I have to come up with evil schemes to get my kid to eat broccoli. He hates it with the fiery passion of a thousand burning suns. Confession booth open? Can’t say I’m crazy about it either—it’s not so much the flavor I don’t care for as it is the structure.

I only like to eat it when it’s added to something like my Pasta Gratin or Penne Rigate.

But I wanted to find more ways to cook it and actually like it. I’ve always been obsessive when it comes to finding ways to eat things I don’t really care for. It worked with bell peppers but absolutely didn’t work for cilantro, I still hate it.

This time I threw some rice and onions into the equation. Plus, I sweetened it with a home-made stir-fry syrup that I spiked with fresh notes such as lemon, ginger and garlic. Must admit we really liked it like this.


Ingredients:

1 pound broccoli 
2 small onions 
4 to 5 cups cooked rice
2/3 cup sugar
2 cups water
rind of 1 lemon
juice of 1/2 a lemon
thumb size piece of ginger 
3 garlic cloves (2 bruised and 1 grated)
1/2 tsp chili flakes
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce
salt and pepper


Directions:

First things first, the steamed rice. I use my rice steamer for it. Can’t imagine my life without my steamer.

Combine the sugar with the water.

Use a vegetable peeler on your lemon, that way you avoid getting too much of the white pithy stuff underneath. It can taste bitter. If you like a heavier lemon flavor go for the rind of 2 lemons.

Bruise two of the garlic cloves and peel and slice up the ginger. Add it to the sugar-water.

Dump 1/2 a tsp chili flakes in there for a little kick and spice it up with 1 tbsp soy sauce and 1 tbsp fish sauce.

Bring it to a boil, lower the heat and let it simmer for 20 to 25 minutes. Stir now and then.

Cut really small florets of broccoli.

And slice an onion in quart-rings.

After roughly 20 to 25 minutes you will notice the syrup staying bubbly after stirring. Turn off the heat.

Sieve the syrup. It should make for a little less than a cup of syrup, it should be enough for 2 times. Store it in the fridge.

Heat 2 tbsp oil and sauté the onions over high heat for a minute or two before adding the broccoli florets.

Grate the garlic and add it to the skillet.

Season with a good pinch of salt and pepper and cook the broccoli until tender but with a bite, 5 minutes or so.

Pour half the sauce in there—more if you like it really sweet—and let it simmer for a minute.

Add 4 or 5 cups of cooked rice and squeeze the juice of 1/2 a lemon in there. Let it all heat through.

I think it was the slight sweetness and the citrus flavor of the dish that worked miracles on the broccoli for us.

Serve it with something like chicken in sweet and sour sauce to get the full effect! Recipe to follow.