Ask any of the Spicewallas what their "hot" vegetable is right now and no one is gonna tell you kale or swiss chard, we'll all tell you the same thing. BROCC-O-LINI BABY! We can't get enough of the stuff! So when we decided to do a Valentine's Day feature there was only one side dish that was going to be our main squeeze. Broccolini, for those of you who are not familiar, is a vegetable hybrid of broccoli and Gai lan (Chinese broccoli). It has long stalks, small florets, and very few leaves. Compared to its better known broccoli parent, broccolini has a slightly more mild flavor, with a sweet and earthy taste.
Broccolini is also the perfect vehicle for our incredibly versatile, aromatic, and spicy Harissa. Traditionally, Harissa is the condiment of choice in North African and Middle Eastern cooking, made with smoked hot chilli peppers and a mix of spices. Our Harissa is a made with ancho chilli powder, garlic, paprika, caraway, cumin, and salt, forming a dry blend that can be mixed with the oil of your choice to create a delicious paste. This quick and easy recipe is the perfect companion to say, a juicy Valentine's Day steak, or could be a new weekly dinner staple!
Don't worry if your harissa broccolini doesn't look exactly like our photos. We ended up going a little overboard with the harissa and scaled our recipe down quite a bit. You know what they say, when the chef's away the other Spicewallas will play and get heavy-handed with the spices.
Ingredients:
2 bunches of broccolini
2 tbsp of Spicewalla Harissa
4 tbsp of olive oil
half of a lemon
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Wash and trim the broccolini and cut in portions for the larger pieces.
3. Lay on a rimmed baking sheet or in oven-safe dish
4. Mix olive oil and Harissa into paste
5. Toss broccolini with Harissa mixture.
6. Roast for 20-25 mins or until tender and crispy.
7. Squeeze lemon and serve!
Want the whole meal? Click here for the the perfect Valentine's Day Steak. Click here for a delicious Bittersweet, Slightly Spicy Chocolate Tart.