir up the sauce and pour it over, stirring as it goes. It will thicken up and coat the vegetables, etc within about a minute, at which point the stir-fry should be transferred to a large serving dish. Drizzle half the oyster sauce over it and mix in gently, then drizzle the remaining oyster sauce over it. Serve with steamed rice.

Pasta with Bacon, Broccoli, Leeks, & Cream

I'm on a kick with leeks and broccoli! I've done plenty of versions of pasta in a cream sauce with some cheese, too. This all comes together very nicely, and in pretty much the usual time to get pasta on the table, which is to say not very long at all.

Three leeks seems like a lot, but it's amazing how they want to disappear. The amount of pasta to cook is, of course, the amount of pasta you know 2 people will eat.

2 servings
30 minutes prep time

1 small head of broccoli
1 large carrot
3 large leeks
3 or 4 cloves of garlic
150 grams (1/2 pound) lean bacon
2 tablespoons bacon fat
166 grams to 225 grams (1/3 to 1/2 pound) stubby pasta
salt & freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons rubbed savory
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup unsalted chicken stock
1 cup 10% cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Wash and trim the broccoli, and cut it into florets. Set it aside. 

Peel and grate the carrot. Wash, trim, and cut the leeks into thin slices. Rinse them well and drain them thoroughly. Peel and mince the garlic.

Put a large pot of salted water on to boil for the pasta.

Chop the bacon and cook it gently in a large skillet until crispy. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon, and drain off any excess fat leaving about 2 tablespoons. (Or add enough to make 2 tablespoons, but good luck with that.)

Add the leeks and carrots and cook gently for about 10 minutes, stirring regularly. The vegetables should soften and cook down, but don't let them brown. Season with salt - very carefully given the presence of both bacon and cheese - and more generously with pepper, and add the savory. Mix in well.

When the water comes to a boil, add the pasta and cook it for the time indicated on the package plus 1 minute. When it has 6 minutes left to cook, add the broccoli.

Meanwhile, mix the flour into the chicken stock being sure there are no lumps. Mix the cream into the chicken stock then pour it into the pan of vegetables. Bring it to a gently simmer and cook, stirring frequently, until the pasta and broccoli are cooked and the sauce has thickened; both at about the same time if all goes according to plan. Drain the pasta and broccoli very well then mix them into the pan of sauce. Serve with the grated Parmesan sprinkled over.





Last year at this time I made Onion Caraway Soup.

Warm Roasted Squash & Broccoli Salad with Hazelnuts

This is really quite a simple salad, and I was a bit surprised at how much Mom and Mr. Ferdzy liked it. I liked it too!

I'm saying 4 servings, but the 3 of us ate it all. However, I only served a small piece of chicken alongside it, so with something else more substantial it should go further, and while it is a little time-consuming, there really isn't a lot of actual work involved.

Often this kind of salad is served with feta cheese in it, and that would be one way to make it a complete meal in itself. Sausages on the side would be a good choice too, with their slightly salty flavour profile.

4 servings
1 hour 30 minutes - 20 minutes prep time

Roast the Vegetables:
a 1.2 kilo (2.5 pounds) butternut squash
2 tablespoons mild vegetable oil
salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground Aleppo OR similar pepper
1 large onion
1 large head of broccoli
2 tablespoons mild vegetable oil
salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Peel and de-seed the squash, and cut it into large bite-sized pieces. Toss it with the first round of oil, salt, pepper, and Aleppo pepper and spread it out on a large baking tray in a single layer. Roast for 40 minutes, then turn the oven up to 400°F.

Meanwhile, peel the onion and cut it into large slivers / small wedges. Wash and trim the broccoli, and cut it into florets. Peel the stem and cut it into large slivers. Toss them with the remaining oil, salt, and pepper. Mix them into the squash when it has roasted for 40 minutes, and roast for a further 20 to 30 minutes, at 400°F, until the vegetables are done to your liking.

