I may have spoken to you about broccoli before. I can't recall. I detest broccoli. A sure-fire way to torture my taste buds would be to serve me a plate of steamed broccoli. Yuck. Growing up, I learned to eat it with mayonnaise as the only palatable way to make it go down.
But it's so good for you. You should eat broccoli every week, at least once. That's how good it is for you.
And it's Josh's favorite vegetable.
I have found a way to love broccoli, thanks to the Best Recipes series! Yeah. My marriage is saved.
This week, I roasted broccoli two ways. The dishes were so good, I actually wanted more when I finished my serving. But there was no more. And I was sorry for it.
Roasted Broccoli: Preheat oven to 500! AND put a sheet pan in there on the bottom rack to heat up. Meanwhile cut up your lb. of broccoli into florets, preferably cut in halves themselves so that you have a flat side for each piece of broccoli. Sounds weird, but trust me, you want it that way. If you are using the stalk, peel it so that you are left with the soft(er) core, minus the bitter and tough skin. Toss your florets with 3T extra virgin olive oil and 1/2 tsp. each of salt and sugar. (Optional: also toss in 1T minced garlic for garlicky roasted broccoli at this point.) When the oven is ready, pull out the sheet pan and, working quickly, lay out all broccoli in one layer, with the flat sides of the florets facing down. Roast for 9-12 minutes. Serve with lemon. Really, serve with lemon; it's good.
Roasted broccoli with shallots and fennel seed: Do all of the above (no garlic). While the broccoli is roasting, slice two shallots. Pan saute them in 1T e.v. olive oil until browning, then add 1tsp. fennel seed, slightly crushed or chopped and stir for two more minutes or until the seeds are fragrant and the shallots are caramelized to your liking. Toss this with the final roasted broccoli, and grate some Parmesan over. Serve with lemon. Really.
The second recipe is one of the best veggie dishes I have ever had. Dare I say Restaurant Quality III?
I love broccoli and have roasted it many times with shallots and garlic. I will add the fennel seeds now. Thanks!
ReplyDeletePam, you were already in the know! Yes, the fennel and a little lemon will make broccoli even more exciting.
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