Ah, the bliss, the joy, the thrill of a stove with hot burners! Stir frying, and any other cooking style that imparts a wonderful, golden brown color – promises of great flavor ahead – just can’t materialize without intense heat. I look at the powerful flame on our stove, and discreetly wipe a tear from my eye … Some things get to me. A big sink to wash dishes. An oven with three racks and the capability of 500 F. Stuff like that. But, back to food. I found some organic broccolini at the grocery store. It’s a great veggie, a perfect side dish for anything from poultry to seafood. BTW, it’s not baby broccoli, but a cross between broccoli and kai-lan, a Chinese leafy cabbage. The cross mellows the broccoli character, almost yielding the flavor of asparagus, which explains one of its alternative names: asparation (I’m glad this name didn’t stick! ;-))
My take on broccolini is a slight departure from the stove-top version of broccoli that I posted a year ago.
BROCCOLINI WITH GINGER AND LEMON
(from the Bewitching Kitchen)
2 small bunches of broccolini, preferably organic
2 tsp olive oil
red pepper flakes
1 tsp grated ginger
zest and juice of half a lemon
salt and pepper
splash of water (if needed)
Heat the olive oil in a large stainless steel skillet (that will hold the veggies without crowding), when smoking hot add the red pepper flakes, swirl for a couple of seconds and immediately add all the broccolini. Do not move them around, let them get a nice brown color at the bottom. Season with salt and pepper. After a couple of minutes, add the ginger and lemon zest, and shake the pan to move the broccolini and coat well all sides with the ginger, lemon zest, and oil.
Cover the pan, let it cook for 2-3 minutes more, then add the lemon juice – test the broccolini with a fork to see if it’s done to your liking. If it’s not, and the pan is too dry, add a splash of water and cover the pan again, checking after a minute. Once it’s cooked al dente, transfer to a serving dish and…
ENJOY!
to print the recipe, click here
Comments: If you are anti-broccoli and think broccolini resembles it too much, please reconsider! There’s absolutely none of the broccoli flavor/smell that many object to. Avoid over cooking it, and buy young broccolini, with a bright green color and a firm flesh. This recipe is low in carbs and fat, but sky-high in flavor! Lemon, ginger & red pepper flakes might very well be my favorite flavor mix right now: good on everything!
ONE YEAR AGO: Pizza! Pizza!
TWO YEARS AGO: From Backyard to Kitchen
Bewitching Kitchen 
Joy unconfined indeed 😀 Lemon and ginger, lemon and garlic, lemon and chilli, hot burners, love the sound of your broccolini, save a plate for me!
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Joanna, we wolfed it down until the bowl was clean… next time I’ll make a double batch and you can come over!
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A 3 rack oven? I’d be weeping too! Your broccolini looks gorgeous and the ginger lemon pairing delightful… I wrongly assumed broccolini was baby broccoli, so thanks for the explanation – I love learning something new!
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Good to know others weep for kitchen appliances too!
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Looks great. I love making broccoli this way. Looks like you’re liking the kitchen.
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There’s something to be said about SPACE to work. Back in L.A., making a salad as a second side dish was too hard, so much so that we almost never had Caesar at home, and here in OK we make it at least twice/week
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I can completely relate. We lived in a temporary place between houses and when we got to our own new kitchen with the new fully functioning appliances, it was like heaven. There’s something about having your own kitchen, your own kitchen appliances, and gadgets. I truly believe the kitchen makes the home – or that the cook in the kitchen makes the home. :)You can probably guess that I’m not a huge fan of broccoli. It’s on my green veggie aversion list…but I have come around to asparagus. So maybe I’ll have to give this a go too. 🙂
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Go for asparations… don’t call it broccolini, and you will love it!
😉
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Are broccolini the same as tender stem brocolli? If so, I love them. They go very well with any Asian ingredients. 🙂 Your look very nice!
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Yes, exactly the same – there are several names for it, actually and indeed tender stem broccoli is one. I agree, with Asian flavors it’s perfect!
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We all love broccolini, Sally, and broccoli and gai lan as well. Nice recipe, thank you.
I do know what you mean about a decent full size stove. It must be blissful for you.
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Thanks, Marcia! I intend to look for gai lan in my farmer’s market, there are two stands that could carry it, I’ll try to stop by tomorrow.
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Sally, be somewhat careful. Chinese vegetables go by many different names. If you just say you want Chinese broccoli, you should be okay. It’s really very confusing, but all of the Asian greens I’ve had have been good, so you’re not likely to go wrong!
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Broccolini is a favorite – and this recipe sounds great!
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That looks great.
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Home sweet home, aaah, the joys of a proper hob! Broccolini looks delicious, although I must confess to being a true broccoli lover, and I’m sure this recipe would work well with that too!
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Your broccolini just looks fantastic. I’m going to keep a look-out for it!
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Ginger, red pepper and lemon. I’ll add garlic and I know my husband will love it.
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Broccolini … this is sth that is extremely difficult to buy in Poland (practically, one or two organic stores in Poland). I like them a lot for their taste and texture (in Paris, available in stores with Asian food, I was buying them from time to time).
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