Simply Roasted Broccoli

Again one of my favorite ways of cooking vegetables is to roast them on high heat in the oven, anywhere between 400 and 425 degrees. This recipe is no exception. Just a few ingredients and allowing the oven do all the work, will add great roasted flavor to a very simple recipe.

Ingredients:

2 heads of broccoli (about 6 cups), chopped into bite size pieces using flowerets only
2 tbs olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper, freshly ground

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
In a large bowl, add chopped broccoli.
Drizzle in olive oil stirring the broccoli as you add it to incorporate evenly.
Add salt and pepper.
Spread broccoli out in a single layer on a large baking sheet pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes until broccoli edges start to turn brown. The browning of the broccoli will add a crunch and nuttiness to the flavor.

Comments:

- The broccoli is done cooking about 15 minutes or less. However, the extra 5 minutes is what gives the broccoli the great roasted flavor.

Tips:

- Be sure the broccoli is drained well after being rinsed or the vegetables will end up steaming during the cooking process. Use a salad spinner if necessary to remove excess liquid.

Variations:

- Add minced garlic when adding the salt and pepper if desired. As much as I LOVE garlic, I actually prefer the broccoli without garlic in this recipe. It seems to make the broccoli bitter and overpowers the simple roasted flavor. Try half of it with the garlic and half without it to see which way you like it.

- Once the broccoli is cooked, remove from oven and place in a serving bowl. Sprinkle fresh lemon juice, grated parmesan cheese and serve immediately.

- Serve with lightly toasted buttered bread crumbs.

- I like to serve this with low sodium soy sauce on the side and dip the flowerets ever so lightly into the sauce.

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