Steamed Broccoli with Tangerines

May 30, 2015

We’re looking at broccoli today. It’s time to re-acquaint ourselves with an old and maybe under-appreciated friend. Kale gets a ton of press these days. And that’s fine. Kale is Kool. But just because something is in vogue doesn’t mean we pass the broccoli on by at the market. Can you believe that a big ad agency, Victors & Spoils, was actually hired to create a campaign for our good buddy Broccoli? I kid you not. I read about it a couple of years back in the Sunday NY Times Magazine section (Nov. 3, 2013). They came up with slogans like:

The Meat of Any Salad

Melts Butter

Since When Do Super Foods Have To Be Super Trendy?

The battle was ON between “alpha” broccoli and “trendy” kale and it only helped boost sales on both sides. (Anyone remember the old war between Coke and Pepsi, in which, according to the advertisers, there was no loser? Except for the general public drinking the ____. But that’s our business, not the advertisers.)

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So I was leaning with my elbows on the counter, as I’m wont to do, thinking about the lovely broccoli I had just gotten from the market. It was sitting next to a beautiful bowl of tangerines. Green and orange… one of my favorite color combinations. Broccoli with citrus. Beautiful! Lovely as a side.

We’ll do a little something with Mr. Broccoli first. Steam it with a bit of fresh ginger and garlic.

And this combo is just as lovely presented on a bed of greens for a light salad. I generally like to throw a cooked veggie in my salads. And I often throw some type of fruit in my salads – diced apples, pears, orange or tangerine segments, strawberries, peaches, dried fruit. Whatever’s around… locally.

Add some olive oil…

… and a light vinegar. Throw in a squeeze of lemon too.

Ta Da! Simplicity Rules!

As my good friend Ann, reminded me the other day, “I like to stick with the KISS system in life.” You know. Keep it simple, Stupid. Novio informs me that the term was initially coined in a recording studio. Whereever it was born, it’s definitely a good one to remember.

STEAMED BROCCOLI WITH TANGERINES

Ingredients:

2 c. broccoli

1 clove garlic, sliced lengthwise

1″ piece of ginger, sliced lengthwise

2 small seedless tangerines

2 green onions, sliced

2 T. olive oil

1 T. lemon juice

1 T. orange Muscato vinegar (or any light fruity vinegar)

salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

Steam broccoli whole or cut in pieces, along with ginger and garlic. If whole, steam the broccoli for 5 minutes and remove from heat to let rest for 2 minutes. If cut in bite-sized pieces, steam for 3-4 minutes, to your desired level of tenderness. Let rest for a minute. Place in bowl and set aside

Segment the tangerines and toss with broccoli. Sprinkle oil and vinegar over. Add lemon juice, salt and pepper. That’s it. Seriously.

Delicious, wholesome food is not hard to do.

bb Note: There all all kinds of variations building on the broccoli-tangerine pairing: