Sometimes you just need some fresh vegetables in your life. You know what I mean, right? You have had days and days of rushing around, not really thinking about food; you’re tired and exhausted, your body is crying out for something healthy. You’re craving vitamins. You need to eat health. You need feel like a normal human being again!!! Well, that’s how I feel about broccoli. Whenever I eat broccoli I feel like I’m eating good health.
The other day I was craving something light and healthy for lunch, preferably low on the calories. So I took some super-fresh tenderstem broccoli and showed them a good time. Broccoli gets a bad time – why not give it some love and jazz it up a little? So I par-boiled them (helps get the softening going) and then sautéed them with some slithers of fresh garlic and topped with a drizzle of lemon juice. The garlic and lemon really lift the flavour of the broccoli. It was delicious. I then decided to spruce up this lovely vegetable some more with some crispy pancetta. I had some sat in the fridge and it took just a few minutes to fry them up and serve with the broccoli. The result was a really light meal that was full of flavour. Delicious.
Lemon and Garlic Tenderstem Broccoli (serves 2)
- 12 florets of tenderstem broccoli (roughly 6 per person)
- pinch of salt
- 50g cubed pancetta (about half a pack) (optional)
- ½ tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 – 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
- squeeze of lemon, juice only
- Pop the broccoli into a pan of boiling water with a generous pinch of salt. Allow to cook for about 5 minutes, drain and set aside in a colander.
- If using pancetta, in a small frying pan, fry the pancetta in a small touch of oil. When the pancetta is crispy, remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
- On a medium heat, add the garlic for just a minute to heat through before carefully adding the broccoli to the frying pan. Fry for about 5-6 minutes turning the broccoli every minute or so (keep an eye on the garlic, don’t let it burn or it’ll taste bitter).
- Add a squeeze of lemon over the broccoli and serve! (sprinkle with the pancetta, if using).
Enjoy!
Who would have thought broccoli could be so fun and tasty?!
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