The Best Roasted Broccoli

Growing up, my mom always encouraged us to eat our vegetables. She did a stellar job at providing us a well-balanced meal three times a day. Looking back, I am not sure how she was able to do it all. Phew! I can hardly create balanced meals for just the two of us.

Jered is not the biggest vegetable lover out there. When we started dating, I was constantly trying out new dinner ideas with him to see what he would like (challenge accepted). He is more of a meat and potato kind of guy. Hear me out; there is nothing wrong with that. I would say that's the majority meal preference of all of the men in my family. However, it is important to eat your greens!

I came across this Roasted Brocolli with Garlic recipe from Food Network a few years ago (it makes four servings). Over the years, I have made a few tweaks to amp up the flavor! I think that lemon and garlic pair beautifully together. I am also obsessed with cheese. Speaking of cheese, the cheese counter at Whole Foods is a grown-up version of candy land in my book. I always dig around in the bargain bin to find a new variety to try on the cheap.

Here are my additions, after the roasted broccoli comes out of the oven, I cut one lemon in half. I squeeze the juice from one-half of the lemon over the hot broccoli. Then I take a potato peeler and grate six shavings of Parmigiano-Reggiano. You could do more or less depending on your love for cheese.

This dish has the seal of approval from Jered (and that's saying a lot)! It's so easy to make you will find yourself adding it to your weekly rotation. Roasting vegetables is one of my favorite ways to prepare them. I love when they get crispy and crunchy bits! Fair warning, you might not want to take the leftovers to work with you. It will make your office break room smell unpleasant. Office etiquette is important, y'all!

Roasted Broccoli with Garlic

Ingredients

• 1 bunch broccoli (about 1 1/2 pounds), cut into florets, stems peeled and sliced or diced
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, sliced
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Toss the broccoli florets with the olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper on a baking sheet. Spread them out and then roast, without stirring, until the edges are crispy and the stems are crisp-tender, about 20 minutes.

Serve warm.