Red Pepper Flakes

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.

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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.