Broccoli after….

And broccoli before. (Time travel!)

It is definitely the post-holiday season. And I can’t believe I’m saying this… but I wish it would snow. It’s been gray and rainy and typically wintery, except that the temperatures in London have been pretty mild. It’s perpetual autumn! When I first came here in the winter, I was actually pretty happy with it… being able to stand outside for more than 5 minutes without feeling like your nose would fall off was a huge perk. You always want what you can’t have though, and now I’m missing delayed openings and snowy mornings.

On the topic of things I miss, I recently found a deli near my office that has freshly-made sandwiches! That’s probably one of the biggest things I miss from back home… knowing that I can choose what goes into my sandwich, and that it’s being made for me, not for the display counter. Long live local sandwich shops.

But now, onto what you’re actually here for – the recipe. While maybe you’re thinking broccoli isn’t that exciting, or that you could never serve it to person-in-your-life-who-hates-broccoli, all I can say is: Try it roasted. Seriously. This is not your grandma’s boiled broccoli that makes the kitchen smell like a locker room. I have even converted a sworn enemy of broccoli with this recipe. True story.

PS: If you’re a strict vegetarian, you can skip the Parmesan entirely (it’ll still be tasty!), or replace it with a hard cheese that’s made without animal rennet.

Roasted broccoli with garlic and Parmesan

1 head of broccoli (about 250 g or 9 oz), cut into florets
2 medium garlic cloves (about 2 tsp or 10 g), minced
1 tbsp olive oil (not extra virgin)
sprinkling of cayenne pepper OR pine nuts (optional)
1 tsp ground sea salt or table salt
juice from 1/2 lemon
a small mound of grated Parmesan cheese (or vegetarian hard cheese)

What to do

Toss the broccoli florets in minced garlic, olive oil, pine nuts/cayenne and salt.

Spread the broccoli out in one layer on a baking sheet or wide baking dish.

Roast for 20-25 minutes at 200 C or 400 F. It’s ready once the blossoms turn slightly brown and toasty, and they are fork tender.

Squeeze on lemon juice, toss, and top with parmesan. Serve!

I’ve seriously been on a smoked paprika kick lately. It’s one of my favorite spices to start with, and I just love smoky flavors, but lately I’ve wanted it on everything! I’ve been trying it with some of my staple dinner ideas, for a bit of a variation, which is how this came to be. It’s quite similar to the baked haddock recipe, but with a bit more smoky goodness and bonus side vegetables.

There’s a shop in Brixton, in south London, where you can bag your spices and all sorts of interesting plant-derived things, and they are my suppliers for smoked paprika. With the opportunity to get as much as I want, I thought I overdid it – but with the speed at which we’ve emptied the first jar’s worth, I think I made out like a bandit, in the end.

If you don’t love smoky paprika (but seriously, how could you not) you can use sweet paprika, or … skip it entirely, though you’ll be missing out. If you don’t love cilantro/coriander on the other hand, just replace it with parsley. While I’m lucky enough that it doesn’t taste like soap to me, I feel for you if it does.

Note: I wouldn’t recommend reheating the fish, as it loses its soft flakiness and just turns rubbery, which is not tasty, no matter how much smoked paprika you put on top.

Recipe note: Add the carrots in first, give them 10 minutes, add the fish, give it 10 minutes, and then add the broccoli for 10 minutes.

Smoky Baked Cod

Serves: 4

On the Counter

4 fresh sustainable cod filets, about 4 in (10 cm) long and 1 in (3 cm) thick (can substitute with pollack or haddock)
6-8 cherry tomatoes
1 banana shallot or 3 regular shallots
2 cloves garlic
5-6 fresh sprigs cilantro/coriander (or parsley), leaves stripped from the stems
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp smoked paprika + 1 tsp set aside
1 tbsp olive oil + 1 tsp set aside
1 tsp cayenne pepper powder

What to Do

Mince the garlic, slice the shallots and quarter the tomatoes. Drizzle with 1 tsp olive oil and toss to combine, adding 2 tsp. of smoked paprika. Set aside.

Chop your herbs of choice. Combine the 1 tbsp. olive oil, cayenne pepper, herbs, 1 tsp. smoked paprika and salt. Coat each fish piece and set it aside for up to 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425 F (220 C).

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. If the fish are not well coated in olive oil, drizzle a little onto the paper/foil and lay the fish pieces on top. Spoon the vegetable mix on top of the cod.

Roasted Paprika Carrots and Broccoli

On the Counter

1 head broccoli, cut into florets, without main stem
8-10 carrots (depending on size)
2 tbsp olive oil, divided
6 sprigs cilantro/coriander, (or parsley) leaves stripped from the stems
2 tsp. smoked paprika
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. salt

What to Do

Preheat the oven to 425 F (220 C).

Slice the carrots thinly on the diagonal, about 1 cm thick (just under 1/2 inch). Chop the coriander and combine it with the paprika, garlic, olive oil and salt. Divide the mixture into 2.

In one bowl, toss 1/2 the spice oil with the broccoli. In another bowl, toss 1/2 the spice mix with the carrots.

Line a large baking sheet with foil, and spread the carrots widely. (If you don’t have a big enough tray, you can cook them separately – like I did.)

Roast the carrots for 20 minutes. Add the broccoli onto the baking sheet and roast for an additional 10 minutes.

Have I mentioned that I like macaroni and cheese? Cuz I really do. I like all sorts of variations, from stovetop to baked, to Velveeta and broccoli, to pumpkin…

But this version… whoa. I do not normally have portion control issues, and I’m pretty good at saying no to seconds, but this mac and cheese had me back in the kitchen FOUR times. Just too good. (I suspect some of the healthier attributes of this particular mac & cheese were probably undone by having 4 portions of it.)

I modified the inspiration recipe by halving the cheese sauce, dropping some of the cheeses and chopping up pretty much every vegetable I had in my fridge. This recipe was great for using up both cheddar and carrots that had been sitting around for a while.

If you want the full-on cheesy experience, I suggest using the proportions and ful ingredients from the original recipe at Ezra Pound Cake, or doubling what you see below.

Check out all those veggies…

Serves: 6-8

On the Counter

1.5 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
1/2 (58 g) cup small radishes, quartered
3/4 cup (130 g) broccoli (with stems), chopped
3/4 cup (175 g) carrots
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, diced
8 oz (227 g) elbow macaroni or other small tube pasta

Cheese Sauce

1.5 cup (60 g) grated cheddar
1/2 cup (30 g) grated parmesan
1 egg
1 cup (237 mL) milk

Topping

2-3 vine-ripened tomatoes, sliced
1/4 cup grated parmesan
1/4 cup panko
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

What to Do

Cook the macaroni in salted water until al dente. Drain and set aside.

Mix topping: Combine panko, parmesan, garlic powder and cayenne pepper.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350F (175C). Lightly grease a 9″ x 13″ (35cm x 24 cm) baking dish. Set aside.

In a large, deep pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic, and sauté for 2 minutes. The add the remaining vegetables. Sauté for 5 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.

Remove the vegetables from the heat, stir in the pasta and set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk  the eggs, milk, mustard, salt, pepper and cayenne together until combined.

Pour over the macaroni and vegetables, and add the cheese, stirring until combined and cheese is melted in.

Gently pour macaroni mix into the baking dish. Top with tomatoes, and then sprinkle topping on.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown.

This is definitely a macaroni & cheese that all elbow pasta should aspire to.