Day 269: Quick Sesame Broccoli ◄

Tonight I learned a new way to cook broccoli -- just pour boiling water over it!

It's not quite as good as broccoli steamed like this but it has one huge redeeming factor: Easy Clean-up. Prep takes only a cover-able bowl and a small bowl for the sauce.

It's also low-cal broccoli, low-carb broccoli, high-fiber broccoli and high-antioxidant broccoli. And zero -- that'd be 0 Weight Watchers points! And yes, despite all these many virtues, the broccoli tastes good too!

NEXT TIME: The 'sesame sauce' was good but next time I'll add garlic and/or ginger, maybe a touch of hot sauce. I suspect this technique would work well with frozen broccoli, too.

MORE BROCCOLI IDEAS: For other broccoli recipes, see here in the Recipe Box. (If you have trouble with the broccoli link, return to the main page and click By Vegetable in the right hand column. And please accept my apologies, the index file has gotten so big that it's acting up on occasion.)

QUICK SESAME BROCCOLI
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Hands-on time: 15 minutes (10 to clean/trim the broccoli which can be done in advance if that helps)
Time to table: 20 minutes
Serves 4

About 6 cups boiling water
1 pound broccoli, trimmed like this (it's a very important step -- if you haven't tried it, do!)

1 teaspoon sesame oil (reduced from 1 tablespoon vegetable oil)
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon garlic (from a jar) -- recommended addition
1 tablespoon ginger (from a jar) -- recommended addition
1 teaspoon kosher salt -- recommended addition
Hot sauce -- possible addition

Sesame seeds (look pretty but don't add much taste-wise)

Bring the water to boil (I used an electric kettle that teamakers usually have, much faster than the microwave or stove). Trim the broccoli and transfer to an eight-cup container with a cover (I used a Tupperware mixing bowl). Pour the boiling water over the broccoli, cover and let stand for at least 5 minutes (10 might be better as long as the water's still hot enough to be cooking). Drain the water.

Mix the remaining ingredients in a small bowl and heat in the microwave. Toss with the cooked broccoli, sprinkle with sesame seeds, serve and enjoy!

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
Per Serving: 47 Cal (24% from Fat, 26% from Protein, 50% from Carb); 4 g Protein; 1 g Tot Fat; 0 g Sat Fat; 7 g Carb; 4 g Fiber; NetCarb3; 69 mg Calcium; 1 mg Iron; 845 mg Sodium; 0 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 0 points

ALANNA's TIPS

• This technique works better on the 'trees' than the 'trunks' but it helps to put chunky pieces of chunk in the bottom of the bowl so they get more contact with the boiling water.
  
  
• The vinegar/soy/etc mixture collects in the bottom after tossing with the broccoli -- it tastes great so you might want to transfer it to one or more small dipping bowls for the table.
  
• When you see this ◄ in the title and the Recipe Box, you know the recipe's a personal favorite. Tastes vary, of course, but the mark is one indication of another vegetable recipe that's worth paying attention to.

CREDIT WHERE CREDIT'S DUE
My Canadian family swears by cookbooks from the Best of Bridge series, written by a group of Canadian women who, if they'd played bridge in the 21st century, would likely have been food bloggers versus cookbook mavens! This recipe comes from the "Enjoy" edition.

(c) Copyright 2006 Kitchen Parade