Greens are everywhere, including this week’s ABRB post featuring charred broccoli! And so are yellows and purples and reds. Spring is in full bloom here in Louisville, Kentucky. Despite a few short cold snaps, Amy and I have really enjoyed taking walks around Cherokee Park and Anchorage Trail. A few weeks ago, you could see right through the parks. Now, leaves have sprouted up, obscuring the surroundings. What a great time of year!!
This week, we’re cooking something that falls under the “Amy would never write about it” category. Amy makes this charred broccoli all of the time. It works great with a Baked Sweet Potato and 5 Minute Chicken for a pretty easy full dinner meal. For lunch today, I went extra simple and paired the broccoli with leftover Roasted Sweet Potatoes and a few slices of Honey Baked Ham. Anyway, the recipe is so simple (to some people) that Amy thinks everyone already knows how to make it. Luckily for you, I don’t!! But I’m learning, and I’m happy to share.
Initially I was intimidated by the broccoli heads. What do you do with it?? But the florets (little tiny broccolis) fall out easily when you start chopping. Just cut the stem off, then keep chopping down individual groupings by slicing off smaller and smaller stems until you have the right size. What’s the right size? When I asked Amy if one particular floret was the right size, she responded by asking me if I could fit it in my mouth. One quick cut in half later, I had perfectly sized florets.
Cleanliness is a good thing when it comes to food, and salad spinners really help with the broccoli. Word of caution: if you just rinse the broccoli heads under the sink and don’t spin them, they might not be dry enough and the broccoli will steam in the oven instead of char. We really like the OXO Good Grips Green Salad Spinner. We’ve tried a few others that had handles for spinning, but the handles didn’t hold up well to frequent usage. The spinners are pretty easy to use. Place the florets in the basket and the basket in the bowl. Fill the bowl with water. Use your hands to agitate the florets. Lift the basket out of the bowl, and dump the bowl water. Place the basket back in the empty bowl, add the lid, and spin. Take the basket out and your florets are dry and ready to go into the pan.
For prep, you don’t have to be exact with the olive oil. Just drizzle on a little bit. The oil helps ensure a good char. But, be careful with the seasoning. The tips of the florets really lock in the seasonings and if you use too much in any one place, you will get an extra seasoned (and pretty yucky) bite.
Timing is important, but there are ranges. You want to cook both sides to ensure an even char and that you don’t get an extra charred side and a not-charred side. I like 13 minutes for the first side, flip, then 7 minutes on the other side. However, check the florets to see how they are cooking. They should lightly stick to the pan and have a noticeable char. You can check after 10 minutes to see if they need to be flipped. We recommend 10-15 minutes for the first side and 5-10 minutes for the second side, either way total of 20 minutes of cook time.
Are you ready to get started making this recipe? Head over to our shop page to make sure you have all of the necessary prep tools. Then watch this short video and print a copy of the recipe below to try it out in your kitchen. Enjoy!
Kick your cruciferous broccoli vegetable up a notch with this quick and easy recipe. For more information, go to www.amyburnstherecipebook.com.
- 3 broccoli heads (depending on the size)
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp granulated onion
- 1/4 tsp granulated garlic
- 1/8 tsp pepper
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Preheat the oven to 400.
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Cut the broccoli heads down into bite sized florets. Wash and dry the florets thoroughly.
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Spread the florets out on a baking pan. Cover the florets with the olive oil and the seasonings. Then hand mix the florets to ensure even coverage and spread the florets out on the pan.
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Bake at 400 for 10-15 minutes.
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Remove from the oven. Ensure that one floret slightly sticks to the pan and has a char on the underside. If not, return to the oven for a few more minutes. If so, flip each floret.
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Return to the oven and bake at 400 for another 5-10 minutes.
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Remove from the oven and serve.
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