Broccoli-cheese combinations feel very retro to me for some reason. I can imagine, after my shrimp/prawn cocktail starter, eating broccoli-cheese soup out of an avocado-coloured bowl (which, incidentally, would match my refrigerator). I'd then turn on my lava lamp and listen to some later Bob Dylan (the horrid stuff that's full of synthesizers). Yes, that's what I'd do...
But in the "real" world (ie. March 2009 in east London), I'd whip up a broccoli pasta with wholemeal fusilli pasta and add a slightly cheese sauce. I'd be pleased because it's oh-so-easy to do in my lovely built-in kitchen with fake-birch cupboard doors. We'd eat the pasta in our crisp-white-because-it-matches-everything bowls, while watching the latest drivel on our widescreen tv. I would do my best to subvert the carb-guilt hammered at us by Atkins and South Beach by reminding myself that this will fuel me on my Friday afternoon run. Yes, that's what I'd do.
Broccoli pasta with cheese sauce
(serves 2 - 1 normal, 1 large portion)
300 g wholemeal fusilli pasta
250 g raw broccoli, chopped
1.5 tbsp of olive oil or olive spread
1 medium red onion, sliced thinly
45 g plain flour
150 ml skimmed milk
120 g cheddar cheese, grated
1 tsp of dried red chilli flakes
A few sprays of olive oil
Salt and pepper
Bring a large pot of water to boil and add the fusilli. It will take about 8-10 minutes to boil. Put the broccoli in with the pasta with about 3 minutes left to boil.
Start the sauce by sautéing the onion over medium heat in the olive oil/spread. Once they have gone translucent, add in the flour slowly and stir until you get a lovely roux. Mix for a further minute or two, and then slowly whisk in the milk, little by little. You don’t want it to burn, but you want the sauce to begin thickening slowly. Then whisk in the cheddar slowly, ensuring the sauce doesn’t go clumpy.
Drain the pasta/broccoli and return to the pot, which should now be over a low heat. Add a spray or two of olive oil. When the sauce is ready, add it to the broccoli and pasta and remove from heat. Season with salt, pepper and chilli flakes and serve (in any colour bowl of your choice of course).
For the 'normal' serving, dish out 1/3 of the overall pasta. The remaining pasta will make for a 'hungry' portion...
Calories per 'normal' serving: 682. Perfect for fueling my exercise session tomorrow.
Showing posts with label broccoli. Show all posts
Showing posts with label broccoli. Show all posts
Thursday, 5 March 2009
Tuesday, 1 April 2008
give your pollack a little re-speck
A rather unpopular fish until recently, pollack is a low-fat white fish comparable to cod in its fleshiness. Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall insists that we use it more, especially since cod is in such trouble these days. I myself have no qualms with eating more pollack – if only it were more readily available.
Now it appears pollack is beginning to line our shelves with more consistency. At Sainsbury’s this weekend I picked up some fresh pollack for a reasonable price.
The only problem now? How to make the bloody fish interesting! Let’s face it, cod’s not the most exciting fish on the block. It’s a wonder that it became overfished at all, in my opinion.
Luckily, the Moroccans and the Italians come to the rescue, with their harissa and their lovely prosciutto, also called speck, respectively. You know harissa. But speck’s a dry cured thinly-sliced bacon that can be eaten on its own as part of an antipasti, or wrapped around a number of lovely things. One often sees chicken or monkfish wrapped in parma ham or speck, and then pan-fried. The bacon then takes on a lovely crispy savoury consistency but protects its charge from drying out.
So spread a teaspoon of harissa on the pollack and wrap it up in a couple slices of speck (adding only 75 calories to the dish), but don’t pan fry it, grill it. You still get the benefits of the protection, you still get the crispy speck, but the excess fat drips off. The harissa gives the fish some depth, but without overpowering it.
Excellent Saturday night dish: pollack with harissa and speck, tabbouleh, steamed purple sprouting broccoli, glass of rose. The meal (excluding wine) is only about 525 calories (about 150 g pollack, 2 slices of speck, tsp of harissa, a generous portion of tabbouleh, and 150 g broccoli). For dessert, Spanish strawberries. Not at their best but nonetheless a true treat.
