Posts Tagged ‘broccoli’
Slow Cooker Beef & Broccoli
May 21, 2013 | 
Author The other day I spotted a 2.5 quart crock pot in a sale bin at Kroger. For $9.99. With purple polka dots! With my need for a smaller crock pot, minimal funds, and love for purple it’s like it was meant to be mine and therefore I swiped it up and purchased it (and heck yea for extra gas points). Hopefully cooking smaller volume recipes in this smaller crock pot will solve my issue with things cooking too fast in my larger 5 quart one, although it still lacks a timer setting on it so I will still have to depend on my plug timer.
Unfortunately, I bought the 2.5 quart crock pot after making this recipe I am sharing with you today, so I cannot yet report on it’s functionality just yet. So as usual for my 5 quart crock pot this recipe cooked twice as fast and therefore be sure to adjust the cooking time based on your crock pot’s mannerisms. But cooking time adjustments aside, this was an awesome meal. The beef was tender and the sauce was so good I ended up using every last drop on top of some leftover rice. Yes, I ate just the sauce over some rice because I enjoyed it that much.
One year ago: Blackened Chicken with Cilantro Lime Quinoa and Avocado Cream Sauce
SLOW COOKER BEEF & BROCCOLI
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 lb. boneless, beef chuck roast, sliced into thin strips
1 cup beef consumme or beef broth
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1 Tbsp sesame oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp cornstarch
2 cups broccoli florets, cooked
White rice, cooked
Directions:
- Coat the inside of the crockpot with nonstick spray.
- In the crockpot, whisk together beef consume, soy sauce, dark brown sugar, sesame oil, and garlic.
- Gently place your slices of beef in the liquid and toss to coat.
- Turn crockpot on low and cook for 6 hours*.
- When done, in a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and 4 tablespoons of the cooking liquid to create a slurry, pour back into crockpot, and stir to mix well. Cook on low for an additional 30 minutes to thicken up the sauce.
- Serve with broccoli florets over white rice.
*Cooking times may vary. My crock pot cooks hot with smaller volumes and only took 3 hours.
Source: Adapted slightly from Table for Two.
Pepperoni Pasta Bake
There are times when I go to the grocery store and somehow leave without actually getting everything on my list. And then there are times when I cross every last thing off, only to get home and realize I didn’t buy enough of something or forgot to put something on the list in the first place. Enter improvisation. When making these stuffed shells, I substituted broccoli for shredded zucchini because I failed to buy any, and also some of the ricotta for Greek yogurt because I didn’t buy enough! Some people say you shouldn’t admit to screwing up and instead say it was all planned out from the beginning. However, I prefer admitting how awesome my creative skills under pressure because these shells were still awesome.
Two years ago: Butterscotch Haystack Cookies
PEPPERONI PASTA BAKE
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
15 oz. part-skim ricotta
5 oz. plain Greek yogurt (I used o% Chobani)
1-1/4 cups chopped broccoli
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves, plus more for serving
1 egg, beaten
Salt and pepper
3 cups marinara sauce, divided
28 (7 oz.) jumbo pasta shells, cooked according to package drections
2 oz. mini turkey pepperoni slices
3/4 cup (3 oz.) shredded part-skim mozzarella
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine ricotta,broccoli, basil, and egg. Season with 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper.
- Spread 1 cup marinara in prepared baking dish. Fill each shell with 1 heaping tablespoon ricotta mixture and arrange in an even layer in dish. Top with remaining 2 cups marinara, then pepperoni and mozzarella.
- Cover with foil and bake until sauce is bubbling, about 30 minutes. Heat broiler, remove foil, and broil until cheese is browned in spots, about 3 minutes. Top with additional basil and serve.
Source: Adapted slightly from Everyday Food, October 2012.
