I did not grow up in a cooking family.  We rotated restaurants nightly: Luby’s, Chinese, Barbecue.

So while most foodies turn up their noses at cream-of-mushroom-casseroles . . . I never had one.  Overcooked pot roast? Not part of my childhood.  The rejected food trends of the 80’s are new territory for me.

I was in my 20’s when I discovered my love of cooking.  Honestly, Gourmet Magazine (RIP) gave me my education.  Ninety percent of the recipes were over my head, but I picked up important tips:

• Pick good ingredients and let them shine
• Cook tough meats low and slow for as long as you can
• Cook fish as little as possible 
• You’re a fool if you do anything other than roast your veggies.

Roasting vegetables makes them crispy and slightly caramelizes them.  I honestly think roasted broccoli tastes like popcorn.  I devour it.  So 15 years in the kitchen, I have never cooked vegetables any other way.  I roast sweet potatoes. I roast green beans.  I even roast tomatoes.

Then one day, my mother-in-law was giving baby Jack a plate of broccoli and I snagged a piece.  It was so soft!  It was so tender!  It was bright green and delicious!!!  I thought she must have some secret recipe, but she just looked at me with a cocked eyebrow and said “I microwaved it.”  MICROWAVED BROCCOLI!!!!  I want to sing it from the rooftops.  

Now I am no fool . . . I understand that microwaved broccoli is the pedestrian way to steam it.  I could whip out a steamer pot and get the same results.  But that would require more pots.  More cleaning.  More effort.  I can microwave these beautiful little green florets in one glass bowl and season with butter and salt.  Delicious and so much easier to chew for the the little ones.

And if microwaved vegetables is a horrible memory from your childhood, then just skip this post :)  There are about 8000 other posts of roasted veggies to delight your crispy-edged-cravings.

Microwaved Broccoli

I feel silly writing out a recipe for this, but I did have a surprising amount of questions for my mother-in-law when I attempted this solo.

• 2 big bunches broccoli
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons butter
• lotsa salt :)

Cut broccoli florets off the stems and place in large glass bowl.  Pour in a little water and cover.  Microwave for 7-8 minutes.  Remove and stir in butter and salt.