What I have been missing!

I am always shocked when someone has not tried a certain type of food or preparation of food as I feel bad for them like they have missed out on a part of life. I remember having someone over for dinner and I served Calzones - this guy had never even heard of Calzones, let alone had one! Anyway, I discovered one of those foods that I have been missing out on all these years, so thought I would share it with you so you won't miss out on it too! Roasted Broccolini, Broccoli, and Cauliflower! I roasted Broccolini instead of Broccoli because that is what I had in my fridge and I think it was better than the broccoli itself would have been. I had some sitting in my fridge and wanted to use it before it went and and I had a Bon Appetit magazine sitting near by , so this is the recipe I found and I LOVED LOVED it! So here it is:

Roasted Broccoli with Raisin Vinaigrette

Bon Appétit, February 2008
The tangy-sweet vinaigrette brings out broccoli's deep flavor in the best way.

Makes 4 servings

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 pounds broccoli, stems removed, tops cut into large florets (I used Brocollini and cut the stems up 1 inch)

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

2 tablespoons Sherry wine vinegar ( I used red wine vinegar here)

1/2 cup raisins

1 tablespoon water

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 400°F. Place broccoli on large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper; toss to coat. Roast broccoli until tender and brown in spots, about 25 minutes.Meanwhile, combine 3 tablespoons oil, vinegar, raisins, 1 tablespoon water, and cumin in blender. Blend until raisins are finely chopped, about 30 seconds. Season vinaigrette to taste with salt and pepper.Transfer broccoli to large bowl. Add vinaigrette and toss to coat. Serve warm or at room temperature.

*The brocollini seems almost charred/burnt, but it is soo good like that! To speed it up I roasted it for 20 minutes at 450 degrees.

So, I roasted this with Cauliflower as well and and I served the cauliflower over whole wheat pasta drizzled with olive oil, dried parsley, a bit of lemon juice, and grated Parmesan cheese (from a can not shredded)! So delicious and satisfying and healthy that I had to share and I am so sad I have missed out on roasting these foods for so long!

Broccolini Fact: It is actually a cross between broccoli and Chinese Kale