Roasted Broccoli with Ancho Butter

Ancho Butter Broccoli, originally uploaded by Kim De.

I am trying to like broccoli better. I love it in the summer in a cold salad, slaw style, cut up in a pasta etc. But cooked by itself, just cant get into it. But it is really good for you, so I try.

This is how last night's recipe came to be. I LOVE southwest/mexican flavors. If “they” show their faces in my recipe searches, I jump at the chance to use them. Especially when broccoli might become livelier...

The ancho butter was fun to make.

Look at the butter. Isnt she pretty?

Gotta admit, took a tiny swipe of it and it danced on my buds. Yum! Ancho chilies, garlic, cumin and coriander can make any food sing! Or so I thought.

The broccoli. I washed it. I rubbed oil on it. I roasted it. I tossed it in the butter, added salt and continued to roast. Boy did it look pretty! Bo sure did love it – but he loves broccoli. Me? I couldnt taste any butter, ancho chilies, garlic, cumin or coriander. All I tasted was broccoli. Not my plan.

The butter was so good, however, I plan to use it to saute some mushrooms to go with the fillet Friday night...oops, did I just let something slip?


Roasted Broccoli with Ancho Butter (Food and Wine Magazine)

3 ancho chiles (about 1 1/2 ounces)
Boiling water
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup pine nuts
4 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
Salt
Three 1 1/2-pound heads of broccoli, -- cut lengthwise into large spears, stalks peeled

Preheat the oven to 450°. In a heatproof medium bowl, cover the anchos with boiling water and let stand until softened, about 20 minutes. Drain the chiles and pat dry. Discard the stems and seeds, then coarsely chop.

Meanwhile, in a small skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil until shimmering. Add the pine nuts and cook over moderately high heat, stirring constantly, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin and coriander and cook, stirring, until the garlic is softened and the pine nuts are deep golden, about 1 minute longer. Let cool.

In a food processor, puree the pine nut mixture with the anchos and butter. Season the ancho butter with salt and scrape into a bowl.

In a large bowl, toss the broccoli with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, then spread on 2 large rimmed baking sheets. Roast the broccoli in the upper and lower thirds of the oven for 15 minutes, or until crisp-tender, shifting the pans from top to bottom and back to front halfway through. Add the ancho butter to the broccoli and toss to coat. Season with salt and roast for 10 minutes longer, or until the broccoli is tender. Transfer to a platter and serve warm or at room temperature.

Italian Stir Fry

stir fry, originally uploaded by Kim De.

This will be my last blog until next week, as early tomorrow I head to the Hoosier state for my sister's wedding. To finish up the week of recipes, I decided to write my own. Bo has been requesting stir fry but Im not a fan of the sticky sauces that my brain conjures up upon hearing “stir fry", so I decided to go fusion. Sooo... Introducing Italian Stir Fry

I began by making a garlic, lemon chili olive oil. I crushed 4 cloves of garlic and added to to 3 T of olive oil in a shallow pan. I cooked this slowly, being careful not to let the garlic brown too much, about 10 minutes. I then added 2 t of lemon zest and 1 t of cracked red pepper, with sea salt and black pepper. I took this off the stove and allowed it to cool and meld.

For the rest of the recipe:

Italian Stir Fry

1 T garlic oil
1/3 red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 large shrimp
½ bag frozen broccoli crowns
1 T balsamic vinegar
1 T capers
Grated Parmesan cheese to taste

Heat 1 t oil in pan and cook the onion and garlic until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. In the meantime, boil water and when rolling, add the broccoli to flash cook, about 1 minute. Drain.
Add 1 more t of oil and drained broccoli to the pan, cooking about 2minutes. Add additional 1 T of oil and shrimp and cook, stirring everything together for another 2 minutes. Add the 1 T balsamic vinegar and 1 T capers and quickly stir everything together until shrimp is cooked through, 1-2 minutes.

Serve over pasta or rice with grated Parmesan and cracked red pepper.

