Broccoli Recipes

BROCCOLI
The following broccoli  recipes were written for us by our sister Molly Boswell in Pennsylvania.  You can find these and more great recipes on her blog: http://www.bloguntilgoldenbrown.blogspot.com

Broccoli Fritata

• 2 cups cooked broccoli florets (just steam them in the microwave to save time)
• 6 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup shredded cheese of your choice
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• butter
• salt and pepper

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and cheese together. In a large skillet, melt the butter and saute the onion and garlic. Toss in the broccoli and saute for a minute or two. Add the egg mixture (and any spice you'd like to add; cayenne perhaps). Cook until the bottom is nice and firm and the edges are cooked. Slide the fritata onto a plate - uncooked side UP. Next place, your skillet over the plate and flip. Continue the cooking, slice into wedges and enjoy. This is good for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and anywhere in between.

Broccoli Soup
Perhaps not the best choice for dinner on a hot summer night, but comfort food nonetheless.

• 1/2 stick butter
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 large heads broccoli (cut into florets)
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 2 cups milk
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 carrot, shredded
• 12-16 ounces Velveeta cheese, cubed
• salt and pepper to taste

In a saucepan, boil the chicken stock, add the broccoli and thyme and simmer for about 12 minutes, or until broccoli is tender but not mushy. In large stock pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook and stir until onion is tender. Turn off the heat, and quickly stir in the flour, and cook for 5 minutes. Next, whisk in milk until well blended, and then SLOWLY add in stock/thyme/broccoli mixture and stir so that everything is smooth. Add shredded carrot as well. *Put half of this hot mixture into your blender or food processor, and return to pot. Reduce heat to low-medium low and stir in cheese until melted, and add salt and pepper to taste.

Ham, Cheese, and Broccoli Popovers

• 3 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 shredded cheddar cheese (Swiss would be good too)
• 1/2 cooked broccoli pieces
• 1/4 small pieces cooked ham

Mix together the first 5 ingredients until well blended. Next, stir in the ham, cheese, and broccoli.

Fill either a greased muffin pan or ramekins half way full and bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes, and then at 350 for another 15 minutes. Cut a slit into side of each popover and serve warm.

Turkey Sausage and Broccoli Pasta

This is recipe belongs to Giada De Laurentiis, and it's fabulous.

• 2 bunches broccoli stems trimmed
• 1 pound pasta (penne is a good choice)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound turkey Italian-style sausage, casings removed
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• Pinch dried crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Cook the broccoli in a large pot of boiling salted water until crisp tender, about 1 minute. Transfer the broccoli to a large bowl of ice water to cool, saving the cooking water. Bring the reserved cooking water back to a boil. Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up into pieces with a spoon, until browned and juices form, about 12 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, and saute until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, when the reserved cooking water is boiling, add the pasta and cook until al dente, tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Strain the broccoli and add it to the pan with the sausage mixture and toss to coat with the juices. Add the pasta to the skillet. Stir in the Parmesan and serve immediately.

Broccoli Lasagna

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 1/4 cups milk
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 1 container (15 oz.) ricotta cheese
• 2 cups chopped broccoli, half way cooked
• 1/2 Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 9 (about two thirds of an 8-ounce package) no-boil lasagna noodles

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare white sauce: In a large saucepan, heat butter and cook onion until tender and golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir flour, pepper, nutmeg, red pepper flakes and 1/2 teaspoon salt into onion mixture; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually stir in milk and cook, stirring constantly, until sauce boils and thickens slightly. Boil sauce 1 minute longer. Stir in chopped parsley.

In bowl, mix ricotta cheese, broccoli, Parmesan cheese, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

In a large baking dish (ya' know... lasagna size), spread about 1/4 cup of sauce on the bottom. Add a layer of noodles, top with more sauce, then ricotta mixture, and repeat. Add the last of the sauce and remaining mozzarella cheese on top. Loosely cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Broccoli Cornbread

This is easy to make with a 10oz.package of frozen chopped broccoli as well.

• 1 stick of butter, melted
• 4 eggs, beaten
• pinch of salt
• 2 cups grated cheddar
• 1 onion, chopped (optional)
• 1 package corn muffin mix
• 2 cups (or so) of chopped broccoli

Mix all ingredients together and our into a 9x13 baking dish. Back at 400 degrees for 30-35 minutes.