Discussion Board

Remind me not to bring cold raw broccoli to work again! I'm afraid to microwave it because it might smell strong, but I am so over eating this cold hard stuff...am I right? Nothing to put on it....

Just complaining, adn no on eto blame but myself, who should know better. Thanks for listening!

I agree, I can only eat raw broccoli if it is dipped in hummus. And even then, I don't really see the point.
Oddly enough though, after cutting around the tough outside, I find the middle of the stalks to be quite tasty raw.

No need to eat it raw next time, just add a tiny bit of water to your container and start at 30 sec to maybe 1.5 min (depends on your micro). When I reheat my steamed veggies at work (heavy on broccoli) it never smells too strong. Now when a co-worker reheats pepperoni pizza, salibury steak, or bacon anything that's what I would call a strong smell !

Never been a fan of raw brocc. Love it cooked, but not raw. Try cooking it at home, then blanche it (VERY cold water all of a sudden, repeat until cold--stops the cooking process and keeps it nice) and put in fridge. THAT'S quite yummy cold!

Cauliflower is very good raw.

Ooh, thanks for the tip! I will try it.

And for me, the worst smell at work for anyone is burned micro popcorn--they did it again last Friday and it smelled like the building was actively burning down...

You could blanch some ahead of time and then it will be easier to eat than fully raw broccoli. I like blanched broccoli much better than raw.

I completely agree with hating burnt popcorn smell Ughh! But here's a recipe that you might want to try. All the other suggestions for blanched broccoli reminded me of it. Its from Everyday Cooking with Dean Ornish.

Broccoli Florets with Honey Mustard Dressing

2 generous cups broccoli (1/2Lb)
Honey Mustard Dressing
1 Tablespoon white miso
1 Tablespoon honey
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 cup water
pinch of black pepper

Bring 2 qts of water (recipe called for salted) to boil over high heat. Add broccoli and cook till crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Drain and transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop cooking or cool under cold running water. Drain well and pat dry.

Make honey mustard dressing: Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to blend.

Toss broccoli with honey mustard dressing just before serving, or pass sauce separately. Its best not to dress the broccoli in advance because it will dull the vegetable's bright green color.

Serving size; 1/2 cup veg, 2 tbsp dressing; Calories 37; Fat 0.42g; Carb 7.9g; Protein 1.8g; Sodium 169.5mg

I love broccoli, but your right its hard to eat that much raw. I have been using ziplock steam bags to cook at work but recently bought a small micro steamer off Fab.com. I steam myself broccoli and suger snap peas almost every day at work throw it on rice or potatoes top with salsa and call it lunch. I get comments about the smell but mustly its someone saying it smell like broccoli in here then they see me and go oh it's just Tracy and thats it.lol
Tracy

I have a great recipe for raw broccoli salad. The trick is to chop it up in a food processor, just enough that the florets are in tiny pieces, but you don't want to over do it. I usually just add some chopped red or green onion to it, then dress it with lemon juice, salt and pepper. Sometimes I'll use red wine vinegar instead of lemon juice. I find it absolutely delicious. This method is also a great way to get huge amounts of broccoli and cauliflower into tofu scrambles.

I, too, think raw broccoli could benefit from some acidic marinade. I chopped mine small by hand and added it to my cole slaw and found it turned bright green as if cooked. Raw broc is good, according to dr. greger from nutritionfacts.org

That honey mustard dressing sounds good--I don't have any miso, but I'll mess around with combos.

And the food processor to chop up broccoli is such a good idea! I was into micro salads for a while and then winter hit--it's time to break the winter mold (even though it's snowing big time again this morning!).

I only use raw broccoli in a raw salad, but I chop it very small in a food processor and pulse it. Then I make a creamy dressing with it. You could use something like cashews or tofu for the base and add some apple cider vinegar and sweetener or dates and use that. Then I add diced apples and some raisins. My sister who hates broccoli makes it all the time and loves it, and credits me with getting her to eat broccoli.

The key is getting everything into small little florets so it's easier to chew. And if it sits in some dressing it will soften a bit and be easier to eat as well.

I love cold raw broccoli to munch on at work! I think because it is so much work, it keeps my body occupied with something so my mind can think. : )

Sharon

I also pre cook the broccoli when I take lunch off site. That way a real quick turn in the micro gets it hot.
When I am in my own office it doesn't matter...I feel comfortable using 4 min in the micro and the smell of broccoli is good plus I don't care!
Riva