Broccoli--- peeling stems

[cave76]

I learned this back when I was living on almost poverty wages. Then I continued to do it because they taste great and I see no reason to waste food.

You have to peel the stem first-----You'll be about to tell how deep easily .
Sometimes I just use a paring knife, start at the bottom and pull up. Sometimes I'll use a potato peeler.

Some store bought broccoli is tough. Usually the larger the stem, the tougher.
After it's peeled---- I cut the stems into chunks using a 'rolling cut' as the Chinese do.

It's also good slightly steamed and added to a salad. Just cut it into smaller chunks.
At the prices now for fresh veggies----- it's a great way to save money.

I do the same thing with asparagus. When there are those huge, honkin' stalks attached (which cost as much as the tips) I peel them and use them in various ways.

Some of life's lessons learned while living on a really low salary continue to make sense when the money is more plentiful.

 

[Steve Kroll]

I do the same thing with broccoli. The stems are actually my favorite part of the vegetable.

Regarding asparagus, I don't eat the lower third or whatever of the stalk. I just find them to be woody to the point of being inedible. Are you saying that, by peeling the stalks, they are less woody?

 

[cave76]

Asparagus stalks:

Yes----- but there are limits to it. It's almost something you have to try yourself to get the feel for when they're too woody---- and that does happen at times.

 

[taxlady]

I started peeling the broccoli stems because I, too, hate to waste. I think the peeled stems are wonderful. I don't even bother to steam them before putting them in salad.

 

[cave76]

Here is a YouTube video showing how to roll-cut vegetables, just in case some don't know what that means.
Only necessary to watch the first minute for roll-cut demo.

Simply Ming: Roll Cutting Technique - YouTube

 

[taxlady]

That's what I thought you meant. I learned it back in the '70s. It is also an easy way to make pieces of approximately the same size from a pointy veg like carrots, without resorting to a small dice.

 

[Addie]

My kids always called broccoli "trees". Some like the trunks (peeled) and some like the leaves (tops). No waste there.

I see a lots of chefs line up the stalks of asparagus and make an even cut across the bottom. Me, I break each one by hand individually. They are not all broken at the same length. More work, but less waste.

I have also found that my serrated peeler takes less peel than my straight blade. And even after all these many years, it has remained much sharper than my straight blade. My straight blade is gathering rust.

Question: When peeling long veggies, do you peel away from yourself or toward yourself? I peel away. For potatoes, I peel round and round leaving the peel in one strip. I cut out any bad spots after the whole product is peeled. I also use the tip of the peeler to dig out small spots. And I cut off the top and bottom if needed after when I am cutting them up.

 

[cave76]

I break my asparagus by hand, one by one. Of course I don't a zillions to break.

I almost always peel away from my body. I'm not brave enough to do it the other way!

I rarely peel potatoes. I don't care if my mashed potatoes have specks of red skin in them. More vitamins. But I do look for any bad spots first and do the same as Addie.

Speaking of cooking shows------- how deceiving they are. All the chef has to do is chop/dice/cook. And all the dirty dishes are left for the clean up crew.

Oh, and those little dishes with the salt or flour or spice in them? Who fills or washes them ? I could go on, but I won't. (snerk)

 

[Addie]

I want to know how they get their pans so clean? They always look brand spanking new, just out of the box.

 

[Kayelle]

There's no good reason to snap the end off each piece of asparagus, you only need to snap the end off of one in the bundle.

Line that one up with the bundle to measure, and cut the rest of them all off at once. They would have all hand snapped off in the same place as the test one.

Keep the elastic around the bottom of the bundle, and it can be easily tossed.

 

[Mad Cook]

I learned this back when I was living on almost poverty wages. Then I continued to do it because they taste great and I see no reason to waste food.

You have to peel the stem first-----You'll be about to tell how deep easily .
Sometimes I just use a paring knife, start at the bottom and pull up. Sometimes I'll use a potato peeler.

Some store bought broccoli is tough. Usually the larger the stem, the tougher.
After it's peeled---- I cut the stems into chunks using a 'rolling cut' as the Chinese do.

It's also good slightly steamed and added to a salad. Just cut it into smaller chunks.
At the prices now for fresh veggies----- it's a great way to save money.

I do the same thing with asparagus. When there are those huge, honkin' stalks attached (which cost as much as the tips) I peel them and use them in various ways.

Some of life's lessons learned while living on a really low salary continue to make sense when the money is more plentiful.

You can do the same with cabbage. Cut out the large central "vein" of each leaf and cook the leafy part today and the stem part tomorrow - voila, 2 veg.

When my mother first started making "country" wines (ie made from fruit other than grapes) she started on pea pod wine. I was rather lively to put it mildly. Dad went and stood outside on the back door step to open the first bottle and pointed the bottle away from windows etc. When he started to release the cork it shot out of the bottle and over the fence into next door's garden - about 40 feet away!

 

[Katie H]

When my children were small they always enjoyed broccoli "coins."

They were made by peeling the stems, then slicing the stems fairly thin. Once sliced, I steamed them just a bit. Then I'd toss them into a hot pan with some butter and saute them until they browned a bit. Salted and peppered them, sometimes a little garlic powder.

They loved them.

 

[cave76]

Broccoli coins! That a great idea.

And maybe some entrepreneur will make something like a small cookie cutter to scallop the edges, make triangles, simple shapes yada yada. There's a lot of money to be made out there folks!

(Waiting for somebody to post a link to a company that already sells them. LOL)

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Broccoli coins! That a great idea.

And maybe some entrepreneur will make something like a small cookie cutter to scallop the edges, make triangles, simple shapes yada yada. There's a lot of money to be made out there folks!

(Waiting for somebody to post a link to a company that already sells them. LOL)

Ask and you shall receive:

Amazon.com: Stainless Steel Vegetable Cutters #K8444 "100% Made in Japan!!": Kitchen & Dining

Love using these with red peppers, broccoli stems, I've even stacked spinach leave to cut it for soup.

 

[cave76]

Ask and you shall receive:

Throw down the gauntlet and someone will always pick it up.

I bet those are used for bento box foods. Somewhere I've seen a site with all the cute bento box ideas for kids in school.

 

[cave76]

Found one----- for super-stylized obento boxes

Obento Pictures, Images & Photos | Photobucket

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Throw down the gauntlet and someone will always pick it up.

I bet those are used for bento box foods. Somewhere I've seen a site with all the cute bento box ideas for kids in school.

Yes, I have quite the Bento Box collection along with all the gadgets...there is a bento thread here somewhere.

Found it!

http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f21/bento-boxes-70049.html

 

[cave76]

Thanks, PF---- I can see it will take me quite a while to read all the posts and links there.

 

[Mad Cook]

Found one----- for super-stylized obento boxes

Obento Pictures, Images & Photos | Photobucket

If a mother has time to do all that there is something seriously wrong with her housekeeping - or she can manage on 30 minutes sleep in every 72 hours!

 

[PrincessFiona60]

They go fast once you get used to making them. Most good Bento ingredients are made ahead of time and frozen for quick set up. The elaborate Deco-Bento are really show pieces, not daily lunch fare.