Here’s another super easy, healthy, quick, delicious Meatless Monday dish. It can be served as a side on your Christmas or New Year’s dinner. The buds on the broccoli florets toast nicely brown and the texture remains crisp. It goes wonderfully with the classic tahini garlic sauce. Tahini is a very good source of copper and manganese, calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, vitamin B1, and zinc.
Tahini sauce
1 garlic clove, cut in half, green shoots removed
Salt to taste
1/3 cup sesame tahini
2 to 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (more to taste)
1/3 cup water
Aleppo pepper or red pepper flakes for sprinkling
Broccoli
1 to 1 1/2 pounds broccoli crowns
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
(I also added Tabasco, chili powder and paprika to taste)
(I also added Tabasco, chili powder and paprika to taste)
1. In a mortar and pestle mash the garlic cloves to a purée with a generous pinch of salt. Transfer to a bowl and whisk in the sesame tahini. Whisk in the lemon juice until the sauce has the consistency of thick cream (or runny yogurt). Taste and adjust salt.
2. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees (Fahrenheit). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice the broccoli crowns 1/3 inch thick, letting the flower buds on the edges fall off. Toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place on the baking sheet in an even layer. Roast until the tops are nicely browned, stirring and flipping the large slices over (tongs are a good tool for this) after 8 minutes, roasting about 15 minutes total. Remove from the oven and transfer to a platter or to individual serving plates. Drizzle on the tahini sauce and serve, or serve the tahini sauce in small bowls for dipping.
The tahini garlic sauce will keep for a few days in the refrigerator but it’s best freshly made.
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| Another serving suggestion: cook pasta al dente, strain, add tahini sauce, broccoli and gently get it all mixed. |