President Obama claims his favorite food is broccoli. Now, I don’t want to get overly political in my very first blog post, but I’m calling BS. I don’t think anyone’s favorite food is broccoli. There are just so many better choices. Broccoli is, however, good for you. Like really good, basically one of the best things you can eat. So, I do try to work it into my diet pretty regularly. I try to do so in ways that don’t involve smothering it with cheese or adding a bunch of unnecessary calories because I would rather save my limited amount of daily calories for something really enjoyable instead of something masking enhancing the taste of vegetables.

That’s where this broccoli comes in. I make some form of this broccoli almost every week, so it was a natural first choice for my first blog post. For this version, I subbed my regular olive oil for pepper oil (see below) and added red pepper flakes. My taste tester, who loves all things spicy, said this was almost too spicy, but I didn’t find that to be the case.

 

If you don’t like spice just sub the pepper oil for regular olive oil and omit the red pepper flakes. If you are attempting to locate pepper oil, I found this particular bottle at TJ Maxx (I know-random). No guarantees that you can find this in a TJ Maxx near you, but you can find the same one here. Also, try checking the Asian section of your grocery store.

 

As you can (hopefully) see from the picture, I used my cast iron skillet in this recipe. I have recently started cooking with cast iron, but that is a post for another day. I have made this recipe many times without said skillet, but found it to be extra-tasty this time. The broccoli seemed to crisp better in this skillet, so I recommend giving it a try if you have one, but it is by no means necessary. If you are not using the skillet, I recommend lining your pan with foil because this tends to stick.

Short on Time? Try This: If you are pressed for time, try cutting the broccoli really small. This will ensure faster roasting and less oven time. Try for uniform sizes as this will allow for even cooking. Additionally, the cooking times listed below are based on my tastes and I find that the longer the broccoli cooks the better it tastes, but I like most food almost burnt (I blame this on my mother’s questionable cooking skills growing up, just kidding mom!). Therefore, you might find that you need much less roasting time.

Spicy Oven Roasted Broccoli

Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 35 minutes (although it could be shorter; see step 5)

Ingredients

• 1 Head Broccoli
• 3 Tbsp. Pepper Oil or Regular Olive Oil**
• 1 Tsp. Garlic Salt (or regular salt)
• Red Pepper Flakes to Taste
• Cast Iron Skillet (optional)

Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 400°. Insert cast iron skillet, if using. If you are not using a skillet, line pan with foil and spray with cooking spray or olive oil.
2. Cut broccoli into bite-sized pieces. Smaller pieces will ensure maximum crispiness and also decrease cooking time. Wash AND DRY! I hate drying my vegetables, but this step is important.
3. Place broccoli in skillet/pan, drizzle oil over the top and stir to coat.
4. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes and garlic salt, to taste. You could also use regular salt, pepper, or basically any seasoning that you find appealing.
5. Insert broccoli into oven. Roast approximately 30 minutes, stirring after 10 minutes and every five minutes thereafter.