As you well know, broccoli is a delicious and versatile vegetable. For this reason, on this occasion, we teach you how to use it to make the filling of some delicious baskets, very similar to broccoli empanadas. Ideal to take as a lunch to work or to prepare for a light and healthy dinner, as well as for those who want to incorporate it into the diet of the little ones, since you can process it and it will go unnoticed with the flavor of the onion and the white sauce.
Ingredients to make Broccoli Baskets:
• 9 empanada disks
• 1 cup of broccoli
• 1 onion
• 1 clove garlic
• ½ cup of milk (120 milliliters)
• 1 tablespoon of flour
• 1 tablespoon of butter
• 1 teaspoon of nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon pepper
How to make Broccoli Baskets:
To start with the recipe for the broccoli baskets, first peel and chop the onion , also the clove of garlic to sauté in a pan over high heat with a teaspoon of oil. As for the onion, lower the heat to medium and add a tablespoon of hot water every time it is necessary so that it does not stick or burn.
Tip: be especially careful with garlic, because if it burns, it can give your baskets a bitter taste.
Meanwhile, prepare the broccoli. For this, you can choose the microwave or steam cooking, since both will maintain all the nutrients of the vegetable. In both cases, you must separate the broccoli florets and peel the stem to release the whiter and softer part. For the microwave, you must use a suitable and covered container and, also, cook the broccoli for about 4 minutes. In the case of steam cooking, you must do it on a covered steamer for 5 minutes. Add the chopped broccoli along with the stems to the pan, the onion and the garlic. Sauté a few minutes to take flavor.
Remove the vegetables from the pan and, at the very bottom of the cooking, add the tablespoon of butter and flour to toast it, forming the roux of your white sauce. When the flour is toasted and integrated with the butter, add the milk and stir constantly until your white sauce has no lumps.
Tip: if you prefer to make a white sauce without butter, you can dissolve a tablespoon of cornstarch in cold milk and cook it in the same pan over low heat, stirring, or in the microwave for 30 seconds.
Mix the vegetables with the white sauce and season to taste. Here you can adapt the filling to your liking by adding other ingredients, such as: bacon, grated cheese, fresh cheese and mushrooms. When the filling is cold or lukewarm, fill your baskets and cook them in a preheated oven at 220 ° C for 15 minutes or until the dough is golden. Now you can serve and eat the delicious broccoli baskets!
Nutritional information of the broccoli baskets
A portion of these baskets provides only 200 calories, therefore, it is ideal for people looking to lose weight. In addition, these provide a lot of satiety, therefore, several hours after eating them you will not feel hungry and, in this way, you will avoid snacking. The satiety is provided by the fiber, present both in broccoli and onion as well as in whole meal flour, if you use this ingredient to make the empanada dough. In addition, these baskets are ideal for those who have diabetes, despite having flour, its fiber prevents blood sugar from rising quickly after eating them.