Go ahead, indulge yourself. And play that Erasure classic in the background while you cook. It will be in your head for days, weeks after.
Now it appears pollack is beginning to line our shelves with more consistency. At Sainsbury’s this weekend I picked up some fresh pollack for a reasonable price.
The only problem now? How to make the bloody fish interesting! Let’s face it, cod’s not the most exciting fish on the block. It’s a wonder that it became overfished at all, in my opinion.
Luckily, the Moroccans and the Italians come to the rescue, with their harissa and their lovely prosciutto, also called speck, respectively. You know harissa. But speck’s a dry cured thinly-sliced bacon that can be eaten on its own as part of an antipasti, or wrapped around a number of lovely things. One often sees chicken or monkfish wrapped in parma ham or speck, and then pan-fried. The bacon then takes on a lovely crispy savoury consistency but protects its charge from drying out.
So spread a teaspoon of harissa on the pollack and wrap it up in a couple slices of speck (adding only 75 calories to the dish), but don’t pan fry it, grill it. You still get the benefits of the protection, you still get the crispy speck, but the excess fat drips off. The harissa gives the fish some depth, but without overpowering it.
Excellent Saturday night dish: pollack with harissa and speck, tabbouleh, steamed purple sprouting broccoli, glass of rose. The meal (excluding wine) is only about 525 calories (about 150 g pollack, 2 slices of speck, tsp of harissa, a generous portion of tabbouleh, and 150 g broccoli). For dessert, Spanish strawberries. Not at their best but nonetheless a true treat.
Go ahead, indulge yourself. And play that Erasure classic in the background while you cook. It will be in your head for days, weeks after.
Monday, 24 March 2008
five ways with…broccoli and chilli
A fellow book-clubber has been struggling. She loves the combo of broccoli and chilli, but can’t quite convince her other half of its merits. She’s tried a pasta dish with the duo, plus another pasta dish that also includes ham (usually the way to any man’s heart!) As yet, no luck.
So I’ve been brainstorming. What are tasty – healthy – ways to use broccoli and chilli? It should be a piece of cake – it’s a classic Italian combination. But personal tastes always come into it (as do genetics, actually – researchers have found that some of us have a genetic marker which predisposes us to certain bitter tastes such as broccoli, watercress and horseradish… so we may be fighting a losing battle.) But I’ll proceed as if we’re simply in search of that elusive perfect recipe.
1. frittata
Just yesterday, for Easter breakfast, I made an excellent broccoli and mushroom frittata – very easy, very healthy. You may have seen some of my other frittatas here… or here. They’re surprisingly quick to make, and extremely versatile too – broccoli and ham work, as does asparagus and smoked salmon – really any combination you like. So why not broccoli and chilli?
Or, if you’re not comfortable with chilli actually IN the frittata, make a lovely tomato-chilli relish to serve with the frittata. One downside to frittatas is that they can be quite dry, so salsa on the side would be a fabulous addition. Standard or purple-sprouting would both work well, though I would prefer purple-sprouting if given the choice.
broccoli-mushroom frittata with cheddar
(serves 2)
1 pack purple-sprouting broccoli, rinsed, trimmed, and halved for ease
1 pack (250 g) chestnut mushrooms, sliced
3 spring onions, chopped
4 medium eggs
a splash of skim milk
salt and pepper
10 sprays olive oil
60 g reduced-fat cheddar, grated
First, braise the broccoli in 2-cm deep water for 3 minutes. Drain the broccoli and keep to the side.
Spray the olive oil to a large shallow pan and heat to high. Add the mushrooms and sautee for about 5 minutes, adding a splash of water if the pan gets way too dry.
Preheat the grill/broiler to medium.
Add the broccoli to the pan and sauté for a few minutes more. While that’s happening, whisk the eggs, milk, salt and pepper with a fork in a bowl or Pyrex jug. Add the spring onions to the jug.
