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Spicy Roasted Broccoli

Yesterday was my first day back on the health train.  Over the holidays I completely abandoned any sense of trying to watch what I eat.  I thought it was appropriate to eat sugar everyday sometimes even at breakfast and working out...what's that?  I had a reality check yesterday and gave myself a little pep talk about how that kind of behavior cannot continue into 2015.  After all, I'll be 31 next month and my metabolism isn't what it used to be!  I planned out meals for the week, exercised (ouch), and drank tons of citrus detox water, which will be on the blog Thursday!  This morning I woke up feeling ten times better from just one day of eating fresh!  Spicy roasted broccoli is one of my favorite go to healthy side dishes because it's full of nutrients, so tasty, and it might be the easiest dish to make, maybe ever.

When dinner rolls around you've been to work, possibly starting working out again, and by now it's pitch dark and the last thing you want to do is prep a big meal.  You need simple, you need fresh, it needs to taste good, and you need as few ingredients as possible.

Enter spicy roasted broccoli.  At the local farmer's market right now broccoli is plentiful, so I end up fixing this at my house on a weekly basis with one of our meals.  I would tell you that I'm tired of it, except I'm not.

It's my go to side dish for fish, chicken, beef...you name it.  Wash, season, and roast.  That's it. The broccoli gets a slightly nutty flavor, it's salty and spicy and so full of flavor, which is the way I like to eat healthy!

I guarantee even your picky vegetable eaters will love this one!  

Ingredients:

  • 1 Head of Fresh Broccoli, washed and cut into florets
  • 2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil 
  • 2 Tsp. Kosher or Sea Salt
  • 1 Tsp. Fresh Ground Black Pepper
  • 1/4-1/2 Tsp. Red Chili Flakes, depending on how spicy you like your food.

Directions:

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • Toss broccoli with olive oil, salt, pepper, and red chili flakes.
  • Line broccoli onto a baking sheet in a single layer.
  • Bake for 20-30 minutes until broccoli has a few charred edges and is browned slightly.

So simple, so good, and you need to add this to your weeknight menu asap!