The Secret to Brilliant Broccoli

I love broccoli any way I can get it..Never thought to add a little sugar.. I usually just do a little olive oil along with some salt n pepper n garlic powder and roast it up.. makes a good snack also..

annie

I can't wait to try this. Love broccoli any which way but this sounds amazing especially for snacking.

Kris

Wonder if it wouldn't work just as well for cauliflower or brussel sprouts? :-)

Barb

I think broccoli is the BEST! I'm trying to convince my friend to try different ways to eat cauliflower and for my husband asparagus.

Tabatha

I've made broccoli this way but also add a splash of balsamic vinegar. My kids love it!

Lyressa

Looks yummy! I love broccoli fixed any way as long as it isn't overcooked or completely raw. I'm going to try this recipe for something different and eat it cold for snacks. Try roasting brussel sprouts with a spritz of vegetable oil and a pinch of sea salt. Roast at 450 until it starts to brown. The roasting brings out the sweetness. Good cold for snacks. Bet you can't eat just one, but then again, you don't have to stop there!!!

Pat

Hi! So, if we are being exact, I have two questions - are we baking or broiling, and when you say to use the lowest rack to preheat the pan, dowe then also cook on the lowest rack - which to me is the ones closest to the baking heating element. Thanks for clarification!

Patti

My mom sautées asparagus this way (olive oil and a tsp of sugar, plus salt) and it is delicious. Now I will have to try it with broccoli! Thanks, SG!

Lora

I know that this will not win me any friends here :) but I used to roast a toaster-over-tray of broccoli to eat with lunch almost every day. One day, I mused about possible carcinogens created during the roasting process (since eating little burned bits seemed kind of unhealthy) and wondered if there was a healthier way to prepare the broccoli.

So I asked Google if broccoli is healthier raw or cooked and found this:

http://www.eatingwell.com/nutrition_health/nutrition_news_i…

Apparently, the "superfood" feature of broccoli is due to a compound called "sulforaphane" (which is believed to provide its tremendous antioxidant value). Raw broccoli provides lots more of that compound than does cooked broccoli. (It looks like cooking broccoli locks the compound in, so your body can't access it.

They added that if you must cook broccoli, steam it until it's cooked, but is still crunchy, because that may keep some of the sulforaphane available to the body.

So every day, I dump about 3 cups of florets into a big bowl and eat that as my pre-lunch snack. Yes, it took some getting used to, but I think all healthy eating (aka, dumping the salt/sugar/fat) just takes a few weeks of getting used to. :)

Andy D

Andy,

I can certainly appreciate your information, however, there a many foods that are not really good to eat, and I am feeling that roasted broccoli, isn't top on the list.If I had to ear steamed broccoli I would gag. Raw, however I do love, but I don't see any harm in a meal including roasted broccoli once in awhile.

Thanks Andy for the info,and thanks S.G. for the recipe!!

Cookinqn

"there a many foods that are not really good to eat, and I am feeling that roasted broccoli, isn't top on the list."

Good point!

Andy D

Did I do something wrong? Was I supposed to keep the oven at 500 even after adding the broccoli? I did that and the result was my oven and kitchen were smoking like crazy! Perhaps canola oil which tolerates high heat would be a better choice if it has to stay at 500 to finish the cooking process. Please let me know as it was very tasty and my son loved it, too. (he is picky)

Barbara Beau

I TOO LOVE BROCCOLI. I USE THE FROZEN FLORETS. AFTER THEY ARE BOILED, I ADD SALT [TO YOUR TASTE] OLIVE OIL, AND GARLIC FROM THE JAR. THE GARLIC DOES THE TRICK FROM THE JARBECAUSE IT'S SO MOIST. COOK THE SAME FOR CAULIFLOWER. THANK YOU SNACK GIRL &

ALL OF YOU! BLESSINGS BE HEALTHY & SAFE & TO YOUR LOVED ONES! ANNETTE

Annette