A few nights ago, I unwrapped five large stalks of broccoli from the tin foil in which I had safely wrapped them a full week earlier. If you did not know, tin foil is far and away the best way to store broccoli (and celery). I sliced off the bottom 1 1 /2 inches of the stalks, and then carefully peeled them all the way up into the florets. I sliced the stalk into 1 /2 inch slices, and broke the florets into generous, bite-sized pieces. Then I found this recipe from Lia Huber at Nourish Network. The addition of smoked paprika to this recipe gives broccoli, already a powerhouse vegetable, an extra-terrific “kick.”
- 2-3 pounds broccoli (about 5 medium heads)
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- generous pinch of sea salt
- fresh ground black pepper
- 4 medium cloves garlic
- 1 /2 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Prepare broccoli as above, and place in a large mixing bowl.
Add oil, salt, and pepper, and mix very well until all pieces are well coated. Place broccoli in roasting pan, and roast for 10 minutes.
Smash and slice garlic, sprinkle on broccoli, stir carefully, and roast another 10 minutes. Sprinkle with paprika, toss again, and roast for 5 more minutes until broccoli is caramelized and tender. If you serve it now, hot and crispy, there may not be any left. But if there is, you may enjoy adding it to a bowl of rice and black beans, like I did for lunch yesterday.