Broccoli Sweet Onion Pecan Salad – Tossed with Orecchiette and Feta

This recipe is too good. I can’t remember the last time I ate about half a broccoli in one sitting. I saw enough broccoli and cauliflower growing up for a lifetime of good health and no longer feel the need to eat much of either, in their plain, steamed, circa 1960’s state, that is. In this recipe, the broccoli tastes pretty much like candy. And that’s with a whopping 1 tablespoon of maple syrup in the recipe. So, if there is someone in your life you’d like to impress, someone you want to feed well, so that s/he will love you even more than s/he already does, or if you just want to treat yourself, make this recipe now. I can’t wait to thank Jittery Cook fan Dorothy Salomon for passing on the original recipe, which has been tweaked to jittery standards. Make this now, then you will want to make it again and again.

Broccoli Sweet Onion Pecan Salad Tossed with Orecchiette and Feta

• 1 large bunch broccoli, tough stem ends removed (discard or save for soup)
• 1/2 c pecan halves, lightly roasted for about 10 minutes at 300 degrees
• 1 c Vidalia or other sweet onion, cut into thin slices
• 1 c coloured bell pepper, cut into thin strips
• 1/4 c dried cranberries
• 1 c cooked small pasta, such as De Cecco’s Orecchiette (optional, but excellent)
• 1/3 c feta, chopped into small cubes (optional, but excellent)

Separate broccoli into florets, and slice tender stalks 1/4-inch thin. Bring lightly salted water to a boil, blanch broccoli for 30 seconds, drain quickly, immerse in cold water, drain again and dry well. Combine broccoli, onion, bell pepper and cranberries with dressing, then refrigerate. Add the warm pasta, feta and pecans just before serving.

Dressing 

• 1 T maple syrup
• 2 T seasoned rice vinegar
• 1 t soy sauce
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 t coarsely ground pepper
• 1 t Dijon mustard
• 1/4 t red pepper flakes (use half if you don’t want the spicy kick)
• 1 T olive oil

In a small bowl, mix syrup and vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, ground pepper, mustard and red pepper flakes. Whisk in oil. 

Broccoli, Sweet Onion and Pecan Salad Tossed with Orecchiette and Feta Printer Ready Recipe

Final notes:

• The Georgia Pecan Commission is responsible for the original version of this healthy and delicious Broccoli, Sweet Onion and Pecan recipe.
• Check out Hot Jittery Resources located at the top of the Jittery Cook blog.
• My eternal gratitude to Harriet Sugar Miller for proofreading and editing the Jittery Cook blog, sparing you from all kinds of glaring errors that somehow don’t reveal themselves to me.
• Toast extra pecans. They are perfect as a snack or to add to your breakfast cereal or yogurt.
• Thanks to my good friend Mimi Kitner for tasting and liking. There is nothing quite like a second opinion to make one less jittery.
• Apologies to the Super Bowl party group. I’ll work on that healthy dip recipe until it is blog worthy. Sometimes innovations just don’t pan out.