When I was pregnant I couldn’t get enough broccoli. I would eat it any way I could get it – raw, steamed, roasted, mixed into another dish. Of course, the rest of my cravings weren’t quite as healthy so I tried to embrace this one as much as often as possible. As I was reaching the end of the third trimester I just couldn’t stay on my feet long enough to make a full dinner so I started coming up with easier, faster recipes to satisfy the cravings. I suppose it could have been the crazy hormones that guided me to experiment with different flavors. However, I still find myself enjoying this broccoli recipe post-pregnancy.
I’ve had a theory for a while now that whatever food you crave while you’re pregnant, your child will also enjoy. My daughter is not proving my theory wrong. She is a huge fan of green vegetables, including broccoli. I almost hesitate to make that statement here for fear of jinxing myself. She’s starting to be a picky eater at home but thankfully she’ll still eat peas and broccoli almost any day of the week. For this recipe, I really enjoy the red pepper flakes but they are definitely too spicy for my little one. I tend to sprinkle the red pepper flakes on half the broccoli after spreading it onto the sheet pan rather than mixing it into the bowl. This way she gets her portion spice free and I still get that extra flavor I crave.
Tips:
- I saved myself the time it takes to cut the broccoli by using a 12oz bag of broccoli florets. According to the nutrition information on the back of the bag, it is already 4 cups.
- The red pepper flakes add a pretty mild kick of flavor but if you aren’t a fan of heat at any level just leave that ingredient out.
LEMON ROASTED BROCCOLI
Ingredients
- 4 cups broccoli florettes
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- juice of 1 small lemon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, stirring until broccoli is evenly coated. Pour broccoli onto a sheet pan and roast 10-12 minutes or until edges of broccoli are slightly crispy. Serve warm.
I used to spend hours baking and decorating cut out sugar cookies. It was like therapy for me, a way to tune out the rest of the world for a while. I still enjoy making sugar cookies but I just don’t have time for the detailed work that goes into decorating those cut out cookies. As I was sifting through my grandmother’s recipe box I came across this great recipe. As with most of her recipes, the original source is unknown. However, the internet is a great tool and I did find the modernized version of this recipe on the 
