The love between broccoli and orecchiette

What the crap was I thinking posting a tofu recipe as my first blogobite?! Now THIS is a recipe to start a fricken blog with. It is creamy and broccoli-ish and unexpectedly spicy and really wonderful to mash around in your mouth. It's also a wonderful way to get someone who doesn't really love broccoli to give my favorite itty-bitty tree vegetable a try.

Orecchiette with Broccoli and Parm

5 tsp minced garlic
1/3 cup olive oil (I know, it's a lot--but this isn't fricken Jenny Craig.com)
2 (10-oz) packages frozen chopped broccoli
1 cup water
1/4-1/2 tsp hot pepper flakes
1/3 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 lb dried orecchiette (or whatever smallish pasta you have)

Cook garlic in olive oil in a big pot with a lid over medium heat for about a minute. Add broccoli, water, pepper flakes, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper and cook, covered, stirring occasionally until most of the water is absorbed and the broccoli looks slightly browned and kind of mushy. That should take about 12-15 minutes.
Now if you're a fancy-pants and got the orecchiette like I did you should cook them in nice salty boiling water while your broccoli is cooking and they should get done right about the same time. If you aren't a fancy-pants just make sure your pasta is al dente. Take a cup and reserve some of the pasta water and drain the rest.
Stir the parm into the broccoli and smoosh it around and then add the pasta. If it's kind of dry and sticky add some of the pasta water. If not, put it on a plate and do some masticating.

By the way, this recipe makes a load of pasta. As in, about enough for five people--so consider yourself warned. And if you can't find the boxes of chopped broccoli, which I couldn't, just use frozen florets and chop them up once they get soft. I used scissors and it was really fun.

Give tofu a chance.

Sometimes food that is delicious is kind of ugly. This dish is ugly. I am posting it because it tastes fricken awesome, so make it and eat it and you will love ugly food, too. It's spicy and crunchy and helps you forgive tofu for being gross sometimes. The crumbled tofu has a meat-ish texture (extra points if you freeze and thaw it before you make this--helping with additional firmness) and the water chestnuts are a lovely crunchy addition.

Spicy Crunchy Tofu Lettuce Wraps

2 tsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 T minced fresh ginger
1 T minced lemongrass
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb chunk extra firm tofu, crumbled into small chunks
1 8-oz can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
5 T soy sauce
5 T hoisin sauce
1 to 2 tsp hot sauce (whatever type tickles your fancy)
16 leaves iceburg lettuce
2 green onions, sliced

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium to high heat. Add the onion, ginger, lemongrass and garlic and cook for 7-10 minutes until onions are starting to brown.

Add crumbled tofu and water chestnuts and mash it all up with your spatula or a whisk or something very smoosh-worthy. Cook this mess for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.


Mix together soy sauce, hoisin sauce and chili sauce. Dump that mix right into the tofu mixture. Mix until thoroughly coated. Transfer to serving bowl.



Grab a lettuce leaf and fill that baby with that ugly tofu deliciousness and sprinkle some of those lovely sliced green onions and give her a drizzle of extra hot sauce on top and promptly send me diamonds as a thank you for opening your eyes to this hideously delectable recipe.