B is also for Broccoli

As a child I hated broccoli, among a long list of most other vegetables.  Actually, the only ones I did like were peas and corn.

My Mother, bless her heart, was a wonderful baker, but I never really liked much of the food she cooked for us on a day in day out basis.  I mostly wanted to eat her cookies and cinnamon rolls... vegetables and stews and meat and potatoes really didn't have any appeal for me.

When she cooked broccoli, it would get to that beautiful, bright green, and then she would serve it to use, limp and soggy and kinda grey, about 15 minutes later.  It was mushy.  No wonder no one liked it.  But cook it she did, because is was good for us.

Now we know that over-cooking robs veggies of their nutrients - back then we would have gotten more benefits from drinking the water the broccoli was cooked in, than eating the broccoli itself.  Broccoli is packed with Vitamin C and contains significant amounts of heart-healthy postassium.  It also boasts beta-carotene and some phytochemicals that may reduce the risk of some cancers.

Fast forward to today and I love broccoli, along with most other vegetables.  I have to admit I did learn to eat many of them raw first, and then graduated to cooked.  Broccoli was certainly one of those, and I do still prefer it raw.  I love it chopped in salads and dipped in hummus.

But when  I do cook it, I have found the key is to do it quickly!  Steam it for just a few minutes, 4 or 5 at the most.   Broccoli can also be roasted... toss it with a bit of olive oil and some salt and pepper, and roast in a hot oven for about 15 minutes... lovely!

This idea is from the Weight Watchers Points Plus cookbook called Fruits and Vegetables A-Z.  I made it for dinner recently and thoroughly enjoyed it....  I doubled the ingredients and ate it all myself!  And there was enough of the sauce left over to use as a dressing on my lunch salad the next day.

This would go really well with rice and pork or chicken for an Asian-style meal.

Steamed Broccoli with Ginger Sauce
Makes 1 serving
Weight Watchers P+ = 1

Steam the broccoli florets just until bright green and crisp-tender, about 4 minutes; transfer to small bowl.  Toss with reduced-sodium soy sauce, grated ginger,  lemon juice, and water.

I premixed the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl.

After steaming broccoli, place it in a bowl and add sauce to it. Mix well to coat all the florets.

Enjoy!