Category Archives: Vegetable

ROASTED BROCCOLI WITH PARMESAN

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At the farmers market this weekend, I found some really beautiful purple and green kale, which will probably find their way into some soup later this week:

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There was also an abundance of broccoli — giant heads of it, and buckets of tender florets:

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I received an email newsletter from one of the farmers market vendors raving about Ina Garten’s recipe for roasted broccoli.  He wasn’t kidding — this is one of the best ways to prepare broccoli that I have ever tried.  I never really thought of broccoli as addictive, but this put broccoli in a whole new light. The recipe below is adapted slightly from Ina’s recipe for Parmesan-Roasted Broccoli.

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ROASTED BROCCOLI WITH PARMESAN
 
Ingredients
  • 8 cups broccoli florets (from 2 large heads broccoli)
  • 4 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
  • Juice of 1 small lemon
  • 2 tablespoons pine nuts
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
  2. Place the broccoli florets in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle the garlic over the broccoli, drizzle with the olive oil, and toss together. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until crisp-tender and the tips of some of the florets are browned.
  3. Remove the broccoli from the oven and transfer to a large serving bowl. Toss the broccoli with the Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, and pine nuts, and serve.

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 Tossed with garlic and olive oil and ready to go in the oven

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Nicely browned

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A squeeze of lemon, grated Parmesan, sprinkle of pine nuts, and voila!

LUCKY BLACK-EYED PEAS

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For more than 1500 years, people have been eating black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day for good luck, and I am no exception.  I don’t, however, particularly care for Hoppin’ John,  a popular Southern dish made with black-eyed peas and rice, because I think it’s bad luck to start the New Year’s diet with all those carbs.  Instead, one of my favorite ways to prepare black-eyed peas is to simmer them with some broth, vegetables, a smidgen of bacon, and a little Cajun spice for kick.  I hope this batch will bring me luck in 2013!  Happy New Year!

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LUCKY BLACK-EYED PEAS
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Recipe type: Vegetable
 
Ingredients
  • 1 slice bacon, diced
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 2 carrots, peeled and diced
  • 2 stalks celery, diced
  • 1 pound fresh black-eyed peas
  • 2 14.5-ounce cans chicken broth
  • 1 teaspoon Cajun or Creole spice
  • 2 dried cayenne peppers
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
  1. Place bacon in a large stockpot over medium high heat and saute until browned and fat is rendered. Add onion, garlic, carrots, and celery, and saute until vegetables are soft. Add black-eyed peas, broth, spice mix, and cayenne peppers, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, until peas are tender, approximately 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve warm and feel lucky.

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Feelin’ lucky!