Broccoli with Lemon~Dijon Pan Sauce and Toasted Parmigiano Bread Crumbs

I cook steamed broccoli for my family a lot.  Surprisingly to me, they like it.  I do not, never have.  I just can't make myself eat it.  I usually put a couple pieces on my plate so it seems like I'm eating it.  Yes, I still behave like a five year old at times.  Of course, it's still sitting there when I'm done.  I can hear my mother's voice in my head telling me to eat it. Taking me back to when I was a kid... the dishes are done everyone else is doing something fun and I'm still sitting at the table (probably crying).

I have grown to appreciate it with some additions.  Give me a cheese sauce like my Grandma used to make.  I'm all over it.  I like Broccoli Cheddar soup.  Brown it and add a lemon mustard sauce and Parmigiano Bread Crumbs.  It may be a contender for my last meal.

The funny thing about this recipe is, I love it.  My husband and kids just wanted their boring steamed broccoli.  Oh well, every once in a while you've got to please yourself.

Recipe from Fast, Fresh and Green by Susie Middleton.  In the recipe, Susie suggests the bread crumbs are optional.  In my opinion, no way.  They are my favorite part! :)  The English muffins are great in this recipe,  They are a heavy crumb that toasts well and really holds up.  It would be great with some bacon cooked in as well.

For the~ Toasted Parmigiano Bread Crumbs
1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs ( a couple English muffins torn and processed in a food processor)
Kosher salt
1 tablespoon finely grated Parmigiano~Reggiano cheese
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley

For the~ Broccoli
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
10 oz broccoli florets cut about 2 inches long with one flat side
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/3 cup low sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley

To make the Toasted Bread Crumbs~ Melt the butter over low heat in a small nonstick skillet.  Add the bread crumbs and a pinch of salt and stir well.  Raise the heat to medium and cook the crumbs, stirring frequently, until they're toasted and most of them are a light golden brown,  3 to 4 minutes.  Transfer to a small plate and let them cool.  Combine with the Parmigiano and parsley.

In a large saute pan with a lid, heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium~high heat. wen the butter has melted and is starting to foam, add the broccoli and salt and toss with tongs to coat.  Arrange the broccoli with one cut side down and cover.  Cook without stirring until the bottoms are browned, 3 to 4 minutes.  (The browning will be spotty but will be a fairly dark brown color.)  Turn the florets onto another side and cook again without stirring until that side is lightly browned in spots, about 2 minutes. Carefully pour the broth into the pan (it will sputter), cover, and cook until all but 1 or 2 tablespoons of the liquid has evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat, uncover, and add the lemon juice, mustard, and the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of butter.  Stir well with a silicone spatula as the butter melts and the sauce becomes creamy.  Toss in the parsley, stir, and transfer the broccoli and sauce to a serving platter.  Garnish with the Toasted Parmigiano Bread Crumbs.  Add them immediately before serving to keep them crisp.

Parmesan Cheese Sauce over Broccoli

Let's face it, broccoli isn't very exciting.  It's like the wallflower at the dance just standing there hoping to be noticed.  You may not give it much attention.  Sometimes it's sadly just left on the plate.  Just like anything, dressed up it can shine.  Did I just say shine?  Yes, stay with me here.  Add a yummy cheese sauce and the dance is just getting started.

I steam broccoli or green beans pretty much every night I cook dinner and make my kids eat them.  Luckily it's become habit and they eat them with out adding anything to "dress it up".  Here is a tasty recipe if you are feeling sorry for the looked over veggie.  It also only takes a few minutes to make.

Recipe adapted from Gooseberry Patch Family Favorite Recipes Cookbook.

8 cups broccoli florets
2 Tablespoons butter
3 Tablespoons chopped onion, about half a small onion
2 Tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
1 3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, good quality
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon ground marjoram
More shredded Parmesan cheese for garnish

Steam broccoli, and keep warm.

Melt butter in a heavy saucepan; add onion and saute until tender.  Add the flour and the bouillon granules, stirring until blended.  Cook, stirring constantly for about a minute.  Gradually add milk; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and bubbly.  Stir in 1/2 cup of the cheese, salt, pepper, dry mustard, and marjoram.  Pour over broccoli.  Top with additional cheese, if desired.

Ruth's Chris' Sweet Potato Casserole

I am hosting Thanksgiving this year, and this is definitely on the menu!  If you don't make any other side, make this one.  Trust me.  Turkey?  Ham?  What?  Who cares! :)

Ruth's Chris Steakhouse is one of our favorites.  We always seem to go here for a birthday, anniversary, or really whenever we are in the mood for a great steak.  I would highly recommend checking it out.  Can't beat the sizzling plate with all that butter.  Not only are the steaks fantastic, but the sides are killer as well.  This sweet potato casserole is our favorite by far.  I've given up on my usual potato Au gratin when I'm at a Ruth's Chris.  Even if you don't like sweet potatoes, you may just fall in love.  This is the restaurants most popular side.  People even order it for dessert with a scoop of ice cream.

