The Light and Tasty column asked us to cook with “winter colors” today, and among the winter recipes in my photo archive, I chose this recipe that I’ve been wanting to write: my pan of broccoli rabe with potatoes, a comforting recipe as only simple recipes can be. 😊
I cooked it some time ago following advice from Lina Felicia, a special person who often suggests recipes to me, especially from Campania, which are unknown to me, and always gives me valuable tips on cooking and typical ingredients. Of course, with this recipe, I wasn’t exactly a model student because when it came time to put it into practice, I ended up improvising as I always do and forgot to mash the potatoes as Lina had told me to. 😇
But we’re here, in this Monday column, not to be perfect (me, then? 😅) but to have fun cooking and to learn new things, and this time thanks to this recipe I’ve learned quite a bit.
I learned that there are different varieties of broccoli rabe, each linked to its territory and thus with a typical different regional denomination (like the famous friarielli or broccoletti). I learned that they are inflorescences and should be harvested when they are in bud, that is, closed. I learned that they are usually boiled because boiling reduces their bitterness, but they can also be steamed or stewed in a pan, and they can be eaten raw if small and tender.
So far, I’ve only cooked them a couple of times (once to season pizzoccheri, remember?), both times in a pan and both times going a bit by intuition, as they are a completely new vegetable for me since they are not part of my tradition. But I really enjoy trying to cook what I don’t know, especially vegetables!
Lina Felicia suggested I try this recipe by also substituting broccoli rabe with chicory or other wild herbs, so get ready because I have other variations on the theme to experiment with! And who knows, maybe they will be proposed as future Monday recipes! 😃
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Below I leave you with 3 other great recipes that I didn’t know and were taught to me by Lina Felicia and my friend Rossana 💛👇
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 2
- Cooking methods: Stove, Microwave
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Winter
Ingredients
- 1 bunch broccoli rabe (1 lb)
- 3 potatoes
- 3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic
- hot chili pepper (to taste)
Tools
- Pan with lid
- Microwave Oven
Steps
Wash the broccoli rabe under running water.
Cut them into pieces and put them in a pan without draining them too much. Cook them with a teaspoon of oil, a clove of garlic, and a piece of chili pepper.
Let them stew for about 15 minutes over medium heat with the lid closed, adding a few tablespoons of hot water as needed.
While the broccoli rabe is cooking in the pan, peel the potatoes, cut them into pieces, rinse them in cold water, and cook them in the microwave (or cook them whole and peel them after cooking).
👉 For best microwave potato cooking, check out my tutorial –> QUI
Transfer the potatoes to the pan with the broccoli rabe and let them absorb the flavors for a few minutes.
Finish with a drizzle of raw oil and serve the broccoli rabe with potatoes piping hot.
No Salt Tips
As always, my main suggestion for cooking vegetables is not to boil them in water, as it causes most of the minerals (and flavor) to be lost. For this reason, I cooked my broccoli rabe directly in the pan without blanching them first.
One of the qualities of broccoli rabe is that they have a strong, slightly bitter flavor, so they are a particularly suitable vegetable to be cooked without salt, having their own characteristic and intense flavor.
The use of chili pepper and garlic is ideal, as they are both excellent flavor enhancers, always suitable for all vegetables.
If you are interested in reducing or eliminating salt, always remember to:
▫ Reduce salt gradually, the palate has to get used to it slowly and should not notice the progressive reduction.
▫ Use spices. Chili pepper, pepper, curry, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, cumin…
▫ Use aromatic herbs. Basil, parsley, oregano, thyme, sage, marjoram, rosemary, mint…
▫ Use seeds. Sesame, pine nuts, almonds, walnuts…
▫ Use spicy vegetables or fruit. Garlic, onion, lemon, orange…
▫ Use my salt-free vegetable granules and gomasio.
▫ Prefer fresh foods.
▫ Avoid cooking in water, prefer cooking methods that don’t dilute flavors (grill, foil, steam, microwave)
▫ Avoid bringing the salt shaker to the table!
▫ Occasionally break the rule. It’s good for the mood and helps to persevere.
If you do not want to, or cannot, give up salt:
▫ You can still try my recipes by salting according to your habits.
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Today’s Other Light and Tasty Recipes:
And here are the other proposals from the Team:
Carla Emilia: Baked Fennel
Daniela: Fennel Salad with Yogurt and Walnuts
Elena: Colorful Chicken Salad
Milena: Colored Cauliflower Soup with Hazelnuts
Serena: Chard and Borlotti Bean Soup
