Gourmet Broccoli Recipes

GOURMET BROCCOLI

Steps:

• heat oven to 350^. Butter or grease a large casserole. Cook or steam broccoli until tender. Drain well. Combine soup, onion, eggs,cheese and mayonnaise in a large bowl.
• Place a 1/2 of the cooked broccoli in the casserole dish and then cover with 1/2 the mushroom sauce. Repeat with remaining broccoli and sauce. Combine the dry bread crumbs with the melted butter and stir to moisten evenly. Sprinkle on top of sauce.
• Bake in oven for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly and bread crumbs are golden brown.

BEST CREAM OF BROCCOLI SOUP

Steps:

• Melt 2 tablespoons butter in medium sized stock pot, and saute onion and celery until tender. Add broccoli and broth, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Pour the soup into a blender, filling the pitcher no more than halfway full. Hold down the lid of the blender with a folded kitchen towel, and carefully start the blender, using a few quick pulses to get the soup moving before leaving it on to puree. Puree in batches until smooth and pour into a clean pot. Alternately, you can use a stick blender and puree the soup right in the cooking pot.
• In small saucepan, over medium-heat melt 3 tablespoons butter, stir in flour and add milk. Stir until thick and bubbly, and add to soup. Season with pepper and serve.

STEAMED BROCCOLI WITH OLIVE OIL, GARLIC, AND LEMON

Steps:

• Discard tough lower third of broccoli stem. Peel remaining stem and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Cut broccoli into 2-inch florets. In a steamer set over boiling water steam broccoli, covered, until crisp-tender, 4 to 5 minutes.
• While broccoli is steaming, finely chop garlic and in a small skillet combine with oil, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Heat garlic mixture over moderate heat until garlic is fragrant. In a bowl toss broccoli with garlic mixture.

GOURMET CREAM OF BROCCOLI SOUP

Steps:

• Melt butter in pan, do not brown. Add vegetables, toss to coat with butter, then press parchment paper on top of vegetables--this is called "sweating"-- for better flavor. Put lid on pan and simmer very gently until vegetables have softened. Do not brown.
• Remove paper, add chicken stock, bring to a boil, then simmer until vegetables are soft.
• Put in blender and puree until smooth. Pour back in pan, add salt, pepper, and cream. Simmer gently, do not boil or cream will curdle, until heated through.