FRESH BROCCOLI RECIPESCauliflower Recipes More Fresh Vegetable Recipes First broccoli facts and then fresh broccoli recipes. Broccoli belongs to the cabbage family. The two main types of broccoli are sprouting broccoli, which is spring harvested and has purple, green or white heads - and Calabrese, which is summer harvested and has green or purple heads. 
Other variants and genetic crosses include brocco-flower, which is somewhat sweeter and milder than broccoli; and Romanesco, which has a unique pyramidal shape with spiral florets. Broccoli rabe is not a type of broccoli, though it is a member of the cabbage family. For all of the varieties, look for stalks that are slender and snap-crisp. Broccoli floret buds should be tight and darkly colored. Yellowing is a sign of age. Keep broccoli in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator in an open or perforated plastic bag. Do not keep beyond four days, and do not wash until you are ready to prepare a fresh broccoli recipe with them. All varieties can be eaten raw. Cut away the main stem and separate florets before washing. Broccoli stems can be eaten; simply slice them thinly and cook until tender. Rapid cooking is best to prevent nutrient loss and to preserve texture and color. Avoid aluminum pots, which can enhance the cabbage-like cooking odor created by these vegetables. Broccoli is an excellent source of vitamins C, K and A, as well as a good source of folate, B6 and manganese. Now on to my fresh broccoli recipes!
Then add the cream cheese, blue cheese and half and half. Stir over low heat until melted and smooth - add the broccoli and mix until covered equally with cheese mixture. Mix the 6 TBS melted butter with the cracker crumbs and stir well. Add 1 cup of this mixture to the broccoli mixture and pour into the prepared casserole dish. Cover and bake for 15 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture over the top of the casserole and bake uncovered for another 15 minutes. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.
While the broccoli is cooking, melt the butter over medium heat in a small skillet. Add the brown sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring this to a boil and immediately remove from the heat. Stir in the cashews and pour the sauce over the broccoli. Serve immediately. |
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SECRET #1
There are many way to prepare these strawberries, but I am going to give you my easy methods. When you are melting the chocolate over a double boiler, don't let the water touch the bottom of your upper pan. Heat until only 1/2 of the chocolate is melted, then remove from heat and stir gently until it is all melted.
The chocolate should actually be cool or tepid to the touch. If it's hot, chances are it will seize up and thicken. If it does that, no amount of heating or stirring will fix it.
If you don't have a double-boiler, use a saucepan - bring the water to a boil, and then use a stainless steel bowl to rest in the saucepan to melt the chocolate.
SECRET #2
Strawberries are grown with many pesticides, so rinse the strawberries first with a veggie wash, and let them drain on paper towels until they were thoroughly dry so the chocolate would adhere properly. Any moisture would have interfered with the chocolate adhering.
SECRET #3
Spike the strawberries! Fill a syringe with a sweet white dessert wine, and slowly inject the wine into the strawberries from near the stem (after you've done the dipping in chocolate.) You want to inject enough wine to saturate the berries, but watch not to add too much otherwise they end up becoming runny. These are always a hit when I bring them to dinner parties.
SECRET #4
Pierce the strawberries on the stem side with a toothpick. Holding the strawberry by the toothpick, dip into the chocolate mixture. Turn the strawberries upside down and insert the toothpick into Styrofoam for the chocolate to cool.
PERFECT Chocolate Covered Strawberries Recipes
A delicious twist on my favorite red velvet cake recipe. Yum.
HOMEMADE RED VELVET CHEESECAKE RECIPE
Ingredients
CRUST:
1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup butter, melted
1-1/2 TBS white sugar
shaved chocolate bar
CHEESECAKE:
3 (8oz) pkgs cream cheese, softened
1-1/2 cups white sugar
4 eggs, beaten
3 TBS cocoa, unsweetened
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup buttermilk*
1 TBS pure vanilla extract
1 tsp white vinegar
2 (1oz) bottles of red food coloring
TOPPING:
3 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
shaved chocolate bar, for garnish
Directions
PREHEAT oven to 325 degrees. The cake is baked with a water bath to prevent cracking. Wrap a large pan with foil (big enough for the spring form pan to fit in).
Mix the graham crackers and sugar together and add the melted butter. Mix with a fork and press into a 9 inch spring form pan. Sprinkle the bottom of the crust with chocolate shavings from a candy bar.
Beat 3 packages of cream cheese with 1-1/2 cups white sugar until fluffy. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour into the prepared spring form pan and place in the center of the foil covered pan. Fill with water.
Bake for 10 minutes and lower oven temperature to 300 degrees and bake for 70-80 minutes. The cheesecake is done when the center is firm. Cool completely on a wire rack.
TOPPING:
Beat the cream cheese with the butter until fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and mix until smooth and creamy. Spread evenly over the top of the cooled cheesecake. Garnish with the shaved chocolate bar.
*Buttermilk:
Place 1-1/2 tsp vinegar or lemon juice in 1/2 measuring cup and fill remainder with milk. Wait 15 minutes, stir, and it's ready for this recipe.