Romanesco: Broccoli with a Twist (Week 47, 52 New Foods) December 05 2012, 10 Comments

romanesco broccoli


Romanesco was a new discovery for my kids and me this week! This spiraling spectacle looks like a cross between broccoli and cauliflower, and made a deliciously fun addition to our family table.

Touring our local market my food explorers exploded with excitement when they spotted a new addition to the tables. It’s spiraling pattern, and beautifully soft green palette, immediately caught our attention. “Romanesco!” the farmer exclaimed when we asked about this freakishly fun edible flower. We couldn’t resist making it our new food of the week. Bonus points for the person who can find the Fibonacci sequence on this fantastical flower!

Romanesco: Broccoli with a Twist

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 10 to 15 minutes
Yield: Serves 4
Crunch a Color Points: 15 green

Ingredients:

romanesco recipe ingredients


1 head Romanesco broccoli
2 Tbsp olive oil
½ tsp kosher salt

Directions:

1. Remove the stem of the Romanesco, cutting around the core and then trimming the florets from the inner stem. Cut the florets in half again to make bite sized pieces.

NOTE: See our tips on to how to prepare cauliflower for more details.    

romanesco broccoli step 1

romanesco broccoli step 1b


2. Place on a bake sheet and toss right on the pan with the olive oil and salt. This saves a step on cleanup!

romanesco broccoli step 2


3. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes, turning halfway through, until the florets are nicely browned. Enjoy!

romanesco broccoli recipe


* Have you tried Romanesco? What is your favorite way to prepare this fun veggie?

Craving more easy recipes to try? Catch up on last week’s recipe: Veggie pancakes!

About the author: Jennifer Tyler Lee is a mom of two children and the creator of Crunch a Color® -- the award-winning nutrition games that make healthy eating fun. Like most parents, she struggled to get her kids to eat healthy, balanced meals, so she decided to make it into a healthy eating game and she’s giving back to support non-profit kids’ nutrition programs. Winner of the Dr. Toy and Parent Tested, Parent Approved awards, Crunch a Color® has been featured by Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, Laurie David’s Family Dinner, Kiwi Magazine, Dr. Greene, and Yum Food & Fun For Kids, among many others, as a simple, fun and playful way to get kids to eat healthy and try new foods. Jennifer’s passion is making mealtime fun, easy and healthy for busy families. Her easy recipes, quick tips, and new food adventures are regularly featured at Pottery Barn Kids, Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, The Huffington Post, and on her weekly recipe blog at crunchacolor.com.