vegetables | Mormon Mavens

I like broccoli. A couple of my kids like broccoli. My husband likes broccoli. But now, we LOVE broccoli. Seriously, we went from buying some once a month or so to buying the BIG bag from Sam’s (we used half that big bag the other day for dinner!).

Ever since trying this recipe (first seen on Pinterest), I crave it. I have kids asking for thirds, for crying out loud! I don’t know that I will ever make broccoli any other way again.

Baked Broccoli

Ingredients:
fresh broccoli
olive oil
salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wash broccoli and make sure it is cut into bite-size pieces. That big ol’ broccoli tree on the right will still be tasty but trust me, you want smaller pieces for cooking time and for taste. Trust me. I know we don’t know each other well, but you really can trust me. Honest.

2. Spread out in pan and drizzle with olive oil right in the pan. I don’t measure because I don’t always make the same amount. I just fill the pan in a single layer of broccoli and then drizzle the oil and toss with salt and pepper. Right in the pan. (sorry for the blurry pic…I was my own photographer and “I am not left-handed!”)

3. At this point, try to look over the broccoli heads to find any dry ones. Take these dry heads and brush them around on the pan to pick up some olive oil. As you can see, they are not swimming in it. Best case scenario, they all have shiny but not drippy heads.

4. Place in oven for 30 minutes. When the broccoli comes out, it will have shrunk and have brown crunchy spots (these are mighty tasty!). Serve immediately. (You may like your broccoli more tender or more crispy…play with the time till you get it right. Remember that the more crowded the pan, the longer the broccoli will need to cook.)

Enjoy!

Source: adapted from several recipe sources found on Pinterest; some use lemon juice and steak seasoning, but I really enjoy the plain salt and pepper

Originally published on March 19, 2012.

Remember that post where I said I could share some of our family’s favorite Thanksgiving recipes? Yes, that one.

Today I am sharing one of the top requests for Thanksgiving dinner–Copper Penny Carrots. So delicious and the only complaint I get is that I only make it once a year. Why is that? It’s super easy and everyone loves this dish.

Next year when you are planning your feast, think about including this tasty dish. Or you can make it now. I guess I am going to have to start making it more often.

If you can’t think like an onion or a carrot or a tomato, you may be a technician, but you won’t understand what you’re doing, and your dish will be flat.

—Eric Ripert

Due to technical issues, the recipe is in our older format.

Ingredients:

2 lbs. carrots, 1/4″ slices (4 1/2 cups)3 boiler onions, thinly sliced & separated into rings

1 medium green pepper, cut in thin strips

1 can tomato soup

3/4 cup apple cider vinegar

2/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 t. Worcestershire Sauce

1 t. prepared mustard

1/2 t. salt

Instructions:

1. Cook carrots in small amount of boiling salted water until just tender, about 8-10 minutes. Drain.

2. Combine carrots with the onion and green pepper in a large bowl.

3. Stir together remaining ingredients and pour over vegetables.

4. Cover and marinate in refrigerator for several hours or overnight.

5. When ready to serve drain, reserving marinade. Serve in lettuce-lined bowl, if desired.

6. Return any leftover vegetables to marinade and keep refrigerated.

NOTE–Once the vegetables are all gone, save the marinade. Someone in the house will undoubtedly want to dip bread in it. Seriously, this happens at my house. I am married to a “sopper”.

Ingredients:

Instructions:

SOURCE–Brew Family Cookbook, Vol. 1.