Give me a chopped salad, a great steak, and a ridiculous potato... I am a happy girl!

The recipe comes from Ruth's Chris Chef, Pat Gallagher.  Thank you, Sir!

An important tip~
Please don't use canned sweet potatoes, it's not hard to boil them.  Starting with cold water, bring 3~4 large potatoes to boil.  Cook for about 30~35 minutes or until tender enough to be able to mash.  Do not over cook, as they will be cooking again in the casserole.  Let them cool for about 30 minutes before handling.  Peel the skin off and mash.

Crust~
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1 cup chopped pecans
1/3 stick butter, melted

Sweet Potato Mixture~
3 cups mashed sweet potatoes
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs, well beaten
1/2 cup  (1 stick) butter, melted

Crust~
Combine brown sugar, flour, pecans, and butter in mixing bowl.  Set aside.

Sweet Potato Mixture~
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Coat a medium~size casserole dish with non~stick spray.  Or use a couple smaller dishes.

Combine sweet potatoes, sugar, salt, vanilla, eggs and butter in a large mixing bowl in the order listed.  Beat thoroughly with a hard mixer about 4 minutes, to increase the fluffiness of the sweet potato mixture.

Pour mixture into the baking dish.  Bake for 30 minutes.

Sprinkle the surface of the sweet potato mixture evenly with the crust mixture and return to oven for 10 minutes.  The brown sugar and pecan crust should be slightly browned and crunchy.  Allow to set for 10 minutes before serving.  The crust will harden a little more.

Pappardelle with Baby Spinach, Herbs and Ricotta

There is just something about fresh herbs.  I love them and use them every chance I get.  A perfect spring or summer time side dish.

Have all ingredients prepped and ready to go before beginning to cook~ the pasta needs to be hot when mixed with the other ingredients to create a creamy consistency.  Recipe adapted from Cooking Light magazine.  This was on the April 2011 cover and looked so good, I had to try.

8 ounces uncooked pappardelle (wide ribbon pasta)
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/3 cup ricotta cheese
3 cups baby spinach leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat~leaf parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
4 tablespoons grated pecorino Romano cheese
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Cook pasta with 1 tablespoon kosher salt according to package directions, omitting additional fat.  Drain in a colander over a bowl, and reserve 1 cup cooking liquid.

Combine 1/2 cup reserved hot cooking liquid and ricotta cheese in a food processor or blender, and process until well blended.

Combine hot pasta, cheese mixture, spinach, and remaining ingredients in a large bowl; toss gently to coat.  Add additional cooking liquid, if needed.

Garlic Cheese Bread~ "Claim Jumper"

I love it when I find a restaurant I miss from home in my current area.  Claim Jumper restaurants started in California and all of their locations but two are in the west.  The two that aren't are in driving distance from me here in Illinois.  Lucky me!  One of the things I love at the restaurant is this garlic cheese bread.  It's honestly more of a cheese garlic bread.  The kids love it because it doesn't have a strong garlic taste, having no actual fresh garlic in it.  Great addition to any meal and it's ridiculously easy to make.  Recipe adapted from Todd Wilbur.

1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
dash of paprika
10 slices Texas toast (thick cut white bread)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.   Combine all the ingredients for the butter in a small bowl.  Spread generously on one side of each slice of Texas toast.  Bake for about 10 minutes or until cheese begins to brown and bubble.

Guy Fieri's Chicken Avocado Egg Rolls

Guy Fieri is a kick back, fun chef to watch.  He made these egg rolls that my kids really wanted to try.  I've made egg rolls a time or two and have never made them eat them.  I thought they might not love them, but we gave them a shot.  Guess what?  They liked them. Way to go Guy, making egg rolls "cool" for my picky eaters.  I love it!  I love avocado, so these were right up my alley.


These would be great with Cilantro Sour Cream found under Dips or Mexican tabs.


A great appetizer or a fun side.  This recipe makes 12 egg rolls.


2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 cup finely minced red onion
1/4 cup finely minced red bell pepper
2 tablespoons minced ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/4 cup sliced bamboo shoots
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
2 cups cooked chicken breast
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 cup julienned green cabbage
1/2 cup shredded carrots
4 cups rice bran oil or canola oil
12 egg roll wrappers
2 avocados, sliced into 24 pieces
1 egg mixed with 1 tablespoon milk
sweet chili sauce, for dipping


In a saute pan over high heat, add canola oil. Saute red onions and bell peppers until translucent. Add ginger, garlic, bamboo shoots, celery, chicken, and cook for 5 minutes over medium heat. De~glaze pan with soy sauce. Cool mixture.

