One of the things I love about this recipe? The color. As I’ve admitted before, I’m easily amused by bright colors and anything sparkly. So when a ramekin of bright veggies turns up, I’m all about it. For me, more color, more better! Because I’ve spent so much time working on healthy eating and translating dietician advice into realistic recipes, I know that the more color in food, the more nutrition it brings.
Whoa, but what about the taste each color serves up? How about the green earthy taste of the broccoli in this dish, the red and orange crunchy-sweet-and-warm bite of the peppers, the saltiness of the olives and the yellow sharp-tangy goodness of the cheese? Color brings more than nutrition, it brings taste too!
Individual Cheddar and Broccoli
Gratins
Gratins
4 Cups Broccoli Florets, Chopped Coarsely
4 Cups Sweet Mini Peppers, Chopped
Coarsely
Coarsely
4 TB Olive Oil, Divided
2 Garlic Cloves, Grated
Pinch of Cayenne
8 Oz (Light) Sharp Cheddar Cheese, Coarsely
Shredded
Shredded
1/3 Cup Pitted Oil Cured Black Olives,
Coarsely Chopped (You can find these at the grocery store or a speciality market. In a pinch,
Coarsely Chopped (You can find these at the grocery store or a speciality market. In a pinch,
1 Cup Whole Wheat Panko Crumbs
Pinch of Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper
Fresh Tomato Coulis for Garnish*
Step One
Preheat the oven to 400F. Coat 6
ramekins with non stick spray.
ramekins with non stick spray.
Step Two
Microwave the broccoli for 2 minutes or until crisp tender
Step Three
In a large skillet, heat 2 TB of the
oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cayenne and cook just until fragrant.
Remove from the heat; add the broccoli and peppers and stir. Toss half of
the cheese and the olives with the vegetables.
oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cayenne and cook just until fragrant.
Remove from the heat; add the broccoli and peppers and stir. Toss half of
the cheese and the olives with the vegetables.
Step Three
Transfer to the ramekins and sprinkle
with the remaining cheese. In a small bowl, toss the crumbs with the
remaining 2 TB of olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the crumbs
over the cheese. Bake in the top of the oven for about 6 minutes, or until the
cheese is bubbling and the crumbs are golden. Serve hot, topped with a TB of
tomato coulis
with the remaining cheese. In a small bowl, toss the crumbs with the
remaining 2 TB of olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the crumbs
over the cheese. Bake in the top of the oven for about 6 minutes, or until the
cheese is bubbling and the crumbs are golden. Serve hot, topped with a TB of
tomato coulis
Fresh Tomato Coulis*
2 Ripe Roma Tomatoes, Seeded, Chopped and Drained
1 Tsp Chopped Fresh Parsley
1 Tsp Olive Oil
¼ Tsp Fresh Lemon Juice
Pinch of Sea Salt and Pepper
Mix the ingredients together in a small bowl.