roasted broccoli and garlic white pizza

I LOVE this savory garlicky pizza!

Ingredients:
– 1 pizza crust
– 1 batch of white sauce from scratch or alfredo from a jar
– roasted broccoli and garlic
– shredded cheese
– ricotta

Make a batch of your favorite pizza crust. I recommend Kenji’s New York style pizza crust. It’s great on a super thin-crust, too. Of course, you could also use a pre-made crust from the store!

Preheat oven to 500F, or whatever your oven’s highest setting is.

Roast your favorite veggies. I love whole roasted cloves of garlic and broccoli for this pizza. You can add anything from roasted sliced sweet potatoes to caramelized onions! I also think this would be incredible topped with “garlic chips” (cloves of garlic sliced thin and roasted on super high heat til crispy). I like to toss everything in olive oil, and roast everything on a SUPER high heat for this pizza (think 425). That leaves the florets crispy like broccoli chips, while the bits of stem stay a little crunchy. Very texturally interesting and amazing on a pizza. If you want it even healthier, though, chisel and fork just barely cooks the broccoli in a skillet, so it retains its raw crunch.

Start a white sauce. You can make a simple white sauce in five minutes flat. You can also use alfredo from a jar. Season to taste with whatever you like. I like garlic powder, cayenne, a pinch of oregano, and tons of black pepper with this pizza.

Build your pizza! Get the crust ready, then top with sauce. Shred a bunch of cheese over that. I like brick mozzarella, but any melty cheese will work. You can even mix in a little sharp cheddar for that “broccoli-cheddar soup” taste!

Top with glops of ricotta. (That’s fun to say out loud.) If you want to go super-fancy, top with spinach and basil leaves, fresh grated parmesan, maybe even a sliced cherry tomato or two or some crumbled bacon. This pizza really doesn’t need meat, though!

Bake at your oven’s highest heat until the cheese starts to brown in spots.

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recipe by chisel and fork – I highly recommend you click this link and admire those beautiful photos of this pizza!

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My favorite homemade pizzas on Earth are:
1. a caramelized onion and lemon cream sauce pizza,
2. a sausage, bleu cheese, and caramelized onion pizza,
3. THIS broccoli and ricotta pizza!

It’s a real crowd-pleaser.

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15-minute broccoli, spinach, and green curry coconut soup

green curry paste (1T-1/3c, depending on your preference)
one can of coconut milk
3 cups of water
a pound of broccoli florets, chopped
a handful to baby spinach leaves
fresh cilantro leaves (coriander leaves)
salt and pepper

stir-fry the curry paste
if you’re using real Thai green curry paste, DON’T use a third of a cup unless you have a steel stomach – start with a tablespoon and add more later if it needs it
if the paste is thick, add a little water

when fragrant, add the water and chopped broccoli stems, and boil about five minutes

add the rest of the broccoli, salt and pepper, turn down the heat, and simmer until soft, about ten minutes

add the coconut milk, simmer another few minutes

turn off the heat

add the spinach leaves and cilantro

blend, adjust seasoning to taste

can top with crispy fried scallions if you’re feeling fancy, or a scoop of plain yogurt, but it’s great just as is

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modified from epicurious

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really fantastic. if you love the flavor of cilantro more than you love broccoli and spinach, it’s a great way to get all your veggies. it takes just as long to cool the soup for blending as it does to cook it.

again, seriously be careful how much curry paste you use – i’m in so much pain from heartburn. but the flavor is amazing. perfect way to use up those curry paste packets i’ve had sitting in the pantry for a year. i definitely recommend this recipe.

raw broccoli slaw

two dressings are mayo-based, for those of you who like the midwestern-style creamy salads. one is light, dairy-free, mayo-free, and super-healthy, but a little pricier to make because of the sesame oil.

grate broccoli
(edit: no, don’t do this, unless you have a machine that does it, or a friend who loves to grate. it will take way less time to chop.)

add any or all of the following, in whatever proportions you like:
sliced orange segments
sliced almonds
halved grapes
minced red onion
grated jicama
minced shallots
minced green onions
cilantro

orange sesame dressing from epicurious
1 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon honey
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon hot red pepper sauce (optional)
1 shallot, chopped
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

buttermilk dressing from smitten kitchen
1/2 cup buttermilk, well-shaken
1/3 cup mayonnaise (this is more than is in the original, to thicken the dressing further)
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoons finely chopped shallot (or, you could just use a little extra red onion to simplify it)

cranberry orange dressing from simply recipes
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp dried sweetened cranberries, plumped up in warm water for 5 to 10 minutes, then drained
1 teaspoon whole grain mustard
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp honey (or less, to taste)
1 small clove garlic
1 Tbsp orange juice
1 teaspoon orange zest
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt, more to taste
6 Tbsp vegetable oil (or canola, peanut, or rice bran oil)
1/4 cup mayonnaise

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tried the cranberry orange dressing. the cranberries i used were so sweetened that 1 T honey made it too sweet. great for people who like the ultra-sweet raisins-and-broccoli midwestern-style broccoli salad. overall, good.

lazy leftover fried rice with broccoli

Tempted to call for take-out because you don’t have any food in the house? Here’s some Americanized Chinese food for a lazy day!

