Broccoli Salad

 

I want you to get excited about eating vegetables, in particular green vegetables.

I  love most veges, but how can I get others to eat them more?  My boss at work often teases me for the rabbit food I have on my plate at lunchtime. Other workmates often have a lot of starchy food to fill them up, 2 minute noodles are very popular! I keep hoping that bringing in my colourful lunches to work will encourage others to add veges to their meals too.

I think our first experiences with tasting food can put us off for life. Growing up in the 60’s and 70’s, we didn’t have fabulous experiences with vegetables.  The brussel sprouts, were boiled for ages, likewise the cabbage and the carrots.  Peas were are constant source of amusement  and weren’t easy to handle.  How many peas landed on the floor by accident or on purpose! I mean vegetables  were for playing with. Cauliflower was only any good if smoothered in a cheese sauce and mushrooms were disgusting and tasted like dirt!

Silverbeet was the other vegetable I loved to hate when I was a kid.  I especially remember having egg served on a bed of silverbeet.  My mother thought it was wonderful, maybe it was a new trend to serve eggs similar to egss benedict now.  I thought it was the worst meal I had ever had! As an adult I still don’t like silverbeet, give me spinach any day.

But now I have broccoli.  I didn’t have broccoli when I was a kid and maybe that’s why I like it so much.  According to the 5aday website, broccoli means little sprouts in Italian .  I know my daughters avoided eating certain vegetables as kids.  With Jen it was potatoes and Joanna it was broccoli. My continual persistance in putting the good vegetables on their plate, meant they did eventually eat it.   Joanna, a like minded foodie, now in her mid 20’s now sees that broccoli is a wonderful vegetable, even thought it’s a little tasteless!

Broccoli is my go-to green vegetable, and it takes s0 little time to cook.  The stalks, can be peeled, grated and added to coleslaw, or if you are like me, eat while prepping the evening meal. This vegetable is so versatile, full of vitamin c, and can be eaten hot or cold. This salad makes broccoli taste yum.  Make this at the weekend to accompany your lunch during the week or take as a side dish to a lunch, or bbq. Try it, and you may just like it!

Note: Omit the bacon if you prefer a vegetarian option

BROCCOLI SALAD

(Serves 4)

Ingredients

1 medium head of broccoli

2 rashers of streaky bacon

1/4 cup of good quality aoili

1/4 cup of walnuts (or pecans) toasted

1/4 red onion (optional)

METHOD

• Cut broccoli into bite size pieces.
• 3/4’s fill a saucepan with water, and bring to boil
• Add broccoli and boil for 2 minutes
• Drain immediately using a colander, and place in a single layer in a flat dish.
• Pat dry with a clean tea towel or paper towels.
• Cover the broccoli with a clean dry tea towel and place in fridge for 30 mins.
• Chop the bacon and cook until crisp and brown.
• Toast the nuts in a pan on low heat until slightly brown. (this step is optional)
• Slice the red onion and place in a small bowl.  cover with white wine vinegar.
• After the broccoli is cooled, place in a bowl.  Toss with the aioli, until all broccoli is well covered.
• Add the drained red onion, and sprinkle with bacon.
• Cover and return to the fridge for further chilling of an hour or so
• Just before serving add the toasted nuts.
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