Roasted Broccolini

What is broccolini? It is a common thought that it is baby or immature broccoli, but broccolini is actually in the brassica family, along with cabbage and Brussels sprouts. It is full of flavor and packed with nutritional value for a perfect side dish. Broccolini is rich in beta-carotene, vitamin C, and has a good dose of potassium. Broccolini (as well as the rest of the brassica vegetable family) is rich in the enzyme indole 3 carbinol, which aids liver detoxification and helps maintain hormone imbalance. This is a great addition for a little something different in your menu planning, so try some broccolini today!

Enough said about all that, most importantly - it is really good! You can eat the stem also, and snacking on it raw is fine although it sweetens up a little bit when cooked.

Here is a recipe idea to add a little bit of flare to cooking broccolini. Roasting is always my favorite way to cook vegetables, it just seems to pop the flavor a little bit more, and this recipe adds a couple of extra seasonings to enhance the flavor even further. Something to note about roasting broccolini though is that in the cooking time of about 20 minutes, the flowery top will get dark and pretty crisp, while the stem is just perfect. But no worries about the looks, it tastes great!

INGREDIENTS -

2 bunches broccolini
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup grated parmesan
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 385 degrees. In a small bowl or measuring cup whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and some salt and pepper to taste. Wash the broccolini, then place in a bowl and cover well with the oil mixture.

Arrange on a roasting tray. Roast for about 10 minutes, then, using tongs, turn them over. Return to the oven for another 5 minutes, then sprinkle the parmesan cheese over the top and roast for another 5 minutes. Reserve a pinch or two of parmesan cheese to garnish with after removing broccolini from the oven.