Skillet Broccoli Bits

 Le Plat du Jour (Dish of the Day), the theme for this week at I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC). What is your special Dish of the Day at your house? In my house, we love veggies! In an Asian household, the normal dinner meal would be the daily rice, with some dishes like meat, chicken or fish, sometimes a bowl of soup, and always a plate of veggies. 

I bought a head of broccoli, and usually would stir-fry it with lots of garlic. If I am in a hurry, I would sometimes place the broccoli florets in a microwaveable bowl, add some salt, onion or garlic oil and a light sprinkling of water, microwave on high for about 3 minutes or so.

This recipe of Jacques Pepin uses similar ingredients (olive oil, salt, water) but the cooking is done in a skillet, but I've used a wok instead. There's no stir-frying, but the florets and the stems are cooked with the rest of the ingredients, covered in a skillet for a few minutes, and uncover for a further 2 minutes until the broccoli are tender but still firm. According to JP, for him, the stems are the best part of the broccoli. Just like him, I love the stems, and would never discard them when I cook broccoli. Simply peel off the outer skin, and cut the stems to thin slices,  and cook them together with the florets. 

This simple dish is really tasty. I like how the broccoli still remain vibrant green, yet tender and still firm to the bite. A plateful of this, is lovely as a side dish to any meal.

Skillet Broccoli Bits 
(adapted from "More Fast Food My Way", Jacques Pepin)
1 bunch broccoli (about 1-1/4 pounds)
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt

Cut the broccoli florets off the stems and divide the florets into 1- to 1-1/2 inch pieces. Peel the skin from the stems with a sharp knife or a vegetable peeler. Cut the peeled stems into 1-inch pieces.

Put the broccoli into a stainless-steel skillet and add the water, oil, and salt. Bring to a boil and cook, covered, over high heat for about 3 minutes. Remove the cover and cook over high heat for about 2 minutes, or until the water is gone and the broccoli is glazed and tender but still firm. Serve.

I'm linking this post to I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC), theme for this week,

 Le Plat du Jour (Dish of the Day)