June13
Yep, been on a bit of broccoli binge lately… and this Crunchy Broccoli & Bacon Salad is my latest crave.
(Sure were a lot of “Bs” in that last sentence.)
Obviously, I love broccoli.
- Not just because it provides more disease-fighting nutrients than almost any other vegetable.
- Not just because it’s loaded with both soluble and insoluble fiber… good for the heart and digestive system.
- Not just because it’s crazy low in calories.
Broccoli is my veg of choice because it pumps up the nutrition, flavor and color of almost any dish… and because there are SO MANY ways to prepare it;
- Eat it raw.
- Steam it.
- Sauté it.
- Soup it.
- Use it to dip or turn it into a dip.
Or make it into a easy-Louisey Crunchy Broccoli & Bacon Salad like I did. Keep the lemony dressing very light… you don’t want to drown the florets. I added red peppers for color, but you can throw in cucumbers or some other equally crunchy vegetable. So… have at it! This is one binge-worthy food that’s actually healthy!
Crunchy Broccoli and Bacon Salad
prep: 20 minutes
serves 6
you’ll need…
1 pound broccoli, cooked
6 strips bacon, cooked and chopped
½ cup (about 4 ounces) red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
½ cup (about 4 ounces) red onion, cut into thin slices
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
½ teaspoon salt
let’s get to it…
Place the broccoli, half of the crumbled bacon, red bell pepper and red onion into a large bowl; set aside.
Whisk mayonnaise, lemon juice, mustard, garlic and salt together in a small bowl. Pour over vegetables and bacon. With a rubber spatula, carefully turn the vegetables to give them a light coating. Top with remaining bacon just before serving.
Cook’s Tip: Chilling the Crunchy Broccoli & Bacon Salad for a little bit really enhances the flavor!
April6
My fresh vegetables always turn out soft after I cook them, even if I cook them for less time than I am supposed to. It doesn’t matter if I boil or steam them … they are always limp!
Limpness can be a drag… even when it comes to vegetables. But fortunately, there’s an easy solution, and one that will also bring more color to your plate, too.
What you add to the water will really affect the final appearance of the vegetables. Look at the chart below. For colors that really pop on the plate, try adding either an acid (like vinegar, citrus juice or milk) or salt to the water before boiling or steaming.
Vegetable:
|
Add a little of this to the cooking water:
|
To keep them:
|
Cauliflower, Celery Root, Kohlrabi, Parsley Root, Potatoes, Turnips, Onions, White Asparagus
|
Vinegar, Lemon Juice, Milk.
Add a little salt for seasoning
|
Bright White
|
Red or Purple Beets (with the skin on), Red Cabbage, Radishes
|
Vinegar, Lemon or Orange Juice
Add a little salt for seasoning
|
Bright red or purple
|
Green Beans, Broccoli, Spinach, Peas, Lima Beans, Brussels Sprouts, Green Asparagus
|
Salt (do NOT use baking soda)
|
Vivid Green
|
You’ve fixed the water, now it’s time to blanch the vegetables to get them perfectly al dente (tender, but firm with no hard core). Blanching means that you stop cooking the vegetables (either boiling or steaming) a few minutes before they are completely done.
Immediately after blanching, shock your vegetables by putting them into a bowl filled with ice and cold water. You can either drain the vegetables in a colander and then plunge them into the icy water… or remove the vegetables with tongs and drop them in the cold water. Shocking stops the cooking and keeps the colors bright.
After a few shocking minutes, drain the vegetables thoroughly (you don’t want soggy vegetables, remember?) and set aside until you are ready to finish them. Finishing means you reheat and season them by sautéing, glazing or adding a sauce. I like to keep it simple and drop them in a pot of boiling water for a few seconds and then finish them with a few squeezes of lemon juice and a little bit of salt.
What you wind up with are beautiful, colorful vegetables that don’t droop when you pick them up… slightly crisp and delicious.
Obviously, I love broccoli.
