Veggie Risotto

1 onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 c. arborio rice
1 zucchini, small, diced
100g broccoli, chopped into small pieces
250g frozen edamame
4 c. vegetable or chicken stock
2 tsp. lemon juice
Salt and pepper
90g Parmesan, grate, plus more for the top

 

Heat a skillet over medium heat and saute onion and garlic in the oil for 5 minutes or until slightly translucent.

Add rice and stir for about 3 minutes to coat with oil. Add the vegetables and stock. Mix well. 

Cook on medium high heat for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally until the rice is al dente and the liquid is reduced almost completely.

Stir through lemon juice, salt, and pepper, and parmesan. Divide between bowls. Scatter a bit more parmesan to serve. 

 

 

Adapted from Centr.com

Copycat Panera Broccoli Cheese Soup

2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. flour
1/2 c. yellow onion, chopped
1 c. half and half
1 small head broccoli, chopped into tiny pieces
12 oz. Velveeta
29 oz. chicken broth
1 c. carrots, julienne, chopped, or shredded
12 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded
salt and pepper to taste

In a large saucepan, melt the butter. Stir in the flour and onions. Cook for about a minute, then slowly add the half-and-half, whisking until thickened and smooth. 

Add the broccoli and Velveeta. When the cheese is completely melted, add the chicken broth 1 cup at a time, stirring occasionally, until soup is well mixed. 

Add the carrots and simmer for about 10 minutes. 

Stir in the cheddar cheese and cook for 10 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve when all the cheese is fully melted and blended through.

This soup goes fabulously with these biscuits: Quick and Easy Homemade Biscuits

Here is a link to the recipe I adapted: Broccoli Cheddar Soup

 

Epic Broccoli Salad

2 crowns of broccoli, cut into small florets
Raisins
Bacon, diced and cooked crispy
sunflower seeds

Dressing:
3/4 c. mayo
1/2 c. sugar
2 tsp. vinegar

Combine the broccoli florets, raisins, and bacon in a large bowl.

Whisk together all the dressing ingredients. If the dressing is too sweet, add a bit more vinegar.

 Drizzle all the dressing over the salad and toss to coat. Add the sunflower seeds to the top.

Add however many raisins, bacon pieces, and sunflower seeds you want. Go by what tastes good to you!

Recipe courtesy of Erica Hayworth

Broccoli Cheese Soup

1 Tbsp. butter, melted
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 c. butter, melted
1/4 c. flour
2 c. half and half
2 c. chicken stock
1/2 lb. fresh broccoli, chopped
1 c. carrots, chopped
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, grated
salt and pepper to taste

Saute onion in butter until tender, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

Cook melted butter and flour using a whisk over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Stir constantly and add the half and half. Add the chicken stock, then simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the broccoli, carrots, and onion. Cook over low heat 20-25 minutes. Add salt and pepper. Add cheese. Stir until melted. Stir in nutmeg.

Sweet and Spicy Broccoli

No measurements, I just threw these things together as a side dish, and it was really good!

Olive oil
Broccoli, cut into florets
Red pepper flakes
Garlic powder
Brown sugar
Bacon, cooked and crumbled

Saute the broccoli in olive oil over medium heat. Sprinkle with the red pepper flakes, garlic powder, and brown sugar. Cook until the broccoli is tender (but not too tender!). Remove from heat. Sprinkle with bacon. Serve.

I was more liberal with the red pepper flakes than with the garlic and brown sugar. Just a light dusting was good, but you can adjust it to whatever tastes good to you!

Beef and Broccoli with Oyster Sauce

Beef marinating

6 oz. round steak, sliced thick
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2-3 bunches of broccoli, cut into florets
1 onion, chopped

Marinade:
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. cornstarch
1/3 c. oyster sauce (more if you want)
fresh ginger, minced
5 cloves garlic, minced
ground black pepper (lots and lots!)

Beef and broccoli cooking

Combine all the marinade ingredients in a bowl. Add beef to the marinade and let sit about 10 minutes. Heat oil in wok or frying pan on high heat. Add meat, cook until mostly done. Remove from pan and set aside. Add more oil to the pan, stir-fry broccoli and onion until cooked but still crisp. Add beef and perhaps a bit more oyster sauce. Stir to coat. Add more black pepper to taste. Serve over hot rice.

Ready to serve

When I make this, I will marinate the beef, but then put the marinade in the frying pan with the beef when I'm cooking it, which means it may have to cook a bit longer to cook the juices off. I think it's worth it.

Broccoli Beef

*Very quick and easy recipe!

1 bunch fresh broccoli, washed, trimmed, and cut into bite size
1 lb top round steak, thinly sliced

1/4 c. oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
6-8 green onion, sliced
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/2 c. water
1/4 c. sherry (or wine)
2 tsp. cornstarch
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. powdered ginger (or fresh!)
hot cooked rice

Heat 2 Tbsp. of the oil in a wok or skillet. Add beef and saute; remove beef and set aside. Add remaining 2 Tbsp. of oil to the skillet. Saute the garlic for about 2 minutes, then add the broccoli and onion. Saute for 5 minutes. In a small bowl or measuring cup, stir together the water, soy sauce, sherry (I use a cream sherry), and cornstarch; add sugar and ginger (if you use fresh ginger, saute it with the garlic). Pour mixture over vegetables; add meat and  bring to a boil for 2 minutes. Cover the pan. Reduce heat to a simmer; cook until the broccoli is tender, about 5 to 10 minutes. Serve over hot cooked rice.

Chicken Divan

This has been one of my favorite recipes since high school thanks to Sandy Hoffman, who makes the most amazing Chicken Divan!

1-2 chicken breast, cooked and cubed

2-3 c. broccoli, steamed
1 can cream of chicken
1 can cream of cheddar
dash of lemon juice
1/2 c. cheddar, shredded
bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Mix the cream of chicken and cream of cheddar together. Add a dash of lemon juice. Layer the broccoli then chicken into a baking dish. Spread the cream mixture over the top. Add the cheddar and bread crumbs to the top. Heat for about 25 minutes or until heated all the way through.

You can serve it like it is or serve over white rice.

For a variation, I made a casserole using almost the same ingredients... We didn't have cream of cheddar, so we just grated more actual cheddar. We cooked the chicken and steamed the broccoli, then mixed them together with cooked white rice and cream of chicken in a large skillet. Then we added 1 c. cheddar, melting it into the mixture. We then put the whole thing in a baking dish, sprinkled the top with cheddar and bread crumbs. Baked at 450 F. for about 10-15 minutes. Still really good!