I don’t want to get into a political fight with anyone, but I am in favor of the new school lunch law. I’m glad there is some new focus on healthy eating for kids so we can start somewhere. I look around and see a lot of overweight children, many more than I remember through the years. I hear about the huge increase in childhood diabetes. It’s not good. 

A healthy school lunch 5 days a week won’t change the world. But it’s better than not doing anything and may make kids more interested in some of the foods they might get.

I remember the first time I ever ate broccoli. It was at college. College! In a dorm cafeteria! 

My mother had never made broccoli. It looked interesting so I tried it. I liked it. College broccoli! Imagine that.

So I told my mother about it and when I came home for Thanksgiving that year she served broccoli at our holiday dinner. We’ve been eating it ever since.

Okay, maybe I’m weird because it was broccoli and not some chocolate thing. But what I’m saying is that children of all ages can learn and some may actually like the food they get at school and they may tell their parents about it and their parents might make it and so on and so on. And maybe the world will change a little.

Stir-fried Broccoli with Orange and Chili Peppers

• 1 bunch broccoli

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 cup orange juice

• 2 scallions, chopped

• 2 dry red chili peppers

• 1 large clove garlic, chopped

• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh ginger

• 1 teaspoon sesame seed oil

Clean the broccoli, peel the thick stems and cut the broccoli into bite size pieces. Pour 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil into a wok or stirfry pan over medium-high heat. Add the broccoli and stirfry for 2 minutes. Sprinkle in the salt and pour in the orange juice. Mix the ingredients, cover the pan and cook for 2 minutes. Dish out the broccoli, drain any liquid and set the broccoli aside. Return the pan to the heat and pour in the remaining vegetable oil. Add the scallions, chili peppers, garlic and ginger and stirfry for about one minute. Return the broccoli to the pan and stirfry briefly until the broccoli is heated through. Add the sesame seed oil, stir ingredients and serve.

Makes 4 servings