In the Kitchen with Sigona’s featuring Broccolette

Aww, the luxury of a quick, healthy vegetable. Broccolette is perfect for a weeknight side dish, plus, it’s all-edible so enjoy the whole thing from stem to top. If necessary, trim about 1/4-1/2 inch from the bottom if the end doesn’t have a fresh cut. Make sure to rinse and dry well before using.

Simple Garlic Sautéed Broccolette

I put the finishing touches on this dish as everyone was about to sit down to Easter dinner. Blanching the broccolette and putting it in an ice bath earlier in the day provides even more sanity for the cook come crunch time. Serves 2. – Carmelo Sigona

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch broccolette (ends trimmed 1/4-1/2 inch if needed)
• Sigona’s Fresh Press extra virgin olive oil
• A pinch or two of red pepper flakes
• Salt & pepper
• 1 clove garlic, sliced

Directions: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the broccolette to blanch for 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Sprinkle in the red pepper flakes and the sliced garlic. Cook for a minute or two, stirring, being careful not to burn the garlic.

Drain the broccolette, pat dry** and add to the sauté pan. Turn heat to medium-high, season, and cook for a minute or two. Turn off heat and serve.

**Cook’s note: Broccolette can be prepared to this point and placed in an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Once cooled, drain and set aside or refrigerate, if waiting 30 minutes or more. Then, just before meal time, pop the cooled broccolette in the sauté pan and follow directions until reheated.

Roasted Salmon with Lemon, Garlic & Capers with a side of Parmesan & Lemon Roasted Broccolette

This is a delicious, summery dinner that is full of nutrition and flavor. Recipe and photos courtesy of food and beauty blogger Arantha of Gourmet Beauty. Serves 2. Serve with Parmesan Lemon Roasted Broccolette (recipe follows).

Roasted Salmon with Lemon, Garlic & Capers with Parmesan & Lemon Roasted Broccolette. Recipe courtesy of food and beauty blogger Arantha of Gourmet Beauty.

For the salmon:

• 2 (6 oz.)  salmon fillets or steaks (or 1 10-12 oz. filet)
• (Sigona’s Fresh Press) olive oil
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 4-5 lemon slices
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 2 tsp. capers, divided
• 1 garlic clove, diced
• A mix of sea salt, pepper. lemon pepper, garlic salt

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 425.
• Line a baking pan with aluminum foil.  Place the fillets on the foil and brush with olive oil.
• Season with diced garlic, sea salt, pepper, lemon pepper and garlic salt. As much or as little you like.
• Sprinkle a teaspoon of capers on each fillet then top each piece with 2 lemon slices.
• Mix the lemon juice and white wine together. Evenly spoon the mixture over each piece of salmon.
• Optional 1: wrap each fillet in foil, sealing in all the juices.  It makes for very moist salmon.
• Option 2: Place the pan, uncovered, in the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until done.
• Serve with a side of roasted broccolette, recipe below, and brown rice.

For the Parmesan & Lemon Roasted Broccolette

Recipe and photos courtesy of food and beauty blogger Arantha of Gourmet Beauty. Serves 2.

Ingredients:

• 1 – 1/2 bunch broccolette (about 6-8 oz.), rinsed and dried very well
• 1 TBL Sigona’s Fresh Press olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• juice from 1/2 lemon
• zest from 1/2 lemon
• red pepper flakes
• A mix of sea salt, pepper, lemon pepper, garlic salt
• grated parmigiano reggiano

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 425.
• Place broccolette in a large freezer bag. Add in the olive oil and garlic, and then add salt, pepper, lemon pepper, red pepper flakes and garlic salt to taste. Seal the bag then shake it well to evenly coat the broccolette.
• Remove from the bag and place broccolette on an unlined baking sheet.  Separate each piece so they aren’t touching. If overcrowded, they won’t roast as well.
• Roast for about 10 minutes, or until it pierces easily with a fork and some of the heads are turning a bit crispy and brown.
• Remove from the oven and sprinkle the parmigiano reggiano evenly over the broccolette.  Return to the oven for 1 minute to let the cheese melt.
• Remove from the oven and transfer to a serving dish. Pour lemon juice over the top, lightly toss to coat, then sprinkle with the lemon zest.

Broccolette with Asian Orange Dressing

The citrusy-Asian flavor of this dish pairs well with fish, pork or a grain-based meal. Top the finished dish with roasted, chopped cashews and orange segments. Adapted from Vegetables from Amaranth to Zucchini by Elizabeth Schneider. Serves 4-6 as a side.

