Broccoli Cheddar Stromboli March 29, 2011
Posted by Angela @ Making Food for Friends in dinner, vegetarian.Tags: broccoli, cooking, recipe, stromboli
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I decided to do something a little different from our usual Green Pizza weeknight meal recently, and made a broccoli cheddar stromboli. A stromboli is really very similar to a pizza, just rolled up and brushed with olive oil and spices, but it is a nice change from the norm. Plus, stromboli is a fun word to say, and I could not help but tell Toby the dog about a dozen times “Toby, I make-a da stromboli!!” while I was baking it up.
Using a pound of pizza dough made a big stromboli that barely fit on a pizza stone (I had to wrap it around in a U-shape to keep it on the stone in one piece!) and probably should have fed 4 people, but we are a hungry household. 🙂
So, stromboli! A nice change from a pizza pie! Try one today! Throw some different veggies in it, changes up the spices, sprinkle some cheese on top—it’s almost impossible to make a rolled-up pizza taste bad.
Broccoli Cheddar Stromboli
(Adapted from Pizza by Brigit Binns)
Ingredients:
1 pound pizza dough (homemade or pre-made, like the kind you can buy at Trader Joe’s)
1 1/2 cup chopped broccoli (you’ll want to steam it before you put it in the stromboli; see below)
8 oz ricotta cheese
1/2 cup shredded or chopped cheddar (I used Vermont sharp white cheddar, yum!)
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup pizza sauce
Parmesan cheese
Olive oil (to brush on top)
Method:
Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees Farenheit. Place your pizza stone or baking sheet in the oven to pre-heat at this time.
Fill a saucepan with one inch of water and bring to a simmer. Place broccoli in a steamer basket over the simmering water, cover, and steam for 5-7 minutes until crisp tender. Remove strainer or basket from saucepan and let cool. Coarsely chop the broccoli and set aside. In a large bowl combine the ricotta, cheddar, garlic, basil, and salt and pepper. Mix well.
Place a large sheet of parchment paper on a pizza peel or large rimless baking sheet and place the ball of dough in the center. Dust the top of the dough with flour and, using a rolling pin, roll out to a 9-by-12-inch rectangle of even thickness.
With the long side of the dough facing you, spread the cheese mixture evenly over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border uncovered on all sides. Cover the cheese mixture with the pizza sauce, and then scatter the broccoli evenly over the cheese and sauce, and season generously with salt and pepper.
Starting with the long edge nearest you, gently roll up the dough, lightly compressing the filling. Crimp firmly to seal, but avoid pressing down too hard. Brush the roll lightly with olive oil, cut a few small steam vents in the top, and sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Carefully slide the stromboli on the parchment onto the hot pizza stone. Bake until golden brown, about 25-30 minutes.
Remove the stromboli from the oven and transfer to a cutting board. Let the stromboli stand for 15 minutes then use a serrated knife to slice it crosswise into rounds.
Broccoli Chickpea Baked Pasta September 15, 2010
Posted by Angela @ Making Food for Friends in dinner, quick meal, vegetarian.Tags: broccoli, chickpea, pasta
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I got home late last night and raided the fridge and cupboards to try to quickly pull together a relatively healthy meal. I kept adding ingredients as I went along, but the resulting dinner ended up tasting (to me) so good that I want to share it, even though it was just a “pull everything out and throw it in a dish” meal. I started with pasta and sauce, added some chopped broccoli when I thought of it, decided I needed protein and opened a can of chickpeas, decided the whole thing would be better with cheese, then realized the cheese would be best melted and broiled, and then thought “Spices!! I forgot spices!!” and dumped a bunch of those in. It looks like a mess but was really, really good when all was said & done, and I know I’ll be making this again in the future.
