Best Baked Organic Broccoli Recipe Ever!

Through the magic of e-mail and the internet, I learned of the most wonderful broccoli recipe EVER. Seriously, it is divine!

Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of it coming out of my oven because about two years ago I stopped giving broccoli to my daughter. She was reacting to something, but I didn't know what. I just started taking away random foods hoping to settle down her system. We haven't reintroduced broccoli yet.

(Photo by SummerTomato)

So...all that to say, you should definitely go check out the video and picture of the recipe on the Food Network of Ina Garden's parmesan broccoli recipe!

Ingredients:
4 to 5 pounds fresh organic broccoli, washed and very thoroughly dried so that it can crisp in the oven
4 organic garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
organic olive oil
1 1/2 tsps kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp grated organic lemon zest
2 Tbs fleshly squeezed organic lemon juice
1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (not the stuff the the green can!)
2 Tbs julienned fresh organic basil leaves (about 12 leaves)
(Optional: 3 Tbs toasted pine nuts; we don't use these because of a nut allergy)

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 425 (NOTE: if you have a stoneware baking/sheet pan, preheat it in the oven to use for the recipe)

2. Cut the broccoli florets from the stalk leaving as much stalk as you like to eat. I like mainly the florets. Make the florets roughly bite-sized. You should have about 8 cups of florets.

3A. If you have a stoneware pan that's large enough to spread out the florets so that they are in a single layer, then in a large mixing bowl, mix together the broccoli, garlic, some olive oil (I never measured the amount; Ina's recipe says 5 Tbs, but it's unlikely I ever used that much), salt, and pepper. Spread into the hot stoneware pan.

3B. If you don't have a stoneware sheet you're using, then use a sheet pan large enough for the broccoli to cook in one layer. Mix the broccoli, garlic, salt, and pepper in the pan.

4. Roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes, until the broccoli is tender but crispy and some of the tips of the broccoli are brown.

5. Immediately mix the cooked broccoli with 1 1/2 Tbs olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, parmesan, and basil (and pine nuts if you want). Serve while hot!