Have you ever tried the combination of broccoli and sesame? Well, they go really well together, particularly in a stir-fry and with a handful of cashew nuts. Amazing!

After all the heavy dishes I’ve been posting this past few weeks, I thought bringing a healthy, quick dish might be a welcome change.

Broccoli is a vegetable that is very popular in my kitchen. I only buy it fresh, I can’t make friends with the frozen kind. I eat a lot of broccoli throughout the year; I love my vitamin-C and anti-carcinogens. Broccoli has been the secret to quick week-day dinners since high school, especially when I didn’t feel like cooking. I usually just cut the whole head up into even pieces, boil it until it is tender and devour it with a dash of salt and a small piece of butter. It never fails to satisfy!This summer, I decided to get a bit more creative and eat broccoli as a stir-fry. It’s almost as quick as simply boiling it, but it’s so much tastier (well, duh!). I never realized how well broccoli and sesame go together until I tried it and was pretty obsessed with eating this all summer. I can now even picture broccoli and tahini together in a salad with chickpeas or so – it may turn out to be a really nice dish. Will have to try it some time, but until then I’ll have this. I’ve also eaten this just as it comes out of the wok, without vermicelli, also very satisfying!

By the way, I make this in my wok, but you can obviously just use a regular pan, a high one, if you have it.

Ingredients:
One head of broccoli, washed and cut into even-sized pieces
2-3 tbsp vegetable oil (e.g. roasted sesame oil, if you have it)
2 garlic cloves (peeled and crushed)
2 tbsp gluten-free soy or tamari sauce (I use Kikkoman)
1 tsp sugar
½ cup vegetable broth
salt, pepper, chili flakes (to taste)
1 tbsp fresh chopped coriander (or parsley – or both)

about 40g vermicelli/glass noodles (pre-soaked in hot water)

one handful sesame seeds and roasted cashew nuts

Heat the vegetable oil in a wok. Add the garlic and fry for about a minute until it is fragrant – be careful not to burn it! Add the broccoli and cook it at high-ish heat for about five minutes. Add the pre-soaked vermicelli (they will be absolutely soft and squishy) adding the soy sauce, the sugar, the vegetable broth, the salt, pepper and chili flakes after about three minutes. Ensure the vermicelli don’t stick to the bottom of your work (e.g. by adding more oil or more water). Continue to fry until the liquid has almost evaporated. Add the parsley and/or the cilantro, then the cashew nuts and sesame seeds and stir well. Serve immediately and enjoy!