Broccoli Salad with Pasta

Pull together this gleaming, creamy yogurt-based dressing in a snap and toss with lots of broccoli and some leftover pasta. You could use many other veggies such as cauliflower or asparagus. I just like to keep the veggie to pasta ratio high to minimize carbs and increase veggie intake.

4 cups broccoli flowerets, cut into small bite-sized pieces

3-4 cups cooked favorite pasta, drained and at room temperature

Dressing:

2 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar

1/3 cup plain Yogurt

1/4 cup good real mayonnaise

1 clove garlic, minced through a press

Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste

Fresh mint leaves for garnish (optional)

If you haven’t cooked the pasta - get cooking!

Whisk together the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Adjust thickness with a dash water if it is very thick. This will depend on the type of yogurt you use - they vary widely in their moisture content. I always use Greek, so I added a dash of water. The dressing should glide and drip, not fall (read glop), off of a spoon.

Fold the pasta, broccoli and dressing together in a large bowl to mix well.

Make sure the dressing is liquid enough to infuse the inside of the broccoli flowerets, and not clog up the works. The pasta will also absorb a lot of moisture.

Allow to marinate at least 30 minutes or more, stirring often. When ready to eat, refresh with a dash of water if necessary. If desired, garnish with plenty of mint leaves and crushed red pepper flakes.

Serves 4 as a side dish.

Comments

Umami Beef Short Ribs Samin Nosrat

This is the penultimate prep for beef short ribs. Based on the superb documentary by Samin Nosrat, Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, this is the most umami rib dish you will ever have. Its the combination of red miso and soy sauce that marinates and flavors the beef - give it a long time to work right - that means overnight in the fridge; it's worth the planning ahead. 6 beef short ribs on the bone, about 3-4 lb 1 large sweet yellow onion, diced 2 stalks celery, diced 1 jalapeño pepper, minced 4 cloves garlic, halved Marinade: 1/4 cup red miso 1/4 cup soy sauce 1/4 cup pale dry sherry or Mirin rice wine 1 Tbsp sesame oil 1 Tbsp honey 2 cloves garlic, minced Salt the ribs generously with coarse salt and let rest overnight in the refrigerator in a resealable plastic bag. Whisk together the marinade. Pour into the plastic bag and allow to marinate on the counter for about 2-3 hours, or again overnight in the refrigerator. Preheat...

Vinaigrette Erique 2.0

From the archives: Making a really, really good vinaigrette has been a craft in my family, and in my in-law family for generations. My late uncle, Jeannot, and Father-in-law, Bernard, (both best of friends) were each geniuses at the vinaigrette. And they both taught me. I have to say my siblings along with my sisters and brothers in-law do really now carry on the tradition as I strive to as well. In our family cookbook "Cuisine Encore" I published my go-to vinaigrette - a basic version taught to me by my French mother, Monique. It's great, yet I have been looking for something slightly more modern and upbeat. So I merged Asian rice vinegar into the mix along with fresh (not powdered) garlic with the Dijon mustard, and toned down the salt. Make it your own. I now have what I think is an even better basic vinaigrette, today. Talk to you tomorrow! 1/4 cup cider vinegar 1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar 1 generous tsp Dijon mustard 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 cup ca...

Rosemary Chimichurri

I am making this fresh aromatic condiment more and more often. It can be used as a topping for grilled meats, fish, and for many other flavoring opportunities. I now keep some in the refrigerator almost at all times. 4 Tbsp fresh rosemary leaves large palmful fresh cilantro, leaves and stems 3 cloves garlic 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes juice of 1/2 lime (or lemon), and the zest if you like 1/4 tsp salt fresh ground black pepper to taste 1/4 cup olive oil Pulse the rosemary, cilantro and garlic in a small food processor (You could also use a mortar and pestle.) Tip into a small bowl and stir in the remaining ingredients. Cook’s Note: If you haven’t noticed, I love chimichurri sauce. It’s zesty, and full of aromatics. It goes on so many dishes and is a great ingredient for so many things. Make some and keep it in the fridge for inspiration. I use fresh rosemary and cilantro as my green herbs, but you could use oregano and parsley, which is also popular. Many peo...

Cuisine Eric

Search This Blog