There’s a lot more than meets the eye to tree-like broccoli. It’s a powerhouse of nutrients that can be steamed, stir-fried or even pureed into soup. Try it in this cheesy side.
Ingredients
- 600g broccoli, broken into florets, stems cut into 1cm-thick matchsticks
- 40g butter
- 2 tablespoons plain flour
- 375ml (1 1/2 cups) reduced-fat milk
- Pinch of ground nutmeg
- White pepper
- 50g blue cheese, crumbled
Method
- Step 1Preheat oven to 200°C. Bring a medium saucepan of water to the boil. Cook the broccoli florets and stems for 2 minutes. Drain. Place the broccoli in a 1.5L (6-cup) capacity baking dish. Wipe the pan dry.
- Step 2Melt the butter in the pan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds or until the mixture begins to bubble. Remove from heat. Gradually add the milk, whisking until smooth. Return to heat. Cook, stirring, for 3-4 minutes or until the sauce thickens and comes to the boil. Stir in the nutmeg and season with salt and white pepper.
- Step 3Pour the sauce over the broccoli. Top with the blue cheese. Bake in oven for 10 minutes or until the cheese melts.
- Vegetarian
Nutrition
935 kj
Energy
14g
Fat Total
9g
Saturated Fat
6.5g
Fibre
14g
Protein
10g
Carbs (total)
Notes
Serves four as an accompaniment.
Swap it: Replace half the broccoli florets with cauliflower and the blue cheese with parmesan.
Know-how: Look for dark green heads with no yellow patches. Keep in the crisper for a few days.
Get this nutritious leafy green into the kids’ diets without them knowing – puree broccoli with basil, parmesan, garlic, pine nuts and olive oil as a sauce for pasta.
It’s a great source of vitamins C, E, K, folate and beta-carotene, and also has potassium, iron and dietary fibre.
- Author: Gemma Luongo
- Image credit: Steve Brown
- Publication: Australian Good Taste