Grilled Green Chef's Salad

Summer seems to have made a brief comeback as we're approaching May. Hey I'm not complaining. Okay I am, but just a little bit. You know how I feel about summer, but I'll admit it's nice to have an excuse to whip up a deliciously crunchy meal in the midst of all the soups and stews we've been having.

I encountered this salad on fellow South African blogger's site, Jamie Who. And it looked absolutely fantastic. So when the sun shone down in what was surely the sensory equivalent of surround sound yesterday, I knew this would be the perfect foil to the warmth.  Layers of crunchy fresh leaves, salty cheese, nutty seeds, char-grilled babymarrow (zucchini) and lightly steamed broccoli was just the ticket. The best part? Feeling incredibly sophisticated as we ate this beauty of a salad, even while we were barely out of our pj's and lounging on the couch. Yes, that's how we roll and let me tell you, it is highly recommended. Fancy salad + Couch potato style = Pure awesomeness.

Grilled Green Chef's Salad 

Adapted from Jamie Who

Serves 3

1 tbsp olive oil

200g babymarrow (zucchini), sliced lengthways

1/2 head broccoli, broken into florets

1 pillow bag herb salad

1 handful rocket (aragula)

a few basil leaves, roughly chopped

a few mint leaves, roughly chopped

1/4 cup blanched almond slivers

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

3 tbsp shaved pecorino

salt, to taste

freshly ground black pepper

mixture of balsamic vinegar, lemon juice and olive oil, to dress

1. Toss babymarrow with one tablespoon of olive oil. Heat a griddle pan over high heat, then place the babymarrow slices onto the griddle. Grill for a few minutes, turning once, until cooked through but not soft, and with clear griddle marks on both sides. 

2. Steam broccoli briefly, until just cooked, then quickly place under cold running water to stop the cooking process and fix the colour.

3. Mix leaves and herbs in a large bowl, then divide evenly among the plates. Arrange broccoli and babymarrows on top and scatter with almonds, pumpkin seeds and slivers of shaved pecorino cheese. 

4. Sprinkle with salt and grind some black pepper on top, then dress lightly with balsamic vinegar, lemon juice and olive oil. Serve immediately.

Broccoli-Cauliflower with Cheesy Spinach Béchamel

(Sformato di Cavolfiore e Broccolo con Balsamella di Spinaci)

It's not that I don't like broccoli and cauliflower. It's just that it's difficult to find recipes that really allow them to shine. Know what I mean? I mean sure, there's your basic steamed broccoli/cauliflower with a white sauce. Booooooooooooooring. 

 Or you could throw them into a stirfry - that at least showcases their nice crunchy texture and colour. 

Or, you could do as No Special Effects does and turn them into superstars in this deliciously creamy cheesy side-dish from Bon Appetit. Because once you've laid eyes on this mister and inhaled it's awesome aroma... well, there's no turning back, now is there?

Broccoli-Cauliflower with Cheesy Spinach Béchamel

Adapted from No Special Effects

Serves 6 - 8 as a side-dish

1 small head of broccoli, broken into small florets

1 small head of cauliflower, broken into small florerets

1 bunch (about 350g) fresh spinach

3 tbsp butter

1/4 cup flour

2/3 cup milk + another 1/3 cup

1 tsp minced garlic

1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

50g freshly grated Parmesan cheese

50g cheddar, grated

salt & pepper to taste

1. Fill a large saucepan with salted boiling water, add the cauliflower and broccoli and cook for a few minutes until just tender but still rather crispy. Remember they are going to be cooked in the oven again so don't overcook them. Immediately drain them in a colander (reserving 2/3 cup of the cooking liquid) and rinse with cold water to halt the cooking process. Set aside.

2. Next - steam/cook/microwave your spinach leaves for a few minutes until wilted, then drain and chop finely in a food processor. Set aside.

3. Now preheat your oven to 180C and then start making your bechamel sauce - melt the butter in the same large saucepan you used for the veggies, then add the flour. Stir to combine and gradually add the milk, stirring all the while to get rid of any lumps. Add the reserved water and cook, stirring continously until the sauce thickens.

4. Turn the stove off, and add the cheese. Stir until the cheese has melted into the sauce, then add nutmeg and season with salt & pepper. Add the spinach, stir to combine. Lastly add the cauliflower and broccoli. At this stage you might want to add an extra 1/3 cup of milk just to loosen things up a bit. I did and I think the end result turned out creamier for it.

5. Transfer the mixture to a 27 x 17 cm ovenproof casserole and bake for 35 minutes at 180C. Turn the heat up to 200C and return to the oven for another 10 minutes to brown on top.

Nutritional info (per serving): Calories 195.7, Total fat 10.9 g, Saturated fat 6.6 g, Polyunsaturated fat 0.7 g, Monounsaturated fat 2.8 g, Cholesterol 29.0 mg, Sodium 313.3 mg, Potassium 825.0 mg, Total carbohydrate 16.2 g, Dietary fiber 5.9 g, Sugars 2.0 g, Protein 12.0 g

Good source of: Vitamin C 221.5 %, Vitamin A 125.1 %, Folate 53.2 %, Manganese 40.2 %, Calcium 30.1 %, Phosphorus 21.9 %, Vitamin B6 21.8 %, Riboflavin 19.2 %, Magnesium 19.8 %,

Broccoli & Butternut Pasta Bake

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Comfort food at it's best! This was another one of those clearing-out the fridge affairs, coupled with my guilt at not often eating broccoli often enough, even though I know I should. It's not that I hate it, it's just that there are so many other less.... boring vegetables around. Like aubergine and sugar-snap peas and cherry tomatoes and... 


Well, before I get carried away, and without further ado, the recipe:

Broccoli & Butternut Pasta Bake

Serves 6

1/2 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon garlic
1 small head of broccoli (you can go half-half with cauliflower), broken into bite-size florets
1/2 butternut, cut into cubes
a handful of black olives, quartered
250g short pasta shapes, cooked until al dente
3 tbsps cakeflour
2 tbsps butter
2 cups milk
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
salt and pepper, to taste

1. Saute onion in a bit of oil for a few minutes, until just soft. Add broccoli, saute until JUST soft (remember it's still going to be baked in the oven).
2. Cook the butternut pieces as well (you can either steam it, or just pop it in the microwave)
3. Mix the pasta, broccoli, butternut, onions & olives together in a large ovenproof dish and season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Now make the cheese sauce - melt the butter in the microwave (or on the stove, the sauce will just take a bit longer to make), stir in the flour and gradually add the milk, stirring so no lumps form. Return to the microwave in 2 minute increments, reducing to 1 minute increments as the mixture thickens. Stir before returning to the microwave each time. When the sauce is nice and thick (after about 5 or so bouts in the microwave), add a half a cup of the cheese as well as some salt and pepper to taste (keeping in mind the cheese is already salty).
5. Pour the cheese sauce over the pasta mixture in the oven dish, mix lightly to coat with the sauce. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the top, place in 180C oven for 30 minutes until golden. Freezes very well.