2 heads Broccolini
½ tbsp olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
Rind of ½ lemon, grated
⅛ cup water
½ tsp salt
Pinch of pepper
Wash broccolini and cut into florets. (Stems can be peeled and eaten raw; usually this is too time consuming and I just compost them!). Heat pan to medium heat and add olive oil, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and grated lemon rind. Heat for 1 minute. Add water and broccolini and cover pan. Cook for about 6-8 minutes or until broccolini is to desired tenderness. Serve & eat! Serves 5-6. This is a favorite side dish in our house. We almost never have leftovers and my big girl always has seconds or even thirds!
Roasted Cauliflower
1 head cauliflower
⅛ cup olive oil
¼ tsp salt
⅛ tsp pepper
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Wash cauliflower and pat dry (cauliflower should be mostly dry so that olive oil and s&p stick to the florets). Combine florets, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Spread cauliflower in a non-stick cookie sheet and put on the top rack of the oven. Roast for 15-18 minutes. Roasted cauliflower has great, natural sweetness and doesn’t need a lot of stuff in it! You can use any color you want. My girls absolutely love purple and I happened to see it at Central Market; they thought the color was very cool. Usually, we just use the regular old kind. Serves 6-8.
Bean Soup
1 can cannellini beans (15.5 oz), drained and rinsed thoroughly
1 can black beans (15 oz), drained and rinsed thoroughly
1 32 oz box/can chicken or vegetable broth (my favorite brand is Pacific)
2 ¼ cups of water
1 ½ tbsp olive oil
⅔ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
¼ tsp fennel seeds (optional; I feel the fennel seeds give a unique depth and flavor to the dish)
¼ teaspoon chili powder
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
½ small onion, diced
2 medium sized red potatoes, diced into bite-sized pieces
In a medium sized stainless pot, heat oil on medium heat. Add onions and garlic and cook for about 3 minutes. Stir often to prevent burning or sticking. Add spices and potatoes and cook for 1 minute. Add beans, broth and cover. Turn heat to medium low. Cook for 10 minutes. Uncover and check thickness of soup. I usually add ½ cup of water at this point so the soup is not overly thick. Cover, turn heat to low and simmer for about 7-8 minutes more (spoon a potato out, taste and turn off the heat when it tastes delicious to you.) Serves 6-8. Optional: for a little acidity and a tiny punch of flavor, we add a few drops of Louisiana hot sauce as we sit to eat. It’s not very spicy at all; the girls eat it as well and the flavor is even better!
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