Roasted Broccoli and Brussel Sprouts

I am a fan of all cruciferous vegetables and I will eat them in many preparations. My favorites change as I find new and different ways to cook them. I started with steaming my broccoli, then would only eat it raw that changed to stir-fry, now I LOVE roasted broccoli.

In my opinion most people over cook their cole crops, which gives them a mushy texture and sulfurous odor and taste. Yuck, no wonder some president didn't like broccoli.

Recently I saw recipes for roasting broccoli pop up on Facebook. I liked the idea but was surprised by the temperature and cooking time, 375 for 30 minutes, sounds Midwestern to me. I did some more research online and in the oven. Hotter oven and shorter time works much better as far as I am concerned.

Usually I pan fry my Brussel sprouts, last night I added them to the broccoli, they were great.

I love that this way of cooking is so easy, I don't have to stand over the wok or sautee pan or use as much oil !!

Laurie's Roasted Broccoli

1) Preheat the oven to 4:00 F.
2) Line a heavy cookie sheet with foil.

3) Wash and chop your broccoli into medium size pieces. Halve or quarter the sprouts.

4) Place all veggies in a large bowl and toss with 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste.

5) Dump them onto the cookie sheet.

6) Roast them for 10 minutes. Yes, the edges of the broccoli get a little dark but I like that crunch. If you want them slightly more done, turn off the oven but leave them in for 5 more minutes.

7) Some folks like to add a squeeze a lemon or splash of balsamic vinegar. I really enjoy the sweet flavor just as is.

I served them with red quinoa, tofu noodles and peanut sauce.