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BEST broccoli salad EVER!
February 7, 2010
***This broccoli salad is the best I’ve ever eaten!***
Not long ago, I attended an event for the one year anniversary of John Berardi’s Spezzatino magazine.
Spezzatino is a magazine on healthy eating that donates its proceeds to support healthy food banks (aka ensuring that food banks are able to give healthy foods to people who are in need and not only processed foods).
You’ll hear me talk more about Spezzatino very soon because I’m now a contributor and I’ll provide them with a few of my favourite healthy recipes and I’ll be tracking my food travels for them!
Oh, just in case you were wondering “what does spezzatino mean?”, it’s an Italian recipe and the first recipe that was published in the magazine. It was a contribution from publisher and business partner to John Berardi, Phil Caravaggio. The spezzatino recipe is so outrageously delicious (they were serving it at the event) that I had to beg to get my hands on it and I will be testing it in my kitchen soon.
It’s the easiest recipe you’ll find, but like everything Italian, it’s the simplicity that is magical.
The event was incredible. It was nothing fancy, but it was a group of people who got together to celebrate good food.
A number of people prepared some dishes and brought them to share. Some dishes were quite good and some were new dishes I had never heard about (spezzatino was one of them).
There was a really large bowl of broccoli salad and took a small spoonful to see if I would like it.
It took one bite to realize this was THE broccoli salad to end all broccoli salads. I mean I was blown away by the flavour combination.
I finished my test-portion and then had seconds, thirds and fourths. I could not stop. Obvious, good manners dictated that it was time for me to step away from the broccoli salad and keep mingling around the room.
At some point, I notice an event coordinator placing little cards in front of the dishes so we would know who prepared the different dishes. Once I noticed this, I ran to the broccoli salad to find out who was the brilliant cook.
Once I saw the name Sara Dell, I hunted her down in the room (and I mean hunt down because I was not leaving that event without that recipe) to beg her to share the recipe.
It turns out this was the second time Sara had ever made that recipe and it was pretty much an unstructured recipe prepared with things she loves.
After a few chats over email, Sara declared she’d take time to make the recipe properly and measure all the ingredients.
When I saw Sara’s email land in my inbox with an attachment, I knew the infamous broccoli salad was going to be shared with all of my readers!
Since broccoli is one of my all time favourite vegetables, this recipe is honestly part of the few treasured recipes I keep making over and over again.
I hope you’ll like Sara’s broccoli salad as much as I do and PLEASE if you do try it and like it, do share your thoughts!
Sara’s Magic Broccoli Salad
“Magic” because it makes you LOVE broccoli!)
This recipe makes about seven cups of slaw!
>>>INGREDIENTS<<<
2 large heads of broccoli
1 cups other veggies cut into bite-sized pieces (raw green bean, sugar snap peas)
4 carrots, peeled and julienned (or chopped into bite-sized pieces)
1/2 cup almonds, toasted and cut in half (chunks)
1/3 cup dried cranberries/raisins/currants
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
>>>BUTTERMILK DRESSING<<<
1 cup buttermilk, well-shaken
1/3 cup mayonnaise
4 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar or 3 mini-scoops stevia powder (approx 1/4 tsp)
4 tablespoons finely chopped green onion (or, you could just use a little extra red onion to simplify it)
3-4 tablespoons ground flax seed
>>>PREPARATION<<<
Cut broccoli into bite-sized pieces. Peel stem and cut into small pieces as well. Peel and cut carrots and any other veggies you choose to add. For the almonds, you can buy them raw, cut in halves/chunks, place them in a small pan in the oven at 350 F for about 12 minutes to home roast them. Once cooled add them to the salad. This is one of the main flavours so don’t skip it! Toss the sliced broccoli with the almonds, dried fruit and red onion in a large bowl.
Meanwhile, combine and shake dressing ingredients in a small jar with a lid (add flax last and sprinkle a bit at a time, combining with a fork to prevent clumping). Add a good pinch of salt and pepper. Pour the dressing over the broccoli and toss it well. Season well with salt and pepper to taste.
>>> Note: This can be stored in the fridge undressed for up to 5 days (in a glass storage container). Makes a great “make-ahead” party/dinner salad as you just shake up the dressing jar and dress whatever amount of the salad you want to use.
>>> More about Sara Dell
Sara is a talented solo pianist and a singer and if you want to know more about her, you should check out her site: Sara Dell (Oh, not only is she a great cook, but she has a beautiful voice!)
Here’s how Sara describes herself:
“I am a young musician who wants to live in a healthy body for this lifetime but enjoy my food! So I have these experiments going all of the time with how to make classic foods much healthier without compromising taste and satisfaction… or the company of friends for dinner! 
Recipe scientist by day, musician by night…”
You can also visit her new recipe site here:
http://saracookforme.blogspot.com/
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