Roasted cruciferous with walnuts, mushrooms, and double garlic

Plant based dish loaded with flavors and textures

We love cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, Brussel sprout, kale, etc.), cooked lightly or raw to retain crunchy texture and earthy taste. Because we use them almost daily, sometimes I struggle with bringing in a variety of flavors – honey soy, pesto, turmeric mix, etc. This is an attempt to create a hearty meatless dish by adding walnuts and mushrooms for enriching taste and texture.

Garlic is also a must staple at our household and we love them sautéed, roasted, minced or else, with an intense, pungent flavor with a touch of ripe sweetness. So, here, I tried them out as both sautéed and minced/pressed with walnuts, cruciferous and other vegetables, and mushrooms.  

Pre-sauté garlic and mushroom before adding to the rest

The recipe is simple and quick because all the flavors and textures will come together beautifully with a brief roast on a large sheet pan. Not all ingredients reach their optimal stage just by roasting (kept brief to retain crispy vegetable texture), so we would need to prep garlic and mushroom a bit differently.

Before adding to the rest, to make the most out of sliced garlics and mushrooms, I recommend you sauté them separately in olive oil. First, garlic slices in a well heated and oiled skillet until they become crisp, toasty, and golden brown. Then, after fishing them out, in the same pan, add sliced mushrooms until the earthy and savory liquid is released. To enhance the flavors and prevent drying, add a bit of left-over wine or sake, a tiny amount of soy sauce or kosher salt, and lemon juice, along with thyme and oregano.

Have it your own way

This turned out to be quite versatile. I’d say loads of garlic, a hefty amount of walnuts, mushrooms, and a heap of cruciferous (broccoli/cauliflower) and other vegetables are essential, and you can skip or swap the rest of ingredients. You can throw in what you like. Depending on the season, asparagus (see the tip on removing fine sands) and Brussel sprouts will work beautifully.

To make it a main dish, you can mix in cooked pasta or quinoa toward the end. Or for a non-vegetarian option, you can add sausage or chopped chicken thighs from the beginning of roast after briefly pre-cooking them. Feta cheese would also be a very nice addition. It goes well as a side to grilled/baked fish like this pesto salmon.

What’s wrong with pressing garlic?

I very much respect whatever Serious Eats have to say, and yet I am not quite in synch with the point on pressing garlic not being a preferred method. Maybe it’s because I grew up partially with Korean foods, I enjoy an intense, pungent flavor pressed garlic (vs. minced or otherwise) can deliver. Because we use a copious amount of garlic almost daily, a reliable, heavy-duty garlic press is a must kitchen gadget for me.

Hope you will have fund creating your own hearty cruciferous-garlic-walnut-mushroom dish!

Cruciferous with walnuts and double garlic

Versatile, nutritious, and easy to whip up as a side or main. Cruciferous and other vegetables with walnuts and garlic add rich textures and flavors.

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 2

Calories 509 kcal

Equipment

• 1 large sheet pan
• 1 small skillet or frying pan
• 1 large bowl

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1/2 bunch broccoli
• 1/2 head cauliflower
• 1 orange bell pepper red, yellow, or green will also work.
• 8 baby bella mushrooms can use any mushroom, including cremini, button, shiitake, etc.
• 1/3 cup walnuts chopped
• 1/2 head garlic can use as much as you’d like!
• 1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes optional; if using, preferably in olive oil
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves optional
• 1 tbsp fresh oregano leaves can use 2 tsp of dried oregano
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsps red wine To sautéeing mushrooms; can use white wine or sake
• 1 tsp soy sauce optional for mushrooms; if not, use 1/4 tsp of kosher salt
• 3 tbsps olive oil more if not using sun dried tomatoes in olive oil.
• 1 tsp kosher salt

Instructions

 

Prep vegetables and herbs

• Wash and break broccoli and cauliflower into medium sized florets. Dry well.
  
• Cut the bell pepper into about 1/2″ pieces.
• Julienne sun dried tomatoes.
• Slice mushrooms.
• Peel garlics and slice 1/2 of them, and press 1/2 to add to the vegetables later.
• Coarsely chop walnuts
• juice about 1/2 of s small lemon to create about 2 tbsps of juice + zest the skin.
• Set the oven to 425 and switch on.

Sauté sliced garlic and mushrooms

• Heat a small frying pan to medium high temperature, and slowly roll 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
• Sauté garlic slices until it turns golden brown, and fish them out and set aside.
• In the same pan, add mushrooms and sauté about 1 minute. Add oregano, thyme (if using), wine, lemon juice, and soy sauce or kosher salt and continue to sauté for another 2 minutes until they starts releasing a liquid.

Roast ingredients in the oven

• Bring vegetables, walnuts, sun dried tomatoes, and sautéed garlic and mushrooms in a large bowl. Add 1 tsp of salt, pressed garlics, and lemon zest. Cradle everything in 2 tbsps of olive oil.
  
• Spread a parchment paper on a large baking pan, and spread the ingredients, and bake at 425 for about 5 minutes, or more if you prefer vegetables softer.
• Enjoy as a side dish, or a main with pasta, quinoa, or your favorite proteins!
  

Nutrition

Calories: 509kcalCarbohydrates: 42gProtein: 16gFat: 36gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 12gMonounsaturated Fat: 17gSodium: 1449mgPotassium: 2080mgFiber: 14gSugar: 16gVitamin A: 3147IUVitamin C: 304mgCalcium: 231mgIron: 6mg

Keyword bell pepper, cruciferous, lemon juice, lemon zest, minced garlic, mushrooms, organo, thyme, toasted garlic, walnuts

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