Smashed Broccoli Recipe

This recipe for smashed broccoli is a delicious way to cook and present vegetables if you’re looking for creative ideas. This dish transforms every broccoli floret into a crispy, cheesy delight, making every bite a gourmet treat. This recipe calls for steaming broccoli florets until soft, smashing them with the bottom of a Mason jar or a sturdy glass, and broiling them until they brown.

Broccoli is a highly nutritious food

I have always been open about how much I adore broccoli in its delicious forms, with a particular emphasis on broccoli microgreens.

Broccoli is delicious steamed, roasted, stir-fried, or served raw. I was, therefore, happy to hop on the “smashed broccoli” (roasted broccoli with a cheesy twist!) craze as soon as it appeared online (props to its clever inventor!).

It seemed like a culinary match made in heaven to combine broccoli’s rich flavours with Parmigiano Reggiano’s umami notes (have you tried making parmesan crisps?).

This cruciferous vegetable contains nutrients, including dietary fibre and vtamins C and K. Even more astounding are the compounds found in broccoli, like sulforaphane, which have been linked to various health advantages, including improved digestive health and a possible lower risk of developing certain chronic illnesses.

Ingredients

One head of cleaned broccoli
One generous cup of freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
To taste, add salt and pepper.
two minced cloves of garlic
Three tablespoons pure olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp mustard powder
One organic lemon’s zest
To serve (if desired): aged balsamic vinegar, lemon wedges, pesto, red Tabasco or Sriracha

Why spice up smashed broccoli recipe with mustard powder ?

While some may object, mustard powder has a unique function in this broccoli dish that goes beyond flavour. Although it adds a slight spiciness, the main benefit is that it increases the amount of sulforaphane, a suitable compound in broccoli, available in the body.

The enzyme myrosinase, necessary to convert glucoraphanin into sulforaphane, is rendered inactive by cooking broccoli. According to a small study, eating cooked broccoli with mustard powder—a powerful source of myrosinase—increased the absorption of sulforaphane by more than four times compared to eating broccoli by itself.

INSTRUCTIONS

Here’s how to make smashed broccoli recipe recipe:

Turn the oven on to 425°F.
Add two teaspoons of salt to a large pot of water and bring it to a boil. There should be enough water in the pool to submerge the broccoli.
When the pot is boiling, add the broccoli. Depending on the size of your broccoli, simmer it for 3–4 minutes. A fork inserted into the broccoli should pierce it quickly, but it shouldn’t be fully cooked. After draining, allow to cool slightly.
Place the broccoli on an oven tray. Using paper towels or a kitchen towel, gently pat dry.

Here’s how to make this recipe: After drizzling the broccoli with olive oil, season with black pepper, ½ teaspoon salt, and garlic powder. Toss in the coat.
Arrange the broccoli on a baking sheet in a single layer. Smash each floret with the bottom of a glass cup until it is no more than ½ inch thick.
Every floret should have some parmesan cheese on it.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in a preheated oven or until the broccoli is cooked and the parmesan is lightly browned.
While still warm, serve right away.

INGREDIENT NOTES

Here’s more details about the components and well-liked alternatives for this dish:

Parmesan:Although freshly grated parmesan is called for in this recipe, you can use shredded parmesan instead. For optimal flavor , use premium parmesan.
Lemon:Toss the broccoli with the olive oil and squeeze in a fresh lemon to add acidity and freshness.
Add a ¼ teaspoon of red pepper flakes to the broccoli to add some spice.
Broccoli:Chop your broccoli into bite-sized florets before boiling it. To ensure that your florets bake evenly, keep them roughly the same size. Smaller florets will crisp up more quickly in the oven. To make some of your large florets smaller, you can cut them in half.

Smashed Broccoli Recipe