Roasted Broccoli

Note: I am reposting my old food columns from Milford Patch. They originally contained step by step photos and accompanying instructions, which I hope to recreate at some point. Until then, I am posting the original text. This post originally appeared on Patch on February 27, 2011...

Broccoli has an image problem. Oh, sure, everyone knows it’s healthy. It has more vitamin C, calcium and fiber than oranges, milk and wheat bread. But all too often, broccoli is treated as a necessary evil, something serious people and obedient children endure to earn their gold stars, like flossing or the stair climber machine.

I contend that broccoli’s problem originates in the casting department. It has been typecast as the watery, flaccid afterthought, as in: what vegetable can we throw on this plate so we can call it a complete meal? No wonder kids and former presidents resist eating it. If we treat broccoli with respect from the outset and give it a supporting cast, people will eat it—and they’ll like it.

I like roasting vegetables for a number of reasons and not just because it’s a pretty hands-off method. First, roasting has the benefit of cooking without water. Cooking food in water is a great method for getting water into your food, like dried pasta or rice, or extracting flavor from food, like simmering a chicken for soup. But vegetables are full of water already, and there’s no benefit to dumping flavorful cooking water down the drain. Second, roasting caramelizes the sugars in vegetables, enhancing the natural sweetness and creating a nutty flavor. Finally, roasting allows you to add complementary flavors at the beginning of the cooking process, and bake them in.

The recipe:

1 head of broccoli, or a couple of broccoli crowns

1-2 cloves of garlic

2-3 tsp oil

Salt & pepper

Optional additional seasonings like parmesan, red pepper, lemon, soy sauce, sesame, fresh herbs, whatever you like. Or use a little of whatever flavors you’re already using in the rest of the meal.

Preheat the oven to 425* (If you’re using the oven for something else, the broccoli can be roasted at 400* or 450* also; just adjust the cooking time.)

Cut the broccoli into florets and slice or mince the garlic. Toss with oil, salt and pepper, and any spices you are using. Roast until edges start to brown, about 15 minutes.

Remove from oven and toss with cheese, lemon, sesame seeds, fresh herbs, or any other seasonings that can’t be baked.

Note: The leftovers make good components of another meal. Use roasted broccoli in omelets, on pizza or in soups.