Oven Roasted Broccoli | How to roast Broccoli in Oven

I love playing with my oven. But for quite a long time, it was playing with me. Now all is well for a while (*touchwood*) and I absolutely love playing with it :D And with broccoli it's a nuetral relationship as of yet. It is not too love or too hate. I can have in moderation. And the taste should be well balanced. If it's too raw like or bland I can't take it :D And I don't like too much of Indian spices in broccoli either. Yes, i am like a fussy toddler when it comes to broccoli :D

And yes, I do have a fool proof, easy peasy recipe to roast broccoli in oven. It is easy as well as kickass :) You will love it for the simplicity of making it as well as the taste :) Play around with the ingredients as per your preference. If you like more chilli flakes than pepper powder, then go ahead with that. The recipe is quite versatile that way as well. So shall we see how to roast broccoli in oven?

Preparation Time : 15 minutes

Cooking Time : 20 minutes

Serves : 2-3 persons 

I Used:

Broccoli Olive Oil	- -	1 cup 2 tbsp
Garlic Salt	-	1 tsp
Pepper Powder	-	½ tsp
Chilli Flakes	-	½ tsp
Oregano (or Mixed Herbs)	-	½ tsp

The Way:

1. Pre heat oven at 200 degree Celsius

2. In a bowl, mix together olive oil, garlic salt, pepper powder, chilli flakes and oregano

3. Add the broccoli florets to it. And give a nice toss

4. In the baking tray, lay a cookie sheet. Then place the broccoli florets on the sheet

5. Bake in the oven for about 15-20 minutes. In between turn each of the florets so that it gets cooked evenly. Make sure they do not burn and are just caramelized

Serve hot!

Notes:

• You can immerse the florets in warm salt water for some time if you like. This will kill any worms if present in the broccoli

• If you do not have garlic salt, then substitute with normal salt and 3-4 cloves of finely chopped garlic or an equivalent garlic paste

• If you want the broccoli to be cooked al dente then cook for 10-15 minutes  

• You can also toss in some parmesan cheese once the florets are roasted and before serving

Cheers,

Chitz

Fresh Basil Pesto Sauce Recipe

Some days I do not like to cook elaborate meals. Then I stick on to easy, ready to make dishes. This basil pesto sauce is one among them. I mostly use it for pasta but you can very well use them in a variety of ways. Spread it on a bruschetta or as an appetizer dip or use it as a spread or chutney for your sandwich. You can also mix it up with some mayonnaise to use up as a salad dressing or use as a spread or dip for your grilled chicken !! The uses are many & it's an effortless recipe :) Great right? 

I have some freshly growing basil sprigs on my window sill & I had been waiting for them to grow up to a considerable height so that I can use them. And now my emotions are that of a happy little kid :D This pesto sauce can be refrigerated for a week. Store them in air tight containers then. Alternately, it can also be freezed for upto six months.

Recipe Source: Adapted from here

I Took: 10 minutes

Makes: ¼ cup

I Used:

Fresh Basil leaves	-	¼ cup
Walnuts/Pine Nuts	-	4 tsp (I used Walnuts)
Garlic	-	1 clove
Grated Parmesan Cheese	-	2 tbsp
Olive Oil	-	2 tbsp
Salt	-	As Needed

The Way:

1. Add walnuts/pine nuts & garlic in a blender/mixer. Pulse it till crushed
2. Add the fresh basil leaves to it & blend again
3. Add olive oil and give it a quick pulse. Finally add the grated Parmesan cheese & salt and blend or pulse to your desired consistency
4. I like it smooth rather than crunchy, so I blend it to a smooth paste. You can add water if necessary for the consistency 

Use as desired :)

Cheers, 

Chitz