6/18 Eating the Bushes
Happy Meatless Monday. I have an easy recipe to share that will elevate your broccoli and effortlessly work a meatless dish into your plan for the week. Think of it as broccoli, only better.
When I was a little girl I lived next door to what seemed like the oldest woman that had ever lived. One Summer she paid to have all of her grass removed from her back yard and replaced with stones, hundreds of thousands of stones. Everyone thought she had gone mad. Now that I have a yard of my own, I think it was just really good thinking. Without a yard, there is no yard work. That makes perfect sense to me.
On Saturday we had planned to work in the yard. Because of my disdain for most yard work I tend to have to consider it an investment in brighter days to make it through. If I do this now…all things will be greater in the future. Because Sandy and I planned on spending all day Sunday in the pool and I had invited friends over…Saturday was all about yard work.
Photo by S. Duquet
The one yard-centric task I truly enjoy doing is trimming the hedges. Maybe its the sunshine or the white noise of the trimmers or the instant gratification of finely shorn shrubbery, it is a job I can get in to. On Saturday I clipped and trimmed until the bushes were scaped into submission. As I was sculpting our hedges it occurred to me that they looked a lot like broccoli. I really love broccoli. Must have some. After finishing the bushes I went to the grocery store for party supplies for Sunday’s pool festivities and broccoli. Thank goodness the bushes didn’t look like bottles of Jack Daniels because I felt possessed. The broccoli bushes had made an impression.
As I wandered around the produce section with my broccoli in hand, I kept wracking my brain…what should I cook this broccoli with? In a post yard work fog I began to toss all kinds of things in the buggy to pair with the broccoli. Soy nuts, golden beets, when finally it occurred to me that the only things I really wanted to taste with it were garlic and ginger. So, I put everything back, grabbed the basics and went home.
This dish is simple and delicious. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Photo by S. Duquet
Broccoli w/Garlic & Ginger
By: S. Duquet & S. Boulton
Ingredients
4 C raw broccoli chopped
1/2 C water
2 cloves of garlic finely minced
1 heaping Tbsp fresh ginger finely minced
1 1/2 Tbsp Tamari
Make it Happen:
Use spray oil to coat one large saute pan. Heat on medium low and toss in broccoli. Warm for 1-2 minutes until the green gets bright. Add water, ginger, garlic and 1 Tbsp of tamari and simmer, covered for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat when it is cooked through, but still a touch al dente. Stir the 1/2 Tbsp of tamari into the broccoli for an added dash of flavor.
Makes 4 side dishes or could be used over cooked noodles or rice as an entree for two.
Photo by: S. Duquet
It is a simple, unadulterated dish. The flavors are pleasing and not over done. Sometimes I have to remind myself that less can truly be more. I can so easily get caught up in the excitement of creating a dish that I forget how spectacular nearly naked food tastes.
Have a delicious day.
Tags: broccoli with garlic and ginger, compassionate eating, dairy free, Engine 2 friendly recipes, exploits of a vegan wannabe, garlic broccoli, ginger broccoli, low sodium recipes, Meatless Monday, Meatless Monday recipe, oil free recipes, plant strong recipe, sauteed broccoli, vegan side dishes, vegan wannabe
