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Although we could write about noodles for many a week, our new organizational scheme calls for two weeks per ingredient. Thus, noodles are finished, and celery is to begin. For me (and most, I’d assume), celery is more of an accoutrement and less of a focal ingredient. When I think of using celery, I think of it as an add-on to tuna salad, a delivery vehicle for buffalo chicken dip, or one of many veggies on an appetizer tray.
However, it seems that if celery is the focal ingredient for the next two weeks, it deserves more of a star treatment. Since March is National Celery Month, what better time is there than now to highlight this under-utilized veggie. My resolution for this first recipe was to find a way to serve it as a side dish on its own. No, serving it cold with dip wouldn’t cut it.
After toying with different cooking ideas, I decided to try quickly braising it. What I got was a celery side with great flavor and wonderful texture. The stringy, hard to bite through veggie transformed into something more tender, yet still al dente. As a veggie that I almost always have on hand, this will be a useful recipe when I am seeking a last minute side dish.
- 1 Tb. olive oil
- 10 celery stalks, cleaned & leaves removed
- 2 cups veggie broth
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- salt & pepper
- Coat bottom of a small saucepot with olive oil and place over medium heat.
- While pan warms, cut celery into 1″ sections.
- Add celery to pan, and saute for 5 minutes.
- Add veggie broth and onion powder; bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Using a slotted spoon, serve celery.
- Reserve veggie broth for an additional use.
