The best broccoli, maybe ever.
This broccoli is salty and crunchy and garlicky, but with a bit of freshness from the basil and something indefinable and unctuous from the anchovies. In other words, the best!
I don't make that claim lightly. Even the toddler eats this with abandon, though he's intermittently a huge fan of broccoli. I say "intermittently" because, like all toddlers, he's mercurial and what he loves one day, he abhors the next. Shrug.
Two things: Don't fear the anchovies and don't skip the fresh basil or substitute dried. It won't be the same. But back to the anchovies: This is a divisive little bottom-feeder. Love them or hate them, try them in this recipe. You won't really taste them because they are broken down at the start of the cooking process, so they really just become a salty, briny background note.
This dish is a great side for grilled proteins or mixed with whole grain or white pasta. I haven't yet tried it, but I also want to mix in some lentils for some non-meat protein.
Broccoli with anchovies and basil
Time: 35 minutes
Yield: 4-6 side servings
2 medium heads broccoli, chopped into small pieces
4 Tbsp olive oil, divided
2-3 large anchovy filets (or 4-5 small ones)
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup panko
15 basil leaves (about 1/3 cup chopped)
Squeeze of lemon
Preheat the oven to 400. Chop the broccoli and spread evenly over a parchment or foil-lined baking sheet. Add 2 Tbsp of oil and toss to coat. Add a small pinch of salt (the anchovies are salty, so you don't need much extra seasoning). Roast for 25-30 minutes until the broccoli is deeply browned on at least one side (usually the side touching the hot pan roasts first). Check the broccoli occasionally to make sure it isn’t burning. If it looks like the greens aren’t cooking evenly, give them a shake.
While the broccoli is cooking, heat the remaining 2 Tbsp of oil over a medium flame. Turn the heat to low and add the anchovies. Using the back of a spoon or spatula, squash and chop the filets while they cook until they are completely broken down.
Add the breadcrumbs and stir. Watching them closely, toast the breadcrumbs for 4-5 minutes, shaking the pan often to prevent burning, until the breadcrumbs are golden brown.
Turn the flame to low and add the garlic. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the garlic is fragrant.
Remove from the heat and place in a large bowl. When the broccoli is done, add it to the breadcrumb mixture and turn to coat.
Add the chopped basil and turn a few more times to distribute. Check for seasoning and add more salt if necessary. Squeeze some lemon over the top of the broccoli. Serve immediately.
Apple, honey, and peanut butter breakfast cookies
These breakfast cookies are a great make-ahead meal prep that’s full of protein, fiber, and flavor.
Oh apple season, how I love you. However, baking with you in your natural state sometimes leads to a soggy mess. So, dried apples it is. I like the Trader Joe's version the best because they're dry (obviously), but not so dry that they're hard to eat. Though I still have to cut them up for M because he shoves so many of the whole ones into his mouth that he chokes. When will he learn??
Anyway, these cookies are sweet and hearty and FILLING. They combine the heartiness of hot oatmeal with the fun and portability of a cookie and the protein and fiber of granola (some of them, anyway). They’re sort of like if granola, oatmeal, and a cinnamon raisin cookie had a baby.
This is also a great place to sub in some store-bought sunflower seed butter to make these lunchbox appropriate. Pretty sure the rest of the ingredients would mask the sometimes glue-y taste of store-bought versions. Using gluten-free oats also makes these safe for kids with gluten allergies. And I haven't tried these with egg substitutes, but I'm assuming that two or three flax eggs would also work to bind these together. If using a flax egg, directly reduce the amount of flax seed meal that goes into the batter, but keep the baking powder the same. But note that I'm speculating here as I haven't tried these changes myself. I'll update the post if I do!
Apple, honey, and peanut butter breakfast cookies
Time: About 20 minutes
Yield: 24 cookies
8 oz peanut, almond, or sunflower seed butter (natural or regular are fine, but see note)
¾ cup honey
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 Tbsp coconut or olive oil (if using coconut oil, melted)
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup flax seed meal
½ tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1½ cups dried apples, chopped
½ cup cranberries, raisins, or chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 350. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
Combine the peanut butter, honey, brown sugar, eggs, oil, and vanilla in a large bowl. Mix well.
