Taste Bhi Health Bhi- Garlic Roasted Broccoli

Being at home means comfort and a lot of pampering. In a typical Punjabi household a lot of pampering equates to a lot of food and sometimes being over stuffed with it.  Thankfully, that’s not the kind of household I come from. Here, the family members have over the years become health conscious and strive to eat right.  big credit goes to mommy dearest who can cook any dish magically with just a smear of oil. I am yet to imbibe this wonderful quality and tactic of her. Nevertheless, after all the Mumbai gluttony that I have been through, I decided to figure out some easy, healthy and yummy recipes during my stay.

I decided stick to a diet of fruits and veggies for a few days and with no choice of my regular dose of gobhi parantha I had to satiate my taste buds with something healthy yet delicious. This is how this dish- Garlic Roasted Broccoli- came into the picture.

Broccoli is an edible green plant and belongs to the cabbage family. It is the large flowering head of the broccoli that is used as a vegetable. It is known to be a hearty and tasty vegetable and is also rich in dozens of nutrients. It is known to be beneficial in many ways including preventing cancer, reducing cholesterol and is a great diet aid. It is believed that a cup of broccoli has as much protein as a cup of rice or corn with half the calories.

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But yes, to make this nutrient packed vegetable into a delicious dish was the task at hand, and what could be more fun than roasting it!

Ingredients:

(Note to Readers: The measurements for this recipe are more of a guideline. You can add more or less olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, salt or pepper.) 

Broccoli- 2 heads, cut into florets

Olive oil- 2 tbsp

Garlic- 5 cloves, minced

Sale- 1 tsp

Pepper- ½ tsp

Lemon juice- 1 tsp

Pinch of red chili flakes (optional)

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C.
• Take a large bowl and toss the broccoli along with the olive oil, salt, garlic and black pepper.
  

• Spread the broccoli florets in a single layer on a baking dish.
  
• Bake until the florets and tender enough to pierce a folk and the edges are browning (about 15- 20 minutes depending on how crisp you want it).
• Turn once halfway through the baking process and add the red chili flakes if you wish too.
  
• Once baked, add a generous squeeze of lemon juice over the broccoli before serving.

Happy eating!