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Broccoli recipes - Our favourite broccoli recipes so you can make the most out of your organic broccoli

broccoli recipes

Here's a collection of broccoli recipes from our weekly newsletters, and some lovely ones you've sent in. If you'd like more please have a look at our recipe index! To find out about our broccoli producer and order yours click here.

Mushroom and Broccoli Omelette
Broccoli and Blue Cheese Soufflés
Broccoli and Cheese Flan
Broccoli and Egg Bake
Japanese-Style Stir Fry
Broccoli Pie
Spicy Broccoli
Broccoli with Bacon and Pine Nuts
Broccoli with Basil Mushrooms
Lemon and Garlic Broccoli
Pasta with Broccoli In Garlic Sauce
Broccoli with Tomatoes
Broccoli, Mushroom and Walnut Lasagne
Stir-Fried Vegetables with Sesame Seeds
Broccoli Soup
Broccoli Bake
Roasted Broccoli with Lemon Breadcrumb Topping
Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry
Broccoli and Almond Stir-Fry
Spicy Sausage and Broccoli Pasta
Cheese, Egg and Broccoli Rice Bake
Broccoli Spears with Parmesan Bean Dip
Broccoli and Pasta Bake
Broccoli with Lemon & Parmesan
Pasta with Broccoli and Chickpeas
Broccoli with Cheese Sauce
Savoury Broccoli Pots
Zesty Chicken and Broccoli
Roast Broccoli Romesco
Roasted broccoli with garlic, balsamic and Parmesan
Quick Broccoli Dish
Broccoli Cheddar Melt
Paul's Pakoras
Broccoli and Blue Cheese Pasta with Walnut Breadcrumbs
Brilliant Brainy Roast Broccoli

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Mushroom and Broccoli Omelette

Per Omelette:

4 teaspoons butter
2 eggs
1 teaspoon milk or cream
115 g mushrooms, sliced
115 g broccoli, broken in to florets
1/2 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
2 spring onions, chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste
Pinch of thyme

First prepare the filling. Heat half of the butter in a pan and add the mushrooms, broccoli, garlic and onions. Sauté for 5 minutes and add a large pinch of thyme. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sauté for another 3-5 minutes, until the vegetables become tender. Remove from the heat. Transfer to a bowl. Next place the pan back on the heat for a minute. Meanwhile break the eggs into a bowl; add the salt and pepper to taste and whisk in the milk/cream. Beat 30 times with a fork or whisk. Add the remaining butter to the pan and shake to coat the bottom evenly. As soon as the sizzling stops, add the egg mixture. Once you see the bottom of the omelette start to cook(which is almost immediately) shake the pan vigorously. It is this motion which assures a fluffy omelette and prevents it from browning. Now place your filling in the centre of the omelette, making a line of filling across the diameter. Fold the omelette over itself, either by jerking the pan or with a spatula. Tilt the pan and roll the omelette out onto the serving plate.

Tip: You can of course be as creative with your fillings as you like. Try fresh strawberries and Brie as a breakfast alternative. Another tasty combination is steamed vegetables with a pinch of Parmesan and some fennel sprigs.

Broccoli and Blue Cheese Soufflés

50 g butter, plus extra for greasing
450 g broccoli, broken into florets
50 g plain flour
150 ml milk
100 g Danish blue cheese, diced or crumbled
4 egg yolks
6 egg whites
A few spoonfuls of breadcrumbs
Mustard to taste

Preheat oven to 220°C/ 425°F/ Gas Mark 7. Grease the insides of 4-6 individual soufflé dishes (or 1 large one) and dust with dried breadcrumbs. Blanch the broccoli until just tender. Drain the broccoli, retaining 65 ml of the water. Puree the cooked broccoli in a food processor. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute. Stir continuously to avoid burning. Gradually stir in the milk and the water; bring to the boil to thicken. Remove the sauce from the heat and add the cheese, egg yolks, mustard and pureed broccoli. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff. Fold them into the broccoli mixture, then spoon into the prepared dishes. Bake for 15 minutes until well-risen and golden brown. If making one large soufflé, cook an extra 10 minutes. Serve immediately.

