Growing up I was always a broccoli kid. Maybe its because I would pile on a handful of freshly grated cheddar cheese and gobble it all up. (I do have a slight addiction to cheese ya know) I don’t know. That certainly could have had something to do with it. But I always looked forward to the nights when my mom made broccoli. These days I’m even more of a broccoli freak. I pick some up every sunday from my farmers market and the farmers literally look at me like I’m crazy because no human could possibly eat that much brocc a week. Well, I can. And I’m proud of it.
It’s like candy. At least if you make it this way. I’ve gotten skeptical kids and adults to LOVE it by lightly charring the broccoli and drizzling lemon juice on top. It makes the broccoli like 100% addictive, sweet and crunchy. If you’re kids are picky eaters or your friends are broccoli skeptics, you’ve just got to try this method. I make this side dish for my boyfriend and I a few times a week, and more ofter than not, I wind up eating all of it before dinner is even ready. The crispy bits of the broccoli post-oven are just too good to pass up. Sprinkle that with some salt, pepper, freshly squeezed lemon juice and a touch of Asiago cheese for good measure… and I literally can’t keep my hands off!
It’s all about the technique for this recipe, especially because it’s so simple. You just start with about 12-16 oz of cut up florets. Lay them on a baking sheet, drizzle with a touch of olive oil and place them in a 475 degree oven for about 20 minutes.
They will begin to slightly crisp up. Remove them from the oven after 2o minutes and give them a good toss with a pair of tons. Then cut a lemon in half and squeeze the juice over the top of the broccoli. Throw the 2 lemon halves onto the baking sheet and place the whole thing back in the oven for about 15-20 more minutes…
Once it’s done, remove the baking sheet. Give it a healthy dose of salt and pepper and a sprinkle of asiago cheese if you’re feeling jazzy and serve. You will have lightly browned and crispy pieces of broccoli and they will rock your world. For reals.
Summer Fest 2011 is a fabulous multi-week celebration of all things Summer with some fantastic people from Food Network and Cooking Channel as well as lots of great food bloggers and myself!
Here’s what’s been going on:
June 22: Eggplant
July 6: Peaches
July 20: Cucumbers
August 3: Cherries
August 17: Corn
August 31: Tomatoes
September 14: Broccoli (that’s today!)
And here is my favorite part of Summer Fest - everyone gets to join in, click around and share your tips and recipes for the fabulous spring produce we are featuring!
So here’s how it works:
Go ahead and leave your tips/recipes/and favorite links in the comments below my Summer Fest post! Then click around to the other collaborators and do the same. Share your love for the recipe everywhere that way everyone gets to see it and join in on the conversation!! I can’t wait to see everyone’s ideas and get even more inspiration on what to do with all this summer produce.
And check out all my fellow contributors posts using fresh broccoli:
What’s Gaby Cooking: Charred Lemon Broccoli
Purple Cook: Pickled Broccoli Chips
Daily*Dishin: Quick Broccoli and Toasted Walnut Saute
From My Corner of Saratoga: Broccoli with Garlic-Lemon Vinaigrette
Cooking Channel: Broccoli Stir-Fry
Virtually Vegan Mama: Vegan Broccoli Salad
Virtually Homemade: Broccoli Frittata
Zaika Zabardast: Char-Grilled Broccoli with Cherry Chilies and Garlic Tadka
Glory Foods: Steamed Broccoli-Vegetable Medley
Food2: Slammin’ Broccoli Soup
Easy Peasy Organic: A Hands-On Approach to Eating Broccoli
FN Dish: Broccoli and Cheddar, A Perfect Pair
Tags: best broccoli, best broccoli recipe ever, Broccoli, broccoli for kids, charred broccoli, how to get kids to eat broccoli, lemon broccoli, roasted broccoli, Side Dish
Ooooooo my heart sings! I love broccoli! (withcheeseontop)
I was and still am a broccoli kid too…the charted parts are the best!
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I love broccoli- always thrilled with ideas on how to cook it!
Looks delicious Gaby. I usually steam it, yeah boring! I’ll give this a try this weekend.
I love broccoli … it’s my fav! I will have to try this.
Love this. In my family we have a version we call “blasted broccoli” and it is a favorite, even with the little kids!
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Oh man… I would totally take a big bowl of that right now!
Love this variation to char grilled Broccoli
Check out my post of charred broccoli with chillies n garlic. I could definitely sprinkle some lemon on it. That would be like icing on the cake
I’m obsessed with roasted broccoli (and cauliflower)
What is it about the char?? Not a clue but it does make most foods including broccoli addictive!
Mmmm love this! I love broccoli in any form.
This is my ALL TIME favorite way of preparing broccoli!!! I know just what you mean – I roast up a huge pan of it and manage to consume at least half of it before the rest of dinner is ready!!!
Broccoli is my favorite vegetable too. I even like it just steamed and then sprinkled with plenty of salt. Whenever I make it for Randy and me, I end up eating 90% of it. Not to be a nitpicker, but you wrote “tons” when I think you meant “tongs”. I always appreciate when someone points out a mistake to me so I hope you are not offended.
Candy is right!!! My family loves broccoli and might just be able to give you a run for your money….
Mmmmm. I love broccoli, but have never tried this. Can’t wait.
So up my alley! Come over and make it for me!
Along the coast, we have seasonal broccoli nine months of each year. I regularly roast broccoli, sometimes with cauliflower. Adding lemon is inspired. I will be trying this soon, thanks for sharing.
Broccoli is so good cooked this way. We do it with garlic and red pepper flakes.
I love broccoli, and thankfully so does the man I married – in fact, we’re the only two people I know who love grilled broccoli. Your recipe sounds very similar, but made indoors. I heat crushed garlic cloves and red pepper flakes in olive oil, mix with a little fresh lime juice and drizzle over the grilled broc, and top with a very light sprinkling of Kosher salt.
Love the idea, but when I followed the directions I ended up with the smoke alarms going off, scaring the dogs and the kids, and very, very charred broccoli. Surely there is a typo somewhere on the cooking times or the temperature. Would love to try again, but unless I am misreading or there is a typo I will have to call the fire department first and warn them not to get too upset and send over the trucks!
This sounds fabulous. I didn’t grow into a broccoli kid until I started growing out of my kid years. Still a kid at heart though and am now loving broccoli, so I guess I have the best of both worlds. Asiago is incredible too…wish I had some right now to top my risotto that’s on the stove!
looks so good! This is one of my favorite ways to make broccoli. I love the crispy tips of the florets… yum!!
OMG – Delicious! Made this tonight and it was wonderful. It totally exceeded my expectations taste-wise, and was unbelievably simple to prepare. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
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