Post in association with Tenderstem® broccoli
I don’t know how normal it is to have a specific memory associated with Tenderstem® broccoli, but it always makes me think of my Gran. After she had a stroke in her late 70s and couldn’t drive any more we’d take her food shopping every Saturday morning. Tenderstem® broccoli was something that I remember always being in the trolley, along with moussaka ready meals and rich tea fingers.
I mean sure, my memory is poor, and sometimes I forget entire conversations that happened only a week ago, but I’m going with the whole broccoli thing because it leads me so nicely into this post. Also I checked with my mum on our family WhatsApp group, (which I’m sure you can imagine is a veritable PARTY IN A PHONE), and she said ‘I can’t say I remember particularly, but I like it!’ and that’s good enough for me.
‘Broccoli is brilliant as part of Slimming World,’ she added, ‘as it’s a speed food and full of good things! I’ve eaten a lot of it over the last 18 months!’
‘Well,’ I said, smoothly, ‘you want to get to Iceland then, as they have just become the exclusive stockist of frozen Tenderstem® broccoli!’
‘I will make it my mission!’ replied my mum.
Oh the fun we have.
(My new found love of Iceland has become a bit of a family joke of late. Sometimes I say ‘hashtag ad’ when I talk about it. I seriously think my family might disown me if I bang on about the Sicilian Lemon Tartlets once more, but they weren’t complaining when I bought our entire New Year’s Day buffet lunch from Iceland were they?)
Anyway.
I was challenged to come up with a recipe using frozen Tenderstem® broccoli, and I decided on linguine with a homemade pea and mint pesto, (because I love peas), topped with Tenderstem® broccoli and a poached egg. The poached egg is where the challenge element comes in, as I am RUBBISH at poached eggs. You don’t get good at something without practice though right?
*makes nervous face*
Frozen Tenderstem® broccoli can be used just like the fresh stems, on its own or added to things like stir fries, salads and pasta. It’s picked and packed at its freshest, and frozen just as it is, locking in all the nutrients, with no need for artificial colours, flavours or preservatives. Plus the stems are individually frozen, meaning you can use as much or as little as you need and never have any waste.
(I may copy and paste that very informative paragraph to WhatsApp for my mum.)
So let’s crack on. I mean, who wouldn’t want to make this tasty looking plateful for an easy weekday dinner?
Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make pea and mint pesto linguine with Tenderstem® broccoli and poached egg for two people:
For the pesto:
- 100g frozen peas
- 20g parmesan
- 20g toasted pine nuts
- 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil
- A handful of fresh mint
- Salt and pepper
For the rest of it:
- 160g linguine
- 8 stems of Frozen Tenderstem® broccoli (or how ever much you want really)
- 2 eggs
Method
There is quite a bit going on timings wise right at the end, but basically this recipe is super easy. I made a very short video about it, so you can get an overview of how it comes together. The full method is also below.
Start by making the pesto. Cover the peas with boiling water and leave to stand for a few minutes. Drain them, and chuck them in a blender with all of the other pesto ingredients. Blitz them up for a little bit, but ideally not TOO long – it’s nice to keep a little bit of the texture.
When I made my pesto I doubled the quantities and decanted half of the pesto into a jar to use later in the week. I mean, you may as well hadn’t you? You could also do the pesto in advance, and either keep it in the fridge of freeze it.
Add the linguine to a pan of boiling water and cook for around 10 minutes or until cooked to your taste. Pop on a pan of water to heat for your Tenderstem® broccoli too, and one for your poached eggs. The broccoli pan needs to come to the boil but the poached egg water needs to be a gentle simmer.
When the pasta is around a minute off being ready, it all starts to kick off. Add the Tenderstem® broccoli to the pan and cook for 1-3 minutes. (You can also steam if you prefer.) There’s no need to do any prep – just pick out exactly what you need and pop it straight in the pan.
Crack your eggs into individual cups, (for ease of gentle pouring), give the water a bit of a swirl, and tip them in. These should also need about 3 minutes. (Good luck.)
Drain your pasta and stir in the pesto, returning it to the heat briefly just to warm through. Split between two bowls, drain the broccoli and add this on top. Finally, remove your perfect (ha!) poached eggs with a slotted spoon and perch them atop your Tenderstem® broccoli creation et voila!
Très impressionnant.
Present your dish to your admiring dinner partner and soak up the compliments. (Or if you live with a teenager, wait for them to raise their eyebrows and say ‘where’s the pizza?’)
Frozen Tenderstem® broccoli is available exclusively at Iceland, at £1.75 for 270g. Find out more about just how versatile it is here.