Broccoli and Cheese Flan

Pastry case:
125 g butter
175 g plain flour
4 tablespoons cold water
Pinch salt

For the filling:
450 g broccoli
25 g sunflower oil
100 g mushrooms
Small bunch of parsley, chopped
1 clove garlic
100 g cheddar cheese, grated
2 eggs
210 ml single cream
Salt and pepper

Preheat Oven to 180°C/ 325°F/ Gas Mark 4. To make the pastry, rub the butter and flour together. Add the salt. Mix in the water to make smooth dough. Chill for 2 hours before rolling out and lining a flan dish. Press the edges in firmly and trim off the surplus pastry. Cover with foil and weight with some rice and then bake blind for 10 minutes. Take out and cool, slightly reducing the temperature of the oven. Steam or lightly boil the broccoli florets until cooked, but still firm. Drain well and cover the base of the pastry case. Heat the margarine in a frying pan and add the mushrooms. Lightly cook, stirring in the parsley, garlic and some salt and pepper. Spread this mixture over the broccoli. Beat together the eggs and cream add the cheese and mix thoroughly. Pour this over the top of the flan. Bake for 45 minutes or until the top of the flan has set. Lovely warm but can also be served cold.

Broccoli and Egg Bake

450 g broccoli, broken into florets
1 hard-boiled egg, peeled
1 tablespoon sunflower oil
25 g breadcrumbs, fried in sunflower oil until golden
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 180°C/ 350°/ Gas Mark 4. Lightly steam the broccoli until 'al dente'. Meanwhile heat the sunflower oil in a pan and lightly fry the breadcrumbs until golden. Lay the broccoli florets in a warm dish and season them with salt and pepper. Break up the egg yolk and chop the white finely. Mix this with the hot breadcrumbs and strew over the warm broccoli. Heat through for 5 minutes and serve warm.

Japanese-Style Stir Fry

This stir-fry is an easy experiment in oriental cooking.

225 g carrots, cut into small 2.5cm strips
225 g Broccoli
100 g mushrooms, cut into quarters
1 tablespoons sunflower oil
1 teaspoon grated fresh root ginger
Cooked noodles to serve

For the sauce:
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon sake, or dry sherry
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon water
2 teaspoons sugar

First mix all of the ingredients for the sauce together, and then leave aside. Lightly steam the broccoli until just tender. Set this aside also. Heat the oil in a large fry pan. Add the grated ginger and the mushrooms and stir-fry for one minute. Add the carrots and cook for about 2-3 minutes. Pour in the sauce mixture and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat. Cover and leave to simmer for around 5 minutes or until the carrots are cooked. Finally, add the broccoli and heat through. Arrange the noodles in bowls with the carrots and broccoli. Spoon some of the hot sauce on top. Serve immediately.

Broccoli Pie

Pizza dough for 2 pizzas
450 g (1 lb) broccoli, cut into bite size pieces
675 g (1 1/2 lb) potatoes, peeled and boiled until soft
juice of 1/2 lemon
4 cloves of garlic, sliced
1 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon oregano
pasta/pizza sauce

Lightly steam the broccoli. Cut the potatoes into the size that would be used for potato salad. Mix the broccoli, potatoes, lemon juice, garlic, basil, and oregano together. Divide pizza dough into two parts; one part needs to have slightly more than half the dough. Roll out bigger piece and place on pizza peel or a wooden board. Top with broccoli/potato mixture. Roll out smaller piece of dough and place on top of the bottom of the pie. Using a rolling motion, bring the lower crust over the top crust and seal. Bake at 230°C/ 450°F on a pizza stone for 15 minutes. Serve with pizza sauce.

