Asparagus with Prosciutto and Parmesan

This delicious side dish is so simple to prepare and the taste is phenomenal! The key is to cook the asparagus just long enough without overcooking.

For this recipe you will need: 1 bunch thick asparagus spears, 1/4 cup diced prosciutto, 1/2 cup stock, 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese and black pepper to taste.

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook diced prosciutto until crispy. While that is cooking, wash and trim the asparagus spears (snap one at the end to see where to cut the ends off the others). When the prosciutto is crisp, add the asparagus spears and allow to cook for a minute or two. Add stock and raise heat to bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low for 6 minutes. Remove lid and allow to cook until liquid is evaporated, about another 3 minutes or so. Remove from heat and add Parmesan cheese and fresh ground black pepper to serve.

Broccoli Soup

I hesitate to call this Cream of Broccoli soup, because I didn't use a traditional recipe calling for heavy cream. I didn't have any on hand, and frankly, I'm not a big fan of soups that are too heavy and creamy.

I decided to make soup because I got overzealous at the bulk store and picked up more broccoli florets than my family could handle in a reasonable time. Before 4 cups of broccoli went to waste, I decided to turn it into soup. I've never made cream of broccoli soup before, but I figured I would just keep adding ingredients until it tasted good.

The end result was a tasty broccoli soup that was not too heavy but still had a hardiness to it. Enjoy!

For this recipe you will need: 4 cups broccoli florets, 2 stalks of chopped celery, 1 large chopped onion, 2 cloves of garlic, 3 tablespoons olive oil, 4 cups stock, 1 cup sour cream, 1/2 cup cream cheese, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste.

In large pot, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add celery and onion until soft. Add garlic cloves for another 3 minutes. Add broccoli florets and stock. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to medium and cover. Once the broccoli is soft (about 6-8 minutes) blend in pot with immersion blender until smooth and well blended. Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine well.

The final texture of the soup should be thick and creamy, but you will definitely notice the texture of the broccoli. Please note this recipe is not for a traditional cream of broccoli soup. I topped mine with a bit of shredded cheddar cheese for an added bite.

Broccoli Rabe

Broccoli Rabe is a favorite in my home. And what's not to like? It's simple to prepare and very flavorful. I especially enjoy the bitterness of it. My kids? Not so much. But I still give it to them hoping one day they'll understand why it's so good.

Follow these simple (and I stress, simple) steps to a perfectly cooked Broccoli Rabe.

For this recipe you'll need: One bushel of broccoli rabe, 3 garlic cloves sliced, 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper flakes to taste. You may need some liquid like water, wine or stock.

Wash and cut the broccoli rabe into 2-3 inch pieces, discarded the woodier end pieces. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat. Add the pepper flakes and garlic to the oil and lower the heat immediately. Add the broccoli rabe to the pan half at a time. The heat will quickly wilt the broccoli and the second half should be added once there is enough room in the pan for more. Once the broccoli rabe is wilted (a few minutes), continue cooking in the pan until the stalks are as tender as you like. To cut some of the bitterness, you may add a bit of liquid to the pan at this time to aid in cooking.










Remove from heat and add salt and pepper to taste. In my opinion, there is no better accompaniment to broccoli rabe than sausage, but it's equally tasty in pasta dishes or even cold the next day.