Roasted Broccoli

I've been trying really hard to prepare more vegetables, particularly for dinner. It seems like I've got squash and potatoes fairly regularly in the rotation, but it's challenging for me to get the green veggies in. Part of the problem is that vegetables are so expensive this time of year, whereas squash and potatoes are on the cheaper side. The other part of the problem is that I never know what to do with the vegetables once they're in the house. Steaming them is totally bland and boring.

I've been hearing a lot of buzz lately about how good roasted vegetables are. Since it's winter, it's the perfect time to roast them because I don't have to worry about over heating the house. As it turns out, all the buzz was right. This was really tasty. I doubt I'll ever steam broccoli again.

Broccoli is one of those vegetables that's really tricky to wash. The very best method, even though it takes some time, is to soak it in water with an edible acid (lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, etc), and then rinse it. The vinegar gets inside those little pieces and breaks out any dirt or grime. If you like eating dirt, feel free to just rinse it. ;) 

Ingredients:
3 bunches broccoli
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
2-3 T. olive oil
2-3 T. lemon juice
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp dried cumin 
Sea salt & ground black pepper

Directions:
Cut broccoli florets from stems and put in a large mixing bowl. Cover with vinegar and enough cold water to cover all florets. Let sit for about 30 minutes. Rinse well, and shake in a strainer to remove as much water as possible.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and coat with cooking spray.

In a large mixing bowl, toss broccoli with olive oil, lemon juice, onion powder, cumin, salt and pepper. The broccoli should be completely covered with the oil and lemon juice, so add a little more if needed.

Arrange broccoli in a single layer on the baking sheet (touching is okay, just not overlapping). Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until broccoli is tender and just starting to brown.