Broccoli Rabe with Garlic and Red Pepper Flakes

I love broccoli rabe. It has a slight bitterness that makes it stand out from other veggies. This is a pretty simple recipe that I use often. My only tip is to make sure you salt the boiling water and the cold water well. When you combine everything in the saute pan, it will probably be well seasoned, but check and adjust.

In other news, that has nothing to do with food, my little girl is about to turn 3! I keep wondering how that's even possible. I still remember bringing her home from the hospital, her first bath, how tiny she was, and her need to always be on the go. She wanted to sit up, crawl, and walk immediately. To this day, she is still always on the go, wanting to get into everything. I'm planning a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse themed party. I'm excited to start decorating the cake, although, to be honest, I'm not the world's greatest cake decorator. I actually plan to take a cake decorating class at a local college this year. It's very inexpensive and only lasts a few weeks (I think it's common, so you can probably find something similar at your local college). Anyway, stay tuned because I'll post some pictures.... unless it's a disaster, in which case, we'll just pretend I never wrote this. :)

Broccoli Rabe with Garlic and Red Pepper Flakes
Serving Size = 2

• 1 bunch of broccoli rabe, trimmed
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• Salt/Pepper
• 1 - 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1. Trim and rinse the broccoli rabe (remove the thick stem, keep the leaves and flowers) and place into boiling water (seasoned well with salt) for about 1 minute. Remove from heat and place into cold water (also seasoned with salt) with ice to cool it down. Once cool, dry well.
2. Add oil to a saute pan, along with the garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook just until fragrant, then add the broccoli rabe. Add black pepper and check seasoning. Only cook for a minute or two because the broccoli rabe is already cooked.

Linking to: Full Plate Thursday