Roasted Salmon and Fingerling Potatoes, served over Smashed Broccoli

My last post was about the beautiful merlot-colored walnuts we discovered at the Little Italy Farmers' Market, and used in our Spinach Ricotta Gnocchi with Gorgonzola.

We also brought home this fresh broccoli from the Farmers' Market.  I have noticed a few posts lately on ways to jazz up Brussels sprouts, so I decided to jazz up our broccoli and try a recipe for Smashed Broccoli and Garlic I found in one of my Tyler Florence cookbooks.  We both love broccoli, steamed or roasted, but I'm thrilled to have found this version.  It's still healthy, but the addition of red pepper flakes, garlic, yogurt and chicken broth transforms the florets into a flavorful, comforting, and fluffy bed for roast chicken or salmon.

Smashed Broccoli and Garlic

From Tyler Florence's Real Kitchen

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Pinch of red pepper flakes
5 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 bunch broccoli, about 1 pound, including stems, coarsely chopped
1 cup Chicken Stock
1/4 cup plain yogurt

Heat the olive oil in a medium pot; add the red pepper flakes and garlic. Throw in the broccoli and toss to coat in the garlic and oil. Pour in the chicken stock, cover, and let the broccoli steam for 10 minutes. When it is quite soft, pulse the broccoli a few times in a food processor. The broccoli should be partly smooth and partly chunky. Add the yogurt, and pulse a few more times.  Season with salt and pepper.

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I certainly don't blog about everything we eat, and I wasn't even planning on posting the broccoli, until I tasted it. When everything else came together so nicely for our weeknight dinner for two, you're now going to hear about it all!

Tyler suggests serving the Smashed Broccoli with his Herb and Lemon Roasted Chicken, but I found a gorgeous salmon fillet at Boney's Bayside Market, the little gourmet market in Coronado.  There was a flier on the counter about this sustainable Cypress Island American Salmon, raised in the San Juan Islands of Washington.  I think it was only about $6.00/lb.

I rubbed the salmon with our homemade Salmon Sugar Spice Rub, kept in the spice cupboard for such occasions, seared the fillet in a little oil, and then put it in the oven alongside the potatoes that were already roasting and giving off a heavenly aroma of garlic and herbs.  I roasted the salmon at 425F, for 7-10 minutes, until the internal temperature read 135F.

The roasted fingerling potatoes, also courtesy of Tyler Florence, allowed us to use fresh herbs from our  garden and complemented the salmon and broccoli perfectly.

Roasted Fingerling Potatoes with Fresh Herbs and Garlic
From Tyler's Ultimate

Ingredients
2 pints fingerling potatoes
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 to 3 sprigs fresh sage
3 sprigs fresh thyme
6 cloves garlic, left unpeeled
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus for sheet pan
Salt and pepper
(I reduced all of the above quantities by half, for the two of us)
Directions
Preheat oven to 500 degrees F and place a baking sheet inside to heat.
Add potatoes, rosemary, sage, thyme, and garlic to a medium bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Remove sheet pan from oven, lightly coat with olive oil, and pour potatoes onto pan. Place potatoes in oven and reduce heat to 425 degrees F. Roast for 20-30 minutes, or until crispy on outside and tender on inside.

If you're looking for an effortless, elegant, St. Patrick's Day dinner, this is my recommendation!