Delicious broccoli

Delicious broccoli? When I was a child this would be such a weird phrase, impossible to be said by me. I didn’t like vegetables and broccoli was among the “worst” ones.

Today I just love vegetables and people ask me if I am vegetarian, so I like and cook them daily.

This broccoli are indeed delicious. I prepared them in a dark Autumn day and it was the perfect dish for lunch. Warm, tasty, satisfying and … a unique dish, as it has all nutritional ingredients.

I was inspired by a recipe of the wonderful SmittenKitchen blog. I modified it a bit to meet my preferences, lowering fat and using brown rice instead of wild as it is difficult to find it where I live. I have also changed the cheese. I am fond of cheese…but not for cheddar.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound broccoli (I used more)
• 2/3 cup brown rice
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 onion
• 1 garlic clove
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 1/2 tsp (jarred) mustard
• 1 cup milk (low fat)
• 2/3 cup chicken broth
• 6 ounces cheese (gruyere, scamorza, and fontina)
• salt
• pepper

Instructions:

1. Cook the rice in salted boiling water for 18 min (or follow the instructions on the package). Drain and reserve.
2. Wash broccoli and keep the florets. Cook them in salted boiling water just until cooked but not too soft. Drain and put them immediately in a bowl filled with very cold water to stop cooking and keeping the green color. Then drain.
3. Turn on the oven 392°F/200°C.
4. Cut the onion in thin slices. Mince garlic.
5. In a small pan put butter and oil and, as soon as butter melts, add onion and garlic. Let cook until soft and lightly colored.
6. Add flour and stir for a couple of minutes.
7. Add milk slowly and then broth. Cook stirring for about 5 minutes or until it thickens.
8. Turn off the gas and add mustard and 1/3 of the cheese. Mix well.
9. Put a thread of oil into a baking dish and spread it with a kitchen brush.
10. Put broccoli and rice into this baking dish and cover it all with the cheese sauce, being careful in covering everything.
11. Distribute the remaining cheese on the top.
12. Bake for about 20/25 minutes, or until the sauce bubbles and the cheese begins to color.
13. Serve warm.
14. Buon appetito!