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Steam broccoli.

In a (separate) frying pan, heat canola oil. fry raw unseasoned meat or meat substitute or mushrooms in it (optional, of course) and set aside.

In same frying pan (no need to rinse it,) fry onions on medium-high, stirring frequently. When translucent, add fresh minced ginger or garlic. When aromatic, add leftover rice. Cook a few minutes.

Re-add the meat or mushrooms, and, if you like, a handful of frozen peas. Remember to stir frequently.

In a bowl, whisk together a fair amount of either tamari, soy sauce, or hoisin if you like it super-sweet. Add peanut or sesame oil, sesame seeds, a little rice wine vinegar, little Sriracha (to taste,) cooking sherry, two drops of fish sauce, and a little miso.

When the broccoli is done steaming, cut it into pieces and throw it into the pan. Crack a few eggs over it and stir immediately. Cook a few minutes.

Pour the liquid evenly over the food while stirring. Cook a few minutes. Eat.

This tastes exactly like Americanized Chinese take-out fried rice. It’s easy to customize – eggplant fried rice, steak fried rice, fish fried rice, whatever you have in the house! A great dinner for those times there’s nothing in the house and you’re tempted to spend money on takeout. This costs almost nothing to make and has big flavor. You can’t go wrong with it – snap peas, carrots, leftover baked potatoes – you can stick any food into fried rice.

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FRIED RICE QUESTIONS

“How come my fried rice doesn’t taste like take-out?”
You won’t like my answer. Restaurants use WAY more oil and sugar than most home cooks would ever dream of.

“Why is it mushy or sticking together?”
Don’t use fresh rice! If you cooked the rice the same day you tried to fry it, that’s your problem. It needs to lose moisture. Make rice, stick it in your fridge, and fry it tomorrow or the next day.
If your rice is leftover, you’re not using enough heat! Kick it up to medium-high, or higher if you have someone to stir it constantly for you while you dump in ingredients. Don’t add anything to the pan until it’s super hot!

“What if I’m totally broke?”
Just go for soy sauce with ginger. Rice wine vinegar is cheap and a great investment, but if limes are cheaper in your area, go for those instead.

quick raw creamy broccoli salad

I posted a broccoli salad recipe two months ago, but it called for mayo. Is it possible to transform creamy midwestern broccoli salad into a creamy raw vegan recipe?

1 pound broccoli (2 small heads)
½ pound carrots, peeled
1 pound red grapes, quartered
½ cup pumpkin seeds

Dressing:
2 avocados
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
2 Teaspoons sea salt

Chop and combine all ingredients for salad. You can use a food processor if you want to grate the carrots and broccoli quickly. Make dressing by smashing ingredients together, or use food processor. Toast pumpkin seeds if you like, or leave raw for a completely raw salad.

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recipe by GI 365

sweet and savory broccoli salad

substitutions can be made for whatever you have in the house. i know what you’re thinking: “mayonnaise-based salads?” but i recently had a sweetened mayo broccoli salad that was actually delicious (too much time in the midwest, maybe?)

there’s always quick creamy raw broccoli salad if you want something without mayo.

perhaps this is a good transition away from heavy winter food, now that it’s already too hot to slow-bake ribs.

plus, it looks sweet and creamy without any added sugar.

