Broccoli Raab with Lemon and Garlic

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds broccoli raab
  
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  
• 3 tablespoons butter
  
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
  
• 2 teaspoons fresh grated lemon rind
  

Preparation
1. Wash the broccoli raab, discarding coarse stem ends and any yellow leaves.

2. Place broccoli raab into a heavy kettle with enough water just barely to cover. Cook until stems are tender.

3. Meanwhile, saute garlic in butter over medium heat for 3 minutes.

4. Drain the raab, then toss with garlic mixture plus parsley, salt and pepper. Garnish with lemon rind.

Broccoli Raab with Feta and Fennel

This Broccoli Raab with Feta and Fennel recipe makes four servings. This recipe appeared in the Seattle Times, via Newsday.

Ingredients

• 1 bunch broccoli raab, stems removed


• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil


• 2 cloves garlic, minced


• 1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced


• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano


• 1/4 teaspoon salt


• 1/2 cup (2 oz.) crumbled feta

Instructions
Cook the broccoli raab in a large pot of water that has been lightly salted. Cook until the broccoli raab is brightly colored and crisp-tender, which should take about 3-4 minutes. Drain.

Dry the pot and add oil, heating over medium-high heat. Add garlic and fennel and cook, stirring frequently, until the fennel is soft (approximately 5 minutes).

Stir in the broccoli raab, oregano and salt, and cook until the greens are just heated through (approximately 2-3 minutes).

Transfer to your serving bowl or platter and toss with the feta cheese.

Italian Sausage with Broccoli Raab and Polenta

What You Need:

• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  
• 4 sweet or spicy Italian sausages
  
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
  
• 1 12-ounce bunch broccoli rabe, trimmed
  
• 1 cup canned low-salt chicken broth
  
• 1/2 of 24-ounce prepared basil and garlic-seasoned polenta roll
  
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  

What You Need to Do:
Heat 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add sausages. Cover skillet and cook until sausages are brown and cooked through, about 8 minutes per side. Transfer sausages to plate; tent with foil to keep warm. Add garlic to drippings in same skillet and stir 30 seconds. Add broccoli rabe and 1/2 cup broth. Cover skillet and cook until broccoli rabe is crisp-tender, about 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add polenta; mash with potato masher until smooth. Mix in remaining 1/2 cup broth and cheese. Simmer until polenta is warmed through, about 5 minutes. Season polenta with salt and pepper.

Spoon polenta onto 2 plates. Top with sausages and broccoli rabe.

Grilled Chicken with Broccoli Raab and Penne Recipe

From Newsday:

• 1/2 cup lemon juice
  
• Italian seasoning blend, to taste
  
• Salt and pepper, to taste
  
• 1 1/2 cups, plus 1/4 cup olive oil
  
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  
• 1 bunch broccoli rabe, trimmed and chopped into 1-inch pieces
  
• 1 pound penne
  
• 1 head garlic, crushed
  
• Grated Parmesan cheese, to taste
  

1. In a bowl large enough to hold chicken, whisk together lemon juice, Italian seasoning blend, salt and pepper and slowly drizzle in 1/4 cup olive oil, stirring to emulsify. Add chicken and marinate 30 minutes.

2. Grill chicken in a preheated medium-high grill until cooked through, about 15 minutes. Set aside.

3. Bring to boil a large pot of salted water; cook broccoli rabe in boiling water until tender; drain and set aside.

4. Cook penne according to package directions.

5. While pasta is cooking, in a small saucepan combine 1 1/2 cups olive oil with crushed garlic. Simmer over medium-low heat until garlic just begins to turn golden; remove from heat.

6. In a large serving dish, combine pasta, broccoli rabe and garlic-olive oil mixture. Toss well. Top with grated cheese and chicken, sliced as desired. Makes about 6 servings.

The Many Branches of Broccoli

That's the headline on an artile in the Bennington, Vermont, newspaper, the Bennington Banner. The author writes:

Broccoli is the leading member of the nutritious cruciferous family of vegetables, so named for their cross shaped blossoms. Other family members include cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and kale. The name "broccoli" comes from a Latin word meaning branch or arm. Broccoli grew wild on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea and was a popular food of the ancient Romans. Broccoli can be traced to France in the 1500s, England in the mid-18th century and began to be cultivated commercially in the United States in the 1920s.

There are a number of broccoli relatives available at the market, including broccoflower, which is a cross between broccoli and cauliflower. Broccoli rabe is a non-heading broccoli-like vegetable that resembles broccoli florets on long, thin stems. Broccoli rabe has a bitter, but zesty flavor.

Broccoli rapini is similar to broccoli rabe, but has fewer florets and a flavor reminiscent of mustard greens. Chinese broccoli has broad, glossy blue-green leaves with long, crisp, thick stems and a small head. Broccolini is a trademarked name for baby broccoli and is a hybrid cross of broccoli and Chinese kale. Broccolini has a long, slender, juicy stem topped with small flowering buds.

Full article

Broccoli Raab Saute

Here's a recipe that recently appeared in the Washington Post's food section, courtesy of chef Rob Klink at the Oceanaire Seafood Room in D.C. Check Klink cautioned Post readers to make sure "not to serve broccoli rabe (rapini) with a main course too delicate to stand up to this green's mustardy, slightly bitter flavor."

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
  
• 2 medium cloves garlic, cut into very thin slices
  
• Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
  
• 2 bunches broccoli raab, washed, stems removed (1 1/2 pounds)
  
• Salt
  
• Freshly ground black pepper
  

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet or saute pan over medium heat.

2. Add garlic and crushed red pepper flakes; stir to combine. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring often, for about 2 minutes, being careful not to let the garlic burn.

3. Add broccoli raab in 2 batches and cook, stirring occasionally, 4-6 minutes, until just wilted and tender.

4. Season with salt and pepper to taste; serve hot.

(Photo: Len Spoden for The Washington Post)

Broccoli Raab Tips

A recent "Quick Bites" column in the Florida Sun Sentinel had this to say about broccoli raab:

Much of the bitterness can be removed by blanching it (cooking it briefly in boiling water) first. Try bringing a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add 1 ½ pounds broccoli rabe and cook 5 to 6 minutes, or until bright green and crisp-tender.

Drain and coarsely chop into 3-inch pieces.

Meanwhile, cook 4 slices bacon in a large skillet. Remove from the pan and drain on a plate lined with paper towels. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon bacon drippings.

Add the cooked broccoli rabe to the skillet containing the bacon drippings and stir in 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed dried red pepper flakes. Cook, tossing, 1 to 2 minutes. Crumble the reserved bacon, toss with the rabe. Add salt to taste, if desired, and serve. Makes 4 servings.