Eat ALL of that Broccoli (RECIPE)

Broccoli is my go-to veggie--available year round, easy to cook, super nutritious and I happen to really like the taste. If plain, steam broccoli is too boring for you, toss the cooked veggie with salsa, pesto, or top with some grated cheese.
And don't throw away the stem portions! They are just as nutritious and have an interesting texture and flavor of their own.
One of my favorite food writers, Martha Rose Shulman, just published a piece about how to cook broccoli stems. Here's the link.
And here is one of her featured recipes.

RECIPE: STIR-FRIED BROCCOLI STEMS WITH RED PEPPER, PEANUTS AND TOFU
(Serves 4)

Ingredients:

• Bunch broccoli
• 1 14-ounce box firm tofu, drained and cut in 1/4-inch thick, 2-inch by 3/4-inch dominoes
• 1 to 2 tablespoons soy sauce (more to taste)
• 1 tablespoon Chinese cooking sherry (Shaoxing rice wine) or dry sherry
• ¼ cup vegetable stock or water
• ¼ to 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 2 to 3 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 to 3 teaspoons minced ginger
• ¼ to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
• 2 tablespoons peanut, canola, rice bran, sunflower, or grape seed oil
• ¼ cup lightly roasted unsalted peanuts
• 1 red bell pepper, cut in 2-inch julienne
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Instructions:

• Cut broccoli stems away from crowns. Peel stems, slice lengthwise, then cut in 2-inch julienne. Cut crowns in thin slices and collect all of the flower buds that fall off onto your cutting board in the same bowl with the sliced crowns.
• Dry tofu slices on paper towels. In a small bowl or measuring cup combine soy sauce, rice wine or sherry, and stock or water. Combine salt and sugar in another small bowl and garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes in another. Have all ingredients within arm’s length of your pan.
• Heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok or 12-inch steel skillet over high heat until a drop of water evaporates within a second or two when added to the pan. Swirl in 1 tablespoon of the oil by adding it to the sides of pan and swirling the pan, then add tofu and stir-fry until lightly colored, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove to a plate.
• Swirl in remaining oil, add garlic, ginger and pepper flakes if using and stir-fry for no more than 10 seconds. Add peanuts, all of the broccoli – stems, crowns and flower buds – and red peppers, and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add salt, pepper, and sugar, toss together and add soy sauce mixture. Stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes, until vegetables are crisp-tender, and return tofu to the wok. Add cilantro and stir together for about 30 seconds. Serve with additional soy sauce as desired and hot grains or noodles.

 SOURCE: New York Times, 6/20/14

Loving Our Veggies: Try this one

Celery is the main ingredient

As we know, the more vegetables we can get into our mouths, the better. I'm always looking for new ways to prepare veggies, or even for altogether new (never tried) ones.
Here's an idea that wouldn't be likely to occur to me if I wasn't such an avid reader of Martha Shulman (the NY Times resident healthy foodie): making cooked celery the star of a dish.
This recipe for steamed, then sauteed, celery definitely stretches me. It's low in calories (less than 100 per serving) but high in fiber, vitamins -- and tastiness.

I'm going to try it ASAP!

RECIPE: Braised Celery with Tomatoes and Garlic
Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 bunch celery, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 anchovy, rinsed and chopped (optional)

1 14-ounce can chopped tomatoes in juice

3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

Pinch of sugar

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 

Instuctions:

1. Place the celery in a steamer above 1 inch of boiling water. Cover and steam 5 minutes, until just tender when pierced with a knife. Remove from the heat and drain.

2. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy skillet and add the garlic. Stir until it smells fragrant, about 30 seconds, and add the anchovy if using, tomatoes, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, a pinch of sugar and salt and pepper. Stir together, then stir in the celery. Cook, stirring often, until the tomatoes have cooked down and the mixture is fragrant, about 10 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Stir in the remaining parsley just before serving.