Parmesan Roasted Broccoli

I can guess what you are thinking.  "I/my husband/spouse/boyfriend/kids don't like cooked broccoli."  Well, please read on.  I am here to convert you.  I have to admit I am no broccoli lover myself, despite it being a superfood and all.  I think because most of the time when it is served it is often steamed and overcooked.  Yuck.  Broccoli, I think, is like brussels sprouts in the way that when overcooked it lets off some weird smell that will turn you off for a lifetime... until now of course.

I'm a big believer that just about anything roasted with a little olive oil and salt will be good.  This will caramelize it, which adds great flavor.  Think of the difference between pan seared chicken with a beautiful golden crust and some flecks of salt and pepper compared to chicken breast cooked in a pot of boiling water (I actually just typed boring instead of boiling at first, Freudian slip?).  That's basically the difference between roasted broccoli and steamed broccoli.

And many of you may like your broccoli smothered in cheese.  I personally am not going to turn down anything covered in cheese, but this is a bit of a healthier option with just a bit of freshly grated parmesan.  I made this as a side dish for dinner the other night and Johnny and I both found ourselves gravitating to the broccoli.  Of all things!  I know!

And in the spirit of 'resolutions' and all this will hopefully fit right in.  I for one am not only trying to eat more veggies but also do better with waste.  So for lunch today I took a shot at using the stalks of the broccoli for another recipe and not just pitching them as I normally do.  I originally just threw them in a zip loc and put them in the crisper drawer with good intentions.  Usually this results in the item being thrown out several days weeks later when there is a smell from the fridge or the drawer gets too full, but not today.  I researched online and found numerous suggestions but the most appealing to me was to make a soup out of it.  The instructions (not really a recipe) for the soup are at the very bottom.  I digress...

This recipe comes from one of my favorites, as you know, Ina Garten.  She is always roasting veggies.  I love this recipe and think that it's elegant enough for entertaining but you can also just make it on a quick weeknight without all of the additions.  You could just squeeze some lemon juice, salt and pepper and a bit of olive oil and it would be delicious.  Try that with cauliflower, it's also delicious.  I've also roasted broccoli as this recipe does, but then just drizzled balsamic vinegar and olive oil.  The options are endless...

Trish's Tips:  In order for you to get the beautiful and delicious caramelization that I keep yapping about you must do the following.  1. Make sure after you wash your broccoli, it is DRY as in dry as a bone.  If you have too much moisture it will steam.  I just used a kitchen towel to make sure it is good and dry.  2.  Give them room!  I used one very large sheet pan, but make sure each stalk has a good inch around it, otherwise, they will again steam.  Pine nuts.  Love them!  I will buy a whole bag of them and toast them all at once.  Usually just in a skillet over medium low.  Watch them!  They will burn super quickly.  Store in a freezer so you can use whenever needed.  This is much easier then toasting each time you need them.  I store in the freezer because the oil can go rancid unless you go through them pretty quickly.  If you aren't overly crazy about citrus I would leave out the zest.  This is a bit lemony.  Next time I may cook the broccoli, then add the parmesan only and throw back in the oven just to melt, then add the remaining ingredients.  I have a feeling that would be better, but this way is delicious too.

Parmesan Roasted Broccoli
Adapted from Ina Garten

Ingredients:
2 lb broccoli
2 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
olive oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
zest of 1/2 a lemon
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
2 TBL pine nuts, toasted
2 TBL freshly grated parmesan (I used the large side of my box grater)
2 TBL julienned fresh basil leaves

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425.  Cut the broccoli florets from the thick stalks into bite-sized pieces, saving the stalks for another use.  Place the broccoli florets on a sheet pan large enough to hold them in a single layer with space between each piece.  Toss the garlic on the broccoli and drizzle with 2-3 TBL of olive oil.  Sprinkle with the salt and pepper.  Roast for 20-25 minutes stirring once until crisp-tender and the tips of the florets are browned.

Remove the broccoli from the oven and immediately toss with remaining ingredients including an additional tablespoon of olive oil.  Serve hot.

Soup Instructions:
To make a soup of your stalks saute some chopped onion (I used 1 small for 4 short stalks), while that's sauteing, cut the stalks of broccoli into coin size pieces, the smaller they are the quicker they will cook.  Saute until it gets some caramelization.  Again, the brown stuff adds flavor!  Then add a chopped garlic clove and quickly saute so it doesn't burn.  Add some chicken stock, maybe 3 cups or so and cook until the broccoli stalks are tender, just 15 minutes should do.  Check the stalks with a knife to make sure they are tender, then throw it all in the blender.  Another option is to make a broccoli slaw, which I have done before but it was just so so.  And slaw in the winter?  Not appealing to me, I want something hot and comforting.  I will admit due to caramelizing the broccoli and onion the final color result is not terribly appetizing.  However, I pick flavor over presentation and this was just a lunch soup for me anyway.  If you didn't brown the veggies then it would have much more of a vibrant green color, but like I said I think the flavor is better this way.  And I was actually very surprised how good it was.  Let me know what you think.