Roasted Broccoli con Parmesan

Roasted Broccoli with Parmesan

3 pounds broccoli (cut bottom 1/2 inch off each stalk, then peel the stalks - or not) and cut down the whole length of each one to divide the broccoli into medium size florets attached to long, thin stems)

6 T extra-virgin olive oil

3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Sea salt and fresh ground pepper

3/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese

1/3 cup white wine vinegar (or any other vinegar I think)
Place a 10-12 inch cast-iron pan, a heavy rimmed baking sheet or a roasting pan on the middle rack of the oven and preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

In a large bowl, toss the broccoli with 5 T of oil, the pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to taste.
Carefully transfer the hot pan to the stovetop and add the broccoli. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the broccoli and drizzle with the remaining 1 T of oil.

Return the pan to the oven and roast until the broccoli is crispy and browning on the edges and the stems have begun to soften, about 25 minutes.

Transfer broccoli to a serving platter. Add vinegar to the hot pan and stir, scraping up the caramelized bits cooked onto the bottom. Pour the pan juices over the broccoli and serve.

This would probably be great even without the vinegar step but i think it needs a little acid, so lemon juice might be good too.

Recipe from The Flexitarian Table by Peter Berley

White Bean, Tomato, and Green Bean Salad

Dressing:

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 clove minced garlic

Salad:
5 cups cut green beans
1 cup finely chopped tomato
1 tbsp chopped fresh dill
1 (15 ounce) can navy beans
rinsed and drained
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled

1. To prepare dressing, combine first 7 ingredients, stirring with a whisk.
2. To prepare salad, place green beans into a large saucepan of boiling water, cook 5 minutes. Drain and put beans into ice water; drain. Place beans in a large bowl. Add tomato, dill, and navy beans, toss to combine. Drizzle with dressing; toss. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover and chill at least 1 hour. Yield: 4 servings (serving size 1 1/2 cups).

I cut back a little on salt, sugar, oil, and cheese. Can also substitute a fat-free feta.

Calories: 210
Fat: 7 grams
Protein: 11g
Fiber: 8.7g
Sodium: 698

French Fries

Fries –

3 lbs. of Baking Potatoes
4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Tsp of Sea/Kosher Salt


Peel potatoes and slice into ¼ inch strips. After cutting submerge in ice bath while oven pre-heats to 400 F. Put all ingredients into zip-loc bag and toss to coat. Arrange on baking sheet coated with additional olive oil or spray. Bake until tender and golden approximately 50 minutes. Turn after 20 minutes to prevent sticking and for even color.

(Don’t have to use these exact amounts, you may wing it by using enough oil to coat the amount of potatoes you use, same with salt. Trader Joes Red Hawaiian Sea Salt is great on these)


Options –

After cooking you can toss with chopped parsley, garlic, garlic salt, butter, paprika or any other spices or combination of herbs and spices that sound good. I like mine straight out of the oven with some Heinz!

Yields 6 servings
5 g. fat per serving compared to 22 g. fat for fast food large fry.