Broccoli Chicken Casserole

This is our Dad's special casserole that we grew up with.  Great way to get kids to eat their greens!

2 cans condensed mushroom or chicken condensed soup (one of each is also a good option)
1 Tbs. cumin
very generous amount of cheddar cheese, shredded (the more the better)
2 small heads of brocoli (and stem), chopped
2 chicken breasts cooked or boiled and chopped into bite size pieces
soda crackers

Preheat oven to 375' F
In a large bowl mix soup cans with cumin, cheddar cheese, and chicken.

Spray caserolle dish with cooking spray and layer brocoli with chicken mix. Add any extra cheese on top then put crushed soda crackers on top to keep cheese from burning.

Cook for 45 minutes.

Cheesy Broccoli Lasagna

I've been making lasagna for many years now, and I usually make a very traditional style lasagna, and enough to feed an army for a week. This recipe came from Sunset, I think. I've been on the lookout for a good vegetarian lasagna, and this one hit the mark. The broccoli - slightly roasted from the oven- provides a very hearty base for flavor and texture. Then with a few simple tricks with the cheese and sauce, you achieve the perfect balance of creaminess and veggieness. The icing on the cake is this lasagna is a cinch to make, and comes in a much more respectable size than most. I highly recommend it for a weeknight dinner (leftovers for lunch!) paired with a light caesar salad topped with easy homemade croutons.

What's in it

15 oz ricotta cheese

1 lb frozen broccoli florets, thawed, patted dry and chopped (next time I'll try fresh)

9 oz grated mozzarella cheese

1/2 C grated parmesan cheese

spices: salt, pepper, oregano and basil

16 oz marinara sauce

1/2 C heavy cream

8 no-boil lasagna noodles

How it's made

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Reserve 1/4 C mozzarella and 1/4 C parmesan in a small dish. In a large bowl, combine ricotta, broccoli, remaining mozzarella and parmesan, spices. In a small bowl, combine cream and sauce.

In a 9x9 baking dish, spoon a thin layer of the sauce mixture on the bottom. Top with 2 noodles. Cover with 1/4 of remaining sauce, and 1/3 of remaining cheese mixture. Repeat 2 more times. Top with remaining 2 noodles and sauce. Sprinkle reserved mozzarella and parmesan on top. Oil a piece of foil and tightly cover pan. Bake 35-40 min, uncover and bake 10 min more or until golden on top. Let cool before serving.

Enchanted Broccoli Forest

This one comes from the cookbook by Mollie Katzen named for this recipe. Leann and I made it for dinner last week, and it was delicious! Of course, I love broccoli, so it is perfect in my mind. I'm always wary of casseroles, but this one has a fun twist.

What's in it

1 1lb bunch broccoli

1 Tbl butter or oil

1 C chopped onion

salt to taste

1 clove minced garlic

2 Tbl lemon juice

6 C cooked brown rice

pepper and cayenne to taste

2 tsp dill

3 tsp mint

1/4 C fresh parsley, minced

1-2 C packed shredded cheese

How it's made

Time the bottoms off the broccoli, and cut stalks into spears, however you like. Cook them in a steamer until bright green and just tender. Rinse with cold water.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.

Melt the butter/oil in a skillet. Add onion and salt and saute until onion softens. Add garlic and lemon juice, and saute for about 2 minutes. Stir in the rice, seasonings, and cheese. Spread this mixture in the baking pan.

Arrange the broccoli spears upright in the pan like a forest of broccoli. Drizzle with melted butter (mixed with lemon juice if you'd like). Cover with foil and bake until heated through (20 minutes). Serve right away.

Iron Chef: Farmer's Market

Tonight I had a little competition (by myself), Iron Chef style. I realized I had a bunch of really gorgeous produce and no idea what to do with it all before it went bad. So I made up a few things, and tried a few things for the first time, and it came out pretty darn good. This is apparently what happens when I have to cook by myself. If you live within a one mile radius of me, you've probably realized I hate cooking and eating by myself, so this was a fun alternative. The only thing missing was Alton Brown's narrative.

Secret Ingredient: Eggplant

Optional Ingredients: Onion, egg, bread, cheese, parsley, broccoli, potatoes, tomatoes, yogurt, honeydew melon, peaches, pears, vinaigrette, salt and pepper

The Theme: Layering

Timeline: 30 minutes

Play-by-play:

I started by washing and slicing the eggplant in thick slices, then salting it heavily to rest - because that's what Michelle says to do with eggplant.

Then I pre-heated the oven to 400 degrees, washed the chopped broccoli, and placed it in a baking dish with the tomatoes from my garden. I tossed with vinaigrette and salt and pepper with dill. Once heated, I baked for 20 minutes.

I sliced and plated the honeydew.

I preheated my George Foreman Grill. Once heated, I grilled the eggplant tossed in vinaigrette and pepper. (I should have sliced them thicker for the GFG to work better.)

I heated my mini cast iron skillet and melted butter. I added the chopped onions I had chopped a few days ago, and sauteed them. Then I added two eggs on top, sunnysideup style, sprinkled with salt and pepper, and topped with parsley. Covered with lid and let cook/bake for 5 minutes. Then sliced cheddar cheese.

Once everything was done cooking, I plated two slices of eggplant, topped them with the sliced cheese, and added the onion/egg/parsley on top - which melted the cheese. Broccoli and tomatoes went on the side with the honeydew. It was all very delicious, and felt complete, since everything was cooked so differently (raw fruit - roasted veggies - grilled eggplant and baked egg). The eggplant was the most surprising, it turned out fabulous in the GFG.

Broccoli Salad

This is another dish I made for our Easter BBQ yesterday.  It was very delicious, and a great alternative to a standard lettuce salad.  It's the first time I made it myself, although my Mom always made a great broccoli salad.  I added and substituted a couple ingredients from the standard recipe, and I recommend you do the same thing, depending on your tastes.

What's in it 

Broccoli crowns chopped into bite sized pieces (you could blanch if you like)

Cooked bacon, chopped

Red onion, chopped (I pour boiling water over it to blanch it and cut the rawness a bit)

Sunflower seeds

Walnuts toasted

Dried cranberries

Cheddar cheese shredded

Creamy salad dressing - I used creamy poppy seed, which Trader Joe's just started carrying, otherwise Brianna's is the original brand.

How it's made

Combine all the ingredients and eat! If you can, it's best to let marinate in the refrigerator beforehand.