Super Sneaky Broccoli Rice

I’m sharing this super sneaky broccoli rice recipe today in commemoration of my daughter being selected as a winner of the 2015 PBS Healthy Lunchtime Challenge. See this post for more details.

This is a side dish that I love to make. It is awesome for two reasons. One is because it is healthy in a super sneaky way.

When you look at this rice, does it appear to be full of broccoli? Nope. At least not unless you look carefully. Even then, it doesn’t look like the broccoli you are expecting.

The second awesome thing about this dish is that it uses a part of the broccoli that most people just toss. The stem.

It’s a shame to throw out the stem because it is full of all the same nutrients that the florets have. And it has a really nice flavor. Realizing I could use the stem has been a revelation. I never throw out the stem anymore.

The stem  has to be treated properly in order for it to be yummy. It has a very fibrous outer layer, that isn’t yummy. This has to be removed.

Just peel it away. It will be more difficult than peeling a potato or carrot, it will take more time and effort. But don’t give up!

Keep peeling until you get to the layer underneath the fibrous layer. It will be more pale and smooth.

Now you can do whatever you want with the broccoli stem. Slice it and steam it, add it to stir fry, whatever. In this instance we are going to shred it.

You will be left with a pile of nice broccoli shreds.

Add this into the cooking rice and you will have a rice that is full of healthy broccoli and your kids may not even notice it. It doesn’t change the texture or really the flavor of the rice. You can always substitute brown rice if you want it to be even healthier. I find that long grain rice is easier to “hide” the broccoli in.