Sauteed Lemon Broccoli

I have to confess that I don't like plain steamed broccoli. I prefer some other flavor to go with the broccoli. A couple of years ago I tended to cover the broccoli with either butter or cheese, but since we're trying to limit our consumption of dairy products I've needed to come up with alternatives.

I started looking at recipes on the internet and stumbled across this one for sauteed lemon broccoli. Since I had some lemons in the refrigerator, I thought I would try it, and I'm so glad I did. The recipe was quite easy and the resulting broccoli was great. The lemon flavor complements the broccoli so well. I really like the taste of lemon, so I doubled the amount of lemon zest and juice called for in the original recipe. Since I didn't have any fresh garlic at home, I left out the garlic and the broccoli still tasted great.

Sauteed Lemon Broccoli
serves 2 adults

Ingredients:

• 2 or 3 broccoli crowns. When the stems are cut off, this becomes about 3 cups of florets or about 1/2 pound.
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
  
• 1 tsp. grated lemon zest
• 1 Tbsp. freshly-squeezed lemon juice
• 1/8 tsp. black pepper
  

Instructions:

Fill a large pot two-thirds full with water and bring the water to a boil over high heat. While the water is heating, wash the broccoli and cut the florets into bite-size pieces. When the water has come to a boil, transfer the broccoli florets to the pot and set the timer for 2 minutes. After exactly 2 minutes, remove the florets from the pot and submerge them in ice-cold water to stop the cooking process. Then drain the water from the broccoli and put the broccoli in a bowl. Place the bowl in the refrigerator until a few minutes before you would like to serve the broccoli.

About ten minutes before you would like to serve the broccoli, place a large frying pan over medium-low heat. When the pan is hot, add the olive oil, lemon zest, and broccoli. If you would like to use garlic, add it at this time as well. Cook, stirring frequently, until the broccoli is hot. When the broccoli is hot, add the lemon juice, salt, and pepper, and stir to combine.