My brother Raf is 8 years younger than me, but despite the age gap, we’ve always been close. After he graduated from college, he moved from Guam to California in search of a job. I happened to be living in California at the time, so he moved into my spare bedroom.
Raf was single and in his early 20s. He regularly dined on the delicacies of Vienna sausage, canned vegetables and rice. I envisioned him entering the dating world and serving his dates food out of a can. I couldn’t let my brother go through life like this, so I taught him how to make a few of my favorite dishes, to include this roasted broccoli recipe.
Fast forward a couple of years….I’m in the kitchen teaching my 13 year-old niece, Audrey, this recipe. While we’re cooking, she says, “you should try Uncle Raf’s broccoli. It’s soooooo good.”
I chuckled and replied, “who do you think taught Uncle Raf how to cook?”
Apparently, this dish is known throughout my family as “Uncle Raf’s Broccoli.”
You’re welcome Raf.
Uncle Raf’s Broccoli
Equipment
- Oven
- Cookie sheet
- Foil
- Cutting board
- Knife
Ingredients
- 1 lb broccoli crowns
- 3-4 tbs extra virgin olive oil
- sea salt (to taste)
- freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
- 3-4 cloves fresh garlic 3 large cloves or 4 medium sized cloves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- Chop broccoli crowns to desired size.
- Mince the garlic or crush with a garlic press.
- Line cookie sheet with aluminum foil.
- Place broccoli on the cookie sheet.
- Drizzle olive oil over the broccoli.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Arrange broccoli to form a single layer. Don't crowd them! If you overcrowd the broccoli, they will steam instead of caramelize.
- Bake for 5 minutes.
- Sprinkle garlic over the broccoli. Try to get a little bit of garlic on every piece.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes and enjoy!
