Broccoli. It's food you love, hate or love to hate. While it's considered a superfood by nearly all health experts, it can get a little boring after awhile. If you're looking for a way to spruce up this powerhouse vegetable, look no further. We've snagged a few health-friendly dishes featuring broccoli.
The next time you're trying to find a way to squeeze in another serving of vegetables, try one of these ideas:
1. Instant pot steamed broccoli Steaming is one of the healthiest ways to cook vegetables. The vegetables retain their nutrients much better than with boiling and no added fat is needed for cooking. The Instant Pot makes steaming veggies unbelievably easy, too. Take broccoli, for example. Just trim it, cut it into florets, put it in the pot with a little water, set the pot to steam for two minutes and you're done. Get the full recipe
here.
2. Perfectly roasted broccoli and sweet potatoes (h/t Eat Yourself Skinny) Sweet potatoes are great on their own, but toss them in the oven with some broccoli to roast, and they go to another level of yumminess. Pro tip: You'll want to cut your potatoes smaller than the broccoli since the sweet potato takes a bit longer to cook all the way through.
3. Crack broccoli (h/t Cucina de Yung) There's nothing bland about the way this broccoli is seasoned! With a bit of heat (thank you, garlic and pepper) and nuttiness (thank you almonds), you won't be able to stop eating this side dish.
4. Broccoli Apple Salad (h/t Cooking Classy) At first, this may sound a little odd, but broccoli is a bit like rice in that it works both sweet or savory. Most of the sweetness comes from the natural sugars in the fruit, but the dressing adds just a little more, so it's that perfect bite to go with your favorite savory main dish.
5. Parmesan-ranch broccoli (h/t Yellow Bliss Road) The only thing that would make this better is bacon. But, I digress. Not only is this treatment of broccoli delicious, but it's also a snap to throw together too. A
little bit of everything in this goes a long way.
6. Crispy broccoli fritters (h/t Cafe Delites) If ranch-flavored broccoli isn't fancy enough for you, try this one on for size! These fritters are literally (and I use that word correctly here) made from broccoli! Talk about a healthy twist on an unhealthy favorite. Try dipping these in Greek yogurt.
7. One pan honey-garlic chicken and veggies (h/t Damn Delicious) This one-dish wonder is healthy and easy to make. You get your meat, veggie, and carb in one simple dish that's ready in 45 minutes. If you
really hate cleaning up, I recommend covering your pan with tin foil so you can just toss it and put your pan back in the cupboard.
8. Lemon broccoli pasta (h/t The Food Charlatan) Don't have much time to prep a healthy dinner? No problem. This 20-minute dish is flavorful, fresh and easy to toss together. If you do have a little extra time and you want it to be a bit more filling, try adding some shredded chicken.
