You’d think that since I have a food blog that I wouldn’t fall into ruts in my eating. Sadly that’s not the case. In fact, when I come home with a Costco-sized bag of broccoli, it’s pretty much guaranteed that I’ll be making it all Barefoot Contessa-style.
While that Parmesan roasted broccoli is pretty much the cat’s pajamas, variety is the spice of life. And since I seem to be on something of a Chinese food kick lately, I thought I’d try to prepare the broccoli in a way that would complement all of the other Chinese dishes I’ve been making.
In this quick and healthy recipe, broccoli gets stir fried with bits of garlic and ginger in a flavorful Asian sauce made from soy sauce and fish sauce until tender crisp. Those looking to add a bit of heat can sprinkle a bit of crushed red pepper on the finished dish.

Asian Broccoli with Garlic and Ginger
Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons oil
1 Tablespoon minced fresh ginger (peeled)
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
approximately 6 cups broccoli florets
3+ Tablespoons water or chicken broth
1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
1 teaspoon Vietnamese fish sauce
salt
crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
Directions:
Heat the oil over high heat in a large wok or skillet until a small piece of garlic or ginger sizzles when it touches the pan. Add all of the ginger and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until very aromatic, about 20-30 seconds. Add the broccoli florets and toss to combine. Cook, stirring frequently, for about a minute.
Add the water or chicken broth, sesame oil and fish sauce and cook, stirring occasionally, until the broccoli has some charring and is tender-crisp. If the sauce dries out before the broccoli is done, add additional water or broth in small increments.
Taste and add salt if necessary. Remove to a serving plate and top with crushed red pepper flakes, if desired.
Add a protein like this Ga Nuong Lemongrass Chicken to make it a complete meal.
Fashonistas eagerly anticipate the September issues of fashion magazines; I eagerly anticipate the Williams-Sonoma holiday catalog, filled with all sorts of goodies that a gluten-free girl like myself can’t actually eat.
A couple years ago, when I was unable to travel to New England to see family for Christmas, my mother sent me a holiday care package. Inside were some small Christmas decorations and some packaged goodies, including a large bottle of local maple syrup.

Beef cubes simmered in a red wine and beef broth until it’s so tender that it can be cut with a spoon? Purely French.
I think I need help. I can’t seem to stop making financiers and financier-like mini tea cakes. But after the recent successes of the brown butter almond financiers and the 
The bar, my friends, has officially been raised.
Although I’d like to consider myself a relatively good cook and baker, I’m pretty sure that I’d flunk Decorative Arts and Design if I ever went to pastry school. Every time I’m inspired to do something out of my comfort zone (royal icing, fondant, cake pops), the result looks more like it was created by an elementary school-aged child than it does a 
I’ve noticed over the past year and a half that I tend to shy away from trying and posting recipes from the revered masters, which means you won’t find many of Diana Kennedy, Marcella Hazan or Julia Child’s recipes on Girl Cooks World.
My first taste of a Julia Child quiche? At a Mother’s Day brunch that my sister hosted. She’d made at least six quiches as a part of a much much larger spread. Oh, and did I mention that this was the day after her wedding?!? Yes, totally impressive.
So this is a recipe that even I refuse to tweak or modernize. Of course these days the crust has to be gluten-free, but I never stray from Julia’s original filling, which is extremely simple and completely unapologetic in its use of heavy cream. Heavy cream, eggs, bacon, salt and pepper. Done. Unless you want to get really wild and sprinkle on some fresh herbs.
Julia Child’s Quiche Lorraine, Gluten-Free
A couple months ago, when I was working my way through a Sam’s Club 3-pack of Nutella, I became obsessed with the idea of chocolate crêpes filled with Nutella and topped with roasted hazelnuts. I tried my hand at a couple chocolate crêpe recipes without much success. There’s only so many crêpes a girl can eat without getting discouraged and/or needing to graduate to elastic waistbands and so my recipe development plans were put on hold.
This time I used my very favorite
Gluten-Free Chocolate Crêpes