A lovely company dinner

broc, originally uploaded by Kim De.

Last night some friends came for dinner. It was a great time - I LOVE company!!!!

We did a grilled dinner; simple but full of flavor. I rubbed some chicken with a barbeque rub and marinated it in beer and garlic. A sauce was made to compliment this - smoky and a touch spicy - with beer, vinegar, ketchup and brown sugar as well as some spices. My friend brought her famous tomato tart (PLEASE dont retire this Shannnon ;)) and we had a wonderful broccoli salad.

The broccoli salad is the main reason I am here today, since most of my dinner last night didnt involve a true recipe for blogging. This salad, however, deserves its own blog - in fact it deserves a standing ovation!!

I have been playing with broccoli salads all summer trying to find the right mix of vegetables (is it broccoli crowns or broccoli slaw) and the best sauce (is it mayonnaise, vinegar, yogurt, or a combo). Well last night I found it. This is now the base for every other broccoli salad I will make in the future. Ahhhhh now I can rest easy! Shredded carrots, sharp cheddar and toasted pepitas join the florets and dressing in this version. However, take those out and the choices are endless: raisins with crumbled bacon and sunflower seeds; diced tart apple and dried cranberries; add diced chicken for a full meal - really anything that strikes your fancy.

Now that I have raved and salivated all over your computer about the broccoli, I must make a mention about our pre-dinner snack. I put out fruit and cheese with Pumpkin-Walnut Focaccia with Gruyère. This recipe from Cooking Light has been made by many of my friends from their bulletin boards and I read several reviews before deciding to try it. I agree with what I read: This isnt a true focaccia. The texture is that of a fluffy flatbread and was very nice, but the word "focaccia" is misleading.

The addition of pumpkin added a lovely color and a slightly sweet flavor. Based on reviews, I added more cheese to the dough and I still couldnt taste it. If made again , I would leave out "inner" cheese and just add it to the top. The only other change I made was to leave out the walnuts as it was for company and not everyone appreciates nuts. I think it is a nice bread for soup or a snack, but with so many other recipes to try, I'm not sure I will try it again.

Broccoli-Cheddar Salad with Toasted Pepitas (Adapted from Veg Times)

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 Tbs apple cider vinegar
1 Tbs granulated sugar
4 cups broccoli florets cut into 1/2" pieces
3/4 cup grated carrots
1/2 cup finely diced red onion
4 oz shredded Cheddar
salt and fresh ground pepper
1/3 cup toasted pepitas

In a large bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, yogurt, vinegar and sugar. In a separate bowl toss together broccoli, carrots, onion and Cheddar. To the veggies add the dressing, mixing well to combine. NOTE: I never like the amount of dressing called for in these recipes. I started by adding only 1/2, letting it sit for a couple of hours, then added more as needed. I probably ended up using 2/3 of this.

Season to taste with salt and fresh ground pepper. Cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator to chill at least 2 to 3 hours, or over night. Scatter the top with the pepitas right before serving.


Pumpkin-Walnut Focaccia with Gruyère(Adapted from CL)

3/4 cup warm water (100° to 110°)
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
3 1/2 cups bread flour, divided (I used closer to 4 cups as it was too sticky)
3 Tbs butter, melted
1 cup mashed pumpkin
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 cup grated Gruyère cheese, divided
1/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Combine water, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add 1 cup flour and butter to yeast mixture; stir just until combined. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 30 minutes.

Add pumpkin, salt, and nutmeg to flour mixture; stir until well combined. Add 2 1/4 cups flour and about 2/3 of cheese; stir until a soft dough forms.

Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 8 minutes); add enough of remaining flour, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (maybe 1/2-3/4 c- dough will feel tacky).

Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in size. (Press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, dough has risen enough.) Punch dough down; cover and let rest 5 minutes. Divide dough in half; shape each half into an 8-inch circle. Place dough circles on a parchment covered baking sheet. Sprinkle remaining cheese and nuts evenly over dough circles; press lightly to adhere. Lightly coat dough circles with cooking spray; cover and let rise 20 minutes (dough will not double in size).