Broccoli Chickpea Baked Pasta
(serves 3-4)
Ingredients:
8 oz dried pasta
1 cup chopped broccoli
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 cups pasta sauce
1 large tomato, chopped
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Sprinkling of parmesan cheese
1/2 cup bread crumbs
Spices: I used a heaping tablespoon of my Jamaican allspice blend, but this could be substituted with a mix of garlic powder, dried red pepper, thyme, paprika, and S&P
Method:
Pre-heat oven to 400. While the oven is pre-heating, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta, and when the pasta is almost done, add the chopped broccoli for the remaining minute or two.
Drain the pasta and broccoli, and put it back in the pot. Add the chickpeas, chopped tomato, pasta sauce, and spices to the pot and stir it all together.
Pour the mix into a medium sized casserole dish. Sprinkle with mozzarella, bread crumbs, and parmesan cheese. Bake at 400 for about 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted. You can finish it under the broiler for a minute or two if you like your cheese browned & bubbly. Then eat.
Veggie Quiche and a Challenge Update May 3, 2010
Posted by Angela @ Making Food for Friends in breakfast, vegetarian.Tags: broccoli, eggs, red bell pepper
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I went to the grocery store yesterday to stock up all of the fresh vegetables, fruit, and lunchmeat we will need to make it through a week with no grocery trips. Here’s what I came home with. Not pictured are all of the refrigerated goods: newly purchased spinach and broccoli, and existing kale, jalapenos, and green onions. Check out the yellow spaghetti squash on top of the knife block….that guy has been in our house for over a week now. I am vowing to put it to good use this week!
Ryan and I had some friends over for dinner last night and I decided to make a sort of “breakfast for dinner,” with a broccoli red pepper quiche and some oven-roasted potatoes. I love this quiche recipe. My mom clipped it from the Oakland Press sometime in the 90s, I believe, and wrote it out for me earlier this year. In the newspaper, this recipe was titled “Connie’s Veggy Quiche” and a Google search tells me this recipe has never made it to the internet. The recipe below reflects changes my mom has made to Connie’s original recipe, and changes I generally make, as well. The thing is, though, I don’t think I’ve ever made this the same way twice! Last night it was a broccoli/red pepper quiche (we had no mushrooms in the house) and it turned out just fine. Here’s the base recipe, feel free to change it up to use whatever you have on hand.
Veggie Quiche
Ingredients:
1 9 inch uncooked crust (homemade or storebought)
2 tbs butter, divided
1 small onion or equivalent mix of onions/shallots
1 cup cooked broccoli, chopped
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup red pepper, sun dried tomato, or other veggies you have around
3 tbs fresh basil (or other herbs)
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tbs sherry or red wine
1 tsp lemon juice
1 1/2 cup half and half, heavy cream, or milk (whatever you have)
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup grated swiss
1 cup grated cheddar
1/4 cup grated parmesan
Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Melt 1 tbs butter and cook onions over medium heat until cooked through (about 5 min).
Add red pepper (if using) and cook another 3 min. Add pre-steamed broccoli and cook until heated through.
Add basil, salt, and pepper; mix thoroughly and set aside in a small bowl.
Add remaining butter to pan and cook mushrooms for a few minutes. Stir in sherry or wine and lemon juice. Add sun-dried tomatoes, if using. Cook another 5 minutes.
Add mushroom mixture to broccoli bowl.
Lightly beat 4 eggs in a small bowl. Add cream or milk to egg bowl.
Sprinkle crust with swiss cheese.
Add veg mixture (the broccoli/mushroom bowl) to crust.
Pour egg and cream/milk over veg mixture.
Sprinkle cheddar over top.
Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.
Let cool 10 minutes before cutting.
Options: Switch out veggies, cheeses, and herbs to whatever you have on hand. I don’t think I’ve ever made this quiche the same way twice! It’s a good way to use up extra veggies you have on hand. The recipe can be made lighter by using egg whites instead of whole eggs, and using reduced fat milk in place of the cream or half and half. You could probably reduce the amount of cheese, but I’ve never done that. 🙂
Tuesdays with Angela: Making Food for Friends 