Out of all the vegetables I offer my kids, broccoli is the most accepted. And growing up, broccoli was my favorite vegetable, still is. There’s a good reason for that. The way my mom cooked broccoli growing up is the same way I cook it for my family. Today, I’ll share the secret to the best tasting simple broccoli.

The recipe itself is quite simple, but there are a few pointers here that will make or break the taste, so read carefully.

Mom’s Garlic Steamed Broccoli

1 Tbsp of oil (canola, olive, etc.)
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 broccoli crowns, chopped so that floret is bite sized (stems can be long)
1/2 C water, plus
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Add oil to pan on medium high.
2. Once oil is hot, add minced garlic and saute until fragrant.
3. Add broccoli to pan . Stir to coat broccoli in garlic oil.
4. Add water to pan, then cover and reduce heat to medium low.  Steam until broccoli is fork tender.
5. Remove lid from pan and allow broccoli edges to darken and caramelize by not stirring often. Watch it closely! You don’t want the broccoli to burn. Once you see brown from the caramelizing on the bottom of the pan, add a bit of water and scrape the pan clean. Allow the water to cook off, then remove pan from heat.
6. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve.