‘FLUFFY’ BROCCOLI by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan
February 24, 2022
I am constantly searching for ways to make vegetables more delicious and appealing…so I’ll eat more of them. A bowl of just-steamed plain broccoli or green beans will never ‘speak’ to me! This preparation will yield tender-cooked broccoli that’s just perfect for adding to other dishes. It’s very, very versatile. Here, I added the ‘fluffy’ broccoli to cooked udon noodles that I dressed with a store-bought Asian flavored vinaigrette. Or go ‘Italian’ by adding the fluffy broccoli to cooked penne pasta tossed with extra virgin olive oil and grated Parmigiana cheese. Spice it up with some diced pickled pepperoncini peppers. Move-over avocado toast! Spread your toast with mashed chickpeas or hummus and top with this ‘fluffy’ broccoli. Make scrambled eggs and add a couple of spoonfuls of prepared ‘fluffy’ broccoli before serving. Ready to try it?
- Prep: 30 mins
- Cook: 30 mins
- Yields: 3 to 4
Ingredients
1 lb. broccoli crowns
½ cup finely diced, white onions or shallots
2 medium cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced or smashed
2-4 tablespoons cooking oil (I used extra virgin olive oil)
½ to 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided (plus extra for pasta-cooking water)
Fresh ground black pepper
Optional: ½ teaspoon ground coriander seed
For Asian pasta version:
8 oz. Japanese udon or another dried Asian noodle
6-8 tablespoons of your favorite Asian-flavored prepared dressing (plus extra for serving on the side)
2 tablespoons sliced scallion greens
Garnish (optional): 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
Directions
Begin by holding the broccoli crowns under running water. Shake off excess water and pat dry. Cut off the broccoli stem from each crown, very close to the tops. With a paring knife, cut the broccoli into flowerets. Pull off any tiny leaves which may still be attached to the stems. I use a Santoku knife for vegetable prep. The blade is shorter than a French knife with a straight, not curved edge. I find it a little safer for me to use with vegetables…I have more control,
seemingly. Cut the broccoli flowerets one piece at a time. (Have I ever mentioned that I really, really enjoy doing vegetable prep !!) Lay teach floweret on the board and slice across into thin pieces. It will crumble and fall apart but don’t worry, scoop all the pieces up into a bowl. Repeat until finished. Set aside.
(Note: 1 pound of broccoli crowns will yield about 3 cups of prepped/cut broccoli tops.)
Finely dice the onion or shallot and prepare the garlic.
Heat two tablespoons of oil in a sauté pan until nearly shimmering. Add the diced onions with a pinch of salt and pepper and cook on low heat, covered until softened and translucent. Keep the pan covered, but stir often. When translucent, add all the prepped broccoli and a couple of pinches of kosher salt. Stir to combine onions and broccoli. Add more oil if necessary-the vegetables should have enough oil to prevent them from sticking to the pan. Keep pan covered and cook over low heat, removing the cover and stirring every few minutes. Add the garlic and stir into the mix. Cook for 7-10 minutes until broccoli is very soft. It will no longer be bright green, but it will be tender and soft. Taste. Adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper and add ground coriander if used. Set aside. To finish this dish ‘Asian-style’:
Bring a pasta pot of water to a boil. Add salt and add whatever dried noodles you are using. Stir often to prevent sticking. When the noodles are cooked but still ‘al dente’ drain in a strainer or colander. Add the noodles to a warmed bowl and immediately add the prepared dressing of your choosing. Toss gently to combine. Add about 2/3rds of your cooked ‘fluffy’ cooked broccoli, some chopped scallions, and toasted sesame seeds, if using. Serve with extra dressing on the side.