Add the dry ingredients and mix until all have been incorporated and no streaks remain.
Wet hands and form the dough into 24 balls (about 2-3 Tbsp each) and gently press down. The dough will be sticky, which is why wet hands are helpful.
Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the sides just begin to brown.
Let cool completely before removing from cookie sheet. (Cookies are slightly crumbly until they cool.)
Green enchiladas
There are so many shortcuts one can take when making enchiladas and these are a great base for making any such substitutions!
I love enchiladas because they're a throw-anything-in-as-filling-and-bake-until-bubbly kind of dish and with cooler weather coming, who doesn't look forward to these dinners again?
However, I haven't had many great jarred sauces, so I decided to make my own and now I can never go back. Which makes this dish a bit more complicated and more appropriate for, say, a lazy rainy weekend than a frantic school night.
A couple of notes:
If making your own enchilada sauce, double the recipe. This casserole calls for just a bit more than half of the original recipe. Doubling means you'll have enough for 2 more large casseroles. Freeze it in two parts and you can cut down on the prep time for this dish significantly.
I used zucchini, turkey, and pinto beans, but feel free to sub any other veggies, beans, and proteins. You will have extra filling, but I felt it was silly to use less than the whole pound of turkey.
Shorten the prep further by using rotisserie or other pre-cooked chicken and grating the onions and veggies so that they cook in the oven.
This recipe hinges on the cheese, so try to find cojita. If you can't find it, use another salty, crumbly white cheese like ricotta salata or queso blanco.
Green enchiladas
Time: about 1.5 hours (some steps can overlap or be completed ahead of time)
Yield: 4-6 dinner servings
I adapted the sauce recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe and it's darn near perfect. I added another 1/2 cup of green chilis because I thought the green chili taste could have been slightly stronger. Other than that, this sauce is dynamite.
For the sauce:
Adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe
2 tablespoons oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups canned, roasted poblano or other green chiles
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent too much browning.
Add the flour and stir until it has coated the onions and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently for 3 more minutes to take away the raw taste of flour.
Add the cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper and cook for one more minute, stirring constantly. Add the green chilis and cook for one minute.
Slowly whisk in the broth and stir to break up any clumps. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes or until the sauce is sufficiently thickened. It should coat the back of a spoon while still being a little runny. If too thick, add more broth. If too thin, continue cooking until the sauce tightens some more.
For the filling:
2 Tbsp oil
½ large onion
1 lb ground turkey
½ tsp mild chili powder
¾ tsp cumin
½ tsp salt
2 small or 1 large zucchini, chopped (about 1.5-2 cups)
1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
Heat the oil over a medium flame. Add the onion and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
Add the turkey, chili powder, cumin, and salt and mix. Cook, stirring occasionally until no pink remains and the turkey is cooked through, adjusting the flame as needed.
Add the zucchini and cook, stirring, until softened, about 2-3 minutes.
Turn off the flame. Add the pinto beans and stir. Taste for seasonings and add more as needed.
For the casserole:
12-15 Corn tortillas
1.5-2 cups shredded cheddar or Meunster cheese (or a combo- about 3-4 oz total)
1 cup cotija cheese (about 3 oz)
1.5-1.75 cups green enchilada sauce (about half of the recipe, plus a few more Tbsps)
Preheat the oven to 350.
Spread a thin layer of enchilada sauce on the bottom of a brownie pan or casserole dish.
Lay out a tortilla and scoop 1-2 spoonfuls of the filling onto the middle of one tortilla. Sprinkle with a tbsp of cojita cheese and fold the ends to overlap in the middle. Carefully flip the bundle over and place into your casserole dish with the folded-side down. Repeat until the dish is full, squeezing as many tortillas as you can into the nooks and crannies.
Cover the folded tortillas with a thick layer of green enchilada sauce and spread into the corners. Top with shredded cheese.
Bake for 20 minutes or the cheese starts to look lightly golden and bubbly. Serve immediately.