I was at Safeway looking at the produce one day, trying to figure out the difference between a turnip, rutabaga, and a parsnip. Tony said, “If your grandmother could see you now, she’d be saying, ‘She used to be a smart girl, now she doesn’t know a turnip from a rutabaga.’” We had to compare the produce code with the stickers to figure out which was which. People often have a habit of always buying the same fruits and vegetables. For us it was broccoli, asparagus if it’s on sale, and once in a while potatoes. We needed to branch out in our produce selections. It made our meals a lot more interesting and colorful too. I put a picture below of asparagus growing in case you haven’tseen them.
When I met Tony he told me that he never liked broccoli or asparagus, and hated brussels sprouts, but I realized later that he grew up eating them outof the freezer (boiled). A lot of us grew up eating canned and frozen vegetables, so give them another try if you think you don’t like them. This is how I usually make broccoli or asparagus (rushed) and everyone in the family loves it.
Quick Broccoli or Asparagus
1-2 lbs of vegies
1-2 T avocado oil or your cooking oil
1 t Lawry’s season salt – can also use salt & pepper if nec.
1/2 C shredded cheese (parmesan, cheddar, etc.)
Cut broccoli crowns into little trees and dice up the stems, or snap the tough bottoms off of the asparagus then slice them diagonally in 1-2” pieces.
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a pan over medium heat, add the cut vegies. Mix them around so they have oil on them and sprinkle a little Lawry’s season salt, or salt & pepper. Put a lid or mesh cover over the pan if you don’t want any splatter and sauté the vegies. You may need to add a more oil to keep it
sort of steaming and not burning to the pan; stir them. When you can stick a fork in them or they get to where you like them, for us it’s about 10-15 minutes, sprinkle some shredded cheese over them, put on a cover and let it melt.
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a pan over medium heat, add the cut vegies. Mix them around so they have oil on them and sprinkle a little Lawry’s season salt, or salt & pepper. Put a lid or mesh cover over the pan if you don’t want any splatter and sauté the vegies. You may need to add a more oil to keep it
sort of steaming and not burning to the pan; stir them. When you can stick a fork in them or they get to where you like them, for us it’s about 10-15 minutes, sprinkle some shredded cheese over them, put on a cover and let it melt.
For variations, you can add a crushed clove of garlic, some chopped nuts,squeeze a slice of lemon over it, or be creative on your own.
