Gourmet cooking doesn’t have to entail hours of cooking with a list of ingredients longer than your normal grocery list. Create meals bursting with complex flavors that will please every food snob in your life, easily.

I am a huge fan of the side dish. It doesn’t take much to give a side dish a little something special, and it makes the whole meal better when your sides have their own flavors. I could have just steamed my broccoli tonight, but instead I added just a few ingredients and gave it a personality all its own.

Broccoli with leeks and manchego

Ingredients:

• 2 heads broccoli, chopped
• 1 large leek, sliced
• 1/2 cup basil (about 2 sprigs) chopped chiffonade style
• about 1 ounce of manchego cheese, grated
• pinch sea salt
• lots of freshly ground black pepper
• aged balsamic vinegar

Saute broccoli and leeks in a bit of olive oil over medium high heat. When cooked to desired doneness (cook it enough for the picky husband… ahem), season with salt and pepper, remove from heat and add basil. Sprinkle with cheese and drizzle with balsamic and toss. Serve and enjoy.

You could alter this dish easily:

• enhance with sun-dried tomatoes and pine nuts
• try a different herb
• try a different cheese (but why would you?)
• use a different member of the onion family
• add some currants and slivered almonds