New Year, New You

Every year, eating healthier appears somewhere -- if not first -- on lists of New Year's resolutions.  If this is one of your goals for 2018, here's a tasty and healthy broccoli recipe to whet your appetite.

In 2011, I posted a Broccoli with Lemon recipe made with butter, lemon juice, salt, pepper and, of course, broccoli.  The recipe I'm sharing today, courtesy of one of my sisters-in-law, has the same name, but not the same ingredients.  The new recipe includes the addition of chicken broth and, instead of butter, olive oil.  These two ingredients give the broccoli a robust -- rather than citrusy -- flavor.

One thing to remember is not all olive oils are the same.  Although olive oils are graded according to their level of acidity, the flavor, color and fragrance depends on where the olives were grown.

Extra virgin olive oil -- the most expensive -- comes from the first pressing of the olives and contains no more than 1% acid.  The next grade, virgin olive oil, also comes from the first pressing, but contains up to 3% acid.  A good rule of thumb is the darker the olive oil, the more flavor it contains.

The last few times I've prepared this dish, I've taken some shortcuts. Rather than buy a head of broccoli and cut it into pieces, I use a bag of precut broccoli.  It may cost a little more, but I find the time saved is worth the splurge.

Instead of cooking the broccoli in a steamer basket over a pot of boiling water, I rinse the broccoli and cook it 3 to 4 minutes in the microwave in a covered micro-cooker I bought from Pampered Chef many years ago. 

If you need to watch your salt intake, you can substitute low sodium chicken broth and omit the 1/4 teaspoon salt called for in the recipe.

If you prefer broccoli like the version pictured below, check back soon for a truly cheesy recipe.  

In the meantime, here's a broccoli recipe that's better for you.

Broccoli with Lemon Version 2

4 Servings

1 lb. fresh broccoli, washed and cut into florets

3 Tbsp. canned chicken broth

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 1/2 tsp. olive oil
1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Arrange broccoli in a steamer basket over 1-inch of boiling water.  Cover and steam 6 to 8 minutes, or until crisp-tender.  Drain; set aside.  Combine remaining ingredients; pour over broccoli and toss to coat.

© Margaret's Morsels

A Corn-Y Post

Summer in the South means heat and humidity.  It also means grocery stores, farmer's markets and roadside stands are a veritable cornucopia of produce.


The summer vegetable I look forward to more than any other is corn.  The canned and frozen corn I cook during the off season pales in comparison to fresh from the field.  It doesn't matter to me if the kernels are yellow, white or a mixture of the two.  As long as it's fresh and juicy, I'm happy.


Corn is in season from May through September, but peaks in August. When purchasing corn, look for bright green husks and golden brown silks. The store where I shop has corn packaged with half the husk removed, exposing one side of the kernels.  When it's sold this way, I can press a kernel to see if any milk oozes out.  It if does, that's a good sign the corn is juicy.  Corn is best used right away so don't store it in the refrigerator longer than a day or two.

This is how corn is sold at my grocery store.
                        

If you think a microwave is only good for popcorn and heating leftovers, try using it to cook corn on the cob.  Not only is it quick, the corn retains more flavor than when boiled in a pot of water.  If you've never cooked corn in the microwave, it's really easy to do.

Husk the corn and remove all silks.  Wash the cobs with a vegetable brush under cold running water.  Place the damp corn on a piece of waxed paper; add butter or margarine, if desired.  Roll the corn in the waxed paper, twisting the ends to seal.  Put the corn spoke-fashion in the microwave and cook on High.  It takes three minutes per ear to cook in my 1100 watt microwave.  It might take more or less time depending on the wattage of your microwave.  I check the corn for doneness by squeezing the cob with a pot holder.  If it's not tender, I cook it in one minute intervals until it's done.

Spoke-fashion in the microwave.

If you've never cooked fresh corn on the cob, give it a try.  If you don't want to microwave the corn, it can be boiled or grilled.  No matter which way you choose to cook it, enjoy fresh corn while it's in season.

© Margaret's Morsels