Reduce the heat to medium and pour the egg mixture slowly into the pan so that all of the nooks and crannies between the broccoli and mushrooms are filled. Cook over moderate heat for 4-5 minutes, or until the bottom is cooked but the top is still moist.
Scatter the cheddar evenly over the eggs and then place the pan under the grill for about 4 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling. Be careful not to overcook.
Use the spatula to divide the frittata into four pieces and lift out carefully.
Serving options: a small side salad, a dollop of reduced-fat sour cream, or a tomato-chilli salsa (see below)
3-4 tomatoes, chopped finely
juice of half a lemon
2 shallots (or 1/2 an onion), chopped finely
1 large red chilli, chopped finely (seeds removed if desired)
Chop and mix together in a bowl and spoon onto the plate with the frittata (or combine all these into a bowl and pulse with a hand blender)
2. stir-fry
Here’s a great Chinese-inspired recipe. It’s almost too simple, which is why it’s often overlooked. But like the frittata, a stir-fry happily accepts any vegetable you throw at it.
If using broccoli and chilli, I’d also recommend throwing in some carrot, and perhaps some mushrooms too. (Ginger would work great too.) Stir fry with just a few sprays of olive oil, a glug or two of soy sauce, a squeeze of lemon or lime and as many splashes of water that you need to keep the stir-fry moist.
Serve with noodles or rice, whichever you prefer. Sprinkle over some toasted sesame seeds.
Or, if protein is a must – the world is your oyster with this dish – or your prawn, chicken, smoked salmon or even thinly-sliced lean beef.
3. italian style
I tried this pasta dish a few weeks back and loved it. It passed the boy test recently too. Inspired by a great Italian recipe in a cookery book I recently bought, it’s got anchovies, but I used chicken to bulk it up. It’s so tasty.
I thought I blogged about it, but looking back it appears I haven't. I recall cracking open a bottle of red wine that night, actually...
Here's Orecchiette ai broccoli (out of Tessa Kiros' cookery book Twelve), modified to suit my own ends:
broccoli-chicken pasta with chilli and anchovy
(serves 2 generously)
500 g broccoli, trimmed and chopped (if using purple-sprouting broccoli, trim and halve lengthwise)
250 g diced chicken breast
2 tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 chillis, chopped, reserving half of the seeds
100 g tinned salted anchovy fillets
250 g dry pasta of your choice (I used wholewheat fusilli, but anything will work)
75 g freshly-grated parmesan
salt and pepper
Cook the broccoli in boiling water for about 5-10 minutes. Remove the broccoli with a slotted spoon, leaving the cooking water in the pot.
Saute the chicken, for about 10 minutes, in a frying pan with 1/2 tbsp of olive oil. Transfer the chicken to a side plate.
Bring the reserved cooking water to a boil and add the pasta, cooking as per instructions.
Heat the rest of the olive oil in the pan and add the garlic, chilli and anchovies. Mash the anchovies into the oil with a wooden spoon. After about 4 minutes, add the broccoli and coat in the flavoured oil. Add the chicken too.
When the pasta is ready, drain, reserving about 250 ml of the water. Toss the pasta, broccoli, reserved water together. Stir through half of the parmesan and divide into bowls. Sprinkle with the remaining parmesan and serve.
This dish (as you may have guessed) goes fabulously with a bottle of red wine.
4. curry-fy it
A simple curry at home is always a winner. And there’s no reason it can’t include broccoli. I’ve done with aubergine, with sweet potato, so why not broccoli? Keep the bites small, and make sure you add plenty of onions, chopped tomatoes, and chilli (along with all those other lovely Indian spices). Use any other veggies you like in addition to the broccoli and chilli. (I'd recommend using two big chillis, but perhaps only 1/2 of the seeds.)
See here for an example of a curry-at-home.
5. if all else fails…
Serve it as a side dish (sautéed) with a fat, juicy steak. You can’t lose. Just pick a lean cut.
