Brocco-Cauli Baby

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This new veggie creation was so good I think I’m “in love” with this one!  As I washed up the dishes after dinner, I tried to come up with a clever name for it.  I had decided on coining the word “brocco-cauli” and as I repeated the rhythm and cadence of my new “word” suddenly I began remembering this old hit tune.  ♪♪♪ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKJi_X9WpHQ ♪♪♪

Lyrics to my version:
Come to me my Brocco-Cauli Baby. ♪
Cuddle up and don’t be blue. ♪
All your fears are foolish fancies, baby. ♪
You know dear that I’m in love with you. ♪

I looked in the refrigerator this afternoon to decide what to serve with my Montreal Baked Chicken.  The ½ head of cauliflower and 1/3 bunch of broccoli sure looked promising, but I didn’t have enough of either one by themselves. Now I know I’ve come across a lot of recipes over the years for broccoli and cauliflower mixed together, but I don’t think I personally have ever cooked or tasted one before.  Frankly, they just never sounded very appealing together to me before.  In addition, most of those recipes call for commercial canned soup, which I just won’t use anymore.  Too much sodium, not to mention a bunch of other ingredients I just won’t eat anymore.  So I started cutting up my cauliflower and broccoli into small flowerettes and decided to create something creamy with healthier ingredients than any canned soup could offer.  I’m most pleased with the resulting dish. And it’s ever so easy!  This  is suitable during Atkins Induction.  I sure hope you enjoy this as much as WE did!

INGREDIENTS:

14 oz. cauliflower flowerettes

4 oz. broccoli flowerettes

3 oz. yellow onion, chopped

1 small green onion, chopped

2 T. butter, unsalted

2 oz. cream cheese, softened

¼ c. heavy cream

4 oz. grated Cheddar cheese

Dash each salt and black (or cayenne) pepper

DIRECTIONS:  Grease a ceramic casserole dish and set aside.  Preheat oven to 350º.  Cut broccoli and cauliflower into small flowerettes.  Boil or steam until just half tender, but do not over cook so the broccoli will stay pretty and green even after oven baking.  In a non-stick skillet, melt the butter, add the dash of salt and saute the onions until soft and caramelized.  Sprinkle with the black pepper.  Turn heat to lowest setting and add cream cheese and cream and blend into the onions with a rubber spatula.  Turn off heat.  Drain broccoli and cauliflower well in a strainer or colander and add to onion/cream cheese mixture in the skillet.  Sprinkle 2/3 of the Cheddar on top and gently toss all together until all is evenly distributed, trying not to tear up the veggies too much in the process.  Pour all into the greased casserole dish and top evenly with the remaining 1/3 Cheddar.  Pop into a preheated 350º oven and bake for 20-30 minutes or until all is melted and it is bubbly around the edges.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:   Makes 6 servings, each contains:

117 calories

10.9 g  fat

3.95 g  carbs, .77 g fiber, 3.18 g  NET CARBS

2.15 g  protein

69.7 mg sodium

180 mg potassium

18.3% RDA Vitamin A and 11% phosphorous

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