Spicy Broccoli

500 g broccoli, broken into florets
1 1/2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 large garlic clove, peeled and crushed
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil. Cut the stalks of the broccoli diagonally into 1/4" slices. Add broccoli florets and stems to the water and blanch for 1 minute and them drain. In a large pan, warm the sesame oil, garlic and red pepper over low heat for three minutes. Stir in the soy sauce and lemon juice. Add the broccoli, toss and coat. Serve immediately.

Broccoli with Bacon and Pine Nuts

380 g (13 oz) broccoli florets
2 bacon slices, chopped
2 & 3/4 tablespoons pine nuts
1 & 1/4 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped

Steam broccoli for 5 minutes. Heat a heavy nonstick frying pan or wok over medium high heat. Add bacon and cook for 2 minutes. Add broccoli and pine nuts and stir-fry for 3-4 minutes, or until the broccoli is just tender. Stir in the chives and stir.

Broccoli with Basil Mushrooms

300 g (11 oz) broccoli spears
1 & 1/4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
85 g (3 oz) mushrooms, chopped

Steam or boil the broccoli. Drain well. Meanwhile, melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in basil and mushrooms. Cook and stir until thoroughly heated. Spoon over broccoli.

Lemon and Garlic Broccoli

500 g broccoli florets
2 teaspoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
2 tablespoons sun dried tomatoes, soaked if not oil-packed, and chopped

Steam broccoli for 4 minutes or until tender. Melt butter with lemon juice and garlic in a saucepan over a medium-low heat. Stir in tomatoes. Pour lemon mixture over broccoli, season with salt and pepper to taste and toss.

Pasta with Broccoli In Garlic Sauce

500 g broccoli, broken into florets
300 g garlic and herb cream cheese
4 tablespoons milk
30 g fresh Parmesan cheese, grated
350 g fresh tagliatelle
Chopped fresh chives to garnish

Bring the water to the boil for the pasta. It should be ready for you to add the tagliatelle whilst you are preparing the sauce. Cook the broccoli in salty water for 3 minutes and then drain. Put the soft cheese into a saucepan and heat gently, stirring until melted. Add the milk and stir well until combined. Next add the broccoli and stir to coat evenly. Once the tagliatelle is ready, divide it amongst the plate and spoon the sauce over the top. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and the chives and serve.

Broccoli with Tomatoes

2 teaspoons olive oil
450 g (1 lb) broccoli florets
1 clove garlic, minced
1/8 teaspoon chili pepper flakes, crushed
4 medium sized tomatoes, peeled and crushed

Heat oil in a heavy saucepan over medium high heat. Sauté broccoli, garlic, and chili pepper flakes for about 20 seconds. Add tomatoes. Cover saucepan and reduce heat to medium. Simmer for 7-8 minutes or until broccoli is bright green and tender and tomato sauce has thickened. (Add a little water if necessary.) Delicious as well as healthy - broccoli is full of Vitamin C, Calcium and Magnesium, all essential in a healthy and balanced diet!

Broccoli, Mushroom and Walnut Lasagne

500 g broccoli
250 g mushrooms
400 g tinned tomatoes, chopped roughly
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large (or 2 small) onion
1 clove garlic, chopped
125 g walnuts, chopped finely
Fresh basil
About 250 g quick cook Lasagne
175 g grated cheddar cheese
25 g butter or vegetable margarine
2 tablespoons wholemeal flour
1 teaspoon mustard powder
300 ml milk

