Broccoli originally comes from the Mediterranean region, but it is very popular in our part of the world. It can be prepared in many ways, and because it contains a fair amount of fibre, it is also filling. You can cook it in a completely diet-friendly way, but you can also add it to heavier dishes. Either way, you cannot go wrong by including broccoli in your diet. Broccoli is a tasty and healthy vegetable with a firm place in the diets of many athletes and bodybuilders.
🥦 Tip: Broccoli is also often included in the diet of people who want to lose weight. Here are more tips on how to lose weight→
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Cooking broccoli is becoming popular
Broccoli is a plant related to cabbage and cauliflower. It originates from the Mediterranean region and can be eaten raw or cooked (or steamed). Its main benefit is its content of vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin B1, folic acid and vitamin B2, as well as minerals such as potassium and calcium.
It is popular because it is very tasty, but also because studies confirm its benefits in protecting against free radicals, toxic substances and carcinogens. As people try to eat better and more healthily, this plant is gaining fame. It contains plenty of fibre, so as a main course it will fill you up without making you put on weight.
This green beauty can also be combined with courgette or aubergine. There are no limits to the variety. Potatoes and pasta are also great additional ingredients. Chicken adds great flavour, as do ham, bacon and various types of cheese. Simply choose lighter or heavier versions.
The best broccoli recipes
All the ways of preparing broccoli are wonderful and taste great, but nothing compares to baked broccoli. That is why we put it at the top of our imaginary list of the best broccoli recipes. When baking broccoli, always cook it first. This is better for both the flavour and the texture of the dish.
Before cooking, always wash the broccoli thoroughly and remove all the tough leaves from the stem. Cook the chopped broccoli in enough salted water to cover all of it. Cook it until half-soft, then drain. Broccoli only needs 10 minutes of cooking. If cooked for too long, it loses its flavour and the vitamins we need for health and immunity.
🥦 Tip: The water left over from cooking broccoli can be used as a base for vegetable soup.
1. Baked broccoli with cheese
You will need:
- 1 head of broccoli
- 1 large onion
- Oil for frying (your choice, olive oil is best)
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 300 ml cream (you can use a lower-fat version, but 33% is best for baking)
- 400 g hard cheese (Edam is typical, Gouda is better for flavour)
- 2 eggs
- Salt and pepper
- Parmesan or Niva blue cheese for sprinkling
First, cook the broccoli as described earlier in the article. Fry the onion and garlic in a pan until golden. Mix the cream with the eggs, salt and pepper. Arrange the cooked broccoli, fried onion and garlic and the hard cheese in a baking dish. Then pour the cream and egg mixture over it. Finally, sprinkle everything with Parmesan or Niva, according to your preference. Bake at 180°C for 20 minutes.
2. Baked broccoli with chicken
You will need:
- 1 head of broccoli
- 3 chicken breast fillets
- Potatoes (to taste, 5 large potatoes will be enough for 3 chicken breast fillets)
- 300 ml cooking cream, ideally 33%
- Salt, pepper, dried garlic, oregano
- Parmesan for sprinkling
Cut the washed chicken into cubes. Cook the potatoes and broccoli until soft, and do not forget to salt them. Season the meat with salt and pepper and add the other spices. Mix the meat and cooked potatoes with the broccoli. Place in a baking dish, pour over the salted cooking cream, sprinkle with Parmesan and bake. Depending on your oven, bake for about 50 min at 170°C.
3. Broccoli with pasta
You will need:
- 1 head of broccoli
- 1 pack of sliced ham (ideally with 95% meat content)
- 400 g pasta (fusilli, or spirals, work best)
- Oil for frying, ideally olive oil
- A pack of grated Edam
- 300 ml 33% cream
- Salt, garlic, pepper
First, put the broccoli and pasta on to cook. Fry the finely chopped ham in oil. Place the cooked broccoli and pasta in a large bowl. Mix the cream with salt, pepper and crushed garlic. Then add the fried ham, grated cheese and cream to the broccoli and pasta. Mix everything well. You can serve it straight away, or if you prefer a baked version, you can put the mixture in the oven for 20 min.
4. Broccoli patties
You will need:
- 1 head of broccoli
- 1 egg
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 onion
- Breadcrumbs
- Plain flour
- Salt and pepper
This time there is no need to cook the broccoli first. Instead, blend the broccoli into a mushy mixture. Finely chop the onion and fry it in oil together with the garlic. Prepare a large bowl and put in the broccoli, egg, salt, pepper, onion with garlic and breadcrumbs. Add the breadcrumbs gradually to create a thicker mixture. Then shape the mixture into small patties or balls, as you prefer, and coat them in plain flour. Fry the coated patties in oil.
🥦 Tip: If you want a healthier version of the patties, bake them in the oven on baking paper and skip the coating in plain flour.
5. Broccoli soup
You will need:
- 1 head of broccoli
- 100 ml cooking cream
- 1 clove of garlic
- Butter
- Salt, pepper
- Bread croutons
Cook the broccoli in salted water. When it is half-soft, blend it in a blender together with the water it was cooked in. Quickly fry the garlic in butter over high heat. Bring the liquid mixture back to the boil, add the fried garlic and slowly pour in the cream while stirring. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer for another 10 min and it is ready to serve. Cream of broccoli soup is tastiest served with bread croutons. If you have a real sweet tooth for indulgence, you can add grated cheese on top.
🥦 Tip: For a better flavour, you can replace the water with stock. Chicken or vegetable.
Remember, there are no limits to how you can prepare broccoli. It can also be combined with other vegetables, which is why broccoli is so popular with vegetarians. Good cheese and cream bring out its flavour perfectly. If you prefer slightly more filling recipes, simply add bacon or meat. It can be served as a side dish or as a main course. Enjoy your meal.
If you have already tried all the broccoli recipes, you can continue to the article with 15 tips for a quick and healthy dinner.
