My Monday Menu Plan: Broccoli

Broccoli

Dear husband does not like broccoli. Nor do lots of other people. It is not my favorite vegetable, but I understand its excellent veggie properties and so if it appears on my plate, I will eat it, knowing I am doing my body good.

DH, however, has no such desire. If broccoli is on the plate, he carefully moves it aside or switches it to my plate when he thinks I am not looking. I know that if I serve broccoli, I have to be sure to serve another vegetable that he will eat. Lately, I have been trying different cooking preparations to see if I can get him to change his mind. Sadly, no, but the good news is, I have found a way to cook broccoli that my daughter just loves. You win some, you lose some. And the secret way is:

Roasting.

Yep, that is right. Lots of veggies are great roasted – carrots, squash, sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, turnips, rutabagas, cabbage, almost anything that you disliked as a child is better with a little roast on it. Set your oven to 400F, cut the vegetable in question into uniform pieces, toss with olive oil and sprinkle with salt (if you really want to get clever, use a little smoked paprika or chipotle powder), and roast for 15-20 minutes, until the veggies are tender and a little brown on the edges. Broccoli and Brussels sprouts taste great tossed with shredded Parmesan right before serving, others with a sprinkle of sea salt. And serve. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.

Our veggie box from Two Small Farms had a big bag of Broccoli, plus Fava Beans, Strawberries, Red Radishes, Romaine Lettuce, Bunched Spinach, and Green-Tailed Shallots. My Monday Menu Plan for the week of May 17th is as follows:

Sunday: Grilled grass-fed beef (from California), roasted sweet potato fries, roasted broccoli, grilled onions (from last week’s box), sauteed spinach (some leftover from last week’s box)

Monday: Chicken Hominy Stew, cornbread, salad with shallot vinaigrette, sliced oranges from Frog Hollow CSA

Tuesday: Carrot soup and grilled cheese sandwiches

Wednesday: Grilled chicken, mashed potatoes with gravy (a kid favorite), roasted broccoli

Thursday: Leftovers and clean the fridge

Friday: TGIF and block party – I think I am going to make the Fava Bean Goat Cheese Pizza that Julia from Two Small Farms talked about last week. I can prep the beans some other time this week so the pizza is ready to throw in the oven on Friday before our party. And if we have any radishes left over, I will slice them thin and serve with butter, baguette and sea salt.

What is on your menu plan this week? Have you seen what Married with Dinner is doing these days? A whole new series on Dinner on a Deadline. Be sure to check it out for some other great ideas!