Broccoli is good for you in every way, and The New York Times even shows you how to grill it deliciously.

The New York Times recently published an article titled 'Ways to Make Your Roasted Broccoli Tastier'. In addition to boiling broccoli, there are many other unique ways to roast it.

Roasted cauliflower can be made into many unique variations - Photo: Christopher Testani

Boiled broccoli is delicious (as long as you don’t overcook it to the point of mushyness), says New York Times recipe developer Ali Slagle. But there’s something particularly appealing about the crisp, creamy florets and sweet, tender stems of roasted broccoli.

"Once you've mastered the basics of roasting cauliflower, all you need is oil, salt, and a high-heat oven. Dressing up and changing up your batches in these ways will keep your cauliflower from becoming a boring part of your meal.

At that point, the exclamation of "cauliflower, again?" will become a little more cheerful: "Great! Cauliflower again," says Ali Slagle.

Crispy cheese crust for cauliflower

Ali Slagle says the combination of broccoli and cheese proves that opposites attract. One thing to note when choosing cheese for this dish is that you can choose any type, but fresh cheese will be more easily cooked by the heat in the oven.

Grilled cheese with cauliflower - Photo: Nico Schinco

Roasted cauliflower pairs best with Cheddar, a cheese with a firm texture, mild flavor, and a color ranging from off-white to light orange. Grate the Cheddar into thin layers, sprinkle them over the cauliflower, and bake until the cheese turns from melted to crispy and golden brown.

Then each green broccoli will be covered with a crispy golden layer. The salty taste of the cheese combined with the fresh taste of the broccoli will make a difference.

We can eat this baked cauliflower with cheese with chicken cutlets, sausages, refried beans... or eat it directly from the baking tray by hand.

Combined with orange and lemon flavors

The flavor of orange, lemon or other fruit peels will help make cauliflower more fragrant, especially when combined at high temperatures - that is, when grilled.

Orange zest adds a sweet flavor to cauliflower, especially when combined with other savory ingredients like oyster sauce. Try this recipe for roasted cauliflower with garlic, orange, and sesame.

Roasted cauliflower then stir-fried with garlic, orange, sesame - Photo: Craig Lee

After just 15 minutes in the oven, the broccoli will be crispy and browned on the edges with tender stems. Sauté the roasted cauliflower with sliced ​​garlic in olive oil until sweet and nutty, add oyster sauce, a little sesame seeds and a few slices of orange for an extra burst of flavor.

There is also a recipe for roasted cauliflower with lemon. Grate the skin and squeeze some lemon juice over the roasted cauliflower, add a pinch of crushed red pepper for an attractive vegetable dish.

Eat with butter and lemon juice

You can also combine the crunch of roasted cauliflower with the richness of miso butter and a little sourness from lemon juice. This dish is great with grilled salmon, chicken or to add flavor to leftovers, quick dishes.

Grilled broccoli with butter and lemon juice - Photo: Bobbi Lin

Once the butter is soft enough, mash it up and spread it over the broccoli. As it bakes, the butter will melt, mix with the lemon juice, and quickly soak into the juicy, green broccoli.

Grilled with bacon

According to expert Ali Slagle, the charred edges of the cauliflower can be the best part because they are super crunchy. You can double that crunch by adding bacon.

The bacon gives it a rich, crunchy flavor, and the broccoli is also crunchy but releases a little more juice from the vegetable, soaking into the meat.

Bacon adds crunch to roasted broccoli - Photo: Christopher Testani

The recipe for "Roasted Cauliflower with Bacon" instructs to roast the cauliflower and bacon at high heat to brown the edges nicely and render the fat from the meat just enough. Finally, add a little vinegar and garlic to make the dish more fragrant.

Add seeds

A unique combination suggested by The New York Times is to sprinkle seeds on top of the cauliflower for an extra rich, nutty flavor. The simplest version is to sprinkle some sesame seeds directly on top.

But that's not all, we can try the recipe for "broccoli salad with peanuts and tahini-lemon dressing".

The eye-catching green of a broccoli salad with peanuts and tahini-lemon dressing - Photo: Bryan Gardner

While many broccoli salads are made with mayonnaise, this one is inspired by the bright flavors of Thai cuisine and uses sesame oil, lime juice, peanuts, green onions, and a dash of hot sauce to give it a spicy kick when paired with roasted broccoli. The salad can be garnished with fresh basil.

This recipe adds richness to the dish thanks to the combination of nutty peanuts, crunchy roasted cauliflower and rich dressing. This salad is best eaten the same day.

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