Best Broccoli Ever!

[Andrea]

I stole this from Good Eats on the food network then modified it to make it my own...

1 pound of broccoli (I never weigh- I just get a couple of heads)
1/3 cup of Panko bread crumbs
Garlic (original recipe says 2 cloves, I say 4)
1/4 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese (I never measure, though)
Blue Cheese crumbles (however much you want!)
Olive oil (enough to coat the broccoli)
Salt
Pepper

Preheat the oven to 425 F. Spread the panko out in a casserole pan and stick it in the oven to toast to golden brown while you chop broccoli (watch it- it goes fast if you use a metal pan). Chop the broccoli (stems, stalks and all) and garlic and place in a large bowl. The stalks should be sliced to about nickel thickness so they'll cook evenly (the texture of those is awesome!)
Coat w/olive oil and season w/salt & pepper to taste. Once the bread crumbs are toasted, stir them in w/broccoli & dump everything back into the pan. Bake for 8-12 minutes (depending on how crisp you like your broccoli and if you use a metal pan). I bake 12 minutes in glass.
When finished, dump back into a bowl and add the cheeses immediately so they can melt a bit. VIOLA! You're done!

I'm hungry now

[kat_h]

Thanks for posting this. I keep buying brocolli because it's cheap and healthy but I've never really liked it much. This recipe sounds good. I'll try it this weekend.

[jesvetmed]

Ooohh... thanks! I bought a huge Costco bag of broccoli and am bored with the steaming routine! This looks GREAT... cheese is excellent on anything!

[alpinerabbit]

My favorite way for broccoli is steamed with roasted almond slivers and lemon-infused olive oil.

[Zen]

That sounds tasty, I'm making it tomorrow

[OakLeaf]

I love broccoli!

My favorite easy (and healthy) seasoning - soy sauce and lemon juice.

[Andrea]

My favorite way for broccoli is steamed with roasted almond slivers and lemon-infused olive oil.

I bet the almonds would be good in this recipe! Anyone else have good broccoli recipes? I love the stuff. Especially just lightly cooked and still crunchy!

[Thorn]

Other broccoli recipes? How about sauteed in walnut oil, tossed with walnuts and served over pasta with a hard Italian cheese?

W started this one after we picked up the most awesome walnut oil in the Dordogne. We were riding on the "Route of the Walnut" (seriously and I did get to see the giant walnut and visit the walnut museum ) There was a boutique walnut press that was using an "old-fashioned" method for extracting the oil. The process was all manual and the walnut paste was heated with wood. Fascinating to watch and we've never been able to get walnut oil of the same flavor quality anywhere else. Unlike olive oil, you want walnut oil where the walnuts were heated.

[Pedal Wench]

Roasted!

Toss with olive oil, garlic and crushed red pepper flakes and roast or broil until tender. For extra badness, sprinkle with parm cheese before serving. Yum!

(Most people would also add salt -- but I don't use any)

[gnat23]

Picked this Faux-Pesto up from the Carmichael nutrition book. I don't measure much of anything, so adjust as necessary:

Toss into a food processor/blender:
- Lots of steamed broccoli
- Dollop of olive oil
- Splash of stock to get the right consistency
- Tons of basil (fresh is better if you've got it!)
- Chopped garlic clove

Toss with pasta, grate some Parmesan over top, salt and pepper as desired!

-- gnat! (NOM NOM NOM)

[OakLeaf]

I don't have the cookbook with me and it's not a recipe that lives in my head, but the broccoli-stuffed portobello caps from, I think it's one of the Moosewood cookbooks,

wait, here's the recipe. I usually don't use quite so much cheese - and have used Swiss, baby Swiss, or an even smaller amount of Parmesan.

[tulip]

Last weekend I harvested my winter broccoli from my garden. It was so tender and delicious just raw, in the garden! That's the best broccoli I've ever had!

I only grow broccoli as a fall/winter crop, so I'll have to wait awhile for the next round. I love growing my own veggies! They are so much more flavorful than what I can get in the store.

[Zen]

Well, I tried the recipe at the start of the thread but I was too impatient to toast the bread crumbs

It was still good, though. After all, it had broccoli and blue cheese! What's not to like?

[Andrea]

Well, I tried the recipe at the start of the thread but I was too impatient to toast the bread crumbs

It was still good, though. After all, it had broccoli and blue cheese! What's not to like?

That's why you toast while you chop