Broccoli
stalks:----
Broccoli
stalks along with the florets is an old-fashioned, traditional food that people
have enjoyed for many centuries.
It’s a great
choice for staying healthy because it is really one of the original super foods.
Low in
calories, high in fiber and packed with nutrition, broccoli is an excellent and
delicious addition to any diet.
Here are
just a few of broccoli’s many winning qualities:
Broccoli is
rich in Isothiocyanates. This phytonutrient is excellent when it comes to
avoiding and battling cancer.
Broccoli
contains a full range of vitamins and minerals including A, B6, C, E, selenium,
folate, choline, copper, zinc, magnesium and calcium.
Broccoli is
fiber rich (especially the stalks) so it supports good elimination and
detoxification of the body.
For all of
these reasons, it is very unwise to waste any part of this nutritional
powerhouse.
In this
article, we will share 7+ basic ways you can use broccoli stems to add
nutrition, flavor and interest to your daily diet. Read on to learn more.
Add Value
& Flavor To Your Everyday Menus
Aside from
making the most of your food dollar by eating every bite of broccoli including
the stems, you’ll be happy to know that the stems are very tasty and can be
prepared in a number of interesting and exciting ways.
In fact, you
will probably be surprised to learn just how versatile broccoli stems really
are.
When you
peel off the tough outer skin, the tasty broccoli inside the stem can be used
just like any other tasty veggie.
You can
munch on the whole peeled stem as a snack. It can also be sliced, diced or
grated to be added raw to salads or served with dip.
There are
lots of ways to cook broccoli stalks. You can simply peel and roast the whole
stalks with other veggies in the oven.
Slice or
dice the stalks to steam, saute or stir fry with other veggies, chicken, meat,
fish or tofu.
No matter
how you prepare your broccoli stems, you are sure to find them a colorful
interesting addition to a wide variety of dishes.
Dice It Up
& Toss It In!
Peel and
dice a broccoli stem and saute the pieces with some red bell pepper, onion and
garlic in preparation for scrambling eggs.
Once the
veggies are tender crisp, just pour your prepared eggs over them and scramble
lightly or cook over a low flame, add grated cheese and fold your eggs over to
make a tasty omelet.
The colorful
veggies add flavor, nutrition and fiber to your Sunday brunch.
Diced
broccoli stems make an excellent addition to pasta salads. Add the pieces raw
or steam them a bit to make them a little less crisp.
Be careful
never to overcook broccoli stems or florets because doing so destroys a great
deal of nutritional value and robs this tasty veggie of its bright, attractive
green color.
Add diced,
raw broccoli stalk to the batter next time you make cornbread or hush puppies
for extra color, flavor , fiber and nourishment.
Grate
Broccoli Stalks For Broccoli Slaw, Coleslaw Or Pasta Salad Use raw,
grated broccoli stems and grated carrots to make broccoli slaw using the
broccoli instead of cabbage.
This will
work with any coleslaw slaw recipe. You might also simply add grated broccoli
to your favorite coleslaw recipe.
If you use
red cabbage, you will have a very festive dish, indeed.
Sliced
Broccoli Stalks Make A Great Addition To Soups, Stir-Fry
& Veggie Platters.
You can add
sliced broccoli stems to just about any kind of soup. Just saute it along with
the other veggies and meat or poultry (if used) before adding your broth,
spices and other ingredients.
In fact, you
can use tasty broccoli stalks in almost any recipe that calls for carrots,
celery or bell peppers. Use it instead of these or in addition to them.
Sliced
broccoli stems make a great addition to a veggie platter. You can slice them
cross ways for raw broccoli chips or slice them into strips or sticks.
They add
color and interest nestled in between the red bell peppers and the carrot
sticks.
Sliced into
broad strips, raw broccoli stems make a crunchy, tasty addition to all sorts of
sandwiches (especially grilled cheese).
A few strips
of raw broccoli stalk and some carrot sticks make an interesting and unusual
edible garnish.
Puree
Broccoli Stalks For Baby & For You!
Puree diced,
raw broccoli stems along with other tasty veggies to create a delicious,
nutritious green smoothie.
Peel and
steam the stalks until tender then puree them to make baby food for your
toddler.
Use These
Easy Healthy Ideas Boost Your Flavor And Nutrition Quotient.
The healthiest
diet is one that consists of at least half fresh fruits and veggies, and
there’s really almost no veggie that is better for you than broccoli.
When you
learn to make the most of every bite of the broccoli you purchase by dicing,
slicing, pureeing, sauteing, stir-frying and generally adding it to any and all
veggie dishes, you can give your veggie intake a big boost, enjoy lots of high
quality fiber and nutrition along with a healthy dose of good eating!