Preheat oven to 350

Uncover dough; bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until loaves are browned on the bottom and cheese melts (shield loaves with foil to prevent overbrowning, if necessary). Cool on a wire rack.

Not much cooking this weekend...

Kim with Dogfish Head, originally uploaded by Kim De.

...but for good causes!

Saturday I spent a few hours at the Music City Brewersfest with a good friend. It was fun, and a bit hot, so a hot dinner wasnt in the cards. I had made bread and set it to rise while I was gone. When I got home, I got it ready to bake and when dinner time came around, we decided bread, cheese and wine sounded like a nice light dinner.

The bread was nice, fit it's purpose perfectly. I made Saltgrass Steakhouse Shiner Bock Bread (nostalgia from when I lived in Texas). It tasted just like you expect a steakhouse bread to taste- light and airy with a spongy texture, good developed flavor, nothing amazing but great with butter or cheese.

Sunday we also had a light dinner, as we had spent some time at a bar with pizza and beer and thought vegetables were definitely in order! Flank steak was marinated in red wine and crushed garlic then grilled. With it I made Broccoli and Three Cheese Casserole from Cooking Light.

Broccoli Casserole is one of my favorite dishes from childhood. This was similar, with healthier spins. Brown rice replaces the white, absent is cream-of-ANY soup, and there is much more broccoli. Instead of everything being mixed, the rice is mixed with egg to form a "crust" with the other ingredients layered on top. It was fabulous! Nutty fontina cheese adds amazing depth and while it was drier than I am used to, I could really taste the broccoli, which stayed tender-crisp, making me feel healthy! This one will be used again!

Saltgrass Steakhouse Shiner Bock Beer Bread

1 1/2 cups Shiner Bock Beer (flat)
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tsp dry active yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1. Dissolve yeast in warm water in a large mixing bowl. Add honey and stir. Mix in wheat flour, salt and all- purpose flour in bowl. Stir in oil and slowly add flat beer. Mix all ingredients together. Place dough on a floured surface and knead for at least 10 to 15 minutes. The dough may need a little more flour added to it if becomes too sticky. The finished dough will feel smooth and spongy and will not stick to your hands.

2. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic until it
doubles in size. Do not place dough in a draft or in an overheated area. The dough should be left to rise at room temperature.

3. When dough has doubled, punch down in the middle and let rest for 5 minutes.

4. Divide dough into four equal parts and shape into round loaves. Place loaves on a lightly oiled cookie sheet. Score twice on top of each loaf with a knife two inches apart and about 2 1/2 inches long. Cover loosely with plastic wrap until the loaves have doubled in size. Place in a preheated 350 F oven, and bake for about 30 minutes.


Broccoli and Three-Cheese Casserole (Adapted from CL)

2 cups cooked brown basmati rice
2 oz fresh grated Parmesan cheese, divided
3/4 tsp salt, divided
1/4 tsp dried nutmeg
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper
1 large egg
1 egg white
3 oz shredded fontina cheese
4 cups coarsely chopped broccoli florets
1 tsp olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
2 oz shredded sharp white cheddar
2 large eggs
2 egg whites
3/4 cup milk
1/4 tsp black pepper
3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs

1. Preheat oven to 400

2. In a medium bowl, thoroughly combine cooked rice, 1 ounce Parmesan cheese, 1/4 teaspoon salt, tarragon, thyme, parsley, crushed red pepper, 2 T mustard, egg and egg white. Scoop mixture into a 7 x 11" baking dish lightly coated with nonstick spray. Use a fork to press the mixture into the bottom to form a crust. Evenly scatter fontina over the rice.

3. Steam broccoli just until crisp tender.

4. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium. Add onion and cook until
tender, about 4 minutes. Stir in the steamed broccoli. Scoop broccoli
mixture evenly over rice mixture. Scatter the top with the shredded cheddar.

5. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, egg white, 2 T mustard, milk,
remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Pour this mixture over the broccoli mixture.

