Roasted Broccoli with Lemon & Garlic ♥ Recipe

The broccoli recipe I just couldn't get right until now. Turns out, it's as simple as can be, just roast the broccoli (careful knife work makes a difference) and then splash with lemon juice. Low carb. Weight Watchers 1 point.

There's a reason why a food blog about vegetables, yes, that's A Veggie Venture, has more than 1000 vegetable recipes but doesn't yet have one for something very basic, roasted broccoli. I've tried a half dozen time to like broccoli roasted in the oven, it just wasn't happening. I'd even reached the conclusion that while broccoli could be roasted, why waste a cruciferous bunch to the oven? I decided to give it one more try.

Turns out, the trick to roasting garlic is what happens after roasting, just a splash of lemon juice. I know, I know, call me the last person in the world to know this about broccoli and lemon. But. Now. I. Do. TOO.

TODAY'S SMILE People may love broccoli but sure can't spell it. Google searches often come in for 'brockley' and 'brockly'. Welcome, broccoli lovers! You've found the right place.

ROASTED BROCCOLI with LEMON & GARLIC

Hands-on time: 10 minutes
Time to table: 30 minutes
Serves 4

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Sprinkle of freshly ground pepper
1 pound fresh broccoli, end of rough stalk trimmed, cut into florets, florets cut into halves or quarters to create flat surfaces
4 cloves garlic, peeled
Juice of half a lemon

Preheat oven to 425F. For easy clean-up later, cover a rimmed baking sheet with foil. In a large bowl, stir together the oil, salt and pepper. Add the broccoli and with your hands, slather the broccoli in the oil and seasonings, this will take a little while, maybe a minute, but it's the single way to distribute a small amount of oil on something as uneven as broccoli. Distribute the broccoli evenly on the foil, flat surfaces down, and tuck in the garlic between. Roast for 20 - 25 minutes or until the desired level of doneness is achieved - I like the stalks to still have a little 'bite' and the very tender tips to be slightly crunchy. Remove from the oven and squeeze the lemon juice over top. Serve and savor, immediately.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
Per Serving: 73 Calories; 3g Tot Fat; 1g Sat Fat; 0mg Cholesterol; 328mg Sodium; 9g Carb; 3g Fiber; 2g Sugar; 3g Protein; Weight Watchers 1 point

ALANNA's TIPS & KITCHEN NOTES
The oil and seasonings will adhere to the broccoli better if it's completely dry.
Flat surfaces mean that oil and heat can make direct contact, this is a good thing for it means the broccoli will caramelize.
Try to cut the broccoli into like-sized pieces so they'll cook evenly

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MORE FAVORITE BROCCOLI RECIPES
~ Perfect Pan-Fried Broccoli ~
~ How to Trim Broccoli ~
~ How to Cook Broccoli in the Microwave ~
~ more broccoli recipes ~
from A Veggie Venture

~ Power Food Broccoli Salad ~
~ Quick Broccoli Soup ~
~ Smashed Potatoes & Broccoli ~
~ more broccoli recipes ~
from Kitchen Parade, my food column

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