Cook by the Book: Emerald Broccoli

Hello, I have a new cookbook recipe to share today! I think I mostly share main dishes or desserts on my blog and I’m not sure why—maybe I don’t experiment enough with side dishes and that needs to change. So, here’s a quick and easy side dish I tried this week. It’s called Emerald Broccoli from The Daniel Plan Cookbook.

Several years ago, my husband and I participated in the Daniel fast and so naturally I bought a cookbook for some meal inspiration–any excuse to buy a new cookbook, ha! And wow, it’s full of delicious recipes! It’s almost a shame to feature a side dish from this cookbook because this book offers some amazing main dishes! But this was a pretty tasty broccoli and it’s super quick for weeknights.

While I did use all the required ingredients, I didn’t use the exact amounts called for in the recipe so I’m going to simplify things and just tell you what I did.

Emerald Broccoli

Ingredients:

2+ cups water

6 cups broccoli florets

1/2- 3/4 c pesto

salt

crushed red pepper

lemon wedges

Steam the broccoli in a steamer basket with the 2 cups of water until it’s a bright emerald green and still somewhat firm. Remove from heat and let sit for a couple of minutes. While still hot, place the broccoli in a medium bowl and toss with pesto and a sprinkle of salt, to taste. Add a shake of crushed red pepper, to taste, and a few squeezes of lemon juice. Serve with additional lemon wedges.

I served the broccoli with hamburgers, sweet potato fries, and slaw, but I think it would be delicious with an Italian pasta meal! The cookbook also notes that it can be chilled and served as a cold salad. Yum!

Okay, that was easy! I doubt I would even need to look up the recipe next time I make it. This will definitely go in my weeknight rotation for a quick way to get another veggie on my family’s plates!