So I’ve been brainstorming. What are tasty – healthy – ways to use broccoli and chilli? It should be a piece of cake – it’s a classic Italian combination. But personal tastes always come into it (as do genetics, actually – researchers have found that some of us have a genetic marker which predisposes us to certain bitter tastes such as broccoli, watercress and horseradish… so we may be fighting a losing battle.) But I’ll proceed as if we’re simply in search of that elusive perfect recipe.
1. frittata
Just yesterday, for Easter breakfast, I made an excellent broccoli and mushroom frittata – very easy, very healthy. You may have seen some of my other frittatas here… or here. They’re surprisingly quick to make, and extremely versatile too – broccoli and ham work, as does asparagus and smoked salmon – really any combination you like. So why not broccoli and chilli?
Or, if you’re not comfortable with chilli actually IN the frittata, make a lovely tomato-chilli relish to serve with the frittata. One downside to frittatas is that they can be quite dry, so salsa on the side would be a fabulous addition. Standard or purple-sprouting would both work well, though I would prefer purple-sprouting if given the choice.
broccoli-mushroom frittata with cheddar
(serves 2)
1 pack purple-sprouting broccoli, rinsed, trimmed, and halved for ease
1 pack (250 g) chestnut mushrooms, sliced
3 spring onions, chopped
4 medium eggs
a splash of skim milk
salt and pepper
10 sprays olive oil
60 g reduced-fat cheddar, grated
First, braise the broccoli in 2-cm deep water for 3 minutes. Drain the broccoli and keep to the side.
Spray the olive oil to a large shallow pan and heat to high. Add the mushrooms and sautee for about 5 minutes, adding a splash of water if the pan gets way too dry.
Preheat the grill/broiler to medium.
Add the broccoli to the pan and sauté for a few minutes more. While that’s happening, whisk the eggs, milk, salt and pepper with a fork in a bowl or Pyrex jug. Add the spring onions to the jug.
Reduce the heat to medium and pour the egg mixture slowly into the pan so that all of the nooks and crannies between the broccoli and mushrooms are filled. Cook over moderate heat for 4-5 minutes, or until the bottom is cooked but the top is still moist.
Scatter the cheddar evenly over the eggs and then place the pan under the grill for about 4 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling. Be careful not to overcook.
Use the spatula to divide the frittata into four pieces and lift out carefully.
Serving options: a small side salad, a dollop of reduced-fat sour cream, or a tomato-chilli salsa (see below)
3-4 tomatoes, chopped finely
juice of half a lemon
2 shallots (or 1/2 an onion), chopped finely
1 large red chilli, chopped finely (seeds removed if desired)
Chop and mix together in a bowl and spoon onto the plate with the frittata (or combine all these into a bowl and pulse with a hand blender)
2. stir-fry
Here’s a great Chinese-inspired recipe. It’s almost too simple, which is why it’s often overlooked. But like the frittata, a stir-fry happily accepts any vegetable you throw at it.
If using broccoli and chilli, I’d also recommend throwing in some carrot, and perhaps some mushrooms too. (Ginger would work great too.) Stir fry with just a few sprays of olive oil, a glug or two of soy sauce, a squeeze of lemon or lime and as many splashes of water that you need to keep the stir-fry moist.
Serve with noodles or rice, whichever you prefer. Sprinkle over some toasted sesame seeds.
Or, if protein is a must – the world is your oyster with this dish – or your prawn, chicken, smoked salmon or even thinly-sliced lean beef.
3. italian style
I tried this pasta dish a few weeks back and loved it. It passed the boy test recently too. Inspired by a great Italian recipe in a cookery book I recently bought, it’s got anchovies, but I used chicken to bulk it up. It’s so tasty.
I thought I blogged about it, but looking back it appears I haven't. I recall cracking open a bottle of red wine that night, actually...
Here's Orecchiette ai broccoli (out of Tessa Kiros' cookery book Twelve), modified to suit my own ends:
broccoli-chicken pasta with chilli and anchovy
(serves 2 generously)
500 g broccoli, trimmed and chopped (if using purple-sprouting broccoli, trim and halve lengthwise)
250 g diced chicken breast
2 tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 chillis, chopped, reserving half of the seeds
100 g tinned salted anchovy fillets
250 g dry pasta of your choice (I used wholewheat fusilli, but anything will work)
75 g freshly-grated parmesan
salt and pepper
Cook the broccoli in boiling water for about 5-10 minutes. Remove the broccoli with a slotted spoon, leaving the cooking water in the pot.