Preheat the oven to 200°C/ 400°F/ Gas Mark 6. Cut the broccoli into small pieces. Chop the mushrooms into quarters. Slice the onions thinly. Heat the oil in a saucepan on low heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook until soft. Put the broccoli, mushrooms, tomatoes and chopped basil into the pan; cover and increase the heat a little. Leave for 15 minutes, or until the broccoli is tender. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the walnuts. Line the bottom of a lasagne dish with the sheets of lasagne. Cover with about a third of the broccoli mixture and then a little cheese. Repeat twice, but on the last layer leave off the cheese. Prepare the sauce by melting the butter/ margarine in a saucepan over a medium heat. Stir in the flour, mustard powder and milk, a little at a time. Bring to the boil, stirring all the time. Simmer for about 2 minutes until it becomes a thick sauce. Take off the heat; stir in about 2/3 of the remaining cheese. Pour the sauce over the lasagne and scatter the rest of the cheese on top. Bake in the oven for about 45 minutes, or until the lasagne sheets become soft.

Tip: For a truly decadent lasagne, double the quantities for the sauce and layer it through the lasagne instead of the cheese on its own. Absolutely delicious!

Stir-Fried Vegetables with Sesame Seeds

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1.5 cm piece root ginger, peeled and grated
200 g mushrooms, sliced
250 g broccoli florets
100 g bean sprouts

For the sauce:
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons dry sherry
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
1 teaspoon sesame oil

Heat the olive oil in a fry-pan or wok. Add the garlic and the ginger and fry for 1 minute. Add the mushroom and broccoli and toss them in the oil so that they absorb the oil. Once beginning to soften, add the bean sprouts and toss quickly. Mix the sauces and sugar together in a bowl and then stir into the pan. Cook for another 2 minutes. Transfer the stir-fry to a warm serving dish. Put the sesame seeds into the pan and lightly toast in the oil. Scatter the sesame seeds over the top. Serve with noodles or rice.

Broccoli Soup

A tasty soup recipe from our customer Kris Halls.

2 medium heads broccoli, broken into florets, stalk chopped
1 large potato, cut into 2cm cubes
1 large or 2 small onions, sliced - red are good if you have them
2 large garlic cloves 2 tablespoons olive oil
juice of 1/2 lemon

Fry the onion in oil over a gentle heat until soft - about 10 minutes, don't allow it to brown. Add crushed garlic and fry for 1 minute. Add the chopped potato and broccoli and stir. Add enough cold water to cover vegetables. Season with salt and black pepper. Bring to the boil and simmer for about 10 minutes until the potatoes are tender (check by trying to squash them against the side of the pan with a wooden spoon. Remove from the heat and allow to cool a little before blending in a liquidiser or with a hand-held blender. Season as necessary and stir in the lemon juice. Reheat gently if necessary and serve.

Broccoli Bake

One head of broccoli
100g (3 & 1/2; oz) butter
6 cloves of garlic
200 g (7 oz) organic mature cheddar or other cheese

Wash the broccoli and break into florets, then place in an ovenproof dish. Crush the cloves of garlic and blend into the butter, and then dot this mixture all over the broccoli. Grate the cheese and sprinkle over the broccoli with. Cover the dish with foil and bake in the centre of the oven at 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6 for 40 minutes or until the broccoli is tender. Delicious served with baked potatoes, drizzling all the garlicky butter from the broccoli over the spuds.

Roasted Broccoli with Lemon Breadcrumb Topping

Serves approximately 4, as a side dish.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 onion, minced
4 tablespoons breadcrumbs
1 lemon, zested (the peel grated), and juice reserved
salt and pepper to taste
450 g (1 lb) broccoli

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a frying pan over medium heat, and sauté the onion until it begins to brown. Add the breadcrumbs, stirring continuously, and toast until golden. Transfer the mix to a bowl and combine with the lemon zest; season to taste. Cut the broccoli, including the stems, into large chunks or spears. Toss with remaining oil, season, and roast in a baking pan at 220°C/425°F/Gas mark 7 for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with lemon juice and then the breadcrumbs, and serve.

Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry

Feel free to add additional veggies, such as carrots or sweet peppers - and the beef can be substituted with chicken. Serve with rice, or spooned over Chinese egg noodles. Serves 4.

