Broccoli is not something I grew up with. I learned to eat broccoli in my adulthood, and probably something I started to appreciate more once I decided to try more and more vegetarian recipes. My first memories of broccoli are not fun and were associated with dieting at an early age because I was in Ballet Camp… you know the days when I barely weighed 85lbs, but my ballet teacher told us all we could lose 10 more pounds. Oh, how we long TODAY to be as “fat” as we were then…
The truth is… broccoli is delicious, but it’s even better when you add some cheese to it. This recipe… has two cheeses, but you can indulge and add any or as many cheeses as you want.
This is a great recipe to use broccoli that’s a little past its prime… and to use the whole vegetable, florets and stalk too. It’s also awesome for times when you’re super busy. The potatoes and broccoli boil/steam on their own with little tending to. Check it out…
BROCCOLI MASHED POTATOES
3-4 medium Yukon Gold or red-skinned potatoes ½ a head of broccoli, florets and stem or you can use just florets if you prefer 2 cloves of garlic, peeled 1 tbs of butter 2 ounces of cream cheese 2 tbs of plain greek yogurt 1 handful of shredded 6-cheese blend Drizzle of Olive Oil Salt and Pepper to taste
This is more a method than a recipe… because you can add any cheese you prefer to this recipe. I sometimes use the little bits and pieces of cheese I have laying around my cheese drawer for this. Any will work and will still taste delicious…
I love guavas… I love guava paste… It’s part of the Puerto Rican/Cuban culinary DNA.
We used to have a guava tree behind our first house and I loved to eat fresh guavas right from the tree. Some are sweet… some are sweeter. But it’s definitely a fruit that represents me and my childhood.
You need to be careful when eating fresh guavas… you can’t chew on the pulp too much. Just a bit to puree the pulp in your mouth and swallow. Why?? Guavas have these little pesky seeds. These seeds are small enough that will remain almost untouched by the blade of a blender yet large enough to threaten to crack a molar of any adult if you bite into one.
This was not a concern when I was little, but after experiencing a few not so positive experiences with cracked molars, we protect our teeth as much as possible. Besides… the seeds taste like nothing. We can certainly get rid of them before any damage is done.
GUAVA PUREE
Guavas, peeled and cut Water
It is important when you peel and cut the guavas to look out of the fruit has any holes in it. If it does, it is very likely that guava may have one or a few little worms inside. Don’t be squeamish… this is all part of dealing with fresh guavas.
Just cut the guavas and inspect them a bit around the part where the seeds are. If there are worms, they will be moving… just remove them carefully and place them in a piece of paper towel. I may be creating bad karma for myself, but I kill them by squishing them in the paper towel. You may want to dispose of them in a different way… that’s entirely up to you.
Store the guava puree in a pourable container so you can use it in your favorite drinks or recipes.
KarmaFree Cooking 