I was quite the picky eater growing up, and as I got older, I learned a few tricks to get better about eating foods I didn't like. Fast forward to today, and there aren't many foods I don't enjoy. Episode one of So, You Don't Like will be focused on broccoli. In my mind, this is the number 1 despised food for picky eaters. I'll show you 3 recipes that transform broccoli into something special and delicious. I'll focus on one classic technique for the people that may have never had it cooked correctly, one for the people that hate the mushy texture of broccoli, and one for people who want to mask the flavor of broccoli.
Roasted Broccoli
1 head of broccoli
Olive oil
Salt, pepper, garlic powder
This is as simple and delicious as it can get. Broccoli can pick up tons of roasted flavor, and cutting it into florets allows that to happen in a hot oven. Cut your broccoli head into florets by chopping off the large woody stem. From there, slice your pieces down into your preferred size. Toss these onto a sheet tray with lots of olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Place them in a 450f oven for 10-15 minutes. They come out deeply browned and deliciously roasted, much better than steamed broccoli in my opinion.
Broccoli Fritters - Texture
1 head broccoli
1 egg
1 clove garlic
2 large green onions
Cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, pepper
Roughly 1/2 cup ap flour (enough to form dough)
We'll first need to steam our broccoli florets to ensure that they are tender after frying. Cut your head of broccoli into medium sized florets and place in a steamer basket that will sit over a pot of boiling water. Let these steam for 6-10 minutes; we need to be able to pierce them with a knife. Take the steamer off the boiling water and let your broccoli cool while you make the batter.
Grab a large bowl for your batter and dice the green onion. Chop your cooled broccoli into bite sized pieces and place that in the bowl with your green onion. Season these with cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Crack your egg into the batter and mix until the veggies are coated in the egg. From here, add your flour until the batter is able to hold itself together.
Place a Dutch oven on the stove with enough oil to come up about an inch and a half from the bottom. Get this up to around 350f and have a wire rack nearby to drain your cooked fritters on. Use one tablespoon to portion your batter into balls, and have another spoon nearby to slide the dough into the oil. Place around 6-8 balls into the oil and fry for a total of 4-6 minutes. Move them around and flip them until both sides are deeply brown. Once you drain them, hit them with a little salt at the end. These are sure to satisfy any picky eaters that think broccoli is just a mushy gross vegetable.
Broccoli Quesadilla
1 head broccoli
1/2 white onion
1-2 tbsp chili oil
8oz jack cheese, mozzarella or queso Oaxaca
3 Flour tortillas
Thinly slice your white onion using the technique shown in the video. Slice your broccoli into thin florets and then grate the cheese of your choosing. Sauté your onion over medium heat with a heavy pinch of salt. Cook these until deeply browned and then remove them from the pan. Add olive oil to the pan along with your broccoli. Keep these moving, as we're looking for these to cook fully and char slightly. You'll probably need to add oil, as the florets tend to soak up some of it. Season this with salt and add back the onion. Add a tbsp of your chili oil and taste the mixture for seasoning. Add more if you want it spicier. Remove this mixture from the pan and use the same pan to warm your tortillas on both sides. Place 1/3 of your cheese down on the tortilla and then 1/3 of the broccoli mix. Let the cheese melt over medium low and then fold the tortilla in half and continue cooking until brown and crispy, and the cheese has melted. Dip them in some extra chili crunch for a delicious treat. Serve these to anyone who has an aversion to the flavor of broccoli and see if they even notice it's in there with all the cheesy spicy taste.
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