60 ml soy sauce or tamari
60 ml sherry or rice wine
1 tablespoon honey
6 garlic cloves, chopped
2 teaspoons grated orange peel
450 g (1 lb) thinly sliced beef steak
1 head broccoli, cut into florets
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Pepper to taste

Whisk soy sauce, sherry, honey, garlic, and orange peel together in a large bowl. Add the beef strips and toss to coat. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or leave overnight. Blanch the broccoli in a large pot of boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water, then drain again. Drain the meat well, reserving the marinade. Add the cornstarch to the marinade and mix until smooth, then set aside. Heat the oil in a large wok or frying pan over medium-high heat, and add the beef. Stir-fry until almost cooked through, about 2 minutes. Add the broccoli and stir-fry until crisp-tender, another 2 minutes. Add the reserved marinade mixture and boil until the sauce thickens, stirring constantly; a few minutes. Season to taste with pepper, and serve.

Broccoli and Almond Stir-Fry

1 teaspoon coriander seeds, crushed
500 g (1 lb) broccoli, cut into small florets
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons slivered almonds, oven toasted
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon cider or red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
2 teaspoons sesame oil

Heat the oil in a wok or a large frying pan. Add the coriander seeds, stir quickly for 30 seconds to release the aroma; then add the almonds, garlic, ginger and broccoli to the pan. Stir-fry over high heat for 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Pour the combined vinegar, soy sauce and oil into the pan. Toss until the broccoli is well coated. Serve immediately over rice or noodles.

Spicy Sausage and Broccoli Pasta

This pasta topping is delicious on pizza too! For an equally tasty dish without meat, omit the sausage and add another head of broccoli. Serves 4.

1 head broccoli, chopped roughly
400 g fresh sausage, sliced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 chilli pepper, minced (optional)
1 handful fresh basil, torn into bits
a splash of olive oil
400 g pasta

Cook the pasta, and while it’s cooking heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil, garlic and chilli. Add the sausage and sauté for about five minutes, or until the sausage is fully cooked. Then add the broccoli and sauté for another few minutes, or until the broccoli is bright green, and slightly tender, but still crunchy. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Spoon over the pasta, sprinkle lots of fresh basil on top and serve.

Cheese, Egg and Broccoli Rice Bake

1 bunch of broccoli, chopped into little trees
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped small
2 cloves garlic, chopped very small
1 teaspoon each dried parsley and basil
1 big pinch of black pepper
200 g beef mince
8 eggs, 120 ml milk, 80 g grated parmesan cheese - all mixed together
700 g cooked rice
100 g grated mozzarella cheese (or cheddar)

Preheat oven to 375°F, 190°C, gas mark 5. In a small saucepan, bring some water to a boil over high heat. Add the broccoli and cook for 3 minutes. Using oven gloves, take the pan off the heat and drain the broccoli in a colander set in the sink. Rinse the broccoli under cold water, and set aside to drain. Heat the oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, parsley, basil, a pinch of salt, the pepper, and the mince. Cook until the meat is all brown, about 8 minutes. Spread the cooked rice in a casserole dish. Spread the meat mixture on top. Place the broccoli on top, pour on the egg mixture, and sprinkle on the cheese. Bake until brown, about 25 minutes. Et Voila!

Broccoli Spears with Parmesan Bean Dip

Use raw or lightly steamed broccoli to scoop up this dip, Cover up your leftovers and keep in the fridge for up to one week.

1 tin white beans, drained
200 ml crème fraiche or plain yoghurt
2 teaspoons olive oil
Juice from 1/2 lemon
1 handful grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon paprika
A light sprinkle of pepper
Broccoli spears and cut-up broccoli stalk

Put all of the ingredients except the broccoli into a food processor and mix into a puree (which can be chunky or smooth) – or put the ingredients into a bowl and mash with a potato masher. Spoon your dip into a bowl and plunge a piece of broccoli in; scoop; and eat!

