VIDEO RECIPE: The Best Beef and Broccoli

The Best Beef and Broccoli

The latest in our video recipe series in cooperation with CBC Newfoundland and Labrador has been a very popular dish on Rock Recipes. Our easy, delicious Beef and Broccoli has many rave reviews and many people have said it's better that most restaurant versions they've tried. Our family prefers it over Chinese noodles rather than rice for a quick and easy weekday meal when you have little time to spare.

For the full recipe click here.

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Chocolate Smoothie w/ Herbal Tea Infusion

I’ve been trying to find other ways to get herbal tea infusions into my Little Love’s diet.  She does love drinking tea, but she won’t drink full glasses of it usually.  I’ve found that making smoothies with infusions works great.  She will happily drink a full glass, yay!  

If you haven’t had herbal tea infusions before, give them a try.  They are loaded with readily available vitamins and minerals, you can’t get that from a vitamin supplement. 

Chocolate Smoothie w/ Herbal Tea Infusion

This is great for a snack (a favorite snack in my house), and it’s great for breakfast too. 

Equipment: Blender

·      2 cups frozen organic strawberries (or mixed berries)*

·      ¼ to ½ cup organic broccoli or chopped kale*

·      1 ½ - 2 cups Nourishing Herbal Tea Infusion

·      2-3 tablespoons raw honey or sweetener of choice

·      ¼ cup raw cacao powder

·      2 teaspoons coconut oil (optional)

·      1 teaspoon gluten-free vanilla extract (I use Simply Organic)

1.    Place frozen strawberries, broccoli/kale, honey, cacao powder, coconut oil and vanilla in blender. Add herbal tea infusion, tea should be just below the frozen fruit/veg, not covering it.  COVER with lid.

2.   Blend on medium speed until combined and smooth, about 30-45 seconds.  If you have a cheap blender like I do, you might need to add a bit more herbal tea infusion to help it blend.    

3.   Serve immediately. 

Yield: About 4 cups.

Vegan-Option: Use organic maple syrup grade B or sweetener of choice instead of raw honey. 

Tip: Try Vitamin C Herbal Tea instead of the Nourishing Herbal Tea Infusion, or make your own infusion.    

*Note: This smoothie is wonderful with raspberries, blueberries, blackberries or a combo of all.  If you really don’t care for the flavor of greens in your smoothies, just omit the greens and add a little more frozen fruit.  OR, try adding a frozen banana to the smoothie, just omit some of the berries so you have about 2 cups of fruit total.  The banana flavor tends to mask the “green” flavor of the veggies.  


This post is part of Wildcrafting Wednesday @ Mind Body and Sole, Healthy 2day Wednesdays @ day2dayjoys, Pennywise Platter Thursday @ The Nourishing Gourmet, Simple Lives Thursday @ A Little Bit of Spain in Iowa, Wellness Weekend @ Diet, Dessert and Dogs, Fight Back Friday @ Food Renegade, Freaky Friday @ Real Food Freaks, Fresh Bites Friday @ Real Food Whole Health, Superfood Sunday @ Pain Free Pregnancy, Make Your Own! Monday link-up @ Nourishing Treasures, Monday Mania @ The Healthy Home Economist, Weekend Gourmet Blog Carnival @ Hartke Is Online, Homestead Barn Hop @ The Prairie Homestead, and Fat Tuesday @ Real Food Forager, Simply Indulgent Tuesday @ Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free, and Traditional Foods @ Cooking Traditional Foods.

Roasted Broccoli w/ Meyer Lemon

Roasted broccoli is so incredibly delicious.  If you have never tried broccoli this way, you've been missing out.  Roasting it brings out a whole different level of flavor.  Add a little bit of fresh lemon juice, and oh my, it's unbelievable.  

    

Roasted Broccoli w/ Meyer Lemon

Super yummy, bursting with flavor from the Meyer lemon.  

Equipment: Large Baking Pan (I use a stoneware Large Bar Pan), Large Mixing Bowl 

• 4 heads broccoli florets
• 2 tablespoons pasture butter, ghee or fat of choice, melted (See Resources)
• 1-2 teaspoons fresh Meyer lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon kelp granules (optional, I use Maine Coast)
• 1/2 teaspoon Celtic sea salt

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Place baking pan in the oven to get hot.  

