Roasted Broccoli
Broccoli is one of those vegetables that people either love or hate. Once they try it roasted though… a lot of those haters change their mind. Roasted broccoli has a whole different taste & smell than broccoli cooked any other way. Broccoli is considered a superfood & something you want to have in your diet regularly.
Serves: 2
Ingredients
2 crowns of broccoli
Extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
Kosher or sea salt
Fresh ground black pepper
Directions
1. Move an oven rack to the lower middle position & preheat oven to 400°.
2. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil & lightly grease with EVOO.
3. Remove any leaves & cut off part of the stem from the crowns.
4. Starting on the underside, cut & break off florets. Cut larger ones in half so the pieces are somewhat evenly sized.
5. Place florets in a 2.5 quart bowl & drizzle with 1 Tblsp EVOO. Toss till florets are well coated, add more oil sparingly, if needed.
6. Spread out florets on the baking sheet, arranging similar sizes together (see Tip# 1) & sprinkle evenly with salt & pepper.
7. Roast florets for 10 minutes, turn them over & roast another 7 minutes. Remove smaller ones & roast the remaining larger ones about another 3 minutes. When done, florets should be fork-tender & caramelized in spots. Cooking times will vary depending on size of florets.
8. Remove from oven & serve immediately or transfer florets to a plate to cool (see Tip# 2).
Tips & Suggestions
1. Arranging similar sizes together makes it easier to remove smaller ones if they’re done first.
2. If you’re cooking this ahead of time to freeze or if you have leftovers:
a. Let broccoli cool to room temperature.
b. Freeze in airtight containers for up to 2 months.
c. If you’re planning to use within a couple of days, store container(s) in the refrigerator.
3. I’ll generally spend one morning roasting a variety of veggies, using the same baking sheet & foil. Then I’ll freeze them for later use. It saves a lot of money using the same foil over & over again and in the long run it saves a lot of time.
