Broccolini and Brown Rice

I was browsing one of my favorite blogs and found a great article on broccoli. We really like broccoli in this house and I cook it in a variety of ways... or at least I used to. Now I only steam it, and I'm using that technique with my broccolini too.

Although broccolini is often misidentified as young broccoli, it's not. It is a cross between broccoli and kai-lan, a Chinese broccoli. Nutritionally, it's high in vitamin C but also contains vitamin A, calcium, folate and iron. We love it's flavor and it's delicious in this recipe!

Be sure to visit this blog:  http://thevegandiet.blogspot.com/
She always has interesting and informative articles. Look for the post "Broccoli a Super Veg" and you'll find yourself steaming your broccoli too!

Broccolini and Brown Rice

Easy
Serves 4

1 C. brown rice

1 T. Earth’s Balance

2 T. pine nuts

8oz. of broccolini, cut into 1 – 1 ½ inch pieces

1/4 C. Olive oil

5 cloves of garlic

½   C. onion, chopped

Zest of ½ a lemon

Sea salt and pepper to taste

Cook the brown rice according to the directions on the package, but add the tablespoon of Earth’s Balance to the water and rice. This helps give the final product a creamy texture.

In a sauté pan, toast the pine nuts until lightly brown. Careful... this takes only a minute or two. Remove and set aside. 

In the same sauté pan heat the olive oil over medium heat. Lightly smash the garlic cloves. When the oil is heated, add the garlic and cook while stirring for up to 5 minutes. Remove the garlic and discard. Next, add the onion to the oil. Sauté the onion until it’s soft and translucent.  

Using a saucepan fitted with a steamer basket, add about 1 inch of water and bring it to a boil. Add the broccolini and cover.  Cook the broccolini until just tender, approximately 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer the broccolini and the onion oil mixture to the rice. Season the rice with salt, pepper and lemon zest. Toss to combine. Serve immediately. Serves 4