Roasted broccoli stalks — or coins — are a great way to incorporate broccoli stems and reduce food waste. Just a few simple ingredients make these super tasty!
Y'all may or may not know that I really hate food waste.
And that means I'm super good at repurposing leftovers and knowing how to freeze all kinds of foods.
My homemade baby food pouches are perfect for this sort of thing and so are my turmeric chicken bowls that rely on some staples and can use up veggie scraps. (Kinda like how you can customize my one-pot vegetarian spaghetti.)
Today I wanted to challenge myself to come up with a recipe using food scraps that normally get thrown away.
The first recipe I tested in this category was a huge success. It was cake, after all. But it was also one that I lied about - I didn’t tell anyone at the party what was really in it.
So that kinda seemed like a bad recipe to blog about. “Make this delicious cake - and then don’t tell anyone what’s in it!”
(If you really want to know, comment below and I’ll let you in on what it was.)
And the whole time I was testing that recipe, I had these roasted broccoli stalks in my head.
The first time I used broccoli stalks all by themselves was years ago and I pickled them, using a recipe from The New York Times. And they were strange but awesome.
It was another one where I made people eat it - so they liked it - before I would tell them what it was.
Apparently, you should be nervous about coming over and eating my food. 😂
But this recipe today, these are just fun little roasted broccoli coins that get seasoned, baked and then dusted with a bit of Parmesan cheese.
No lying, no sneakiness, no awkwardness needed. Cause they’re just GOOD!
On the other hand, I lamented the fact that they are a little less than star quality in the photo department. That bizarre cake would have been WAY easier to make look good!
Ah well, I wanted to bring them to you anyway!
Recipe Tips:
- You’ll need to rinse your stalks, trim off the bottom ends and pull off any leaves.
- You also may need to cut off or shave off any bad spots or wild outshoots so these will cut more evenly.
- I slice my little discs about ¼-inch thick and they roast up beautifully.
- Don’t throw away any of the upper stalks though! Just toss them with the seasonings and throw them on the sheet pan too. You can take them out earlier if you need to.
- Feel free to substitute nutritional yeast or just skip the cheese if you want to make these vegan.
So stop throwing away those broccoli stems! You can put them to good use and make these cute and tasty little coins.
What are your best uses of food scraps? Best ideas for reducing food waste? I’d love to hear them in the comments below!
XO,
Kathryn
Roasted broccoli stalks
Ingredients
- 2 large bunches of broccoli stems
- 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder (optional)
- ⅛ teaspoon roasted red pepper flakes (optional)
- 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375.
- Trim rough outer edges off of broccoli stems then slice into thin coins.
- Mix broccoli pieces with olive oil, salt, pepper and other seasonings (except Parmesan cheese), if using.
- Roast at 375 for 20-30 minutes, stirring once, until tender.
- Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve hot.
Lindsay@TheLeaGreenBean
do you think it's a sign i have a toddler if i look at these and automatically think they look vaguely dinosaur shaped?
Kathryn
Hahaha, yes Lindsay! And I think Squish would love these 😉 XO
Regan @ Healthy Aperture
I've never heard of broccoli coins, but I think this is an AWESOME way to use up those stalks!
And yes, I'm dying to know what the secret cake was all about 🙂
Kathryn
That may be a kiddo-invented phrase from my house 😉 But broccoli coins are super yummy!
As for the cake... it was made with banana peels. Yup, the peels (none of the actual bananas). And it was seriously good but like I said, a little disturbing to mention to anyone! 😂
Patti
Wow, that's amazing! I just learned about using banana peels as a vegan alternative to bacon after marinating in maple syrup.
Kathryn Doherty
Wow, that sounds like a fun use, too!
Serena
Love this line: "No lying, no sneakiness, no awkwardness needed. Cause they’re just GOOD!" And love this recipe! Ditto what Regan said about the cake!
Kathryn
Haha, it's true!!
That cake on the other hand... all kinds of lying and sneakiness involved. I spilled the beans to Regan above but it was a banana peel cake. Yup, just the peels, not the bananas. Again, a great way to use what would normally be wasted but sheesh, I couldn't bring myself to tell anyone about it! 😂
Jessica @ Nutritioulicious
I have a friend whose daughter only likes the stalks, so this is perfect for them! And I can't wait to try them. I hate throwing out the stalks, but no one ever wants them. Parmesan will change that! Also can't wait to hear what was in the cake!
Kathryn
Parmesan changes everything, right?!? But seriously, you gotta make these and pass them along to your friend - so easy and so good!
As for the cake... it was a banana cake. A banana peel cake. Yup, used the peels of the banana (soaked to soften then pureed) and while it tasted great, I just couldn't bring myself to share that tidbit with friends at the party I took it to... 😂
anne
i think the stalks are the best part of the broccoli are the best part! Definitely going to try these!
Kathryn
Yay for a fellow broccoli stalk lover! They are SO good, right?!
AZ@...And A Dash of Cinnamon
I always use my broccoli stalks! I'm glad you pointed this out that other people can use them too! Such a waste if not.
Kathryn
Agreed! Sometimes I buy just the crowns but whenever I have the whole stalk, I always try to use it up - so easy, so healthy and so tasty!
Gail
My neighbor grows organic broccoli and cauliflower. Just tried this with my broccoli stalks and it is wonderful. Trying to eat healthier. I will definitely make this again and again. Next time will add cauliflower stalks too. Yummm
Kathryn
I'm so happy to hear you loved these Gail! Great idea to add the cauliflower too!
jack rokon
Hi,
I have a friend whose daughter only likes the stalks, so this is perfect for them! And I can’t wait to try them. I hate throwing out the stalks, but no one ever wants them. Parmesan will change that! Also can’t wait to hear what was in the cake!
Kathryn
Parmesan and some roasting definitely helps save these stalks - such an easy thing to do too! I hope you and your friend's daughter both love them! As for the cake... it was made with banana peels. Yup, just the peels. You soak them for a couple of days and then blend them into a puree to use in the cake batter. It really was delicious but maybe a little too weird... 😊
Jack Rokon
Thank you, It really was delicious
Kathryn
I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed it Jack! 😊
Mary Hennebry
I cut broccoli stalks in matchstick shapes and add to stirfry
Kathryn Doherty
Yum! That's a great way to use them too Mary; thanks for sharing! 😊
Patti
Hi Kathryn! What a coincidence finding your post, as I'm currently taking a similar course being offered by the James Beard Foundation, entitled Waste Not. Needed something for broccoli stems, as I originally chose apple peels but burned all mine trying to make chips! I love your idea of cross cutting, as other posts show them strictly cut as fries. This gives people more options. And re: your sneaky kitchen moves, I love serving my Mexican Hot Chocolate pudding and not telling my guests it's made of tofu - the look on their faces afterwards is priceless!
Kathryn Doherty
That sounds like a great course! And yes, the coin shape makes these much more versatile. Also, I've had a tofu-based pudding and it really is crazy how you can't tell at all! 😊