Lemon-Garlic Roasted Broccoli

Ok, just putting it out there, broccoli is definitely my favorite vegetable, and I bet I can make you love it too. Calm down, I'm not talking about the limp boiled broccoli served at some restaurants to take up space. I'm talking about tender, garlicky broccoli; browned at the edges and simply irresistible.

I think I could live on this. No really, when I make roasted broccoli at home, I make 2-2.5 lbs for 3 people, and there are no leftovers.

And the recipe is easy, too!

(Adapted from the back of the frozen broccoli package) Lemon-Garlic Roasted Broccoli

Ingredients

• 2 lbs fresh or frozen broccoli (cut into equal 1-2 in pieces if not using pre-cut frozen yummies)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• ~1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 4 large garlic cloves, pressed through garlic press or minced
• 1-2 tsp lemon zest
• salt and pepper

Method

1. Pre-heat oven to 400F, position 2 racks in middle-ish of oven
2. Combine all ingredients except broccoli and let sit 2 minutes. (can be done ahead of time)

3. Divide oil mixture between 2 cookie sheets. Make sure to get all the garlic onto the pans.
4. Divide broccoli between 2 cookie sheets and "toss" them with oil mixture.
5. Roast/bake for 20-25 minutes, switching the pans' positions halfway through, until the broccoli is browned at the edges and tender.
6. Enjoy your healthy comfort food with grilled meat, baked fish, or cheesy pasta!

Note: I'm sure you can use this to roast many other veggies, such as cauliflower or green beans.

Cabbage and Leek Pancake

I have been very interested in cabbage lately. I don't know why, but the vegetable intrigues me. It has such a bad reputation, but until now I had only had it in sauerkraut and coleslaw, which I both find pleasing. Especially sauerkraut. Ever since I actually dared try it, I can't get enough.

Anyways, when I saw this recipe for okonomiyaki in the archives of 101 cookbooks, I knew I had to try it.

My leek was not at all gritty!

It is basically a pancake/omelet with very little batter and a lot of cabbage and leeks. The greens sort of caramelize in the pan, bringing out their natural sweetness. However, I did encounter a few problems.

First of all, the recipe says to mix the veggies with the flour, and then add in the eggs. I found that this left some spots of dry flour at the bottom of the bowl and on some of the cabbage. I also felt that the "pizza" tasted too much of flour and not enough of caramelized leeks and cabbage. Another problem was that the cake did not at all hold together, but that may be due to cutting the cabbage into too-wide ribbons.

A quarter cabbage gave me just over 2 cups, but my ribbons are wide

Next time I make this (because I will be making it again) I will probably decrease the flour, slice the cabbage thinner, and maybe add a third egg.

To complete the meal I also made some garlic sautéed mushrooms and a mustardy salad, and thus discovered the delicious combination of mushrooms and salad.

After dinner, I had a craving for madeleines, so I whipped up small batch. Unfortunately, I only had an old, soft, half of a lemon, and so was unable to put in any zest :(

They were tasty anyways.