Broccoli and Pasta Bake

Serve with crusty bread and salad. Serves 4.

3 large handfuls chopped broccoli and stalks
450 g short pasta, such as shells or fusilli
250 g cottage cheese or ricotta
3 eggs, beaten
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
200 g shredded mozzarella (or cheddar)
1 handful grated Parmesan

Steam or boil broccoli until just tender; cool. Meanwhile boil pasta until tender; drain and rinse under cold water. Combine broccoli, pasta and cottage cheese in large bowl. In separate bowl, beat eggs, pepper, paprika and mustard; pour over pasta and combine. Pour the mixture into large greased baking dish. Top with cheeses and bake uncovered for 30 minutes.

Broccoli with Lemon & Parmesan

Perfect for regular or purple sprouting broccoli, and a great excuse to remind you that steamed vegetables retain more nutrients than boiled ones! 4 side-servings.

400 g broccoli, cut into spears, stems peeled/sliced
2 tablespoons butter
Fresh lemon juice to taste
Freshly grated lemon zest to taste
Pepper to taste
1 handful freshly grated Parmesan cheese

In a steamer set over boiling water, cover and steam the broccoli for 5 minutes, or until it is tender but still with a bit of crunch. In a large frying pan heat the butter over a medium heat until the foam subsides then add the broccoli to the pan and toss to coat. Sprinkle the broccoli with lemon juice, zest, and pepper to taste. Serve sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.

Pasta with Broccoli and Chickpeas

Perfect for purple sprouting broccoli! Serves 4.

500 g freshly cooked pasta, such as shells or fusilli
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tins chickpeas, drained and rinsed
400 g broccoli or purple sprouting broccoli, chopped
200 ml dry white wine
200 ml vegetable or chicken stock
1 handful grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat and add the garlic and chickpeas. Sauté for about 3 minutes then add the broccoli, wine and stock. Put the lid on the pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Uncover and add the drained pasta and parmesan and toss to combine the ingredients. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Broccoli with Cheese Sauce

Serves 4 as a side dish.

2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon plain flour
350 ml milk
60 g grated cheddar
1/3 teaspoon mustard powder
Salt and pepper to taste
400 g broccoli, chopped (including the stems)

Melt some butter in small pan over a medium heat then add the flour and stir it for about 1 minute before removing it from the heat. Add the milk very slowly, whisking constantly to keep the mixture smooth. Return the pan to the heat and stir until mixture bubbles around the edges and thickens. Remove from the heat, add the cheese and mustard, season to taste, and pour over lightly steamed broccoli.

Savoury Broccoli Pots

Great with any type of broccoli! Serve with a light spring salad. Serves approximately 4-6.

360 ml milk
3 whole eggs or 4 egg whites
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
2 large handfuls lightly cooked, chopped broccoli
1 handful grated cheddar or swiss cheese
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat your oven to 180°C, 350°F, gas mark 4. Butter a large soufflé dish or 6 one-portion ramekins. Whisk the milk and eggs together until smooth then add everything else. Pour the batter into the soufflé dish or ramekins. Put some near-boiling water into a baking dish, and place the soufflé dish in the water (which should come halfway up the sides). Bake until the custard is set and a knife inserted comes out clean, about 45 minutes for single custard, or 25 minutes for individual ones. Cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Zesty Chicken and Broccoli

A quick and versatile main dish for 4, which can be served warmed, chilled, or at room temperature.

450 g potatoes, cut into bite-sized cubes
2 handfuls sliced carrots
3 handfuls broccoli florets and sliced stalk
450 g cooked chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon thinly sliced garlic
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
Salt and pepper to taste

Lightly steam the vegetables. Steam the potatoes and carrots for about 10 minutes, then add broccoli and steam another 3 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to a large bowl until they have cooled a bit. Add the chicken. Combine oil and garlic in a small saucepan over low heat and cook the garlic for 1 minute. Remove it from heat and let cool it slightly and then whisk it into the lemon juice and thyme. Pour this over the vegetables and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve.

