charred broccoli & chorizo + lemon shallot yogurt & jalapeno herb oil
you may or may not have seen but i am throwing my very first food photography and styling workshop here in my home city, victoria bc, this coming january! i am so excited and extremely nervous at the same time haha that brilliant juxtaposition right?! mainly i am excited...i have been pinching myself on the regular that this is where this space has led me. if someone had told me 3 years ago when i started this here blogging journal that one day i would be teaching people the art of food styling, photography, editing and telling a story with your photos i would have burst out laughing and told them they were cray cray crazyyyy.
but now that i am here at this stage it all feels so perfectly right. i have been taking photos since i can't even remember. in high school i was always the one with the camera documenting everything and everyone (albeit not the best photos i still loved that action of clicking), on family trips i was the one making capturing the memories for keepsakes. i feel like photography has always just been in my blood. it may have taken me a little longer to realize it is something i could actually get good at but now that i am finding my way my heart has never been more content in a career path. i am still learning new things every day but i feel like that is part of the creative process, we learn, we grow, our editing styles change, our lenses change, our likes and dislikes change. nothing is stagnant, it is all art.
the beautiful hayley of birch & berries is throwing the workshop with me. you can head here for all of the details and to purchase a ticket if you would like too come. we have planned a really special day and no matter your photography skills this workshop will have something for everyone. and if you can't make it to this one stay tuned because i am planning another gorgeous and totally awesome 3 day retreat for next june down in kentucky!! we are going down south baby and it is going to be amazing!! so watch this space for details on that retreat too.
let's get to the recipe because i know that is why you are really here...
warm charred broccoli & chorizo salad with lemon shallot yogurt and jalapeño herb oil. amen to that, it's good guys! there are also some pumpkin seeds, fresh dates and crumbled feta thrown into the mix. its a mouthful i get it, most of my recipe names are, but don't be fooled by the name this one {as are a lot of them} is crazy simple! and like crack-worthy good! not that i have ever had {smoked?} crack, see i don't even know how it goes down, but you get the point it's damn good. i have made this dish 3 times this week already and each time paul and i have devoured it, maybe even licked the plate...
to char the broccoli i use a dry cast iron pan. this lightly cooks the broccoli and gives it a smokey flavour as you get the edges slightly blackened. alternatively you could had a touch of oil or butter to the pan if you want your broccoli softer and just browned. i'd go for the char though its exceptionally yummy.
you can play with the garnishes if you like, the dates add that perfect sweet factor and the toasted pumpkin seeds add that bit of crunch, the feta plays in that salty flavour. i must say besides the dates my favourite part of this dish is the lemon shallot yogurt and the jalapeño herb oil. each of those on their own is already delicious but when weaved together they make a magical combination. the other night i made this salad with a pork tenderloin and drizzled some of the jalapeño oil over the pork once it was roasted and then we dipped it into the leftover lemon shallot yogurt and wholly moly flavour explosion!
so get your cast iron hot because this salad is a keeper xx
charred broccoli & chorizo + lemon shallot yogurt & jalapeno herb oil
ingredients
2 heads of broccoli
2 chorizo sausage links
5 dates
1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup crumbled feta
yogurt
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
1 large shallot minced
juice of half a lemon
zest of half a lemon
salt and pepper to taste
herb oil
1 bunch of flat leaf (italian) parsley
6 sprigs of fresh mint
1 jalapeno
2 cloves of garlic
1/3 cup olive oil
juice of one lemon + zest
salt and pepper to taste
directions
in a cast iron pan over medium heat add a splash of olive oil and 1 tbsp of butter, throw in the minced shallot and sauté until browned. take out of pan and set aside.
take the skin off of the chorizo sausage and break the sausage into smaller pieces. in the same pan you sautéed the shallot add in the chorizo and cook until browned. set aside.
wipe the cast iron pan down with a paper towel. and break the broccoli head apart so that you have smaller pieces, you can cut some in half if needed. place the broccoli in the wiped out, dry cast iron pan on high heat. tossing every couple of minutes until all sides of the broccoli have been charred and start to blacken (about 6-8 minutes). set aside.
in a food processor add the bunch of parsley (a good handful), the leaves from the mint sprigs, the jalapeño chopped, garlic, olive oil and juice and zest of lemon. blend until smooth. add salt and pepper to taste.
in the bowl you put the shallots add the greek yogurt, the juice of half a lemon, half the lemon zest and mix. add salt and pepper to taste.
to plate, spread some of the yogurt mixture onto a large serving plate, top with the charred broccoli, chorizo, dates, pumpkin seeds & feta. spoon some of the jalapeño herb oil on top, sprinkle the remaining lemon zest and serve. alternatively you could toss all of the above together in a large bowl and serve that way too. add the leftover yogurt mixture & herb oil to a bowl and serve in case others would like more.
you will have extra herb oil but you will definitely use this up by the end of the week. drizzle on some roast pork tenderloin, chicken or even steak. toss some roasted veggies with it or even use it as a salad dressing for some greens.