Good morning, friends!
Let’s talk about greens. Before I transitioned into a plant-based diet, I actually was only into spinach, escarole, and kale (barely) and that was the extent of it. I was pretty much afraid of anything else. Once I transitioned into a plant-based diet, I decided it may be best to try a new vegetable each week (I created a chart for this challenge if you are interested!) Needless to say, I’m a green queen now and enjoy swiss chard to collards and everything in between.
One green that doesn’t get enough love is broccoli rabe. Maybe because it’s bitter? I know that I used to be turned off by its bitterness but it’s strange… I would be like meh, don’t really like this. Then suddenly, I couldn’t stop craving it. And with this pregnancy in particular, I CANNOT STOP EATING IT TO SAVE MY LIFE. Which is fine, because it is a great source of iron. I figured I should probably share this simple recipe because it is all that I’ve been making lately.
I like to make it simple – just a little olive oil and garlic is all it really needs. If you’ve never had it, I definitely recommend trying it and having some bread handy. I started eating it alongside bread and it makes a killer sandwich. I eased into eating it alone, and now I can’t get enough. It’s a quick and easy recipe to make and it stores well for a week in the fridge. It’s one of the many recipes that I cycle in and out of my bulk cooking routine.
Recipe
You will need:
- 1 head broccoli rabe
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/3 cup water
- Red hot pepper flakes (optional)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
To make:
- You do not want the tough stems when prepping broccoli rabe, so start by cutting off the bottom of the stems from where the leaves begin (or sometimes I just tear the leaves off with my hands – whatever works). Rinse leaves and set aside.
- In a medium pan, add olive oil, enough to coat the bottom (about 3 tbs), and then garlic.
- Immediately add your greens to this, followed by 1/3 cup water. Set the stove to simmer, and allow greens to wilt – about 15-20 minutes.
- Add salt, pepper, and red hot pepper flakes.
- Add 1 last tbs of olive oil and mix well.
Again – eat as is or enjoy between two slices of bread… soak up the juice, which is especially yummy. Like this:
Let me know if you are also a fan of broccoli rabe. I feel like we totally need to unite and show this green some love. ;) xx bianca