Ingredients:

• 3 TBL Sigona’s Fresh Press extra virgin olive oil, such Sigona’s Fresh Press Arbosanna from California (or substitute corn oil)
• 1 TBL Asian (dark) sesame oil
• 1 TBL Sigona’s 12-year-aged traditional balsamic
• 1 TBL Shoyu (Japanese soy sauce)
• 3/4 TBL grated orange zest
• 2 TBL fresh-squeezed orange juice
• 1/4 tsp. grated ginger, optional
• 2 small spring onions, chopped
• 1 lb. broccolette (about 2 bunches), rinsed and dried
• Optional: roasted, chopped cashews
• Optional: 4-6 orange segments

Directions: combine oils, balsamic, soy, zest, juice and ginger (if using) in a food processor and whirl to blend. Add the onion and blend until smooth. Continue processing until fairly pale and creamy, not just until pureed.

Set broccolette on a steamer rack over boiling water. Cover and steam until crunchy-tender, about 3-5 minutes.

Remove from steamer and arrange on a serving platter. Drizzle the dressing over the top and serve hot or warm. Top with roasted, chopped cashews and orange segments if desired.

Broccolette & Charred Lemon Flatbread Pizza with Roasted Garlic Spread

This pizza sounds perfect for a springtime lunch or appetizer. Recipe and photos courtesy of Sara and Hugh Forte of Sprouted Kitchen. Add or take away toppings as desired, as Sara says, “I am giving general amounts for the toppings, but pizza should most definitely be made to your preference, so I suggest winging it.” Serves 2 as entree, 4 as an appetizer.

Broccolette & Charred Lemon Flatbread Pizza with Roasted Garlic Spread. Recipe and photos courtesy of Sara and Hugh Forte of Sprouted Kitchen.

For the pizza:

• Fresh pizza dough for one pizza (Either make your own or use fresh, store-bought dough)
• 1 small bunch broccolette
• 1 small Meyer or regular lemon
• 2 TBL finely chopped shallot
• 6-8 oz. soft goat cheese
• 1/4 cup fresh grated parmigiano reggiano
• (Sigona’s Fresh Press) extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
• Sea salt and pepper, for topping

Roasted garlic spread:

• 3 TBL (Sigona’s Fresh Press) extra virgin olive oil
• pinch of salt and pepper
• 1 head roasted garlic (directions below)

Directions: Prepare crust according to instructions. Preheat the oven to 500′.

Steam the broccolette for 1 1/2 minutes. Remove and rinse with cold water. Give it a rough chop and set aside.

Cut the lemon into slices as thin as possible with a serrated knife or mandolin. Remove any seeds.

To make the roasted garlic paste, put the olive oil, salt and pepper in a bowl. Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of the head into the oil and smush fiercely with a fork to create a paste. You can also use a food processor for smoother consistency.

Roll out your dough on a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle a bit of cornmeal or flour on a cookie sheet and transfer the dough to the cookie sheet. Evenly spread the garlic paste, add on the desired amount of broccolette, shallots, goat cheese, lemon slices and the grated parmigiano reggiano. Drizzle with olive oil, a sprinkle of salt and pepper and put it in the oven on the middle rack. Bake for 12-15 minutes until brown spots start to show on top. Remove, slice and enjoy warm. Top with more parmigiano reggiano if desired.

How to prepare roasted garlic: Peel away the outer layers of skin from an entire bulb of garlic, leaving the skins of the individual cloves intact. Cut off 1/4 inch of the top of the bulb.

Place the bulb in a cup of a muffin pan then drizzle with oil. Cover the pan with foil and bake at 400°F for 30-35 minutes, or until the cloves feel soft when pressed. Set aside until cool to the touch.

Orzo with Prosciutto, Broccolette, Zucchini and Peas

Recipe from Earthbound Farm, the company from which we get our broccolette. The salad is good at any temperature, making it fantastic fare for your first spring picnic. Serves 4-6.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups orzo
• 2 bunches broccolette, trimmed and cut into 1” pieces
• 2 TBL Sigona’s Fresh Press extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 2 small zucchini, cut in half lengthwise, then cut into 1/4” thick pieces (about 2 cups)
• 1 cup shelled fresh English peas
• 8 oz. diced prosciutto
• 2/3 cup chicken broth
• 1/3 cup thinly sliced fresh mint leaves
• Black pepper
• 1/2 cup grated parmigiano reggiano

Directions: Bring a large pot of well-salted water (at least 4 quarts) to a boil. Add the orzo and stir for 30 seconds. Cook for three minutes. Add the broccolette and cook, covered, until the broccolette is crisp-tender and the orzo is al dente (7-8 mins).

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until it just begins to soften, about 4 minutes. Add the zucchini and raise heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring, until the zucchini is just crisp-tender, about 3 mins. Add the peas, prosciutto and stock, and cook until the peas are crisp-tender, about 2-3 mins.

Drain pasta and broccolette, then add it to the skillet and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is very hot, about 2 mins. Add the mint and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve warm or at room temperature with grated parmigiano reggiano.