Roast Broccoli Romesco

6 tablespoons almonds
1 large or 2 smaller garlic clove
1 large or 2 smaller red peppers
1 large slice of stale bread, torn into 2cm pieces
½ tsp sweet paprika
A pinch of chilli powder
1/2 tablespoon sherry or red wine vinegar
60ml extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1 tbsp for the broccoli
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 head of broccoli, cut lengthwise into 8 pieces, stalk and all
1 tbsp unsalted butter
½ lemon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat your oven to 220C.

The key to making this sauce really sing and zing, is to get your almonds right. If they have skins on them, place them in a large bowl and cover full with boiling water from the kettle and soak for 5 minutes. This will loosen up the skins. Drain, refresh in cold water and peel the skins off each one – it’s a bit tedious but skinned almonds, which you then lightly toasted, are what make this sauce truly wonderful. The secret to peeling them is to pinch the wider, bottom end of each almond with your fingernail to cut through it, then peel it from there. Put a bit of Spanish music on as you work.

Meanwhile, roast the red pepper(s). Simply pop it/them into the oven and cook for 20 minutes, turning once or twice. You want the skin to blacken a bit and to loosen up from the body of the pepper. Your kitchen will start to fill with the most wonderful, Spanishy, peppery aroma – use this as a guide to when it’s done! When the pepper is cooked, pop it into a bowl or pot and place a lid on it – this will steam it and help you get the skin off. Keep the oven on as you’ll need it for the broccoli (unless, of course, you’re making the sauce in advance, which is not a bad idea because it improves after a day in the fridge!)

Then, once the almonds are peeled toast them in a dry frying pan until they just start to golden and gloss over a bit with their natural oils. Once cooked, pour them into a cool bowl to keep them from cooking further. Use the same pan, while still warm, to toast the bread pieces. Again, cook just until golden then place in a food processor, along with the almonds. Let them cool for a minute while you peel, deseed and roughly chop the roasted red pepper.

Add the sweet paprika and chilli powder to the almonds and toasted crumbs and blitz until you have quite fine crumbs. Add the garlic and blitz to combine. Then, toss in the roasted pepper(s) and vinegar and blitz until you have a nice, thick paste. with the machine on, slowly pour in 60ml of the olive oil and process until blended and smooth. Scrape the Romesco sauce into a bowl, stir in the parsley and season with salt and black pepper.

Let the flavours of the sauce meld as you cook the broccoli. Place the butter in a roasting dish and pop into the oven for a couple of minutes, long enough to melt it, drizzle in the olive oil, add the broccoli and squeeze over the lemon juice. Give it a good toss, sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast for 15-20 minutes, just long enough to soften it up a bit and to lend it a bit of colour. Add more lemon after it cooks, if you like, and either serve with the Romesco sauce drizzled over the top, or with the sauce put in little pots for dipping on the side.

Roasted Broccoli with Garlic, Balsamic and Parmesan

Serves 4-6 as a side

2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 head of broccoli
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Zest from 1 lemon (or from 1 orange – up to you!)
A very tiny pinch of sea salt
A reasonable amount of freshly ground or crushed black pepper corns
5 garlic cloves, left whole with their skins on
2 inch piece of Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 200C. Quarter the broccoli – stem and all. Toss in a bowl with the balsamic, lemon zest, a tiny pinch of salt and a good bit of pepper; coat well. Place the butter in a roasting dish and pop it in the oven for a couple of minutes, just long enough to melt the butter. Add the dressed broccoli, as well as the whole garlic cloves, and roast until the broccoli is crisp-tender and stalks begin to brown, about 25 minutes. Once cooked grate over the Parmesan cheese and serve.

