Broccoli dumplings with ricotta cheese - Polpette di broccoli con ricotta - Okruglice od brokule s ricotta sirom

This recipe is part of the contest Kuvarigrice, our host for February 2016 is Kata

I adore kale, cabbage and broccoli, but I hate cauliflower! Isn't it strange?

Cauliflower is one of the very few things that I don't like. More then its flavour I don't like its texture. I have always compared broccoli to cauliflower and I was hesitant to tast it. First time I ever ate broccoli was in Sweden, in December! I know what are you thinking: why should you make all those kilometers to taste broccoli for the first time...in Sweden?! But during our travels in North European countries, me and Mr.M., we used to walk and walk and we often got so hungry that I would have eaten cauliflower too, mhhh....no, cauliflower would  be still there, all alone  on the dish! In that occasion I have ordered my dish, it was main course dish with meat and vegetables and broccoli! Firstly I continued to look at those green blooms, then Mr.M. described its flavour and texture and at the end I smelled them (I was very discreet in doing it). I gathered all my courage and I ate my first small piece of broccoli. It was surprisingly sweet and solid, not mealy at all and I liked it! So I "cleaned" my dish completely and from that moment I started to thing about broccoli as a tasty and perfect winter vegetable. 

Now I often use broccoli as side dish, I prepare the soup and pasta with it, but it's my first time preparing dumplings with broccoli. During last February days I was thinking about something else to offer to my friend Kata for our contest and I'm very satisfied with the result. I hope you will also love it, especially because it is very easy, healthy and so seasonal!
To make this dish even more healthy I've decided to avoid frying the dumplings, so I baked them in the oven with very, very little olive oil.

BROCCOLI DUMPLINGS WITH RICOTTA CHEESE

150 gr of boiled and smashed broccoli

100 gr ricotta cheese

30 gr of bread crumbles + more for coating the dumplings

1 tablespoon of grated Parmesan cheese

1-2 tablespoons of grated Provolone cheese

1 egg

salt and paper

extra virgin olive oil

Wash the vegetables, cut the tops of broccoli, peel the stalk and cut it into small peaces. Cook broccoli in slightly salted and boiling water. Don't overcook the vegetables, cook around 15-20 minutes.

Drain broccoli and let them cool completely.

Use only green blooms of broccoli (use the stalk to prepare a soup!). Smash them with the fork to get a sort of mash, add all other ingredients and combine well all together with the fork.

Leave the mixture in refrigerator for 15 minutes.

Cover the baking tray with the parchment and preheat the oven to 180°C.

Make small balls with your hands, coat them with bread crumbles and place them on the baking tray. Drizzle broccoli dumplings with some extra virgin olive oil and bake them in the oven for about 20-30 minutes.

Serve it hot with some salad.

POLPETTE DI BROCCOLI CON RICOTTA

150 gr di broccoli bolliti e schiacciati con la forchetta

100 gr di ricotta

30 gr di pangrattato + altro per impanare le polpette

1 cucchiaio di parmigiano reggiano grattugiato

1-2 cucchiai di provolone dolce grattugiato

1 uovo

sale e pepe
olio extravergine di oliva

Lavare i broccoli, tagliare le cime, pelare il gambo e tagliarlo a rondelle e far cuocere i broccoli in acqua bollente e leggermente salata. Non far cuocere troppo la verdura, basteranno circa 15-20 minuti.

Scolare i broccoli e lasciarli raffreddare completamente.

Usare solo le infiorescenze verdi dei broccoli (con il gambo si può preparare la vellutata!). Schiacciare i broccoli con la forchetta per ottenere la purea, aggiungere tutti gli ingredienti rimasti e amalgamare bene tutto con la forchetta.

Lasciare riposare il composto in frigorifero per 15 minuti.

Rivestire una teglia da forno con della carta forno e riscaldare il forno fino a 180°C.
Formare le palline con le mani, impanarle e sistemarle nella teglia. Spruzzare le polpette con poco olio di oliva e farle cuocere nel forno caldo per circa 20-30 minuti.
Servirle calde con insalata a piacimento.

OKRUGLICE OD BROKULE S RICOTTA SIROM

150 gr brokule kuhane i zdrobljene vilicom
100 gr ricotta sira
30 gr krušnih mrvica + još za paniranje
1 žlica ribanog parmezana
1-2 žlice ribanog mladog provolone sira
1 jaje
sol i papar
ekstra djevičansko maslinovo ulje

Oprati brokulu, odsjeći cvjetne vrhove, oguliti stabljike i izrezati ih na režnjeve, te kuhati brokulu u kipućoj i lagano posoljenoj vodi. Ne treba raskuhati povrće, biti će kuhano za oko 15-20 minuta.
Ocijediti brokulu i pustiti da se potpuno ohladi.
Koristiti samo zelene cvjetne vrhove brokule (od stabljike možete pripremiti krem juhu!). Zdrobiti brokulu vilicom da dobijete pire, dodati sve preostale sastojke i sve skupa dobro izmiješati vilicom.
Ostaviti smjesu u hladnjaku 15 minuta.
Prekriti pleh za pečenje masnim papirom i zagrijte pećnicu na 180° C.
Rukama oblikovati loptice, panirati loptice i staviti ih na pleh. Poškropiti okruglice s malo maslinovog ulja i peći u zagrijanoj pećnici oko 20-30 minuta.
Poslužite toplo sa salatom po želji.