This amazing "Brocamole" (as the name suggests, guacamole with a broccoli twist!) recipe comes to us from my friend and music cohort Daryl who w
hipped this up & served to us at Record Club last month. It's sooooo good, oh my gosh, really, you don't even know really know broccoli is in it, so if that's an ingredient you are trying to feed to fussy eaters, this is your magic bullet! Good for breakfast, lunch, a snack or as a party dip...yum!
Take it away Daryl...
"'Tis the season, that's for sure. Whether you celebrate the end-of-year holidays or not, it always seems to me that the last weeks of December quickly become jam-packed with events, parties, errands and all the work that we all still need to get done.
Some nights, I just want to sit back with a book, my favorite relaxing music and something healthy and comforting. Which suits this recipe perfectly.
Just like the name suggests, Brocamole is a mash-up of two of my favorite things-broccoli and avocado. I've nicked and adapted the recipe from Nigella Lawson's recent book Simply Nigella. I have no shame about this, because she did the same from a restauranteur friend of hers.
The easy, creamy spread makes a perfect dip for get-togethers, which is how I first came to make it. But it's just as delicious as an accompaniment to crunchy, crusty bread and the relaxing evening I described above."
- Daryl

Brocamole
Makes approx. 2 1/2 c
Ingredients:
1 head broccoli
1/8 - 1/4 c olive oil
1 ripe avocado
2 scallions, trimmed and roughly chopped
small bunch cilantro
1 green Thai chile
juice of 2 limes
sea salt, to taste
Instructions:
* Trim the florets from the head of broccoli, and cook them in a big saucepan of salted boiling water for about 3 minutes (until crisp-tender).
* Drain and plunge straight into ice-cold water. Once the broccoli is cold, drain very well and tip into a food processor, adding the oil as you process to a thick puree. Add the oil a little at a time until you get the consistency you want.
* Halve the avocado, remove the pit and then spoon the flesh into the processor. Add the scallions, too, along with most of the cilantro. Roughly chop the chile and add it, along with half the lime juice, and puree again. For a hotter dip, use the seeds as well.
* Taste to see if you want more lime juice and add salt to taste.
* Serve in a bowl, sprinkled with the remaining cilantro, or on really good toast, as detailed above.
Storage note:
Unlike guacamole, this actually keeps pretty well in the refrigerator for a couple of days.
Daryl Kovalich is a freelance writer and creative director, an all around nice guy and a great contributing regular Record Club guest.

If you love this recipe, and want to know more about Nigella Lawson, listen to this lovely episode of
Bon Appétite podcast with her as a guest. I think she's quite charming!