2. Melt fat of choice.  I find the easiest way is to melt fat of choice in the oven in a 4 oz. mini oven-safe Ramekin, otherwise melt it on the stovetop.

3. Prep broccoli - wash and shake dry, cut into florets.

4. Add broccoli florets to a large mixing bowl.  Add melted butter, lemon juice, kelp granules and sea salt.  Mix to coat.    

5. Pour broccoli onto hot pan in oven, spread evenly and set timer for 10 minutes.  At 10 minutes, stir broccoli and spread evenly.  Set timer for another 10 minutes, check again.  They are done when some parts are golden brown.  Do not overcook, you don't want burnt broccoli.  

6. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for later. 

Yield: Makes about 2-3 cups cooked.  

Note: Broccoli should cook in about 20-25 minutes, but every oven cooks very different.  Make sure to watch them carefully so they don't burn.  The type of bakeware can change cooking time too.  I prefer to use stoneware (clay) because it cooks evenly and never sticks.       

This post is part of Weekend Gourmet Blog Carnival @ Hartke Is Online, Real Food 101 @ Ruth's Real Food, Fat Tuesday @ Real Food Forager, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday @ Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free, Gluten-Free Wednesdays @ The Gluten-Free Homemaker, Real Food Wednesday @ Kelly the Kitchen Kop, Make Your Own! Monday @ Nourishing Treasures, Healthy 2day Wednesdays @ day2day joys, Hearth and Soul Hop @ Premeditated Leftovers, and Full Plate Thursday @ Miz Helen's Country Cottage, Turning the Table @ Around My Family Table, and Pennywise Platter Thursday @ The Nourishing Gourmet.

Cauliflower, Broccoli & Cheddar Cheese Soup

This is one of my all time favorite soups. I make this soup a lot during the colder months.  It is so comforting and yummy.

Cauliflower, Broccoli & Cheddar Cheese Soup

Cheesy Cauli-Broccoli Soup Mmmmmm!

Equipment: Large Stockpot, Grater, Blender or Food Processor, Large Bowl or Large Measuring Cup (8 cup)

• 5 cups cauliflower florets
• 3 cups broccoli florets
• 3 ½ - 4 cups bone broth or homemade stock
• 3-4 fresh garlic cloves, grated or minced
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme
• 1 strip kombu, optional (See Resources)
• ¼ teaspoon organic kelp granules, optional (I use Maine Coast)
• 2 tablespoons pasture butter (See Resources)
• 8 ounces good quality organic or raw cheddar cheese, divided

1.     Prep cauliflower and broccoli -  wash and shake dry, remove core from cauliflower, cut cauliflower and broccoli into florets. 

2.    Place cauliflower and broccoli into large stockpot.  Pour broth over vegetables, just below vegetables (broth should not cover vegetables).  Add garlic, thyme, kombu and kelp granules.  Stir.

Kombu, Lime Thyme, Kelp Granules & Grated Garlic

3.    Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to simmer for 30 minutes.  Remove lid and simmer for another 15 minutes, or until vegetables are fork tender.

4.   While soup is cooking, grate the cheddar cheese and place in refrigerator until ready to use.

5.    Add small portions of soup to the blender, filling only halfway.  Cover with lid and puree until smooth and combined.  Pour into large bowl or large measuring cup.  Repeat until all soup is pureed.  Pour soup back into stockpot.

6.    Add pasture butter to soup and turn heat on medium-low.  Stir until melted.

7.    Add about 6 ounces of cheddar cheese to soup, stirring constantly until melted. 

8.     Serve hot and top with some of the remaining grated cheddar cheese. 

Yield: Makes about 6 cups.

Note: Use whatever amounts of cauliflower and broccoli you want as long as they add up to about 8 cups.  I prefer more cauliflower to broccoli, but it’s great either way.  Recipe can be doubled. 

Tip: This soup is great with oven roasted cauliflower and broccoli too.  It adds a different level of flavor.  I love to make it this way when I have leftover roasted cauliflower and broccoli.  

This post is part of Made From Scratch Tuesday @ From Mess Hall to Bistro, Foodie Wednesday @ Daily Organized Chaos, and Full Plate Thursday @ Miz Helen's Country Cottage.