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3 large broccoli heads
5 diced radishes
2 diced tomatoes
1 diced apple
1/2 cup of red grapes, diced, drain (read: drink) the juice
5 green onions minus the white part, diced
1 cup medium carrot, shredded
1/2 cup dried cranberries

dressing:
3 Tbsp your favorite salad oil
1 Tbsp mayo
1 Tbsp sour cream or unsweetened yogurt
salt and garlic powder to taste
3 Tbsp lemon juice

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adapted from natasha’s kitchen

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delicious! i replaced

ginger orange broccoli quinoa salad

1 and 1/2 cups of low-sodium vegetable broth (or water)
1 cup of uncooked quinoa
2 tablespoons of freshly grated ginger (divided)
1 teaspoon of freshly grated orange peel
juice of one small orange
1 tablespoon of rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon of canola oil
1 teaspoon of sesame oil
1 tablespoon of honey or agave
pinch of salt
1 cup of trimmed sugar snap peas, halved
2 cups of broccoli slaw (shredded broccoli florets and stems, red cabbage and carrots)
1 red pepper, cut into thin strips
1 yellow pepper, cut into thin strips
3 tablespoons of fresh cilantro or parsley
2 tablespoons of thinly sliced scallions
1 cup of dry roasted peanuts (or raw)
1 tablespoon of black or white sesame seeds

1. Place the vegetable stock, 1 tablespoon of grated ginger, grated orange rind, orange juice and quinoa in a medium sauce pot. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer and cover the pot. Cook the quinoa for 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, mix the rice wine vinegar, other tablespoon of grated ginger, canola oil, sesame oil, honey and salt in a small glass jar or container. Shake to combine.

3. After the quinoa has cooked for 10 minutes, turn off the heat. Toss in the sugar snap peas, broccoli slaw and red pepper. Return lid to pot and allow the veggies to steam with the quinoa for 5 minutes. Remove lid and allow mixture to cool to room temperature.

4. Toss the quinoa mixture with the salad dressing. Add in the dry roasted peanuts. Garnish the salad with fresh cilantro (or parsley), scallions and sesame seeds.

Serve at room temperature.

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from the fig tree

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good! i’ll make this again.

cajun french onion broccoli jambalaya

this came out of a craving for broccoli cheese soup, french onion soup, and jambalaya. it’s all of them at the same time. easy to make vegetarian, too – just leave out the sausage and chicken, and replace with whatever veggies you have in the house that taste great in soup!

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fry two onions in a soup pot.

add stock, or water and bouillon.

add a head of peeled roasted garlic, two bay leaves, and a hot chili pepper or two. (i added potatoes, too, since i have a surplus.)

boil together a half-hour or so until soup base tastes wonderful.

add cajun seasoning blend (make your own with thyme, oregano, paprika, cayenne, onion and garlic, salt and pepper,) cut-up raw chicken, chunked broccoli stems, and slices of andouille sausage.

cook about another half-hour.

add broccoli florets 3 – 5 minutes before soup is done.

top with a little cheddar.

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highly recommended! hearty, rich, filling, and easy.

broccoli-pistachio soup

1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
4 cups broccoli florets, roughly chopped

4 cups water
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 cup fresh spinach, roughly chopped
1/2 cup pistachios, shelled

2/3 cup coconut milk (+ more for drizzling)

In a skillet, heat coconut oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and cook for a few minutes, until onions have softened. Add broccoli florets, sea salt and water. Bring to boil, cover and simmer until broccoli is cooked, about 8-10 minutes.

Meanwhile, toast the pistachios in a dry pan over low heat for 5-7 minutes. Shake the pan a few times for even toasting and to avoid burning the nuts. Set aside.

Take off the heat. Stir in the spinach and let wilt in the hot mixture. Add the toasted pistachios (keep 2-3 tablespoons aside) and the coconut milk to the broccoli spinach mixture. Then blend with a hand blender or transfer to food processor and blend until smooth.

Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. Chop up the remaining pistachios. Transfer the soup to serving bowls and garnish with chopped pistachios and a drizzle of coconut milk.

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from anja

potato-leek-broccoli-cheese soup

it’s potato leek soup AND broccoli cheese soup…. at the same time.

healthy comfort food!

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start a head of garlic roasting in your toaster oven

fry sliced onions in coconut oil with a little peanut oil

add the white parts of sliced leeks, potato chunks, and broccoli stems

when slightly tender, add leek greens (i added a handful of fresh shiitake mushrooms here, too)

when color changes, add vegetable broth or water and bouillon, broccoli florets, two bay leaves, the head of roasted garlic, a pinch or three of dill basil ginger coriander and turmeric, a half a tablespoon or so of dried fines herbs blend or whatever herb blend you like in soups, one dried chili pepper, seasoned salt, and black pepper.

boil until delicious.

puree.

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top with:

vegan: nutritional yeast (for that “cheesy” taste)

vegetarian: yogurt and shredded sharp cheddar cheese

carnivore: crumbled bacon, sharp cheddar cheese, and sour cream

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i planned to try broccoli quinoa-and-cheese tonight, but the rain made me crave soup, and this is what i came up with.

delicious quick and easy comforting satisfying fall busy weeknight meal