Something Green for St. Paddy's Day...Broccomole!

 
   As a native Californian I grew up eating and loving  avocados. I know there are people out there who don't see things that way. There are actually people who can't stand the taste or feel of avocado, and I've even seen them wonder what is it good for? Absolutely everything as far as I'm concerned. I can't get enough avocado.
 
   Yes, avocados are full of fats but they're the good fats. They're also high in protein, and vitamins, everything from potassium, to Vitamins E and B. They are champs. They are what is known as a nutrient-dense food in that they provide a whole lotta bang (the good healthy stuff) for very little buck (aka calories). I have to admit I eat a lot of avocados as part of my daily diet, especially since I am currently in my last month of chemo it's important to stay strong and nourished. However, as great as the avocado is, there's another champ out there, maybe a little less popular and less known to hang out in the dip bowls at bars, and that is broccoli.
   
   Yes, broccoli, it's green like avocado, full of vitamins and antioxidents, has even less calories... but yes it still is broccoli. Personally, I happen to like broccoli., and I've eaten it in a variety of dishes. I thought I'd done broccoli almost anyway one could do it until my friend Tim Connelly in New York tweeted me about Broccomole. Tim wasn't sure whether I'd given him the recipe, (no I did not) or he'd given it to me before (no way, That I would remember) but all of a sudden broccomole, a guacamole made with broccoli was on my radar, and I had to try it.
    
   In making my broccomole however, I decided that no ordinary broccoli would do. I was going to go above and beyond mere broccoli, I was going to go romanesco. In case you haven't ever seen a romanesco before, this is romanesco.

It's also known as the fractal vegetable. In short, the vegetable most likely to be enjoyed by any of the characters on The Big Bang Theory.
 
   I found my perfect organic romanesco at Whole Foods and the game was afoot. I was going to turn my romanesco into a south of the border treat, or die trying. As a matter of quick explanation, the romanesco is a sort of baroque cauliflower/ broccoli which originated in Italy. It's sort of like a cauliflower, but it's not, and sort of looks like broccoli, but it's not. I decided to use it for my broccolmole but if you can't find one, good old broccoli will do just fine.

Broccomole

 

Here's What You Need:

 1 head of broccoli or 1 romanesco. Either way it should all come down to about 3 cups of cut up broccoli.
1 jalepeno seeded and chopped
2 Tbs green onions, chopped
1 tsp olive oil
2 oz of something creamy. Here you can use, soft tofu, cream cheese, Mexican crema, sour cream, yogurt, you name it.
1/4 tsp Kashmiri chili
1 Tbs chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 tsp salt
 1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Here's What To Do:

Wash your broccoli or romanesco.

Chop it up. You'll need 3 cups.

Steam your broccoli or romanesco until it's tender. You want to get it a lot softer than al dente.

Once it's steamed, drain it well and let it cool a moment.

Chop up your green onions.

Put the steamed broccoli or the romanesco into a food processor along with the chopped onions, salt and other ingredients except for the sour cream tofu (or whatever creamy stuff you're adding in.)

Process it unitl it's smooth, then add in your creamy ingredient. I chose sour cream.

Add in the chili...

...cilantro...

...and that's it. Check the flavor for seasoning and serve it up with your favorite chips.

I used some sweet potato chips from Whole Foods. Now, this does not taste like guacamole, because well, it's broccomole and there's the difference. But you can still dip and chip and it's tasty, and good for you!

   Check it out. I warned Tim that I'd better like it, and what do you know, I did. I'm not giving up guacamole for it, but it's a great change up alternative, and a painless way of getting your broccoli requirement. Coming up next, more easy tricks with Indian food and some intriguing spices from a new source.. Follow along on Twitter @kathygori