Quick Broccoli Dish

Cook your favourite pasta. Steam smallish florets of broccoli. Once pasta is cooked, drain, while pasta is still hot add finely chopped garlic and swirl through mascarpone or Greek yogurt. Add broccoli, along with slivers of smoked salmon (optional) and toasted pinenuts. Season and top with grated Parmesan.

Broccoli Cheddar Melt

This is more of an idea than a recipe, but it's so scrummy, we had to share. Serves everyone, or just one!

Broccoli
Your favourite cheddar
Some nice bread
A bit of butter

Preheat your oven grill, or just heat the oven to 200°C. For each piece of toast, snap a broccoli floret off the stalk. Slice it in half, or three slices if it's a really big piece.

Butter your bread. Be generous.

Lay the broccoli on the bread.

Thinly slice a decent hunk of cheese and place on top.

Place under the grill for 7‐10 minutes, until you get the desired shade of golden.

Paul's Pakoras

As well as working in Amsterdam and Ibiza, Paul spent a bit of time working with chefs in India. This was one of his favourite snacks, a bhaji‐style fritter, which he made for us last week. Serves 6 as a snack.

100g chickpea flour (you can use plain white flour but chickpea is far better!)
½ tsp ground coriander
1 tsp salt
½ tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp chilli powder
½ tsp garam masala
2 garlic cloves, crushed
200ml water
1 litre oil for deep frying
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 head broccoli or cauliflower
2 handfuls spinach, shredded cabbage or roughly torn pak choi leaves and finely sliced stalks

Sift the chickpea flour into a medium bowl. Mix in the coriander, salt, turmeric, chilli powder, garam masala and garlic.

Make a well in the centre of the flour. Gradually pour the water into the well and mix to form a thick, smooth batter.

Over medium high heat in a large, heavy saucepan, heat the oil to 190°C.

Tip all of the veg into the batter and give the veg a good stir to thoroughly coat them. Then, fry them in small batches until golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes. Give the veg a good swirl when it's in the oil to help it all stick together in clumpy fritter clusters. Drain on paper or on stale slices of bread. Serve warm with a spiced or herby yogurt and some coriander oil.

Broccoli and Blue Cheese Pasta with Walnut Breadcrumbs

A seriously superior organic supper that is brilliantly quick and easy to make.

Prep time: 5 mins
Cooking time: 25 mins

Serves 4

½ mug of breadcrumbs
½ mug of walnuts, finely chopped
300g spaghetti
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 head of broccoli, cut into small florets
150g or thereabouts of soft blue cheese like Gorgonzola Dolce or Stilton
50g or so of unsalted butter
Olive oil
Sea salt and pepper

Place a large frying pan over high heat. Add a splash of olive oil. When warm, add breadcrumbs, walnuts and garlic with a pinch of salt and sauté until just golden. Set aside.

Cook your pasta. Add the broccoli halfway through the cooking, so that it cooks 3-5 minutes. Drain. Place the pasta pan back over the heat. Add cheese and butter. Stir until the cheese has just melted. Fold into the warm pasta and broccoli. Season with pepper. Pile onto plates. Dust the walnut breadcrumbs over the top. Amazing.

Brilliant Brainy Roast Broccoli

Children love being able to dress their little green trees. Add a bit of chilli to the balsamic for spice-loving adults. Delicious.

Prep time: 5 mins
Cooking time: 25 mins

Serves 4 as a side

A glug of olive oil
1 head of broccoli
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
Sea salt and black pepper
1 lemon
Balsamic vinegar
Freshly grated parmesan

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Add a splash of olive oil to a roasting tin. Cut broccoli into florets just the right for a good bite-sized piece, leave a decent hunk of stem attached. Pile into oiled tin. Sprinkle garlic over. Season. Add a bit of lemon juice and zest. Fold to evenly coat. Pop into the oven and roast for 15-20 mins, until broccoli is tender. Serve with little pots of balsamic vinegar for dipping and parmesan for sprinkling.