6. In a small bowl, toss together panko breadcrumbs and remaining 1 ounce of shredded Parmesan. Scatter the top of the casserole with this mixture.

7. Bake until set and the top is golden - about 24-28 minutes. Remove and set on a wire rack - let sit for about 5-10 minutes before cutting to serve.

Soup and Bread Night

Broccoli Soup, originally uploaded by Kim De.

What weather we are having - late September weather in July! High today was 74 with no humidity! The soup making was already planned prior to the weather surprise, but what a night to have it!!

This soup was very good! I used fresh broccoli and carrots, using a bit more of both then called for. After the veggies simmered in the broth, several cups were take out and pureed in the blender. I chose to do it this way to make it a bit thicker. The pureed soup was added back to its chunky counterpart. To it was added sharp cheddar and greek yogurt for tang and creaminess. (I didnt have sour cream, but always have yogurt!)

The taste was amazing! I would have liked for the cheese to melt into a creamy texture, but no such luck. However, despite the fact it didnt look thick and creamy, it tasted thick and creamy! And after all, thats all that matters.

To me, soup doesnt work unless it is served with a crusty bread. I found a recipe from Real Simple magazine that looked, well, real simple and seemed perfect for a Sunday night.

In trying to use mostly whole grains, and the fact that my tastebuds prefer the taste of grainy bread, I did some substituting in the flour department. I used 2 cups of white wheat and 1 1/4 cup of whole wheat in place of the white flour called for. A local IPA was used for the beer, rounded out with basil snipped from my garden. I mixed in my Kitchen Aid, then switched to the dough hook for a quick knead/basil mix. I quickly rounded the dough onto a floured peel and since I wasnt quite ready to bake it, I covered it and set it in a warm spot in case it felt like a rise.

The smell of this bread baking drove me crazy! I didnt wait the full 10 minutes to cool, as I was ready for dinner. It was hearty with deep flavor (which I am sure came from the beer) with the basil adding a nice dimension. I really could not taste the parmesan, possibly because of using whole grains, so next time I think I will leave it out. This bread would also be good with chopped green onions in place of the basil, and I am thinking a bit of grainy mustard would add a great flavor!

All in all, a thumbs up dinner!

Broccoli Chowder (Adapted from Eating Well)

1 Tbs olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
3/4 - 1 cup diced carrots
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbs all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
4 cups vegetable broth (I ended up added approx 3/4 c water also)
3/4 - 1 lb broccoli crowns, cut into 1-inch pieces,
-- stems and florets separated
4 -5 oz grated sharp white cheddar chees

3/4 cup greek yogurt
salt to taste

1. In a dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Sauté onion, carrot, stirring often, until onion softens, 5 to 6 minutes. Add garlic and stir for 2 minutes.

2. Stir in flour, dry mustard and cayenne. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring often. Add broth and broccoli stems and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium, and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in florets, cover and cook until until broccoli is tender, about 6-10 minutes more.

3. Transfer 2 cups of the chowder to a food processor and puree. Carefully pour back to
the pan. Stir in cheddar and yogurt and cook over medium heat, stirring, until the cheese is melted and the chowder is heated through. Season with salt.

Basil Beer Bread (Adapted from Real Simple)

2 cups White Wheat Flour

1 1/2 cups Whole Wheat Flour

1 1/4-ounce package instant yeast
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
3/4 cup(3 ounces) grated Parmesan
1 12-ounce bottle beer, preferably ale
Flour for the work surface

1 cup chopped or torn fresh basil

1. Heat oven to 400° F.

2. In the bowl of a standing mixer on low, or in a large bowl using a spoon, combine the flour, yeast, salt, pepper, and Parmesan. Add the beer and mix just until the dough comes together. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle with the basil (or rosemary if subbing) and knead gently just until incorporated. Shape the dough into a round loaf and transfer to
the prepared sheet. Bake until the loaf is lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Turn the loaf onto a wire rack. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing.