The sesame seeds, soy sauce and sesame oil give this broccoli an added bit of flair and keep it from being the same old boring steamed broccoli.

March 2, 2010

Jackson’s Lunch:

• Boiled Egg
• Sesame Broccoli (I steam the broccoli for five minutes in a shallow steamer basket to keep it bright green.  Don’t go for too long or the broccoli gets limp, mushy, a little smelly and grayish in color.  Not very appealing!)
• Grapes
• Mini Cheese Crackers
• Yogurt

I feel very fortunate to have a son who loves vegetables and will eat most veggies no matter the kind (the exceptions are tomatoes and beets).  Broccoli, which is considered one of the world’s healthiest foods because of its cancer-preventing compounds, is one of his favorites.  The challenge for me is preparing it in a variety of ways so that Jackson will continue to love it without getting bored.  The sesame broccoli I put in his lunch this morning couldn’t be more simple, yet it changes the vegetable enough to keep it interesting.

Last night, we had steamed broccoli as a side dish with dinner.  I knew the leftovers would be great in Jackson’s lunch, but I wanted to make it a little different so he didn’t feel like it was “Dinner-Round 2.”  To dress the broccoli up, I topped it with a tiny bit of soy sauce, toasted sesame oil and sesame seeds.  In the past, I’ve also used vinaigrette, creamy dressings, grated cheese with pine nuts, lemon zest and toasted sliced almonds, and peanut sauce.   Plus, there are any number of dips with which broccoli, raw or steamed, pairs perfectly.

The possiblities are endless and for this I’m quite thankful.  I hope Jackson always loves broccoli and the many ways to enjoy it while I relish in the fact that he loves a super healthy food.