CRISPLY ROASTED BROCCOLI WITH GARLIC & PARMESAN, easy, high fibre

 The recipe that turned 67goingon50 onto an oven-baked broccoli lover...

Roasted Garlic & Parmesan Brocolli
'...unexpectedly delightful; like a snack food!' Taster

The Blogger has never been a fan of roasted vegetables, having seen too many of them end up charred on the outside and half raw within.  

But brocolli, a much loved powerhouse veg full of vitamins and  apparently with cancer-fighting qualities, gets a bit boring steamed or stir fried.

This recipe is adapted from Chinese-Jewish telly chef Molly Yeh, whose enthusiastic praise for the dish was intriguing.  

After experimenting, 67goingon50 discovered that a longer time in the oven at a lower temperature is one key to success in roasting broccoli.  And it obviously helps if the broccoli - stems as well as heads - are cut in similar sizes.

What you end up with is crispy florets that are delightfully crunchy plus flavoursome tender stems.  They could pass as a snack food as well as a side.

The recipe calls for parmesan; it's perfect for using up the tail end of those supermarket wedges of parm (or its less pricy relative, Grana Padano) before they dry out and die.   But cheddar will do if that's all you've got.  

Cost: depending on what's in the cupbard, £1.75'ish

Feeds: 3-4; recipe doubles easily

Ingredients:

half a head of broccoli, around 200gm (tenderstem will also do)

1.5-2 med garlic cloves, grated

1.5-2 tbsp olive oil

1/4'ish cup grated parmesan, slightly less or more is not a problem

Sauce (opt): 50-50 yoghurt mayo with tomato paste & chilli crisp (Chiu Chow - extremely hot) or flakes

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 200c/390F OR when ready to cook, air fryer to 180C/350F 
2. In a good sized bowl, blend oil, garlic and cheese
3. Divide brocolli into similar sized spears: stems 1/3 in/1 cm'ish  thick; florets 1 in/2.3/4cm' ish
4. Add broccoli to bowl; toss until each spear is thoroughly coated
5. Line baking tray or air fryer with greaseproof paper; spread out broccoli spears
6. Bake in lower part of oven OR in air fryer a couple of inches?? above the bottom, 20-30 mins, turning once
7. Serve with a 50-50 mix of yoghurt/mayo thinned with tomato paste & a touch of hot sauce or chilli flakes

Comments:

' I like broccoli cooked like this and understand what a the fuss is about.  Sadly, the recipe has a little too much fat for a cholesterol-phobe and will only appear as an occasional treat.' Retired writer

Tips:

Notes: Grana Padano cheese - a cheaper relative of parmesan- has been produced for more than a 1000 years, created by Benedictine monks with large milk surpluses.  Its production is, like parmesan, regulated and restricted to a geographical area of Italy.  

Grana Padano's area is larger than Parmesan's and more can be produced,  bringing the price down.  Also, Grana Padano's flavour is not as strong, complex or salty as Parmesan's.  Italians often use Grana Padano in cooking while Parmesan is grated over dishes as a garnish.

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T This recipe has been developed by B  Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises.  It  may not be reproduced without the author's written permission.