Posted in Entree, Pasta, Turkey | 
Tags: basil, broccoli, Greek yogurt, mozzarella, pepperoni, ricotta, turkey | 
7 Comments »
Review: Blue Diamond Nut-Thins & Pecan-Crusted Chicken with Roasted Broccoli
With one of my best friends being gluten intolerant, I am always very interested in trying out new gluten-free products. Especially since she tells me how far gluten-free products have come over the years (you should see how excited she gets over bagels). Gone are the days when gluten-free meant boring. One proof of this fact lies with Blue Diamond’s Nut-Thins. They are a crunchy cracker loaded with nutritious nuts and baked to perfection. Flavors include: Plain Almond, Almond Hint of Sea Salt, Almond Smokehouse, Almond Cheddar Cheese, Almond Country Ranch, Almond Pepper Jack Cheese and also Hazelnut, and Pecan.
Although these crackers are great for dips and snacking, I decided to make a meal with them. I had made this recipe before with bread crumbs and ground pecans, so I decided to replace all of the breading with ground up Blue Diamond Pecan Nut-Thins. The result? A perfectly crunchy and flavorful exterior. I really want to try the Almond Cheddar Nut-Thins for a cheesy version! Hopefully I’ll like it better than the unhealthier Cheetos Crusted Chicken haha.
Blue Diamond products can be found at any Whole Foods or natural foods section in your local grocery store, and online at www.bluediamond.com.
Wondering what those purple lumps are in the background? You will find out soon!
One year ago: Homemade Pumpkin Puree
PECAN-CRUSTED CHICKEN WITH ROASTED BROCCOLI
Serves 2
Ingredients:
CHICKEN
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded about 1/2-inch thin
1/4 cup ground Blue Diamond Pecan Nut-Thins
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 egg white
2 Tbsp gluten-free all-purpose flour
BROCCOLI
2 cups chopped broccoli florets
2 tsp olive oil
2 Tbsp chopped yellow onion
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and pepper
Directions:
- Heat oven to 375 degrees.
- In a small roasting pan, drizzle olive oil over chopped broccoli florets. Toss with onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Set aside.
- In one small bowl, combine cracker crumbs with salt and pepper. In a second bowl, whisk egg white until just foamy. In a third bowl, place flour.
- Dredge chicken breasts in flour, dip in egg white and then press both sides into breadcrumb mixture to coat. Place on a small baking sheet coated with vegetable oil cooking spray.
- Cook the chicken and broccoli for 20 minutes or until edges are golden brown, turning both the chicken and broccoli once halfway through the cooking time.
Source: Adapted slightly from SELF Magazine.
Disclosure: I received samples of Blue Diamond Nut-Thins from Ocra Communications. I was not compensated for this post. Thoughts and opinions are my own.
Posted in Chicken, Entree, Reviews, Side Dish | Tags: broccoli, chicken, gluten free, pecans | 4 Comments »
Chicken, Broccoli and White Cheddar Pita Pizzas
This is another recipe recreated from my undergraduate years at Ohio State. I pretty much rotated through these pita pizzas, stir frys, the Asian BBQ Chicken, and pasta with meat sauce when I lived off campus the last two years. Oh the days before my need to try a new recipe every single stinking day. Nowadays I rarely repeat recipes in my kitchen. Mostly because there are too many others I want to try and cooking for one slows me down. Which was one bonus to staying with my parents in Knoxville in August, because I had the ability to cook entrees more often and therefore actually did remake past recipes. What a treat to have some of them again!
When making the pitas for this recipe, I was also reminded how much better it is homemade than store bought. The store stuff is stale and dry in comparison, and I find it difficult to even entertain the idea of purchasing them ever again. Especially since it’s so fun to watch them puff up in the oven.
One year ago: Falafel Pizza
CHICKEN, BROCCOLI AND WHITE CHEDDAR PITA PIZZAS
Serves 3
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 head broccoli, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 large chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
Salt and pepper
4 oz. white cheddar, shredded
3 whole wheat pitas, lightly toasted
Directions:
- Place 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium pan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the broccoli and saute until bright green and still crisp. Transfer from pan to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
- Wipe out the pan and add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Add the chicken, season with salt and pepper, and cook until no longer pink, and slightly golden on the outside.
- Top pitas with chicken and broccoli, followed by shredded white cheddar cheese. Let sit a minute, allowing the cheese to melt. Or place under a broiler for a minute. Serve immediately.
Source: The Spiffy Cookie original.
