Roasted Broccoli

When I first found out I was pregnant, my first thought was how healthy I was going to eat.   I would eat plentiful amounts of every vegetable under the sun.  Ha! Then morning sickness hit.  And I couldn't even look at a veggie let alone eat any.

The worst offender? 

Broccoli.  Especially cooked broccoli.

This aversion still haunts me.  I find that even now, I really have to force myself to choke it down.  I don't want my daughter growing up watching me gag down broccoli so I wanted to come up with a good way to make it palatable again.

I don't know about anyone else but my personal favorite way to eat most veggies is to roast them.  So I took a recipe that I've used for brussels sprouts (courtesy of my cousin) and applied it to my most loathed veggie.

The result?

I can't stop eating this stuff!  Trust me, if I willingly roast a whole pan of broccoli just for myself, this method will make your veggie-hating friends and family change their ways.

Ingredients:
fresh broccoli (I have tried frozen, it's too mushy...use fresh)
a few T olive oil
2 fresh garlic cloves, minced (garlic powder will work in a pinch)
pepper
seasoned salt (just a sprinkle is all you need)
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees & line baking sheet with aluminum foil.

2) Chop all your broccoli into uniform bite sized pieces and mix in a bowl with a couple tablespoons olive oil, pepper, seasoned salt and minced garlic.  Spread onto pan in a single layer.

3) Roast broccoli for 40 minutes, stirring half way through.

4) Broccoli will be crispy and may even break apart at the ends when touched - this is ok!
5) Sprinkle with a handful of parmesan cheese.

6) Wrap foil into a pouch and let sit for about 3-5 minutes to let the cheese melt and broccoli absorb a little more moisture.

7) Enjoy!

(Yes, I really did eat the entire batch in one sitting.  I can't believe how good it is.)