In large bowl combine cabbage, carrots and chicken mixture.

In medium saucepan, heat rice bran oil to 350 degrees F. Oil needs to be deep enough to keep egg roll from touching bottom of pan. Add more oil, if needed.

To roll egg rolls, layout egg roll skin with corner facing you, place approximately 1/12th of mixture on roll and place 2 pieces of avocado on top of mixture. Fold corner over mixture, and then fold outside corners over the mixture, making a roll, 4 to 5-inches wide. Roll firmly, being careful not to tear wrapper, and seal the final edge with egg wash.

Dredge the egg roll in egg wash, allow excess to drain off and submerge egg roll in oil. Fry until golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes. Drain on sheet tray lined with a cooling rack.

Ginger Garlic Linguine

My daughter can't stand tomato sauce, she always asks for buttered noodles.  Unfortunately, I can't stand plain old buttered noodles.  I guess I'm not a kid anymore.  Here are buttered noodles a little less boring, a great side dish everyone can be happy about.

12 ounces uncooked linguine
5 green onions finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh ginger
2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Cook linguine according to package directions.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute the onions, ginger, garlic, basil and cayenne pepper in the butter for about 4 minutes or until the onions are tender.

Drain the linguine; add to skillet and toss to coat.  Top with cheese.  I usually add a little extra cheese... I also put extra on the table.

Cauliflower and Bacon Gratin

OK, Cauliflower? Not a standout favorite of mine. I am embarrassed to say my kids weren't quite sure what it was! I think I may have put it on a veggie tray a couple times in my adult life and that's about it. If you are like me and need to introduce a forgotten vegetable to the table, I've got three words for you~ butter, cream and bacon. Something tells me they just might like it, right?! They did :)  It's a super easy side dish. 
This recipe is adapted from Giada DeLaurentiis

unsalted butter, for dish, plus 4 tablespoons cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3 slices day~old sourdough bread or 2 cups bread crumbs
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon all~purpose flour
8 ounces bacon, cooked until crispy and cut into 1/2 pieces
1 cup Gruyere cheese, divided
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound cauliflower, trimmed and cut into florets
extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter a 8x8 casserole dish.  Set aside.

In the bowl of a food processor, blend the bread until it forms into crumbs.  In a large non~stick skillet, heat the butter over medium heat.  Add the bread crumbs and cook, stirring constantly until all the butter has been absorbed and the bread crumbs are toasted, about 2 minutes.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the cream and flour.  Add the bacon and 1/2 cup of the Gruyere.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste. 

Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil over high heat.  Add the cauliflower and cook for 2 minutes.  Drain the cauliflower and toss with the cream mixture. Pour the cauliflower mixture into the prepared baking dish.  Sprinkle with bread crumbs and remaining cheese.  Drizzle with olive oil and bake for about 40 minutes until the cheese has melted and the top is golden brown. 

Serves~ 4 to 6 as a side

Lemon Basil Pasta with Broccoli

I love fresh herbs! One that I use a lot of is basil. I also love any kind of citrus. I think lemon goes great with basil. I like this pasta because it is a little different than what I normally make. It's also really pretty. I sometimes make this to go along with BBQ chicken. I think I'm trying to make summer come a little sooner with this one!

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups heavy cream
3 lemons
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cups fresh broccoli, cut into florets
1 pound pasta, something that will hold sauce (I used cellentani)
small bunch of fresh basil, cut in a chiffonade
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Saute the garlic in the olive oil for 1 minute. Add the cream, the zest from 2 lemons, the juice of 1 and a half lemons, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until sauce starts to thicken.

While sauce is cooking, cook the broccoli florets in a pot of boiling salted water for 4 to 5 minutes, until tender but still firm. Drain the broccoli into an ice bath to stop the cooking. This will keep the broccoli very green. Set aside.

Cook the pasta, according to package directions. Drain the pasta and place it back into the pot. Immediately add the cream mixture and cook it over medium~low heat for about 3 minutes, until most of the sauce has been absorbed into the pasta. Add the broccoli and combine. Pour the hot pasta into a large bowl, add most of the Parmesan cheese, and most of the basil, cut the remaining lemon into slices and add them to the bowl. Toss well, season to taste, and garnish with remaining Parmesan cheese and basil.

Apple Rice Pilaf

*Shown with Lemon Chicken

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup onion, finely chopped

3/4 cup Golden Delicious apple, finely chopped

2 cups apple juice

2 cups enriched long~grain instant rice

1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted

In a medium saucepan, melt butter and saute onion and apples over medium heat until soft. Add apple juice, increase heat to high, and bring to a boil. Stir in rice. Cover and remove from heat. Let stand for 5 minutes. Remove cover and stir in toasted almonds. Serve.