Ingredients:
3/4 cup raw broccoli florets
3/4 cup sliced raw mushrooms
2 teaspoons minced garlic
cooking spray or 1 tablespoon vegetable/peanut oil
Serves one person, but easy to duplicate!
Ingredients explained (for the beginners):
I bought all of these ingredients at Whole Foods at 97th and Columbus, but they can be found at whichever grocery store you prefer. Westside Market does the trick.
For the broccoli, buy a head of broccoli in the produce section. Rinse it with water. Cut the broccoli into bite-size pieces, called florets. Broccoli shrinks slightly when it cooks, so consider that when deciding how much to prepare. I used 3/4 cup or a little less than one head.
For the mushrooms, I bought a pre-sliced package. The whole mushrooms are slightly cheaper if you’re looking to pinch pennies and don’t mind slicing them yourself. They usually come pre-washed, as well. I used a few handfuls or about 3/4 cup.
For the garlic, I bought a jar of minced garlic. You can also buy full gloves of garlic if you have a garlic press or if you don’t mind finely chopping it yourself.
For the oil, you are welcome to use a tablespoon of vegetable oil or peanut oil, but to cut down on fat and calories, I opted for cooking spray.
Steps:
1. Place broccoli in a medium microwaveable bowl and fill with 2 inches of water. Cover with a plate and microwave for 2 minutes or until tender. The color will turn a more vivid green to let you know it’s almost done.
2. Spray small-medium frying pan with cooking spray (or 1 tablespoon vegetable or peanut oil) over medium heat.
3. Add the garlic to the oil and stir.
4. Add the mushrooms and stir.
5. Once the mushrooms have browned, add the broccoli and stir.
6. Cook the mixture together for 2 more minutes, then try a piece of broccoli and a mushroom to make sure they’re both done. If you’re satisfied, pour it into a bowl and enjoy!
Suggested additions and modifications:
To make it a complete meal, add rice and a protein. I am a vegetarian, so I would pick tofu or edamame, but (I assume) this would be great with chicken or beef or shrimp.
If you need more flavor, add soy sauce (I prefer the low-sodium kind!) to the oil and garlic mixture.
If you want more veggies, add chopped carrots and steam them in the microwave along with the broccoli. You can also add canned baby corn, water chestnuts, green peas, etc. – anything you fancy! Japanese eggplant would be yummy, too.