by Sarah Lewis

Created on: March 16, 2010   Last Updated: March 29, 2010

Broccoli is a green vegetables belonging to the Brassica family. Other vegetables included in that family are cabbage, sprouts and cauliflower. Broccoli is also referred to as Calabrese.

Everyone has their own favourite way of cooking Broccoli, some like to boil it in salted water, others prefer to steam it and for ease it can be cooked in the microwave too.

 Whichever method you choose you will need to prepare the Broccoli in readiness for cooking. The preparation includes paring the stalk ends and removing any damaged or discoloured leaves from the stalk. The best kitchen tool for the job is a good sharp vegetable knife.

 Once you have trimmed the Broccoli then it needs to be cut ready to cook, take the large bulky stem and cut the smaller florets away from that thick stalk. Many cooks throw away the thick Broccoli stalk and just cook the tender florets but some parts of the stalk are succulent enough to eat.

If you are going to make a pot of vegetable stock then you can put the Broccoli stalks into the stock pot. If you have no other use for the stalks then they can go into the composter.

 Apart from a thorough wash in cold water the Broccoli florets are then ready to be cooked. If you are preparing a meal and serving other vegetables then you will need to get the timing right, Broccoli does not take long to cook through.

 If you are boiling the Broccoli then half fill a saucepan with lightly salted water and bring it to the boil. Once the water is bubbling away then you can add the Broccoli florets.

It only needs to boil for about 5 minutes before the florets are tender enough to eat.

If in doubt then test the Broccoli by putting the tip of a kitchen knife into one of the florets, if it slides in easily then you know that the vegetable is cooked through.

Try not to make the mistake of over cooking the Broccoli, the florets tend to lose their bright colour and over cooked Broccoli goes soggy.

Drain the Broccoli florets into a colander and then serve them straight away.

 Maybe you would much prefer to steam the Broccoli. If the vegetable is steamed then it tends to keep its rich and vibrant colour and it looks really good when it is served.

Food steamers are a popular small kitchen appliance now, they are economical and easy to use but they can be time consuming when it comes to cleaning.

Once the Broccoli florets have been placed in the steamer and the timer has been set for five to six minutes then that is job done.

Steamed Broccoli stays crisp and the florets stay firm.

 Broccoli cooks well in a microwave oven. You will need to prepare the Broccoli in the same way as you would if you were going to boil it.

Lay the Broccoli florets in a microwaveable dish and add a couple of teaspoons of water before covering the dish over with a layer of cling film. Pleat the cling film in the middle of the dish to allow for air expansion as the vegetable cooks.

The Broccoli will be cooked in a matter of minutes, the vegetable will have retained its crispiness and its colour.

 Broccoli is great served with a cheese pasta and it is a colourful vegetable to add to a stir fry.

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