Parmesan-Roasted Broccoli, Barefoot-Style

I love to read reviews. Movie reviews, new product reviews and even the occasional music review (yes Martin, I really do read some.) I don't like wasting my time or money and I see reviews as a big help in that endeavor. That's why when I'm wading through a sea of recipes online, I listen to what people are saying, like with this recipe for Parmesan-Roasted Broccoli.

It wasn't so much the sheer number of reviews (151 at the time of this writing) as it was the rabid endorsements and judicious use of the exclamation point in them that made me take note. Here are a few:

• Made me fall back in love with broccoli. 
• Not one floret was left in the bowl. Delicious! 
• Every time it comes out of the oven, I have to slap off the hands that try to sample right from the baking sheet. 
• After trying this, you'll never want to eat anything else for breakfast, lunch or dinner ever again. 

Living up to such overwhelmingly positive feedback is a tall order. Yes, I did try The Barefoot Contessa's recipe for Parmesan-Roasted Broccoli and yes, there are still many other foods I'm interested in eating for breakfast, lunch and dinner rather than just this broccoli. That being said, it was good and I would definitely make it again. Lemon juice and lemon zest along with basil give it a bright, fresh flavor paired with the sharpness of parmesan cheese and the nuttiness and crunch of toasted sunflower seeds. (I included these in place of the pine nuts, which I adore, but couldn't bring myself to spend 10 dollars on for a tiny container.)

Parmesan-Roasted Broccoli

Ingredients

• 4 to 5 pounds broccoli 
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced 
• Good olive oil 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt 
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest 
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice 
• 3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted (or sunflower seeds, toasted) 
• 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 
• 2 tablespoons julienned fresh basil leaves (about 12 leaves)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. 
2. Cut the broccoli florets from the thick stalks, leaving an inch or two of stalk attached to the florets, discarding the rest of the stalks. Cut the larger pieces through the base of the head with a small knife, pulling the florets apart. You should have about 8 cups of florets. 
3. Place the broccoli florets on a sheet pan large enough to hold them in a single layer. 
4. Toss the garlic on the broccoli and drizzle with 5 tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper.  
5. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until crisp-tender and the tips of some of the florets are browned. 
6. Remove the broccoli from the oven and immediately toss with 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, the lemon zest, lemon juice, pine nuts, Parmesan, and basil. Serve hot.

This recipe makes a very large amount. I quartered it when I made it for two. 

Bánh Chuối Nướng (Banana Bread Pudding)

Why is it so hard to keep the right number of bananas around in the right state of ripeness? It should be simple banana math, really. Somehow though, I invariably either end up bananaless or with a blackened fruit-fly attracting bunch. What's a girl to do?

Banana bread would seem to be the obvious answer for the overripe ones but lately, I've been craving dessert.

The Vietnamese restaurant a half-mile from my house makes an amazing banana bread pudding or bánh chuối nướng, which they hawk on a giant blackboard of specials. While I savor my pork spring rolls and delight in my mango chicken, it calls to me... and then, just before the check comes, I cave.

"Oh, could I get an order of the banana bread pudding in a to-go box, please?" I ask the server, fooling nobody. Never has this dessert made it out to the car in anything but my stomach.

I baked my own version today and was extremely satisfied with the results. It's a moist, delicious dessert comprised of bananas alternating with creamy coconut milk-soaked bread, a nod to it's eastern origins. After baking, a sprinkle of sugar and a couple minutes under the broiler yield a topping of caramelized banana bliss.

I served mine with a simple sauce made of coconut milk sweetened with powdered sugar thinned slightly with skim milk (not shown in my picture above.) This dessert can be served hot, cold or reheated. I got the recipe from Flavor Boulevard.

Bánh Chuối Nướng (Banana Bread Pudding)

Ingredients

• 1 bunch of banana
• Rum
• 1.5 loaves of old stale sandwich bread
• 2 cups milk
• 2 cups coconut milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• butter (to grease the pan)
• 1 tbs vanilla (optional)

The original recipe called for an 8-inch pan. I halved the above recipe and still used an 8x8 pan along with one mini loaf pan for the extra pieces of bread. Grease the pan(s).

Bananas
Slice the bananas at a slight angle and mix with rum if you like.

Bread
Trim off the crust, dip the bread slices into a mixture of milk, coconut milk, beaten eggs, sugar and vanilla. Squeeze the bread between your palms to remove some of the liquid they soaked up. This is an important step, the dessert will be dry if too much liquid is removed, and fall apart if it’s too wet.

Layering
Alternate 1 layer of bread, 1 layer of banana, another layer of bread, etc. until reaching the rim of the pan. End with bananas. Firmly and evenly press the layers down as you go so that the baked cake won’t be too spongy or crumbly.

Bake at 350F until an inserted toothpick comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes. For caramelization, just after baking, sprinkle sugar over the top layer of bananas and place on the highest oven rack under the broiler for a couple minutes. Watch closely and remove when slightly browned.