Broccoli Timbales

For recipe click here:

Broccoli is on sale for only $2 a kilo at the supermarkets at present, and at that price I bought heaps of it. So today is broccoli day. It needs to be prepared and cooked up before it turns yellow in the frig. I suppose that is the only downside that if it isn't absolutely fresh when purchased it will turn yellow quickly. Also it needs to be washed very well before cooking, unless it is grown organically, as the farmers use lots of insecticide and high-nitrate fertilizers during the growing process.

Broccoli must rate as the number one vegetable in nutrient content, as well as being very easy to prepare. I mostly just cut it into flowerettes, steam it for 4-5 minutes, or until it has turned bright green and tender, and serve as is or with a small knob of butter if I am feeling decadent. It is high in caretenoids and Vitamin C and contains B complex, calcium, phosphorus and potassium as well. Sally Fallon who has written a great book called Nourishing Traditions, says new research proves that it is also rich in chromium, a mineral that protects us against diabetes. It is also a great source of fibre, which is so important for a healthy gut and has a few anti cancer agents thrown in as well. At that rate it seems we should be eating lots of it.

I thought I would cook something different with it today and timbales in the French style of cooking sounds perfect and can be applied to lots of chopped vegetables or chopped meat as well. There is also  a recipe for a Lemon Sauce at the end of this page, which I think compliments this dish beautifully, but I am saving that for another day. I know I will be cooking this again.

Ingredients:

Serves 6

1 large bunch broccoli
4 tablespoons butter, softened
4 tablespoons good quality sour cream, or creme fraiche
4 eggs. lightly beaten
1 small onion, very finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
good pinch of freshly grated nutmeg (optional)

1. Steam your broccoli until just tender and coloured a deep green
2. Place the broccoli in your food processor and pulse a few times until well chopped.
3. Add the butter, sour cream, eggs and onion and blend well.
4. Season to taste.
5. Pour mixture into six well-buttered moulds, or ramekins or even muffin tins.
6. Fill a baking pan with boiling water to a depth of halfway up the moulds. Place moulds into the baking pan and bake uncovered at 180 deg C, or 350 deg F for 20 minutes until a knife inserted near the centre comes out clean.
7. Loosen timbales gently with a knife around the edge and turn onto individual plates or a warmed platter.
8. Garnish with any green herb such as a fine dill leaf or flat leaf parsley. Dill compliments the flavour perfectly.

If you are serving these as an entree or for a special occasion, and you are not counting the calories,  it will be delicious and very effective to serve them with the lemon sauce given below. However, I think this would work very well served as a main course with fish.

Lemon sauce:

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon plain flour

1 tablespoons softened butter

1 teaspoon powdered chicken stock

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

3 tablespoons snipped fresh dill

In a small bowl, combine 1 cup cream and lemon juice, and let this stand for 1 hour at room temperature.

For the sauce, combine flour and butter  to form a paste. In a large heavy saucepan, combine the lemon-cream mixture, powdered chicken stock and salt and pepper. Bring to the boil. Whisk butter mixture into the cream mixture until it is smooth and the mixture has thickened. Add snipped dill. Remove from the heat and set aside. Serve around the base of the timbales.

For other broccoli recipes try the following which are also delicious:

Broccoli Bites, great for kids:-

http://happyretireeskitchen.blogspot.com.au/2016/02/go-green-with-broccoli-bites-very.html

Homemade quiche:-
http://happyretireeskitchen.blogspot.com.au/2015/01/easy-vegetable-quiche-recipe.html

Enjoy and have a great day!

Best wishes

Pauline