Friday, November 21, 2008

What do you do with YOUR broccoli stalks?

I googled "what to do with broccoli stalks" and got this - soup, pickles, stir-fry and nutty mash. And I found out on this website that broccoli stalks are 64% carbs, 10% fats and 26% protein. Of course, the next thing I do is check "krispy kreme doughnut (glazed)" and immediately regret it - 240 calories, 40% carbs, 55% fats and 5% protein. Do I learn my lesson? No. I check "krispy kreme crueller", "krispy creme chocolate doughnut" and "krispy kreme jam-filled doughnuts" next. All I can say is, thank goodness my favourite ones are the original glazed ones! Because we all know that carbs turn into fat if it's not burned off, so technically, eating a krispy kreme doughnut is equivalent to downing a vat of lard.

:(

Okay, back to broccoli. How many times have you thrown these away?

Well, don't because they are perfect for Kinpira, a very popular Japanese side dish. Kinpira means "saute and simmer" and that's how you cook the vegetables, by sauteing them over high heat and then simmering them to tender perfection. According to Just Bento, hard vegetables are the best for making kinpira because they lend that added crunch. Yums. Think cabbage centres, celery and turnips.

I decided to try it out.

- First I sliced up carrots and the stalk into strips.
- Then I added some olive oil (use sesame oil if you have it) into a pan and started tossing them about (4-5 mins).
- Next I added some soya sauce (1-2 tsp) and tossed some more.
* At this point, Just Bento recommends adding some red pepper flakes too, but I'm sure you can add whatever dry spices / flavourings you want too. I only added soya sauce.
- At the end, I added the sesame seeds.

And that's it. Sweet!
Verdict? I'm definitely cooking this again when DN is here because I know he will LOVE this.

No comments: