Broccoli Salad - One of My Most Favorites

I reserve the last post of the year for one of my most favorite recipes.  This year I choose broccoli salad.

Yes, I know that you can find a bizillion recipes for broccoli salad on the internet.  It is also found in many printed cookbooks.  So why would I write it up here?

There are many versions.  This is MY version.  The combination of ingredients that I love the most, the way I make it for myself.  Welcome to a taste of what appeals to me.

I'll let you in on a secret about me:  I love broccoli stems more than the tops.  There!  I said it!  I think they are sweeter, and I love their crunch.  I use both the thick and thin stems in the salad, and I usually peel the thick stems.  See instructions below.

Broccoli Salad

1 pound broccoli, stems and tops

1/2 cup finely chopped red onion

1/4 cup coarsely chopped almonds

1/2 cup golden raisins

1/2 cup bacon bits

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 cup mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons sugar

First, put the vinegar into a small bowl and add the salt and sugar.  Mix well; the idea is to start dissolving them into the vinegar.  Set aside.

Cut up the broccoli.  The very thick stems can be peeled, removing the stringy outer layer and leaving behind the juicy inner core.  Cut them into small bite-sized pieces.  The thin stems can be cut up, and the little "tree" tops should be broken up into reasonably small pieces.  Make everything a good size so it can be eaten without using a knife.

Mix the broccoli, red onion, almonds, raisins, and bacon bits together in a big bowl.

Now mix the balsamic vinegar into the mayonnaise until the dressing is uniformly colored.

Stir the dressing into the veggie mix until everything is well-coated.  Chill and serve.

My Notes

Sometimes my sweet tooth gets the best of me, and I put in more raisins.  

Don't chop the broccoli too small or it won't stand out against the raisins and almonds.

Peeling the thick stem

Chopping the thick stem

Bowl full o' broccoli

The goal for the dressing is to taste tart and sweet and creamy.  When you taste it before mixing it into the veggies, you should get a vinegary bite that is tempered by the sugar.  The salt should not be discernable.

Keep in mind that the bacon bits will add salt to the overall flavor mix. 

The Verdict

This is a favorite because it tastes so good to me.  So success!

It also tastes good to other people, and I have no qualms about serving it to them.  I think the love of sweet-and-sour is universal, and this dressing does it.

I like that the salad is very moist and the dressing is on everything.  You might want less dressing.  I think the dressing ties all the flavors together.

Another reason I like this version is the use of balsamic vinegar.  I think it adds a depth of flavor that regular white or apple cider vinegars don't offer.  Use a good quality balsamic if you can.

The dish is also visually interesting.  The colors of the broccoli, nuts, bacon, and onion all work well, and there is visual texture, too.  

The salad goes well with sandwiches for lunch, as a side dish with dinners of roasted meat or stews, and sometimes I like just a bowlful as the whole meal.

Please enjoy this favorite.  You can also play with the proportions to suit your tastes.  Chopped walnuts are a good substitution for almonds.

Cooking Chicos, a Pinedo recipe

Previously I wrote about making chicos on my other food blog, The California Food Project, in which I described first roasting ears of corn in the oven then hanging them to dry for about a month.  These dried kernels are able to be stored for months, then are rehydrated and cooked.  Click here to see the previous post.  (If you are not familiar with my collection of Pinedo recipes, search on both this blog and the CA Food Project using the keyword Pinedo to see them all.)

Miss Pinedo gives this recipe in her book:

My translation:

I needed some help on how to cook them, so I turned back to Edible New Mexico.    Visit this site to see their work.

They suggest using 2 cups of chicos, which are soaked overnight in 10 cups of cold water.  Then they are cooked all day in a slow-cooker on low, or for three hours at a simmer on the stove.

I chose to use the slow-cooker.

My Redaction

Cooking:

2 cups chicos

10 cups water

About 3 1/2 cups of chicos

Place chicos in the water in a slow-cooker and allow to soak overnight.  Then set the slow-cooker to low and allow to cook all day.

Beginning of the soaking time

End of the soaking time

After the chicos are cooked, I chose to stew them with green chiles (not red).  I used canned Ortega chiles, and included Cotija cheese which was crumbled.  Some of the cheese went into the chicos and some was reserved to sprinkle over the top.

I just added the chiles and cheese to the corn and heated them all together.  

Soaked and cooked chicos

With the addition of chiles and cheese

After heating

The cotija cheese is robust enough that it didn't melt quickly.  There was a certain point where it melted, which I did not like because it was clumping and sticking to the bottom of the pan.  I think heating the chicos with just the chiles first would be better, then adding the cheese at the end and letting it warm up from there.  That way the chicos and chiles would blend their flavors.

Use a slotted serving spoon.

The Verdict

The dried chicos in the container smelled so good!  I love the smell of corn and this was excellent.  Not strong, but the scent was there.

Before soaking, an individual kernel was hard.  After soaking, it was soft, easily squished by my fingers.  It still smelled good.

The cooked chicos with the chiles and cheese also smelled enticing.

I served the result with a piece of baked chicken -- and wine! -- for a simple dinner.

Don't forget the wine.

The flavor was surprisingly good.  I expected it to taste good but I was pleased at how the chiles and chicos blended their flavors and supported each other.  The corn offered a deeper, richer corn flavor than you would get with canned kernels.  The chiles added a more acidic note as well as their distinct flavor.  The cotija cheese added a slight salty kick, a little umami, and a change in texture.

In fact, both my guest taster and I found the dish rather addictive.  We loved the flavor and wanted to have more.  We had several servings each!  The second time I served it, I put a dish of crumbled cotija cheese on the table and we could add more as we felt like it.  I even took a batch that was made without the cheese in it to a potluck, and saw that people liked it, especially the vegetarians.  Again, I put a dish of crumbled cheese nearby for people to use as they pleased.

Success!

I want to try it again using dried red chiles.  I have enough dried chicos left to do this again, and I think it is worthwhile continuing to dry corn for this as a kitchen pantry staple.  I could see using them in stews, soups, and other side dishes.  

I also think that 10 cups of water to 2 cups of chicos is too much water.  I would try it again using 8 cups.  I also would remove a lot of the cooking liquid before mixing in the cheese if I were to serve it as a side dish.  The liquid would probably be good as a soup or stew base.