Waste Not Want Not

Oh broccoli stems, I hate to throw you away, but my children do not like to eat you.  To compost you go, but then I hear a little voice in my head. It's Jan Bruns, my second mom, saying, "Waste not want not," in her Jan Bruns voice and I picture her turning that ketchup bottle upside down to salvage every last drop, before it hits the waste receptacle. So, crunchy green stems you live to see another day!

       

If your kids are like mine, and don't eat their stems and you are like me and enjoy scrambled eggs, save those stems!  I cut off the majority of the stems while prepping our dinner veggie.  Then, using a pairing knife, I peel off a thin layer of the outer skin.  After that, I slice those stems into 1/4 inch discs and throw them in a Tupperware for later.  

One of my favorite breakfasts I treat myself to after seeing the kids off to school, or post work out, when I have a few minutes to myself, is a veggie egg scramble.  These little broccoli stem bites add a little crunch and color to my mommy breakfast.

 I usually sauté up some onions and garlic in olive oil first adding appropriate spices, then toss in the broccoli discs along with whatever other veggies I find in my fridge. Next, I scramble in two eggs and finally a little cheese please.  I finish it off on my plate by topping it off with a dollop of salsa or a nice squirt of Shiracha.  This meal keeps me satisfied throughout my morning, well into the afternoon, but best of all it saves those stems!  Waste not want not people.