Broccoli Rabe. I feel like it's not all that commonly used as a side dish but I love it. It reminds me of spring in our garden! I love it particularly on the grill, but since my poor grill is frozen in the garage, I had to get a little creative here. And since the addition of mushrooms in a mustardy, caper, lemony sauce with sautéed Broccoli Rabe speaks a little more winter than just sautéed Broccoli Rabe, I went with it. The mustard, brininess from the capers and the lemon add a nice pop of flavor with the Broccoli Rabe. Definitely a fresh take on an old vegetable!
Each spring, we plan out our garden with the ultimate goal of growing as much as we possibly can in our 125 square foot space. We have 3 main raised beds, a second corner bed for things like cucumbers and other climbing plants and then an onion and potato bed. Each year I try to grow some of the plants that will sprout and we can harvest in spring, mostly because I'm impatient and it tastes so much better than even the organic stuff you'll get in stores. Two years ago we grew Broccoli Rabe and it was so delicious grilled up along side steaks. I find it's a bit crisper than the stuff you get in stores, but considering we're in a deep freeze right now, beggars can't be choosers.
Since my vegetable varieties aren't nearly as fresh as the ones I grow in the back yard, I figured incorporating flavor would be my best bet. It was a good guess! Lemon, green onions, garlic, capers and sautéed mushrooms made this a flavorful side vegetable side dish!
First I started by sautéing up some mushrooms in a bit of olive oil with 1 tablespoon of garlic and a few chopped green onions. I can't stand raw mushrooms, so I always cook mine until soft.
Once they were cooked through, I added in a bit of lemon, some drained capers, a bit of whole grain mustard and some salt and pepper. I let the mushrooms absorb the sauce and continue cooking down before I added my washed and trimmed Broccoli Rabe to the pan.
Once the Broccoli Rabe was cooked until tender-crisp, I removed it and set aside. Meanwhile I mixed the sauce a bit more, reduced it and lowered the heat. I added in 2 tablespoons of Light Sour Cream to make the sauce a bit creamier.
Lastly, I plated the Broccoli Rabe and added the sauce over it. Broccoli Rabe doesn't reheat well so I highly recommend enjoying right away! The stalks can get soggy and stringy if overcooked. Enjoy!
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