I made these broccoli and hazelnut flans to repurpose the broccoli stems and turn them into a valuable kitchen resource instead of waste to throw away.
Unfortunately, there are some types of vegetables, such as broccoli, but also cauliflower and artichokes, that produce a large amount of waste which, if thrown away, can turn into a waste of resources and money! That’s why I always try to come up with anti-waste recipes that allow me to make use of these parts of vegetables that would otherwise end up in the trash bin.
Here are other ideas to reclaim vegetable waste
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Very Cheap
- Preparation time: 40 Minutes
- Portions: 6
- Cooking methods: Boiling, Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
- Energy 307.59 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 16.03 (g) of which sugars 7.27 (g)
- Proteins 11.97 (g)
- Fat 23.29 (g) of which saturated 6.97 (g)of which unsaturated 8.25 (g)
- Fibers 3.74 (g)
- Sodium 926.38 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 110 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for Broccoli Flans
- 2 broccoli (from the heads, we save the stems and leaves for a total weight of about 1.32 lbs)
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup hazelnut flour
- 2/3 cup milk
- 2 tbsps butter
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2/3 oz Pecorino cheese
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- to taste salt
- 1/4 cup whole peeled hazelnuts
- to taste wildflower honey
Tools
- 1 Food Mill
- 6 Baking Dishes round ceramic, 3-4 inches in diameter
Preparation of Broccoli Flans
To prepare the broccoli flans, first wash and clean the broccoli heads, set aside the florets for other preparations, and focus on the “waste.”
Cut the broccoli stems into pieces
and do the same with the leaves
Boil the broccoli stems and leaves in salted boiling water for about 30 minutes until tender, then pass them through the food mill
until you get a broccoli cream
Prepare a bechamel sauce with milk, butter, and flour, which will be quite thick. Salt it and flavor it with a pinch of nutmeg
Let the bechamel cool slightly, then add the egg yolks, Pecorino, and grated Parmesan cheese
Mix everything
and add this cream to the processed broccoli, also adding the hazelnut flour
Whisk the egg whites until stiff and gently fold them into the mixture. Season with salt.
Grease the ceramic ramekins with a little oil and pour the broccoli flan mixture inside (decorate as desired with steamed broccoli florets)
Bake your flans in a static oven at 350°F for about 25 minutes.
Serve the broccoli flans warm, sprinkled with a little coarsely chopped hazelnuts and a drizzle of honey