Toast the Hazelnuts & Finish:
100 grams (4 ounces) whole hazelnuts
the juice of 1 large lemon
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

At some point while the squash is roasting at 375°F, spread the hazelnuts on another baking sheet and roast them on the top shelf for 10 to 15 minutes. Let them cool, then rub them in a towel to remove most of the skins. Chop them coarsely.

Squeeze and strain the lemon juice, and mix in the mustard.

When the vegetables are roasted, toss them with the hazelnuts and lemon juice. Let cool a few minutes before serving - it should be still warm but not really hot.





Last year at this time I made Lamb with Turnip Greens.

Brocc-a-Leekie Soup

There is no resemblance between this and the famous Scottish Cock-a-Leekie soup; in particular there are no prunes. I just found the name amusing and these days I need all the amusement I can get, however feeble.

Leeks and bacon are a classic combination and broccoli works well with them too. Leeks are so sweet and agreeable they get along with everything, really. Toasted barley as my favourite soup thickener, and a little vinegar and Worcestershire sauce to sharpen it up, and it's a sturdy, filling soup for chilly fall days. It will need a little something on the side, though, as these are not huge servings. We had ours with a grilled cheese sandwich and were very happy campers.

4 servings
1 hour - 40 minutes prep time

1 head broccoli
2 medium leeks
4 to 6 shallots
1/4 cup barley flour
250 grams (1/2 pound) bacon
salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 cups unsalted chicken stock
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Wash and trim the broccoli, and cut it into quite small pieces. Wash, trim, and chop the leeks finely. Peel and mince the shallots.

Heat a heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium heat. Add the barley flour and cook it until it is the colour of a paper bag, stirring regularly. Watch it towards the end in particular, as it will toast quickly when it does.Turn it out onto a plate to cool at once.

Chop the bacon and cook it in the soup pot over medium heat until it has rendered most of the fat and turned fairly crisp. Add the shallots, and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring regularly. Add the broccoli and shallots, and cook for another 10 minutes, stirring regularly, until they have softened and reduced slightly in volume.

Add the chicken stock, vinegar, and apple cider vinegar, and simmer for a further 10 minutes or so until the soup is thickened and the broccoli is cooked. Stir regularly.

Turkish Broccoli & Carrot Salad

I'm getting a little addicted to garlic-yogurt sauce on vegetables, I have to say. We really liked this one. Carrots and broccoli go together so nicely, and look so pretty together, and the combination of garlicky yogurt and a zingy vinaigrette (is it a vinaigrette if you use lemon juice?) worked really well. 

4 servings
30 minutes prep time

Make the Dressing:
a few scrapes of  lemon zest
1/8 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon Aleppo pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
the juice of 1/2 large lemon

Grate the lemon zest into a small bowl or jam jar, and add the seasonings. Mix in the olive oil. Squeeze the lemon juice and strain it before adding it. Mix well.

This can - and should - be done a little in advance, to allow the flavours to blend.

Make the Yogurt Sauce:
1 small clove of garlic
1/3 cup thick yogurt
a pinch of salt

Peel and mince the garlic. Mix it into the yogurt along with a pinch of salt. 

Make the Salad:
3 or 4 medium carrots
1 large head of broccoli
1/2 small sweet onion (optional)
2 or 3 tablespoons chopped parsley

Put a pot of water on to boil. Peel and slice the carrots, fairly thinly. Wash, trim, and chop the broccoli into florets. Peel and chop the onion, if using. Wash, dry, and mince the parsley.

When the water boils, drop the carrots in for 2 minutes, then add the broccoli and continue boiling for another 2 minutes. Drain the vegetables at once and rinse them in cold water until they are cool. Drain very thoroughly.

Toss the broccoli and carrots in a salad bowl with the onion and parsley, and the vinaigrette dressing. Pass the salad with the yogurt sauce to spoon over.





Last year at this time I made Cheesy Spaghetti Squash Bake.

