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Cheesy Broccoli Bowl
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I grew up on broccoli with cheese – my mother made it once a week. Such a delicious combo! Over the years I’ve turned her family classic into an even more eco-friendly and healthy modern dish . . . without sacrificing any of the flavor. This dairy-free and cholesterol-free version brims with calcium, iron and protein, while also complimented by all the wonderful antioxidants and polyphenols from the broccoli.
I like to serve this recipe “as is” (uncooked), enjoying the maximum nutritional potential of these great superfoods. If you’re craving a warm dish though, no worries — simply steam the florets lightly for a few minutes, then combine with the sauce. Either way, the delicious cheesy flavor and addictive broccoli crunch will have you coming back for a healthy second round every time.
INGREDIENTS:
1 tsp Braggs Liquid Aminos
2 Tbsp raw tahini
1 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
¼ tsp paprika
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1½ tsp lemon juice
3 cups finely chopped fresh broccoli florets
1 or 2 Tbsp hemp seeds
water, if desired
DIRECTIONS:
Stir: In a small bowl, mix the nutritional yeast, paprika, and garlic powder together. Stir in the tahini. Pour in the Braggs, lemon juice, and coconut oil and whisk thoroughly. If a thinner sauce is desired, add a little water, a tablespoon at a time.
Combine: Put the broccoli into a larger bowl and pour sauce on top. Toss until evenly coated (for best results, use your hands!) Sprinkle top with hemp seeds and serve. Keeps refrigerated for several days.
Serves 2
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This is a great recipe! I’ve made it twice already (the second time being tonight and it’s waiting for me to finish commenting so I can eat it!). It’s delicious and super easy! Thanks Julie!
YUM! This might have to happen soon….thank you!
Julie,
Thank you for the recipe. We enjoyed it this evening and I posted it on our blog with lots of links to your site. We are spreading the unprocessed lifestyle with an emphasis on raw for maximum nutrition. This recipe fits the bill along with the wonderful “cheezie” flavor!
See the article here: http://blog.wewantraw.com/2010/01/20/raw-cheezie-broccoli-recipe.aspx
That’s awesome Toni – and what a lovely website you have!
Dear Julie -
I hope you don’t mind my posting a few questions for you here? I am somewhat new to the raw food community, however, have been diving into it with everything I’ve got! I started my own website following my own journey with exploring raw.
I see a lot of “Chefs” (and yourself) using Bragg’s amino acids and nutritional yeast in recipes. Do you have any comments about these products as to whether or not you think they are good products to use. I know there are many controversial products, but they taste good, they make our raw food taste good, and so we kinda just go along and use them. After all, the “chefs’ use them, so they must be okay, right? LOL
Personally, I threw out my Bragg’s amino acids. I felt weird when I use it. My body sent out a red flag asking, “What the hell is this?” This caused me to start reading about it only to find other people had the same reaction. So I wonder, if there are so many people that find themselves reacting badly to this ingredient, how healthy can it be?
Nutritional yeast is another one..I am guilty of using it on rare occasions, but I usually post it as “optional” and I use a fraction of what most folks use, if at all. The first time I used it, I found myself CRAVING the food that was made with it, which made me wonder if what they say about the GLUTAMATES and being addictive is true…or not?
I’m just wondering what your personal take is on these products. NY may have vitamin B in it, but it def has an addictive quality to it, which makes me wonder. Any feelings on these??
Of course we could have the same question about agave, although, I’m hearing far more bad press on that lately than anything else….and still, I find myself sneaking it in when dates, honey, or maple syrup don’t work.
Thanks so much for your feedback..just trying to make sense of it all and also enlighten other people who may want to examine these products more, especially, if like me, they are dealing with serious health issues.
Love your site!
Many Blessings,
Barbara
http://www.rawfullytempting.com
Hi Barbara,
Thanks for posting these questions here.
Regarding agave – it’s one of the hottest topics (not in a good way) in the natural food community. You may review my take on it here: http://www.juliemorris.net/2010/06/04/is-agave-syrup-good-bad-or-just-kinda-tasty/
Regarding Braggs – I use it in small quantities and enjoy it. It is composed, as you probably know, of non GMO soybeans. Some people have a poor reaction to it because soybeans are one of several foods that naturally contain MSG. In fact, MSG is found naturally occurring in many foods such as mushrooms, tomatoes, parmesan cheese, etc. Since Bragg Liquid Aminos is made from soybeans, there can be trace amounts of naturally occurring MSG. I think it’s important to understand what MSG is (an amino acid) and the difference between naturally occurring MSG and a synthetic concentrate http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monosodium_glutamate. As with anything though, if your body is having a poor reaction to it, don’t use it! Your body will tell you exactly what it needs, and it’s fantastic that you’re listening. Some people are allergic to apples . . . that doesn’t mean apples are “bad” — they’re just bad for that person.
Regarding nutritional yeast – same deal as the Braggs. Among all it’s other good vitamins, it is high in glutamic acid . . . but again, glutamic acid is an amino acid (essential component of protein). Think of glutamic acid like zinc. Many natural foods contain zinc – and that’s great, because our body requires it. Too much zinc though, and we can get poisoned and die. It’s all a balance. In a clean natural diet I see nutritional yeast having a guest appearance type of role.
Lastly, in terms of “craving” foods made with Braggs and Nutritional yeast, there is a very good reason and it has to do with taste. Ever had sushi wrapped in nori and not been able to stop eating it? Or nori sprinkled on a salad and suddenly you’ve eaten an entire bowl? These are all examples of food that are considered part of the “fifth” taste — umami. Umami is the Japanese word for savory and mouthwatering. This fifth taste makes food crave-worthy… it’s a sensory experience just like sweet, sour, etc. In other words, foods with umami flavor are not only special, but instantly delectable.
Hope this helps Barbara.
This is the first time I’ve been able to eat raw broccoli! But I made a mess out of the “cheesy” sauce. How do I prevent the sauce from getting sticky? I added the dry stuff in the tahini, not the other way around. Might that have something to do with the consitency of the sauce?
@Marianne – It’s a thick sauce until you spread it around with the broccoli. For a touch thinner sauce, you can also add a Tbsp of water as I do in the cooking vid. It’s a kinda a preference thing.
Doesn’t this look alot like your recipe?: http://goneraw.com/recipe/cheesy-tahini-broccoli
Wow, sure does. . . always glad when people are making it, but it’s unfortunate when people take credit for it.
I agree, makes me sad considering how much time and effort people put into their recipes, and then are so nice to share them for free. Anyways the cool kids knows you came up with it.
Hahaha… you’re a funny one.
Thanks to you I was able to connect with the person and clear things up — she’s graciously amended her site and I appreciate that.
I’m happy to hear that
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