Four delicious broccoli recipes

Recipes developed by Carol Harrison

Broccoli Mac and Cheese

Simply stir in bite-size pieces of steamed broccoli in at the end of cooking your favourite mac and cheese. Add about ¼ cup broccoli per serving OR try this –One Pot Broccoli Mac and Cheese.

One Pot Broccoli Mac and Cheese

Serves 4-6
Prep time: 10 min.
Cook time: 30 min.

 Just follow our 3 simple steps:

1. In a medium-size pot, boil salted water and cook 2 cups dry elbow macaroni pasta for 5 minutes. Add 1 head of broccoli (cut into florets, trim peel and dice stems). Continue to cook for 3 minutes. (2 minutes short of al dente for pasta). Drain and set colander aside.

2. In the same pot, melt ¼ cup butter over medium heat, whisk in 3 tbsp all purpose flour and 1 tsp dry mustard (or Dijon) until blended, about 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in 3 cups of milk. Bring to boil; reduce and simmer until sauce is thickened, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in 1½ cups of shredded cheddar cheese.

3. Add pasta and broccoli to sauce. Heat until piping hot and serve. Baked option -pour mixture into casserole dish. Sprinkle with 1 cup fresh bread crumbs (see tip to make fresh bread crumbs). Bake in 375°F for 20 minutes to crisp up the breadcrumbs. (We found store- bought breadcrumbs are not a good substitute in this case as they had a sawdust-like texture.)

To make breadcrumbs: Take day old bread and break up into clumps. Add clumps to food processor or blender. Add a handful of parsley leaves (if you have in fridge) and grated Parmesan. Pulse into breadcrumbs, about 3 minutes. Place breadcrumbs into freezer bags and keep in freezer to have on hand.

Tips:

Leftover for lunch

• Hot or cold, mac and cheese makes a satisfying lunch.

7 more veggie-inspired mac and cheese options:

1. Mushroom-cooked bacon
2. Boursin™ cheese and asparagus
3. Rigatoni pasta with tomato slices
4. Diced cooked ham and frozen peas
5. Butternut squash with pinch of nutmeg added in with flour
6. Cooked sausage and bell peppers
7. Cauliflower and seafood

Make it a meal

• Make this a complete meal. Add in a protein of your choice. Try diced cooked ham, chicken, trout, turkey or even a can of salmon or tuna.

Make-ahead option

• Leave unbaked mac and cheese in fridge for up to 3 days.

Quick Lentil Broccoli Slaw

Serves 6
Prep time: 15 min.
Just follow our 3 simple steps:

1. To save a bowl to wash, start by making the dressing in a large bowl. Whisk together ¼ cup canola oil, 2 tbsp red or white wine vinegar, 1 tbsp honey, 1 tsp Dijon mustard and ¼ tsp EACH salt and pepper.
2. Add 2 cups of chopped broccoli florets, 1 bag of coleslaw mixture, 1 can lentils (rinsed), and ½ cup dried cranberries or raisins.
3. Toss to coat in dressing. Crumble in ½ cup feta cheese.

Tips

Leftovers for lunch

• Bolster the protein to make this a meal by adding chopped hard-cooked eggs, canned tuna, leftover dinner meats, beans, chickpeas, tofu or more lentils.

Take it up a notch

• Add a diced apple for extra colour, crunch and sweetness
• Add a few slices of crumbled cooked bacon

Quick Broccoli and Cheddar Muffin Tin Frittata

Makes 12 muffin frittatas
Prep time: 10 min.
Cook time: 25 min.

Just follow our 3 simple steps:

1. In a medium size skillet, heat 1 tbsp canola oil over medium-high heat, add 1 onion, chopped, 2 cups of small broccoli florets and ¼ tsp EACH salt and pepper. Cook until onion and broccoli are softened, about 6 minutes.
2. In bowl, whisk together 12 eggs and ¼ cup of milk. Add softened broccoli and onions to egg mixture. Divide egg mixture into 12 greased muffin tins. Divide 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese over each egg muffin.
3. Bake in 375°F oven until the edges are set and cheese is melted, about 25 minutes. Broil, if you wish, until puffed and golden brown, about 2 minutes.

Tips

Cooking tips

• To avoid soggy frittatas, don’t rush cooking the vegetables. Give them the 6 minutes to cook down.
• Remember to grease your muffin tin well unless your idea of fun is scraping off bits of egg baked onto a muffin tin! Cut up pieces of parchment paper work as great liners too.

Freezer-friendly tip

• These mini frittatas freeze well for up to a month and are perfect for a grab-and-go breakfast or even a snack. Simply cook and cool completely before freezing. Reheat in the microwave 30 to 40 seconds to heat through.

Be thrifty like your grandmother!

• Broccoli stems are edible and nutritious. Trim, peel and dice them.

Roasted Broccoli with Lemon Aioli

Serves 4
Prep time: 5 min.
Cook time: 25 min.

Just follow our 3 simple steps:

1. Cut 3 stalks of broccoli into florets leaving 2 inches of stalk attached.
2. In bowl, toss florets with 2 tbsp canola, 1 tsp EACH salt and pepper.
3. On a large rimmed parchment lined baking sheet, spread florets in a single layer. Roast broccoli in oven at 425°F for 20-25 minutes, until tender crisp and some of the edges are turning brown.

Lemon Aioli: In bowl, whisk together 1 cup mayonnaise, 2 tsp minced lemon zest, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 2 cloves minced fresh garlic and ¼ tsp EACH salt and pepper. Any extra lemon aioli will keep for 3 days in the fridge.

Tips

Make extra roasted broccoli to use in…

• Pasta, frittatas, omelettes quiche, savoury breakfast bowls
• Warm or cold salads, power or grain bowls
• Wraps, panini, or pizza (slightly under-roast for pizza so it does not burn on pizza)

Take it up a notch

• Use roasted garlic in your lemon aioli.

Other ideas for using lemon aioli

• Try it with cooked asparagus or rapini.