Broccoli Cheddar Casserole

It is beginning to become clear to me that we have been eating too much cheese lately. Still, I regret nothing!

Well, a little bit. But it's hard to regret something as tasty and satisfying as this. It was also quick and easy to make, and pretty much a full meal in itself. We had it with just one of the last tomatoes from the garden and that was lovely. Also, for those who take note of such things, this is another entry into the list of things to do with stale bread.

6 servings

2 hours - 1 hour prep time

1 bunch broccoli (2 or 3 heads)
1 large carrot
1 medium onion
125 grams (1/4 pound) button mushrooms
1/2 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup flour
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 cups 5% or 10% cream
3 large eggs
225 grams (1/2 pound) old Cheddar cheese
350 grams (12 ounces) stale, light bread
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Wash the broccoli, and cut the stems from the florets. Peel and grate the stems, and put them in a mixing bowl. Finely chop the florets and put them aside elsewhere.

Peel and grate the carrot. Peel and chop the onion. Add them to the grated broccoli stems. Clean and dice the mushrooms.

Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until melted. Add the broccoli stems, carrot, and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened. Add the mushrooms and mix in well. Continue cooking and stirring until the vegetables are softened and reduced in volume. Season with the salt and pepper.

Mix in the flour and the mustard, until the flour is absorbed. Slowly mix in the cream, stirring constantly, until the mixture is smooth. Continue cooking and stirring until it thickens; about 5 minutes. Transfer the mixture back to the mixing bowl.

Put the skillet back on the stove and add the broccoli florets and about a cup of water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the broccoli is tender but still bright green; about 5 minutes. The water should be evaporated by that point.

Beat the eggs into the mixture in the bowl. Mix in the (drained if necessary) broccoli florets.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9" x 13" shallow baking (lasagne) pan. Cut the bread into dice and put it in the baking pan.

Grate the Cheddar cheese and fold about three-quarters of it into the contents of the mixing bowl. Pour it out over the bread cubes and mix gently. Spread it out evenly in the pan.

Sprinkle the remaining grated Cheddar and the Parmesan over the top of the casserole. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes until firm and golden brown. Let it rest for 10 minutes before serving.





Last year at this time I made Turkish Tray Kebab.

Brussels Sprouts with Sour Cream & Horseradish

This idea turned up on a site I was reading where someone asked for Brussels sprout recipe suggestions. I thought it was a very good one and I have written it up as a recipe, but honestly; you cook the amount of Brussels sprouts you think you will eat, in the manner that seems good to you, then add appropriate amounts of sour cream and horseradish to taste.

I will chime in to say that this would be good on cabbage too, and I'd like to try it with cauliflower or broccoli. And as ever the advice to start by adding a little - especially of the horseradish - then assessing the situation and adding more as required applies here. You can always add more, but you can't take it out. That's my mantra. (Motto? Meme? Thing I say a lot, anyway.)

4 to 6 servings
20 minutes prep time

500 grams (1 pound) Brussels sprouts
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish or a bit more
salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

Wash and trim the Brussels sprouts. You can cut a fairly deep "X" in the bottom of each, or chop them a bit coarsely. Mine were home-grown and so uneven in size there was nothing to but chop. It does assure even cooking, assuming you chop reasonably evenly.

Steam or boil the sprouts until done to your liking. For me, that's about 6 minutes. Your boiling may vary.

Drain them very well - press them a bit in fact - then toss them with the sour cream and the horseradish. Season with salt and pepper to taste. I thought the horseradish would render those redundant, but in fact a little of each was a good idea. Transfer to a serving dish and, er, serve. We're done here.




Last year at this time I made Turkey Tourtière.

Cheesy Spaghetti Squash Bake

Well, I am posting this recipe but I have to say that as usual I am not wildly impressed by spaghetti squash. It is one of those things that sounds like such a good idea but rarely lives up to the hype. I have had some that worked well, but usually it is a little softer and mooshier than it should be and so it proved to be this time, as usual. Never mind; add enough cheese and no-one will complain.

