Big Beautiful Brassicas
Two wonderful brassica recipes that will impress...
Winter is in her final throes and there is stirring in the vege patch that feels like spring. A lot of my beds are still at rest, but some have been quietly providing our family with fresh produce through this wild and very wet winter. The sprouting broccoli has been a real bonus producing mini-broc heads continually for the last 8 weeks. My caulis won’t win any prizes for ‘best in show’ but have also been worthy of an ‘employee of the month’ equivalent in the garden as they’ve kept on trucking, turning up the goods for us in the dark and dreary days of winter. I’ve discovered these two recipes in the last fortnight and just have to share them. One features broc and the other cauli and they are both overachievers in the flavour stakes; holding their own on any meal table.
Chargrilled Broccoli with Cannellini Beans, Capers, Chilli and Lemon
I can’t even explain how chargrilling takes this broccoli to another taste dimension. The dressing is made with chilli, garlic and salty capers all softly fried in olive oil to let the flavours expand and highten. Invite some fresh lemon to the party and you’ll have your next favourite vege dish in your repertoire and ready to satisfy anytime. Full to bursting with nutrients, I adore this recipe, I truly hope you give it a try and enjoy it too - Jax x
Ingredients:
2 broccoli heads (about 1 kilogram), cut into florets
125 milliliters (1⁄2 cup) extra-virgin olive oil
1⁄3 cup capers, rinsed and drained
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 long red chilli, finely sliced
500 grams cooked cannellini beans (about 2 cans), drained
1 cup baby spinach leaves
grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped
1 cup mint leaves
Sea salt and black pepper
Method:
Toss the broccoli in half of the olive oil and season with a generous amount of salt and pepper.
Heat a chargrill pan or barbecue until it is smoking hot and add the broccoli in batches. Turn the broccoli florets so they get char marks all over. Continue until all the broccoli is cooked, then place the broccoli in a bowl and set aside.
Put the rest of the oil in a small saucepan with the capers, garlic and chilli. Place over medium heat for 30 seconds or so until the garlic just begins to turn golden. Take off the heat immediately and pour the hot oil mixture over the chargrilled broccoli.
Combine the broccoli with the cannellini beans, spinach leaves and lemon zest, season with salt and pepper and mix well. To serve, squeeze over the lemon juice and top with the parsley and mint.
Bang Bang Cauliflower
I guarantee that even the most vehemently anti cauliflower members of your household will eat this and enjoy it, especially if they like it a bit hot! A bonus with this recipe is that there’s no frying or added fat and yet the coating on the cauli is crispy and delicious. If you have chilli-phobes in your home then omit the sauce or try a yoghurt based tzatziki type topping instead. This is a new fav in this household for sure, enjoy - Jax x
Ingredients:
1 cup of plain flour
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic granules
200ml milk (dairy or non-dairy)
75g (1/3 Cup) panko breadcrumbs
1 small head of cauliflower, cut into small florets
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
1 red chilli, finely sliced, to serve
4 spring onions, finely sliced, to serve
For the sauce
6 Tblsps sweet chilli sauce
1.5 Tblsps sriracha sauce (or more if you like it hot!)
1 lime or lemon, juiced
1 tsp maple syrup or honey
Method:
Heat the oven to 180C. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Put the flour, paprika, garlic granules, a large grind of black pepper and a pinch of salt in a large bowl. Gradually whisk in the milk until you have a smooth batter that’s thick enough to coat a spoon (you may not need all the milk).
Put the breadcrumbs in a shallow bowl. Toss each floret in the batter mix, tap off any excess, then toss in the breadcrumbs to coat. Transfer to the lined baking tray, and repeat with all the cauliflower florets.
Bake for 25-30 mins until golden brown and crispy, turning halfway through so they bake evenly.
Meanwhile, put all the ingredients for the sauce in a bowl and whisk to combine, lightly seasoning with salt and pepper.
Put the cooked cauliflower in a large bowl and coat with the sauce. Sprinkle over sesame seeds, chilli and spring onions.