Broccoli

Lucinda Daly

Broccoli

Broccoli is a superfood, full of great nutrients. I have a book about healthy eating and there is a picture of broccoli on the cover. That says it all.

I love broccoli. Even after 55 years of marriage, my husband still dislikes it. He liked a cartoon which showed a child saying: "On your birthday you can't be made to eat broccoli."

So for me broccoli is a solitary pleasure, cooking for one on my two hungry days a week. I know that fad is out of date but I'm stuck with it. According to the book, you don't feel hungry on the semi-fast days, you don't feel hungry the next day, and the weight stays off.

Not true.
Not true.
And so not true.

Nigella Lawson is reported as saying that food in a bowl is food for the soul.

Food in a bowl

This recipe is about tasty, filling, comfort food, with very low calories and featuring broccoli in a bowl. I use a microwave-safe bowl which holds two and a half cups. A typical mixing bowl.

Preparation time is about 15 minutes but you may need to experiment.

Select all the low-calorie, low-carbohydrate vegetables in your kitchen. Start by chopping an onion and microwave it in the bowl for 2 minutes. Scrape and chop a carrot. This won't take two minutes so press stop, reset, add carrot and set for 2 minutes again. Why 2 minutes? Because the time to cook is usually more than one minute but less than two so I don't bother to calculate each time. So get the rhythm; chop, stop, reset, add next vegetable, set two minutes.

You can use celery, capsicum, green beans or whatever you like but leave the most space for your florets of broccoli. Don't worry if the bowl gets too full, it all softens and can be pressed down. The broccoli might take three minutes and I often finish with a layer of half a chopped zucchini.

It's fine to pause at this point. Cover the bowl with cling wrap and watch Antiques Roadshow.

When you are ready to eat, add some protein. I add half a tin of baked beans and microwave for three minutes.

Now, don't feel sorry for my husband. While I am fixing my bowl he will be preparing crumbed prawns in the air fryer.

Lucinda Daly
Perth