I have you cook the entire spaghetti squash here, as you will need both sides of the rind, even though half of the squash gets saved for some other nefarious purpose. I shall reveal mine in the fullness of time.

It seems like a heck of lot of time to make this, and it is. The good news is that most of that time is spent with the squash sitting in the oven, and even better is that it can be broken up over 2 days. Once you have the squash cut in half - the hardest part of this recipe by far - it is all very easy and little actual work. 

2 servings
2 3/4hours - 30 minutes prep time
not including cooking the broccoli or spinach

Cook the Spaghetti Squash:
1 medium spaghetti squash
2 teaspoons mild vegetable oil

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Cut the squash in half from the stem end to the blossom end. A very large, sharp knife will be required for this. Scoop out the seeds and soft material surrounding them with a spoon and discard them. Rub the squash over the cut edges with the oil.

Place the squash face-down on a baking tray and bake until the flesh is tender and will form strands when scraped with a fork. I have found the time needed for squash quite variable, but expect between an hour and an hour and a half.

Stuff and Bake the Squash Again:
2 cups blanched broccoli
OR 1 cup cooked spinach
2 to 3 cloves of garlic
1 green onion
OR 1/4 cup minced chives
1/2 cup 10% cream
1 teaspoon arrowroot or cornstarch
1 cup grated old Cheddar cheese
OR other strongly flavoured cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Have the broccoli or spinach prepared. This is an excellent opportunity to use up some leftover vegetables. Chop to broccoli into smallish florets, or shred the spinach finely.

Peel and mince the garlic. Wash, trim and mince the green onion or chives. Mix them in a mixing bowl with the cream, starch, and 2/3 of each of the cheeses. Mix the remaining cheeses together and set aside.

When the squash is ready, cool enough to handle, use a fork to pull the strands from the rind. Keep the rind in good condition. Be careful. The rind is a bit fragile and easy to tear. (Or they can be cooked the day before and brought up to room temperature before removing the strands.) Set half the squash strands aside to use for another purpose.

Mix the remaining strands with the vegetables, cream, and cheese. Divide the mixture equally between the 2 half rinds, and place them in a snug baking pan. Sprinkle the remaining cheese evenly over them. Bake at 350°F for 30 to 45 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and lightly browned.




Last year at this time I made Ginger & Dried Fruit Fruitcake. 

Pasta & Broccoli with Goat Cheese & Croutons

I've done this simple pasta sauce of thinned goat cheese before. It really is so convenient for a quick and simple meal. The toasted bread crumbs/cubes add some delightful crunch and keep the dish from being too mooshy. Also more stale bread - the saga continues!

Two people will eat all of this as a meal; as a starter pasta course it will go twice as far.

We are actually getting a little broccoli in the garden this year. Amazing. 

2 to 4 servings

1 head (3 cups) broccoli, in florets
250 grams (1/2 pound) pasta
2 or 3 slices stale French or Italian style bread
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cloves of garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 teaspoon rubbed basil
150 grams (5 ounces) soft chevre (goat cheese)
1/4 to 1/3 cup rich milk or light cream

Wash and trim the broccoli and cut it into florets. 

Put a pot of water on to boil for the pasta, and salt it generously when it boils. Cook the pasta according to the instruction until done. Add the broccoli when the pasta has about 5 minutes left to cook.

Meanwhile, cut the bread into small cubes or crumble it into large crumbs. Heat the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat and add the bread. Toss it well to get the butter coating it as evenly as possible.

Peel and mince the garlic finely, and add it with the salt, pepper, and basil to the bread cubes. Continue to cook them gently, stirring regularly, until they are crisp and golden brown. If they are done before the pasta and broccoli turn them out onto a plate to wait. Not too likely though; they should be done at about the same time.

