Have you noticed that a lot of our meals have broccoli as a vegetable? That’s no coincidence – we love broccoli. It was probably my kids first vegetable, along with peas and green beans, so they’ve grown up loving the cruciferous plant.
I’m not sure the kiddos can appreciate the health benefits but I like knowing that broccoli is full of fiber, good-for-you nutrients like Vitamin D, A & K, and helps lower cholesterol. Lowering cholesterol isn’t something we worry about today in our home, but hopefully my children will have a longer life ahead of them thanks to how we fed them when they were young.
While my kiddos will eat raw broccoli, I’m not a big fan. At all. I do like some broccoli dishes like Broccoli Salad (tossed with yogurt, dried cranberries and nuts), curries and stir fries.
But my very favorite way to enjoy broccoli is roasted. In fact, I’ve been known to eat an entire head of roasted broccoli myself. Yes, I’ve paid for it the next day but I love it like candy!
And I think it’s one of the easiest ways to prepare the healthful veggie. We chop it up into bite-sized pieces, toss in olive oil and sea salt, then lay them out in a single row across a cookie dish. We bake them at 400 degrees for about 12 – 15 minutes, tossing once. And then blast them with the broiler for just enough time for the tips to brown a bit.
Getting ready for the oven
Heavenly delicious. Roasting brings out all the sugars and broccoli has never tasted so great. I promise. If you have a child that doesn’t eat broccoli, please try this method. We also cook cauliflower this way and it tastes equally amazing.
What vegetables do you like to roast?
8 Comments
I’ve only recently discovered how yummy roasted veggies are, and I’m excited to give this one a try! My oldest daughter and I love broccoli, but the rest of my family turns their nose up at it. I’m thinking this may just convince a couple of the little ones to give it a try (my husband is another story…).
Mandi – It’s worth a try! The veggies really do take on a totally different taste when roasted so this could be what gets the others to love ‘em. Now husbands are different. Nothing really gets mine to even one bite but the few times he has, he’s been pleasantly surprised. Good luck!
I absolutely ADORE roasted broccoli! It almost tastes buttery, it’s so delicious. We also roast cauliflower (nutty and flavorful!), asparagus, Brussels sprouts… just about anything! Same formula: olive oil, sea salt and high heat.
Would you believe that I ate almost two heads of broccoli by myself for dinner the other night? I might be addicted! Haven’t tried asparagus that way so we’ll have to try that next.
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