Steam fried garlic and sesame broccoli

I recently discovered a healthy new method for cooking vegetables: steam frying. (Well I already used this method for frying eggs but it never occurred to me that I could cook vegetables in this way!). I found it in a cookbook that I've had for a while now called 'Healthy Food' by Lesley Waters and I have been dying to try it. Well today I had an immense craving for green vegetables for lunch, and decided to test this method out.

Steam frying is great because it uses the minimum amount of oil while maximising the flavours in the food. Basically, you fry the ingredients in a little oil until slightly coloured, then add about a tablespoon of water, cover with a lid and steam until cooked. The lid must be tight so that no steam escapes, and you should not lift the lid until the vegetables are cooked, but if you do, just add some more water to create steam again.

My fridge was a little empty after Christmas, so all I had was some broccoli. I flavoured it with garlic and sesame, which are also great with other vegetables. The recipe is just to give a rough idea of how to cook the vegetables, so play around with quantities.

Garlic and sesame broccoli - Serves 1

Broccoli florets, washed and cut into small pieces (I would say between 1/2 to 1 cup pieces of broccoli for one person)
1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 small garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
1 tsp - 1/2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds.

Heat the toasted sesame oil in a small pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and the broccoli and fry until slightly coloured. Have a tight fitting lid at the ready. Add 1/2 tbsp of water and quickly place the lid on top. Cook the broccoli over low heat for about 60 - 90 seconds. Transfer to a bowl then sprinkle over the sesame seeds and toss well to combine.

I overcooked my broccoli a little as I like mine with a slight crunch so no more than 90 seconds should be fine...

You could also use mangetout, green beans, cauliflower, spinach, baby corn, pepper.... whatever vegetables you like! Some other flavours that could go well could be:

- finely chopped chilli
- tamari sauce
- finely chopped ginger
- sliced spring onions (scallions)
- lime juice

With love,

The Teenie Foodie