I’ll tell you a not-so-secret secret: one of my favourite places to grocery shop would be Sunrise Market in Vancouver. It’s a super cheap, no-frills old Chinese market that I believe used to be Sunrise Soya foods which produced tofu back in the day (and I think still to this day — correct me if I’m wrong). It’s this amazing market in the middle of the downtown eastside. Fresh produce is dirt cheap and besides that, you can get killer deals on tofu, dumplings, packaged foods, etc. Basically everything.
This time around I got some huge broccoli trees that were bagged into the Reduced bin and I swear, there were atleast 2-3 heads worth of broccoli in there. For $1.00. Yes! Since I wanted to make something new with the broccoli, I decided to whip up a quick steamed broccoli salad.
It’s so crazy because Sunrise Market has been there forever. Hell, my parents used to shop there before I was born! They used to pick up rice at Rice World across the street and head across the street to Sunrise Market for fresh vegetables, fruit and tofu. And now look — can’t get enough of this place!
Sunrise Market and Rice World are both amazing places to shop. I would go to Sunrise for the fresh produce and then Rice World for all the things that are bad for you, Asian snacks ESPECIALLY. I’m talking about ramen noodles, any kind of Asian sauces that you’d like, Asian crackers, dried mushrooms, seaweed… you name it. They have EVERYTHING. Plus, random household items like sponges, gloves, brooms… Works for me? Also, bring CASH. Sunrise takes debit but if I recall correctly, Rice World only accepts cash.
Anyways, I’m trying to cut down the carbs a bit since I seem to always use it to “bulk” things up. I’m not fully committed into going paleo or carb-less at all but I’d rather just try to stuff my body more with vegetables rather than carbs. I am so guilty of throwing whatever green vegetable I have with some pasta or rice but I’m going to try my best this week to cut down on the unhealthy carbs as much as possible.
Since I scored this insane deal at Sunrise and was too lazy to cut up the broccoli even smaller, I just steamed the entire batch. I figured that I would do that and then think of something later in the week to do with that. I mean, you can do so much with broccoli and if it’s already cooked, I wouldn’t have to worry so much about it spoiling.
I decided to keep it real simple with an olive oil-based vinaigrette and wow, simple really is best! I usually go with Asian-inspired dressings but switching it up was a great change. Insanely flavourful and so easy to make! This was a complete cinch and can be made in under 10 minutes. This steamed broccoli salad would make an excellent accompaniment to a steak or meat dish. Try this today!
Steamed broccoli salad (adapted from Maangchi)
What you’ll need:
– 1 head broccoli, cut into large “trees”, stems included, ends trimmed
– 2 1/2 tbsps olive oil
– 1 lemon, juice only
– 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
– 1 tsp coarse salt
– 1 tsp garlic salt
– 1 clove garlic, minced
– 1 tsp granulated sugar
– 1 tsp gochugaru
– 1/2 tsp dried red chili flakes
What you’ll need to do:
1. Steam your broccoli trees with 1/4 cup of water. Cook until al dente and plunge into an ice bath when it has cooked. Scoop broccoli out and place over a colander.
2. While the broccoli is steaming, mix the remaining ingredients to make your vinaigrette. Toss with the cooked broccoli and enjoy it warm or chilled. Makes 2 servings or 4 small sides.
Umami & Me 