Irish Chef Daniel Lambert Has Some Very Good Broccoli Advice For You

There’s a particular kind of weeknight dinner paralysis that sets in around 5pm. You’ve done the school run, someone has already declared they’re starving, and you’re standing in front of the fridge wondering how the same rotation of meals got so relentlessly, soul-crushingly boring. Sound familiar?

Here’s the thing though: eating well doesn’t have to mean spending hours in the kitchen or watching a Michelin-starred chef do something completely unachievable on your phone. Sometimes it’s just about knowing a few tricks. And that’s exactly what Irish chef, author and food creator Daniel Lambert is here to show us, in a new collaboration with Tenderstem® broccoli.

Small touches, big difference

Daniel has developed three new recipes that prove restaurant-style food is well within reach of the average home cook, even the one who’s already been on her feet since 7am. The whole idea is to take something familiar and give it a lift, whether that’s a punchy sauce, a bit of crunch, or an ingredient you wouldn’t normally think to reach for.

“People sometimes look at a restaurant-style dish and think there’s no way they could make it at home, but often it’s the small things that make the biggest difference,” Daniel says. “It could be adding a really good sauce, getting a bit of char on an ingredient, or finishing a dish with something crunchy or acidic. That’s what I wanted to show with these recipes.”

Tenderstem® is at the centre of all three dishes, and it’s genuinely one of those ingredients that works harder than it gets credit for. Sweet, slightly nutty, with that satisfying crunch, it cooks in minutes and you can eat it entirely from top to tip, so there’s no peeling, no trimming, and absolutely no throwing half of it in the bin. You can grill it, roast it, steam it, stir-fry it or throw it in the air fryer. It’s also high in folate, vitamin A and vitamin C and provides one of your five-a-day in just 80g, which honestly feels like a win on a Tuesday evening.

The three recipes worth bookmarking

Daniel’s new recipes are the kind you’ll actually want to make, not just save and never look at again. Here’s what’s on the menu:

Tenderstem® Broccoli with Black Garlic Whipped Tahini, Chilli Oil, Sesame and Crispy Chickpeas. Creamy, spicy and crunchy all at once. The kind of plate that looks like serious effort but really isn’t.
Butter-Glazed Tenderstem® with Beetroot Hummus, Brown Butter Cashews and Pickled Raisin Escabeche. Buttery, sweet and sharp flavours together on one very colourful plate. It’s the sort of thing that makes people ask if you’ve been taking a cookery class.
Soy-Glazed Tenderstem® with Satay Sauce, Pineapple and Toasted Almonds. Salty, sweet and nutty with plenty of crunch. This one might just become a regular in the rotation.

Making greens the star of the plate

There’s a tendency in most households, and no judgement here, to treat vegetables as the supporting act. They get steamed and plonked on the side while everyone’s real attention is on whatever’s in the middle of the plate. Lorraine Fountain, Senior Commercial Manager at Tenderstem®, is hoping that’s about to change.

“Daniel’s recipes are exactly the kind of food we want people to look at and think, ‘I want to make that,'” she says. “They look fantastic and have loads of flavour, but they’re still dishes you can recreate in your own kitchen. We’d love these recipes to encourage home cooks to go beyond simply serving their greens on the side and discover what else they can do with them.”

It’s a fair point. A good tahini, a drizzle of chilli oil, a handful of toasted nuts. These are the kinds of finishing touches that cost very little effort but completely change how a meal feels. And when the vegetable in question is as quick and versatile as Tenderstem®, there’s genuinely no excuse not to try something a bit different.

Daniel puts it simply: “Tenderstem® is brilliant to cook with because it’s quick, it has great texture and it works with so many different flavours. You can do something really simple with it or take it up a notch and make it the star of the plate. Most importantly, these are dishes home cooks can actually make and enjoy at home.”

All three recipes are available now at tenderstem.ie, along with plenty more inspiration for bringing a little chef know-how to dinner at home. You can also follow @tenderstemIreland on Instagram for recipes, tips and serving ideas.