A Quick Dinner (in two parts)....Chinese Broccoli, Steak and Garlic Bread.

Post 2-1

Chinese Broccoli

Time: 15 minutes

1 lb Chinese Broccoli

1 clove garlic minced

2 tablespoons of good dijon mustard

a splash of white wine

salt, pepper, and good olive oil

Like most other vegetables, I’ve made chinese broccoli about 100 different ways. This recipe is especially tangy and creamy (despite having no cream), but it is so simple and fast. First, take your broccoli and chop it into thirds. It is important to keep each third separate, as they have different cooking times. If you cook them all together, the leaves will be too wilted, and the bottom of the stalks will be undercooked.

I prefer to make this dish in a Wok, but any stainless steel or cast iron pan is fine (non-stick is not ideal, but it’ll work). Pour a couple of tablespoons of oil into a preheated pan, when the oil is hot, toss in the thickest third of broccoli. Mix while sauteing over medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes.

Once the stalks begin to soften, toss in the next thickest third of broccoli and the garlic. After 5 minutes, pour in the dijon mustard and season with salt and pepper to taste. Saute for 2 minutes before pouring in the wine. When the alcohol cooks off, toss the rest of the broccoli in. Toss for 1 minute and serve. The stalks should be soft and a little crunchy, and the leaves should just be slightly wilted. The oil, mustard and wine combine into a delicious creamy sauce.

Just a few side notes: First, this basic recipe will work for nearly any saute-able vegetable. Second, despite the fact that I am a vehement hater of Chardonnay, it is perfect in this dish. Any white wine will work, but Chardonnay is commonly very oaky. The oak flavor matches perfectly with the broccoli and the mustard.