After a lil’ while, I am back with a new recipe! As many of you know, all my focus and energies have been all on setting up my own supper club, for which I hope to share more details soon.
Today’s recipe is a super easy and versatile side dish recipe, an all-time favourite that any broccoli lovers and haters alike will love: broccoli gratin!
I mean, how can you say no to broccoli loaded with a smooth, cheesy and creamy bechamel? Exactly, you can’t. So show broccoli some love and give them a chance!
INGREDIENTS for the bechamel:
50g vegan butter or oil
60g all-purpose flour
500ml unsweetened soy milk
A pinch of salt, nutmeg, garlic powder & black pepper
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tbsp salt
4 to 5 tbsp breadcrumbs
Pumpkin seeds (optional)
Olive oil for garnishing
INGREDIENTS for the veg base:
5 small potatoes
2 medium broccoli heads
INSTRUCTIONS:
Melt the vegan butter and mix it with the flour to form the “roux”. Then slowly pour the milk and whisk constantly so the bechamel doesn’t clump. Reduce the heat and stir until thick. At the very end, add the salt to taste, the garlic powder, black pepper and nutritional yeast. Cover and set aside
In a big pot, bring 3l of water to boil and add the salt to taste.
Peel the potatoes* and cut them into medium chunks. Do the same with the broccoli heads, by chopping them into big florets and pieces, including the stems.
When the water boils, soak the potatoes and cook for 10 minutes. The potatoes should be thoroughly cooked but still have a firm bite, so make sure not to overcook them. Drain and set aside.
In the same cooking water, add the broccoli and cook for 3 minutes maximum, then drain and transfer to a bowl with cold water and ice cubes. This will stop the broccoli from cooking further and help to keep that bright green colour. After a few minutes, drain these too.
In an oven-proof dish or baking tray, spread 2 to 3 tbsp of the bechamel. Gently lay the broccoli and the potatoes then cover completely with the remaining bechamel.
Sprinkle with breadcrumbs, a dash of olive oil and bake in the oven at 180°c for 20-30 minutes. Set the grill on for the last 3 - 5 minutes to get a crispy and brown top.
Let it cool down a bit before serving and sprinkle with chopped pumpkin seeds if you like.
The Cooking Flea zero-waste tip:
*Using organic potatoes? Don’t throw away the skin. After peeling, rinse them to remove any dirt, then pat dry with a tea towel. Season with oil, salt and spices and bake in the oven with the fan on at 200°c for 30 minutes. You will get some amazingly crispy fries! Here’s a short recipe video.