When the pasta and broccoli are done, drain them well. Put the empty pot back on the stove and add the chevre and the milk or cream. Mix well, breaking up the cheese, to form a smooth sauce. Add the pasta and broccoli back into it and toss well. Arrange the pasta in a serving bowl or on individual plates and sprinkle the toasted bread bits over it.




Last year at this time I made Alu Gobi.

Broccoli with Chile & Garlic

This may be a very simple treatment for broccoli but it's really delicious, if you like butter, chile, and garlic, and I do, very much.

In fact the only thing better is to make twice as much of the garlic and chile oil, then toss in not only broccoli but cooked pasta, finishing the whole thing with a generous sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese.

You could do this with cauliflower too, I wouldn't doubt. Perhaps not a large head of it; about 4 cups of florets would be sufficient. I figure that's the same amount as the broccoli.

2 to 4 servings
15 minutes prep time

1 large head broccoli
2 or 3 cloves of garlic
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red chile flakes

Wash and trim the broccoli, and cut it into florets. Put it in a pot with an inch of water and bring to a boil; boil for 5 minutes. Drain very well.

Meanwhile, peel and mince the garlic. When the broccoli is draining, be sure the pot is dry then put the garlic, butter, olive oil, salt, and chile flakes into it. Return to the burner and bring it up to a simmer. Let it simmer for a minute or two, then add the very well drained broccoli. Stir it into the garlic and chile sauce for a minute or two, until well distributed and soaked into it, then turn it out onto its serving dish. Serve at once.




Last year at this time I made Caprese Tortellini Salad.

Devilish Broccoli & Egg Salad

For a sweet, simple, little salad this required an annoying amount of advance preparation. I thought it was worth it though, and none of it is hard. You just have to plan ahead.

It's not really a side salad; it's pretty close to  meal in itself. It's light enough that I suggest a really nice roll and butter to be served with it, or possibly serve it as part of an assortment of salads. A potato or grain salad would add that little bit of heft that is lacking. I really like a salad bar type menu for summer entertaining and this would fit into that very nicely.

If you don't eat bacon you could replace it with something else to provide that little hit of salty something. Roasted salted pumpkin or sunflower seeds would do the trick quite nicely.

2 to 4 servings
45 minutes prep time in 2 separate sessions
30 minutes advance cooking, 15 minutes final prep

Advance Cooking:
4 large eggs
6 slices bacon
1 bunch broccoli

Put the eggs in a pot and cover them with water. Bring them to a boil and boil for one minute, then turn off the heat but leave them, covered, in the pot for a further 10 minutes. Rinse in cold water until cool and set aside until needed.

Cut the bacon into small bits and cook in a skillet over medium-high heat until quite crisp, stirring frequently. Remove them to a sheet of paper towel to drain and cool. Set aside until needed.

Put a pot of water on for the broccoli. Wash, trim, and chop the broccoli fairly finely - small bite sized pieces. When the water boils, add them and cover the pot. Cook for 3 minutes then rinse in cold water until cool. Drain very well and set aside until needed.

Make the Dressing:
1/2 cup mayonnaise (light is fine)
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon horseradish
freshly ground black pepper to taste
the finely grated zest of 1 lemon
the juice of 1/2 lemon

Mix the mustard, horseradish, pepper and lemon zest into the mayonnaise until smooth and well blended. Add the lemon juice and mix again. Taste the dressing; you may want to add just a little more of the mustard and/or the horseradish, keeping in mind that the dressing will taste much less strong once it is tossed with the salad.

Finish the Salad:
1/2 cup chopped sweet Spanish onion
a bit of salt
1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
a sprinkle of sweet, spicy, or smoked Hungarian paprika

Peel and chop the onion. Place it in a colander and sprinkle it with a little salt. Let it drain while you prepare the rest of the salad. (I actually suggest doing this just before you make the salad dressing.) Wash, drain, and chop the parsley.

Mix the broccoli, bacon bits, and parsley in a salad bowl. Rinse and drain the onion thoroughly, then mix it in as well. Toss in the dressing.

