Roasted Broccoli

We’re not even half way through flu season and a couple of bad chest colds and one revolting eye virus (I’ll spare you the hideous details) have already swept through our home. I find these things always land on us in the same way. I somehow feel compelled to remark that, “Our kids almost never get sick…” I urge you to never do the same. The universe does not care for these comments. No, not a bit. Without fail and within days we’re struck down with something gruesome. If you see me looking as if I might even be thinking of speaking these words, please clap your hand over my mouth. If you’ve washed your hands. Because, um, you might have the flu…

As well as keeping stupid, smug thoughts to myself I’m going to work harder at making vegetables more appealing to my kids this winter. Eating veggies – especially dark green ones – is an important part in keeping you and your kids flu resistant. I’m not always the most inventive cook when it comes to side dishes so vegetables are usually just steamed alongside our main. I can’t really blame my kids for facing them like a chore. Esme and Julian are both suspicious of green things lately but luckily broccoli is a veggie they’ll eat. Given the does of Vitamins C, A and folates and fibre you get out of a serving of broccoli, that’s just fine with me. Vitamin C in an immunity booster and while it won’t stop you from getting a cold it does help colds from developing into something worse, like pneumonia. I was surprised to read that Vitamin C has been shown to be particularly good for people whose immunity is weakened to due to stress. One cup of broccoli has well over 100% of your daily allowance for Vitamin C.

Roasting rather than steaming broccoli was a revelation to me. I’ve done it with cauliflower – and loved it – but had just never thought of trying it with broccoli. All the recipes I looked at were quite similar: toss the broccoli in a bit of olive oil, season with salt and pepper, pop it in a hot oven and finish it with some lemon and Parmesan. So, so good. I’ve done a similar dinner with different seasonings and the addition of shrimp halfway – served over rice, it’s a really easy dinner. I’ll post that some time soon but for now, let me know if you try this and if your kids like it. Mine were asking for seconds.