09 Oriental Broccoli Stalk Stir-fry

Broccoli stalks - DON'T THROW THEM AWAY!!
Their crunchy/tender cores could potentially become your new favorites!!

I was horrified when one well regarded recipe tells the readers to "discard the rest of the stalks after keeping an inch or two of stalk attached to the florets." THAT is a kitchen crime!

Queen of the Dominion (Boss at home, who from now shall be referred to as 'QoD') and I always seek this part first in our stir fries. If you don't generally use frozen broccoli florets, OR if you're handling many skinny stalks, you may be tempted to disregard this inner crunchy core. However, once you're hooked, you'll always want to buy big stalks just to get the core. :-}

Here are some modified photos from the internet. (I couldn't locate my camera, so I cheated.)













You don't need to blanch or steam these stalk strips. That's too much work, so here is how you'll cheat. :-}

Arrange the strips in a single layer in a microwave-safe dish, cover, and zap them in the microwave on High for 30-40 seconds (our microwave is 1400W). Time may vary, depending on your microwave power. Be careful not to burn them. When uncovered, they should be steamed and translucent, with that bitter green fragrant/smell of broccoli.

(This microwave zapping cheat also works well with broccoli and cauliflower floret quarters. I never blanch veggies. Who wants to throw away the leached chlorophyll or anthocyanin goodies? High heat cooking will destroy many vitamins anyway. If you want them all, you'll have to munch on RAW veggies, which do not always work. Stove-top steaming is slow and gives you more things to wash.)

QoD's Oriental Broccoli Stalk Stir-fry

(As she claims, good cooks only approximate on non-bake things because cooking is art. LOL I don't think she has any fixed measurements. This may come out quite bland to some, but that's when your favorite soy sauce comes in.)

Ingredients (for the amount of strips from 1 big fat stalk)

Steamed broccoli stalk strips
1/2 Tbsp canola oil (peanut oil will give it a real Oriental flavor)
4 big cloves garlic, crushed or sliced
1 Tbsp almond (or walnut) pieces
2 tsp Oriental soy sauce, or more to taste (Kikkoman is fine; we mix thin Chinese soy sauce and Japanese shoyu together in a dipping dish before cooking)
2 tsp oyster sauce
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
Pinch of sugar
Black pepper as desired
1/2 tsp sesame oil

Directions
1. Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet on medium high heat until hot. Throw in almond pieces and cook till tender.
2. Add the garlic; stir-fry till golden.
3. Add the broccoli pieces, stir quickly to coat. Don't overcook.
4. Add the soy sauce, oyster sauce, red pepper flakes, and sugar. Quickly stir again and before removing to a serving plate, drizzle sesame oil and mix once more. Remove immediately.
5. Sprinkle black pepper. Serve hot as a topping for steamed rice or hot-cooked pasta or as a side dish to grilled/fried fish.

NOTE from P.: Two strips of bacon can be used in place of the oil. Cut them up in bite size pieces and cook on dry skillet on medium heat to your desired doneness.
If you don't like the bacon too crispy, remove them before increasing the heat to continue with the almonds and the rest. Return the bacon to the broccoli mixture and mix well right before removing from heat.

You'll love the crunchy sweetness of the stalk core and would almost forget that it's related to the broccoli. :-D

You will never again throw away broccoli stalks. :-}

Let me know what you think.