More Ways To Make Broccoli Tastier

4. Cook broccoli when family members with sensitive noses are out of the house, and then heat and serve when they return

Not everyone can smell the distinctly sulfurous odor of cooked broccoli and other vegetables in the cabbage family, but some people have genes that make them "super sniffers" of sulfurous smells. If members of your household like the taste of broccoli, but can't stand the smell, cook it when they aren't at home, or serve broccoli raw or in salads.

5. Soak broccoli in salt water before using it in stir fries

Brining broccoli, the same way you might brine poultry or pork, allows it to come out more tender when it is stir fried.

Make the brine with a tablespoon (15 grams) of table salt in a quart (a liter) of water, soak for at least 2 but not more than 4 hours.

6. Add a little lemon juice to cooked broccoli

Fresh broccoli contains about 4 grams of natural sugar per serving. Those sugars are easier to taste if they are contrasted to a sour taste, just a little lemon juice added to the broccoli just before serving, or a bitter taste, such as cheese sauce.

7. Hide broccoli in lasagna

Add thin slices of tender steamed broccoli (it's important to cook it first) to layers of lasagna. You can also do this with zucchini, carrots, yellow squash, tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms, and asparagus, all of which should be cooked to tenderness before layering with the lasagne. 

8. Hide broccoli in tomato sauce

The tomato sauce you use for pizza or spaghetti is a great place to add chopped vegetables such as broccoli or carrots. It is important, however, to chop them fine enough that they are not visible in the sauce, and as in other methods for hiding vegetables in cooked food, broccoli should be cooked to tenderness before it is chopped or sent through a food processor to be added to the sauce.

9. Don't be afraid to "overcook" broccoli if family members complain it tastes bitter

Some people carry genes that give them ability to taste a substance known as PROP (), a bitter component of broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and cilantro. The longer you cook these vegetables, the less PROP they contain.

Don't use them in stir  fries if bitter taste is a problem. You can't fry them long enough to break down the PROP.

See Also: Maitake Mushrooms: A Real Culinary Treat

10. Pan roast broccoli to emphasize its sweet flavor

Even broccoli haters warm up to the vegetable when it is roasted on low heat in a plastic bag or parchment paper, preferably on the lowest possible setting for at least an hour. Pan roasting broccoli caramelizes its sugars so that they stick to the tongue. Heat a sautee pan with 2 tablespoons and add broccoli florets in a single layer, cut side down. Cook the florets over moderate heat until they are dark brown but not burnt on the bottom, about 8 minutes. Then add water to cover the bottom of the pah and cover, cooking over low heat until the water has evaporated, about 4 minutes. Add another tablespoon of olive oil and slice garlic cloves to taste, and sautee until the garlic is golden brown. Add salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste, drizzle with a little lemon juice, and serve.