irresistible roasted broccoli

A cheese-less, but somehow cheesy roasted broccoli, perfect with fresh florets or frozen!

(pictured —> roasted broccoli from frozen)

Irresistible roasted broccoli

Is there such a thing? I daresay yes, yes there is. A vegetable so delicious that it makes its way into our weekly meal-rotation, beloved by my almost three-year-old who regularly asks for broccoli by name. You know what they say? Happy toddler, happy Mama.

The secret to the best roasted broccoli:

Actually, there are two secrets to the best roasted broccoli: #1) Do not add salt to the broccoli during the first part of its roasting cycle. Salt draws moisture from vegetables, and when added partway through, it adds the perfect saltiness without dehydrating the broccoli.

#2) almond flour + salt = the combo of salt and fat gives off a parmesan’esque flavor profile.

Why do I love broccoli?

My Italian Nonny regularly made my family and I sautéed broccoli with garlic and olive oil. There was something about the way she seasoned and cooked it to perfection that made an everlasting impression. Of course we usually topped off that delicious broccoli with a staple in any Italian family, fresh parmesan cheese. Unfortunately, my toddler is going through the stage where texture is everything, and anything remotely mushy, including Nonny’s broccoli, is not of interest. (plus, I try to avoid dairy as much as possible for him because he has shown signs of lactose intolerance + I try to limit our consumption as much as possible) That’s why when I discovered a roasted broccoli recipe by Maria Marlowe, that Logan loved, I knew I was on to something that would be in regular rotation.

No joke - I can never seem to make enough of this broccoli, with Logan often stealing broccoli from our plates.

Of course I also love broccoli for its nutritional benefits. As a cruciferous vegetable it is full of wonderful fiber that feeds your healthy gut bacteria. (also known as a prebiotic - prebiotics are basically concentrated soluble fiber that has been demonstrated in studies to feed and nourish the healthy microbes that live inside of us - so skip the pricey supplements and eat your broccoli! 🥦) It’s so good for us in fact, that even the USDA touts its possibilities of preventing Cancer and Crohn’s disease, linked to gut inflammation. It’s also full of vitamins and minerals like Vitamin C, Potassium, Iron and Protein.

*In case you are new here, I like to make sure that everyone knows that vegetables do have protein. You can read more about it in my post here.

Irresistible Roasted Broccoli

Ingredients

• 1-2 bunches broccoli

  • I chop into small florets to increase the crispy, chip-like outcome; the stalk is great too if you peel the exterior and chop into small rectangles!)

  • frozen broccoli works great too - no need to defrost

  • Trader Joe’s also has organic broccoli crowns which are great too!

• 2-3 tsp extra virgin olive oil

• 1-2 cloves garlic chopped

• 1 tbsp Almond flour

• 1/4 tsp Black pepper

• 1/4 tsp pink himalayan sea salt (or whatever you have on hand)

Directions for awesome roasted broccoli:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

• Spread chopped broccoli on a large baking sheet. If you have a silicone baking mat or parchment paper, I usually lay down to ease cleanup.

• Drizzle olive oil on the broccoli, and using your hand to coat, toss so everything is evenly coated.

• Add the garlic, and black pepper. Toss again.

• Bake for 15 minutes.

• Remove from the tray from the oven. Sprinkle the almond flour and salt, and mix well.

• Return to the oven for 10 minutes. (+3-5 min until broccoli is getting a nice roasted color).

• Add salt and pepper to taste.

I would be remiss if I did not include a major disclaimer that I have adopted this recipe as my own, because of the frequency with which I make it (1-2x/week) but this is a Maria Marlowe original.

TIPS

*Your broccoli will taste great if you use the 1tbs almond flour to 1/4 tsp salt ratio, but you honestly can’t go wrong if you double it. It tastes extra cheesy and salty😋
*I cut the broccoli pretty small to increase the crispiness factor which makes all of us feel like we’re eating a chip because of the satisfying crunch. Logan will pick through his pieces and cast aside the ones that aren’t crispy.
*Keep a jar of the almond/salt mix in my pantry at all times. That way, whenever you need to make a quick and easy vegetable, all you have to do is sprinkle this on some cleaned, chopped and oiled broccoli, toss in some chopped garlic and your vegetable side is ready to go! This is the ratio I keep in a small glass jar.

• 4 Tbsp. Almond flour

• 1 tsp salt