Bacon and Broccoli Mac and Cheese
Are we really halfway through September already? I know many of you are experiencing fall weather, but it’s still summer in Memphis. Although I think whoever controls the temperature inside my lab building wants to pretend it’s fall inside, because I now require two sweatshirts to be comfortable. I don’t know about you, but if I saw someone walking around in high 80 degree weather with two sweatshirts and jeans, I would think they were a little off their rocker. So I leave them at my desk and try not to shiver on my way out for the day. Apparently being a graduate student now requires costume changes.
To comfort my seasonally confused self, I made some mac and cheese! Speaking of comforting things, I really do require comfort anywhere I can find it these days. After missing my flight this past Sunday, I didn’t think this week could get any worse. That was until I got a notice in the mail Wednesday saying I failed to show up to an August 10th court date for my expired license plate tags (which btw were processed the very next day, pain in my butt). Ya know, the court date for which I called about two months ago to reschedule to this very day, Friday September 14th, because I was living in Knoxville for all of August? Oh, but wait the person with whom I spoke to about this failed to do their job and file the proper paperwork. Now I have to hope the judge believes me and doesn’t take away my drivers license for a “failure to comply” charge. I wish I could bring in some cupcakes to sweeten the deal.
In other words, this recipe may state that it serves 4 but with my current emotional level this week I took that as a joke. Good thing it’s a little bit healthier than traditional mac and cheese.
One year ago: Peanut Butter Hummus
BACON AND BROCCOLI MAC AND CHEESE
Serves 4
Ingredients:
3 cups broccoli florets
8 oz. uncooked rigatoni
1 Tbsp butter (I used Melt)
1-1/2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1-1/4 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
2 oz. reduced-fat processed American cheese, cut into pieces (I used 2% Velveeta)
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 slices center-cut bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 oz. extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1/2 cup packed)
Directions:
- Steam broccoli 5 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain. Pat dry, and keep warm.
- Cook pasta in boiling water in a large saucepan for 8 minutes or until al dente; drain and keep warm.
- Wipe pan with paper towels, and return to medium heat. Melt butter in pan. Sprinkle flour over melted butter; cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly with a whisk. Gradually add milk to the flour mixture in pan, and bring to a boil, stirring constantly with a whisk. Cook for 1 minute or until slightly thick, and remove from heat. Add American cheese; stir until smooth.
- Stir in sliced green onions and the remaining ingredients. Stir in broccoli and pasta; serve immediately.
Source: Cooking Light, April 2012.
Broccoli Quiche
I don’t eat very exciting things for breakfast during the week. My usual rotation is either cereal, a toasted English muffin with crunchy peanut butter, yogurt with granola or (if I’m feeling “fancy”) a smoothie. In other words, this quiche was not breakfast, it was dinner. Even though this only took about 40 minutes, my current weekeday-morning routine with a nonintensive breakfast takes 30 minutes from the moment my alarm goes off until I lock the door behind me. I rarely have any desire to wake up any earlier (6:30am normally, but today was special with a 2:15am alarm – yay grad school!).
My favorite part of this quiche is the crust, is that sad? Not that I don’t love the cheesy goodness complete with yummy broccoli and eggs, but the bites with most crust in them were the best! I found myself saving the crust edge for last so that my last bites could be the ones I remember. I actually do that with most things I eat – save the best parts for last. Does anyone else do this?
The good thing about this quiche, is that in my home it makes leftovers which means I can in fact have this on a weekday after all! If you are not a lover of leftovers, you do not make sense to me. I understand some things cannot be as good as they were the first time around (although I have discovered that reheating in a toaster oven does wonders), but many things make fantastic leftovers and are the reason I manage to have a packed lunch most days, or even a complete meal ready for dinner on a busy night.
One year ago: Pizza Dough
BROCCOLI QUICHE
Serves 6
Ingredients:
3 Tbsp butter, divided
1 onion, minced
1 tsp minced garlic
2 cups chopped fresh broccoli
1-9 inch unbaked pie crust
1 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar
1/4 cup chopped Canadian bacon
4 eggs, well beaten
1-1/2 cups milk
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Over medium-low heat melt butter in a large saucepan. Add onions, garlic and broccoli. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are soft. Spoon vegetables into crust and sprinkle with cheese. Top with Canadian bacon.