Peel and cut the eggs in eighths. Mix them in very gently. Sift a bit of paprika over the top of the salad if you like.




Last year at this time I made Beet Salad with Berries & Nuts.

Broccoli & Cheddar Soup

Here is an old war-horse of a soup, best known as a third-rate chain restaurant choice served more or less directly out of a plastic bag from "food services". It doesn't have to be like that though - made with fresh, high quality ingredients it's delicious, and almost certainly a lot more nutritious too. Unlike a lot of soups, it doesn't need to be made in advance, but can be eaten as soon as it is made. Nor does it take long to make.

Stock will make the flavour more complex, but I find it just fine made with water. Also, while this calls for one whole head of broccoli, it will also use up the rest of the stems from the bunch, which makes this part of my collection of things to do with those unloved broccoli stems. 

4 servings
40 minutes - 30 minutes prep time

1 clove garlic
3 tablespoons finely minced fresh chives
OR 1 tablespoon dried chives
1 stalk celery
1 medium-small onion (about 1 cup chopped)
1 medium-small carrot (about 1 cup grated)
2-3 broccoli stems (2 to 3 cups grated)
1 broccoli head (florets) (about 1 cup chopped)
1/4 cup unsalted butter
3 tablespoons flour
3 cups water or chicken or vegetable broth
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon sweet Hungarian paprika
1/2 cup 10% cream
1 1/3 cups grated extra-old Cheddar cheese
PLUS 2/3 cup grated extra-old Cheddar cheese to pass

Peel and mince the garlic. Wash, dry and mince the chives. Put these 2 items aside together.

Wash, trim, and chop the celery. Peel and chop the onion. Peel and grate the carrot. Peel any tough skin from the broccoli stems, and grate them. Chop the broccoli florets fairly finely and set them aside separately from the rest of the vegetables.

Put the butter into a large heavy-bottomed pot, and heat over medium-high heat. Once it is melted, add the celery, onion, carrot, and broccoli stems. Cook, stirring regularly, for about 5 to 8 minutes until the vegetables have softened and cooked down a bit, but don't let them brown.

Add the garlic and chives, and cook in for another minute or so. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and mix it in; cook for a minute or two until there is no sign of raw white flour left. Slowly mix in the water or broth. Add the chopped broccoli florets and the bay leaf, and simmer for 7 or 8 minutes.

Add the paprika, the cream, and 1 1/3 cups of grated Cheddar. Do not let it simmer again; just stir it until the cheese is melted and the soup is hot through. Fish out the bay leaves. Serve at once. Pass the remaining cheese for people to add a little more if they are so inclined (very few people aren't so inclined).




Last year at this time I made Apple Cider Spice Cake. 

Broccoli with Orange-Ginger Sauce

You would think between the list of ingredients and the technique that this would seem a bit like Chinese cooking, but I can't say that I think it does. Good though, and a nice change from steamed broccoli. Serve it with chicken, fish, beef, or really, with all kinds of things. It's surprisingly versatile. 

4 servings
15 minutes prep time

Make the Sauce:
about 1/4 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
the juice of 1 large Navel orange (about 2/3 to 3/4 cup)
1 teaspoon arrowroot or cornstarch
1 large clove of garlic
1 tablespoon finely grated ginger
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Wash the orange, and grate a little of the zest into a small mixing bowl. Mix in the remaining ingredients, making sure the starch is well dissolved. Set aside until needed.

Cook the Broccoli:
1 bunch (2 heads) broccoli
1 tablespoon mild vegetable oil
1 cup water

Cut the stems from the broccoli and use them for something else. Cut the remainder into bite-sized florets.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat and add the prepared broccoli florets and the water. Cook for about 5 minutes until the broccoli changes colour to a bright green - stir often - and the water has evaporated. At this point, stir up the sauce well and pour it over the broccoli. Stir constantly as it cooks and thickens. Once it has thickened, about 2 minutes, transfer the broccoli and its sauce to a serving dish.