Sheet-Pan Baked Feta with Broccolini, Tomatoes, and Lemon

Ready for roasting!

This recipe caught my eye while scrolling thru the NYT Cooking app because, you know, first you eat with your eyes. And the picture at the top of the post was gorgeous.

Ready for eating!

We just happened to have all the ingredients in-house, with a couple of minor modifications to the original recipe. I swapped in broccoli for the broccolini (have never seen that here in Puerto Rico), and crumbled feta for the block feta (another no-show here). I don’t think those two swaps adversely affected the recipe, because it came out great. Besides looking definitely picture-worthy, the melange of flavors was fabulous. I served it over orzo, but you could easily use rice or farro. I would leave out the lemon slices as they were a little bitter after roasting. Otherwise, highly recommend this dish!

Sheet-Pan Baked Feta with Broccolini, Tomatoes, and Lemon (NYT Cooking)

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch broccolini, ends trimmed, thick stalks split lengthwise, or broccoli, stalks trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved (about 2 cups)
• 1 small red onion, peeled, quartered and cut into 2-inch wedges
• 1 lemon, 1/2 cut into thin rounds and the remaining 1/2 left intact, for serving
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for serving
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon red-pepper flakes
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• 2 (6- to 8-ounce) blocks feta, cut into 1-inch slices
• Cooked orzo or farro, for serving
• ½ cup fresh basil or cilantro leaves and fine stems, roughly chopped (optional) 

Directions:

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees with a rack set in the lower third. On a sheet pan, combine the broccolini, tomatoes, onion and lemon slices with the olive oil and toss. Add cumin and red-pepper flakes, season with salt and pepper, and toss again until evenly coated. Nestle the feta slices into the vegetables. (It’s OK if they break apart a little.)
2. Roast 15 to 20 minutes, stirring halfway through but leaving the feta in place, until the broccolini is charred at the tips, the stems are easily pierced with a fork and the tomato skins start to blister and break down.
3. Serve over orzo or farro. Drizzle with olive oil and serve with the remaining lemon half for squeezing. Top with fresh herbs, if using.

Freekehlicious - Direct from New Jersey!

No, this is not some throwback to the 60s article, like wow, freekehlicious, man!

On the contrary, Freekehlicious is the Norwood based company responsible for bringing the ancient grain, freekeh, to health and specialty food outlets throughout the US.

Freekeh has long been recognized as a staple in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines. Freekehlicious is the premier importer of Greenwheat Freekeh, a product of Australia. Freekeh, in Aramaic, means “to rub,” referring to the technique by which freekeh is made. Once the freekeh is roasted, the wheat is rubbed to reveal the grain.

Barbara Fanelli, who was seeking healthy meal alternatives for her husband who has Type II diabetes, founded the company in 2010. She first heard of freekeh while watching an episode of Dr Oz. Her research produced two vastly different sources of freekeh – one from the middle East and another from an Australian producer. She sampled both products and found the Australian grain to be cleaner and of a superior grade. She began to import and distribute Greenwheat Freekeh and Freekehlicious was born.

The company sent me samples of their cracked and wholegrain freekeh, along with suggested recipes.  But before I even tried the recipes, I loved the nutritional benefits listed on the product overview:

·      High fiber – four times the fiber of brown rice

·      High in protein content

·      High in calcium for bone health

·      Rich in lutein – important for eye health

·      Low GI – helps to prevent diabetes

·      Low in available carbs

·      Rich in prebiotic properties – important for fueling the growth of healthy bacteria

Sounds almost perfect, right?  So off I went to try the recipes!  The cooking process for Freekeh is similar to quinoa. Cook up a big batch and store it in the refrigerator for use during the week. Cooked Freekeh can be eaten warm, like oatmeal, or cold with yogurt. I tried it both ways for breakfast and loved it. You can add your favorite fruits, nuts, and spices.

Since I had quite a bit left over, and had company coming for dinner, I made the Freekeh Salad recipe that came with the samples.  The recipe called for asparagus, beets, Portobello mushrooms, walnuts, and goat cheese. I omitted the beets and mushrooms as I didn’t have any and did not feel like running to the store. Dressed with a Dijon mustard, walnut oil, white wine vinegar vinaigrette, this was a wonderful accompaniment to our London broil. It would also work well as a side to chicken or fish. Printable recipe links below.

Freekeh is 100% natural, free from all additives, coloring, chemicals, preservatives, pesticides, herbicides, and GMO.

I really loved the nutty texture and smoky flavor, not to mention the health benefits. And with all the eating that I do, I need all the help I can get!  If something can be delicious AND healthy, it sounds like a winner.

Would love to hear from you if you’ve tried Freekeh, or other healthy grains (leave a comment below).

Freekehlicious

PO Box 103

Norwood, NJ 07648

201-297-7957

Print Breakfast Recipe

Print Salad Recipe