Broccoli Two Ways

I've never been one to fight about eating vegetables.  I prefer them over most foods  (I'm pretty sure Kyle is convinced I could live on broccoli and peas- plain).  I'm one of those annoying people that put peas, broccoli, garlic and onions in to pretty much everything.  I even love plain old steamed brussel sprouts with salt and pepper.
 
Needless to say, when I hear people say that they don't like vegetables, I just don't get it.  So, I've made it my mission to prove that vegetables are totally delicious.  Maybe you won't want them plain, but with a little garlic, and a lot of love, even the most boring vegetable can be fantastic!

Now let's talk broccoli.  I have seen those super creepy frozen packs of broccoli with the weird plastic-y cheese on it.  Put down the fake cheese!  Frozen broccoli is amazingly quick and simple to cook- you really don't need any mystery sauce or seasonings on it.  You can make it yourself in five minutes flat!

My family loves broccoli...but that wasn't always the case.  Kyle isn't a natural vegetable lover.  How did I convert him, might you ask? 

Broccoli with Garlic

You'll need:

• 2 cups frozen broccoli (about a half bag or so)
• 2 Tb chopped garlic (I prefer fresh, but chopped garlic jarred is totally fine too)
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• Salt and pepper
• Olive oil (optional)

Instructions:
Put a large saucepan on medium heat.  Fill the pan with about a half inch of water.  Wait one minute for the water to get hot.  Add the broccoli, onion powder, and garlic to the pan.  Carefully stir them together in the hot water.  Add a bit of salt and pepper.  If you'd like, once the water starts to cook down a bit, you can add a tiny bit of olive oil to the broccoli (less than a half teaspoon).  I really like the flavor that the olive oil brings to the broccoli, but I don't always use it.  The broccoli should be done after about five minutes of cooking.  Taste before serving to correct the seasoning.

Broccoli with Cheese

For the cheese obsessed, this is pretty awesome.

You'll need:

• 2 cups broccoli
• 1/4 cup Italian blend cheese (parmesan, mozzarella)
• salt and pepper

Instructions:
Fill a large saucepan with about a half inch of water.  Cook the water at medium heat.  After a minute or so after the water has heated up, add all of the ingredients to the pan.  Cook for five minutes.  Taste before serving to correct the seasoning.  And of course, you can always add more cheese!


Tomorrow I'll be sharing the tastiest, absolute easiest way to make asparagus- ever.