Eat yo' broccoli

I've always liked broccoli (except when overcooked to grayness). Broccoli soup, broccoli and rice, broccoli and ricotta cannelloni. I'll take it all.

Sometimes you're just serving broccoli as a side, "the vegetable" in the classic meat-starch-vegetable trio, but you'd still like to do something interesting. Try these. Neither recipe provides exact measurements; they are more like flavor combination suggestions than blueprints.

Roasted Broccoli

fresh broccoli florets, washed
olive oil
several minced garlic cloves
salt and freshly ground black pepper
drizzle of balsamic vinegar (optional)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
In medium mixing bowl, toss broccoli florets with a bit of olive oil (not so much that they're dripping oil, because that will just end up smoking in the hot oven).
Add minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat.
Spread broccoli in single layer in large flat baking dish. Roast 10-15 minutes, until tender on the inside and crisp on the edges.
To serve, you can drizzle some balsamic vinegar on top. Roasted broccoli is, incidentally, very good on pizza.

Thai Broccoli Stir-Fry

a couple tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
hot chili peppers, seeds removed and minced very finely (I used 5 or 6 cups of broccoli last time and put in two chili peppers--the type I have are Super Chili, fairly hot though nowhere near Bird's Eye or Habanero--and it was pretty spicy)
fresh broccoli florets, washed
minced fresh basil
soy sauce

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat.
Add minced chili peppers and saute for a few minutes.
Add broccoli; stir to coat thoroughly with oil and chili.
Increase to medium-high heat and stir-fry for 6-9 minutes, until broccoli is bright green and crisp-tender.
Add basil (be generous) and soy sauce to taste. Toss to coat.