- Combine eggs and milk. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in melted butter. Pour egg mixture over vegetables and cheese.
- Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until center has set.
Source: Adapted slightly All Recipes
Posted in Breakfast | Tags: broccoli, canadian bacon, cheddar, eggs, milk, mozzarella, onions | 8 Comments »
Chicken Alfredo Biscuit Casserole
When you think of an Alfredo sauce, “light” is not the first word that normally pops into your head to describe it. So when I was given a sample of Classico’s new light Alfredo pasta sauce, I’d be lying if I said I weren’t skeptical. 50% less fat at 45% fewer calories (60 cal/serving)? But aren’t fat and calories the reason why Alfredo sauce is so good to begin with? Why rob it’s characteristics?
This skeptic was proven wrong – this sauce was great. I couldn’t tell it was a lighter version at all. Granted I did not eat it by itself, but who sits down with a bowl of Alfredo for dinner? I won’t judge you if you do, because pasta is just a vehicle for sauce to get into my mouth anyway. However, this dish has no pasta at all. Instead there are buttery biscuits on top, MmMmm!! Definitely making this again, and will be looking for this light Alfredo sauce on the shelf the next time pasta sauce is on my grocery list.
CHICKEN ALFREDO BISCUIT CASSEROLE
Serves 5
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp butter, divided
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jar (15 oz) Classico light creamy Alfredo pasta sauce
1/4 cup milk
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
2 cups frozen broccoli florets, thawed
1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/4 tsp dried basil leaves
Salt and pepper
1 can (10 biscuits) refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
Directions:
- Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 8-inch square (2-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray.
- In 10-inch nonstick skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Cook mushrooms, onion and garlic in butter, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in Alfredo sauce, milk, chicken, broccoli, 1/4 cup Parmesan and basil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook until mixture is thoroughly heated and bubbly, stirring constantly. Spoon into baking dish.
- Separate dough into 10 biscuits. Cut each biscuit in half crosswise. Arrange around edge of baking dish, overlapping slightly. Drizzle biscuits with remaining 1 tablespoon melted butter; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese.
- Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown.
Source: Adapted slightly from Pillsbury
Disclosure: This post is part of a Foodbuzz Tastemaker program with Classico Light Creamy Alfredo Pasta Sauce and I received a free sample of Classico® Light Creamy Alfredo Pasta Sauce.
Recipe also featured on All Free Casserole Recipes.
General Tso’s Chicken
Do you ever crave takeout food, but don’t feel like going out to get it? Yet somehow you will stop at the grocery store in order to make it yourself? It happens to me more than I can count. At first I feel lazy, but somehow head in the opposite direction. Whatever the explanation, I made this chicken and it was worth all the effort.
And can you believe it? This was my first time cooking with chicken thighs! Unless you are cooking the entire thing, I somehow had it in my head that people only used the breast meat. I am glad I have been set straight.
But as usual I forgot to sprinkle the scallions on top. And then I ate it before I could realize it in order to take more pictures – I’m a hungry girl! Sorry already chopped up scallions, I promise to give you another purpose!
GENERAL TSO’S CHICKEN
Serves 4
Ingredients:
CHICKEN
1-1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 egg white
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Canola, Peanut, or Vegetable oil for frying
SAUCE
1 Tbsp peanut, canola or vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh ginger root
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp Chinese chile-garlic sauce
3 Tbsp sugar
FOR SERVING
1/2 cup cashews, roughly chopped
4 whole scallions, thinly sliced
Steamed brown rice
Steamed broccoli
Directions:
- Prep the chicken: In a mixing bowl, stir together the sesame oil, soy sauce, egg white, and 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of cornstarch until a thick slurry forms. It will look gummy but smooth.
- Add the chicken pieces and stir until all are evenly coated. At first it may appear that it will not come together but it does!
Set chicken aside, covered lightly with plastic wrap, at room temperature for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. - Begin the sauce: Add the tablespoon of oil to a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over high heat. Stir the garlic and ginger into the oil and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining sauce ingredients until smooth. Pour into the garlic and ginger, stirring, until the sauce becomes thick and shiny. Once the sauce thickens, lower heat and keep the saucepan over a low burner partially covered to stay warm.
