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Awe the lonely side dish. We all get so focused on the main course that we forget about the side dish. And frankly who has the time to prepare a main course and a fancy side dish?  Well, my approach is during the week I keep my side dishes EASY! I steam green beans, blanch asparagus or roast broccoli. All of these take about 5-10 minutes to prepare.  Add a side salad out of a bag and you are good to go for dinner!

My family loves this roasted broccoli recipe and I make it often since broccoli is pretty much “in season” all year round. Make a double batch and save the extra in the fridge to add to omelets in the morning or serve along side a grilled chicken breast for lunch.  Now I realize that in the hot summer months you don’t want to want to heat up your kitchen by using the oven, but this takes only about 10 minutes so your oven won’t be on long and roasting gives the veggies such a deeper flavor than blanching or steaming.

And keep in mind this recipe technique can be applied to lots of other veggies-cauliflower, green beans, zucchini, bell peppers….. A quick note about Parmesan cheese.  I am all for short cuts, but if you have the time or inclination I would buy a large hunk of Parmesan cheese and grate it yourself.  It is just so much fresher and you can tell the difference. Please note that I use the pre-grated in the tub stuff all the time, but if I have the fresh stuff that is what I use.  I buy my parmesan in large wedges from Costco for about $14.  It so much cheaper than buying it at a specialty store and the wedges at the grocery store are not always authentic Parmesan.  You will know it is real Parmesan because it will have the word stamped into the side of the cheese. Do not buy that stuff wrapped in plastic in your grocery store from one of those big brand names-I promise you it is not real Parmesan.

Enjoy!

 

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Roasted Broccoli

Ingredients

  • 1 Large head of broccoli, cut into florets
  • 2-3 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes, more if you like it spicy
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • Salt and Pepper
  • 2-3 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°

  2. In a large bowl combine broccoli, oil, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.  Toss to coat.

  3. Place broccoli onto a foil or parchment lined baking sheet and roast for 10 minutes in oven.

  4. After 10 minutes sprinkle minced garlic over broccoli.  Continue roasting for another 5 minutes or until tender. Don't over cook it-you want it tender crisp. 

  5. Sprinkle grated Parmesan over warm broccoli and serve. 

 

 

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