Warm seasons are salad days: crisp raw lettuce or arugula tossed in olive oil and celery vinegar, sea salt and fresh ground pepper; topped with chopped raw mushrooms, hard-boiled eggs or tart dried cranberries.
But when the weather is colder, and the greens are heartier - broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, gai'lan, chinese cabbage, kale, mustard, choysum or bokchoy as well as those that we eat the roots of, daikon (moorai), turnip, radish - you'd do well to serve your greenstuff cooked and warm.
These greens are high in vitamin C and soluble fibre, and you need to know how to cook lightly and not kill the goodness. They belong to the family called Cruciferae (cruciferous or "cross-bearing" because the four petals of their flowers resemble a cross) or Brassicaceae.
BROCCOLI
Today, we'll serve broccoli. Not smothered in a heavy cheesy white sauce, which is yummy too; but cooked and served with an early supper. Good by itself; with a side of meat or mushrooms; or with fluffy white rice.
Broccoli head (one head for two persons)
Garlic, one or two cloves, finely chopped
Olive oil, tablespoon or two
Himalayan pink salt
Splash of vinegar (or squeeze of lemon), optional
Wash broccoli and shake off water. Cut the stem end and strip tough outer skin. Slice the stem in half-inch rounds and cut the florets in bite-size bouquets. Arrange in a bowl. Top with chopped garlic, salt and generous olive oil. Microwave for three minutes. Remove and toss. Check whether it is cooked enough for your taste. If you want a more tender broccoli, microwave for another minute; test and cook 30 seconds more as you like.
GAI'LAN
Gai'lan is a good green to serve with stir-fried thinly sliced beef. Cook the meat first, then add chopped greens. Or cook separately.
Gai'lan stems with green leaves, three or four stems per person
Garlic, clove crushed
Ginger, small piece chopped
Sea salt, 1/4 teaspoon or to taste
Grapeseed oil, two tablespoons
Wash gai'lan and shake off water. Strip stems and cut in rounds or lengths. Cut up leaves and put in a separate bowl.
Heat oil, add garlic and ginger and salt. Saute stems for about two minutes. Add leaves and toss until they start wilting. Turn off and allow the greens to sit for a minute. Serve by itself with rice, or as a bed for slices of cooked beef or pork.
MEAT WITH GAI'LAN
Pork tenderloin, half loin (about six ounces)
Soy sauce, tablespoon
Brown sugar, half teaspoon
Ginger, small piece, crushed and chopped
Garlic, two cloves chopped
Oil, two tablespoons
Cornstarch, half teaspoon
Season tenderloin in soy sauce, sugar and ginger, at least half hour or longer.
Heat pan at medium, add oil. Add garlic. Put meat in and allow to brown on all sides. Add the marinade seasonings. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and allow to cook about 8-10 minutes. Add cornstarch to a couple tablespoons water and add to pot. Cook for a minute more. Remove from heat, slice tenderloin in thin slices and serve on top of cooked gai-lan, with white rice on the side.
You can cook tender strips of beef instead of pork tenderloin. Season beef with soy sauce, sugar and ginger. Stir-fry quickly (within three minutes) and use cornstarch to make a sauce. Serve on gai'lan, with rice on the side.
STEAMED RICE
My tried and true method is two cups water to one of rice.
Bring rice and water to the boil, at high heat. Once the water is boiling vigorously, reduce heat to medium-low, cover and allow rice to absorb all water. Your rice should be cooked in 10 minutes. Use a fork to toss rice.
But when the weather is colder, and the greens are heartier - broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, gai'lan, chinese cabbage, kale, mustard, choysum or bokchoy as well as those that we eat the roots of, daikon (moorai), turnip, radish - you'd do well to serve your greenstuff cooked and warm.
These greens are high in vitamin C and soluble fibre, and you need to know how to cook lightly and not kill the goodness. They belong to the family called Cruciferae (cruciferous or "cross-bearing" because the four petals of their flowers resemble a cross) or Brassicaceae.
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| Two heads of broccoli for two or three persons |
BROCCOLI
Today, we'll serve broccoli. Not smothered in a heavy cheesy white sauce, which is yummy too; but cooked and served with an early supper. Good by itself; with a side of meat or mushrooms; or with fluffy white rice.
Broccoli head (one head for two persons)
Garlic, one or two cloves, finely chopped
Olive oil, tablespoon or two
Himalayan pink salt
Splash of vinegar (or squeeze of lemon), optional
Wash broccoli and shake off water. Cut the stem end and strip tough outer skin. Slice the stem in half-inch rounds and cut the florets in bite-size bouquets. Arrange in a bowl. Top with chopped garlic, salt and generous olive oil. Microwave for three minutes. Remove and toss. Check whether it is cooked enough for your taste. If you want a more tender broccoli, microwave for another minute; test and cook 30 seconds more as you like.
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| Broccoli, stripped and cut up, with chopped garlic and olive oil |
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| Steam for three minutes in the microwave. Test for crunch or "doneness." |
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| Broccoli seasoned with garlic, Himalayan salt and olive oil, on a bed of white rice! |
GAI'LAN
Gai'lan is a good green to serve with stir-fried thinly sliced beef. Cook the meat first, then add chopped greens. Or cook separately.
Gai'lan stems with green leaves, three or four stems per person
Garlic, clove crushed
Ginger, small piece chopped
Sea salt, 1/4 teaspoon or to taste
Grapeseed oil, two tablespoons
Wash gai'lan and shake off water. Strip stems and cut in rounds or lengths. Cut up leaves and put in a separate bowl.
Heat oil, add garlic and ginger and salt. Saute stems for about two minutes. Add leaves and toss until they start wilting. Turn off and allow the greens to sit for a minute. Serve by itself with rice, or as a bed for slices of cooked beef or pork.
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| Not gai'lan, this is bok choy. Cooking method is the same. |
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| Gai'lan lightly cooked with ginger, garlic and olive oil! |
MEAT WITH GAI'LAN
Pork tenderloin, half loin (about six ounces)
Soy sauce, tablespoon
Brown sugar, half teaspoon
Ginger, small piece, crushed and chopped
Garlic, two cloves chopped
Oil, two tablespoons
Cornstarch, half teaspoon
Season tenderloin in soy sauce, sugar and ginger, at least half hour or longer.
Heat pan at medium, add oil. Add garlic. Put meat in and allow to brown on all sides. Add the marinade seasonings. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and allow to cook about 8-10 minutes. Add cornstarch to a couple tablespoons water and add to pot. Cook for a minute more. Remove from heat, slice tenderloin in thin slices and serve on top of cooked gai-lan, with white rice on the side.
You can cook tender strips of beef instead of pork tenderloin. Season beef with soy sauce, sugar and ginger. Stir-fry quickly (within three minutes) and use cornstarch to make a sauce. Serve on gai'lan, with rice on the side.
STEAMED RICE
My tried and true method is two cups water to one of rice.
Bring rice and water to the boil, at high heat. Once the water is boiling vigorously, reduce heat to medium-low, cover and allow rice to absorb all water. Your rice should be cooked in 10 minutes. Use a fork to toss rice.
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