- To fry the chicken: Heat 1/2-inches of oil in a heavy-bottomed, high-sided frying pan or skillet over high heat.
- When the oil is shimmering, add one piece of chicken at a time, taking care not to crowd the pan. Cook chicken for 4 minutes on each side, or until deep golden brown and crisp on both sides.
- Transfer the fried chicken to a paper towel lined plate and repeat the process until you’ve cooked all the chicken.
- Then slide all of the fried chicken into the prepared sauce and toss to coat. (If desired, add some steamed broccoli and cashews to coat with the sauce also.) Increase the heat to medium, stir and cook just until hot all the way through.
- Sprinkle with sliced scallions and serve immediately over rice.
Source: Tasty Kitchen
Broccoli Garbanzo Pasta
Yesterday I had amazing motivation and was going to do both core and spin class back-to-back. But to my despair all of the bikes were occupied once I completed working my midsection. Since I was already at the gym with the mindset to sweat for 2 hours straight, I decided to jump on an elliptical instead. Upon completion, I idiotically dismounted before it completely stopped spinning and it rammed into my left ankle. Stupid stupid stupid! Don’t do what I did. Unless you like having a swollen, stiff ankle.
To add insult to (literal) injury, after consulting with my checking account I realized that it has become quite skinny a bit too early in the month. Since my biggest expense is the grocery store (is that sad?) I made this meal out of things I already had in the fridge and pantry. Thankfully I had some fresh things on hand still but that won’t last long as the month rolls along. Oh the downfall of being a graduate student and a lover of cooking and baking! But for now, this meal was creamy, wonderful and filling. Couldn’t ask for more! Unless it could have ankle/moron healing powers too.
Ingredients:
13.25 oz box whole wheat Rotini
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups broccoli florets
15 oz can garbanzo beans or chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2/3 cup white wine or vegetable broth
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper
2/3 cup milk
10 oz container Philadelphia Italian Cheese & Herb Cooking Creme
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
Directions:
- In a large saucepan, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and keep warm.
- Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet saute garlic in olive oil for 1 minute. Add the broccoli, beans, wine or broth, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 7-8 minutes or until slightly reduced.
- In a small bowl, combine milk and cooking cream until smooth; stir into bean mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat; stir in 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Serve over cooked pasta. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Source: Adapted from Allrecipes
Beef Negimaki With Broccolini and Rice
For some reason I always feel like I don’t eat enough red meat, so when I saw this recipe I immediately wanted to make it. Especially since it sounded really good and easy. I couldn’t for the life of me find broccolini so I was forced to just use broccoli. Where on earth is that stuff in a grocery store anyway?? Not in the produce section or frozen even. Maybe it’s a specialty store item, boo. I can’t imagine it really changed anything other than the appearance. After all, the flavors of this dish were perfect (hoisin sauce FTW) and cleanup was a snap!
Ingredients:
Vegetable oil cooking spray
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 lb top round, thinly sliced and cut into 12 strips
8 scallions, cut into 3-inch-long pieces
1-1/2 cups shredded carrots
1 cup instant brown rice
1 lb broccolini
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
Directions:
- Heat grill. Fold four 18-inch-long pieces of foil in half; unfold and coat inside with cooking spray.
- Combine hoisin, soy sauce, vinegar and oil in a bowl; coat beef with marinade. Place a handful of scallions and carrots on end of 1 strip of beef (tips should hang over edges of meat); roll up beef to enclose vegetables and secure with a toothpick. Repeat with remaining beef, scallions and carrots.
- Place 1/4 cup rice in center of 1 half of each piece of foil; top rice with 3 beef rolls each. Surround rice and beef in each packet with 1/4 of broccolini; season all with salt and pepper.
- Fold foil to close and crimp 2 sides of each packet, leaving 1 side open; pour 1/4 cup broth into each packet. Crimp third side of packets to seal; place on grill; close lid; cook until packets are fully puffed, 10 minutes. Carefully cut foil to open; serve.
Source: SELF Magazine
Posted in Beef, Entree | Tags: broccoli, carrots, Chinese, hoisin sauce, rice, scallions, soy sauce | 5 Comments »