Saute the chicken, for about 10 minutes, in a frying pan with 1/2 tbsp of olive oil. Transfer the chicken to a side plate.
Bring the reserved cooking water to a boil and add the pasta, cooking as per instructions.
Heat the rest of the olive oil in the pan and add the garlic, chilli and anchovies. Mash the anchovies into the oil with a wooden spoon. After about 4 minutes, add the broccoli and coat in the flavoured oil. Add the chicken too.
When the pasta is ready, drain, reserving about 250 ml of the water. Toss the pasta, broccoli, reserved water together. Stir through half of the parmesan and divide into bowls. Sprinkle with the remaining parmesan and serve.
This dish (as you may have guessed) goes fabulously with a bottle of red wine.
4. curry-fy it
A simple curry at home is always a winner. And there’s no reason it can’t include broccoli. I’ve done with aubergine, with sweet potato, so why not broccoli? Keep the bites small, and make sure you add plenty of onions, chopped tomatoes, and chilli (along with all those other lovely Indian spices). Use any other veggies you like in addition to the broccoli and chilli. (I'd recommend using two big chillis, but perhaps only 1/2 of the seeds.)
See here for an example of a curry-at-home.
5. if all else fails…
Serve it as a side dish (sautéed) with a fat, juicy steak. You can’t lose. Just pick a lean cut.
Monday, 10 March 2008
a little bit of sole
On the menu tonight is a lovely flatfish called lemon sole, thus named for it’s lemon shape, round in the middle and tapered at the ends. For ages I thought the difference between it and Dover sole was an actual lemon flavour, one that I had convinced myself that I tasted. Looking back, it’s likely that I did taste it, if only because it’s traditional to squeeze a lemon wedge over the top, either before cooking or serving (or both).
In any case, I really enjoy eating it, especially whole, on the bone, though it’s expensive, and more likely to be a treat at a restaurant. At home, the humbler lemon sole fillet shall be prepared – likely, no doubt, with just a squeeze of lemon. It’s a fleshier fish than plaice (also known as flounder), but not as meaty as monkish or halibut (two excellent species of fish).
With this fish, I find that simple is best, and that goes for its accompaniments as well, so tonight I’m using the classic winter vegetable sides of steamed Chantenay carrots (still only 99p in Sainsbury’s – so get them while they’re hot) and purple sprouting broccoli. And for a bit of a twist, I’ll roast whole beetroots. But I think I need something savoury to cut through the sweetness of the carrot and the beetroot. Something that goes well with lemon.
Capers will do nicely – I love how they await their performances so patiently, sitting calmly in their brine in the back of the top shelf of the fridge. A little olive oil and seasoning will bring these little babies to life. And bring some soul to my sole. (Sorry, I couldn't resist)
In any case, I really enjoy eating it, especially whole, on the bone, though it’s expensive, and more likely to be a treat at a restaurant. At home, the humbler lemon sole fillet shall be prepared – likely, no doubt, with just a squeeze of lemon. It’s a fleshier fish than plaice (also known as flounder), but not as meaty as monkish or halibut (two excellent species of fish).
With this fish, I find that simple is best, and that goes for its accompaniments as well, so tonight I’m using the classic winter vegetable sides of steamed Chantenay carrots (still only 99p in Sainsbury’s – so get them while they’re hot) and purple sprouting broccoli. And for a bit of a twist, I’ll roast whole beetroots. But I think I need something savoury to cut through the sweetness of the carrot and the beetroot. Something that goes well with lemon.
Capers will do nicely – I love how they await their performances so patiently, sitting calmly in their brine in the back of the top shelf of the fridge. A little olive oil and seasoning will bring these little babies to life. And bring some soul to my sole. (Sorry, I couldn't resist)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
