Broccoli with Garlic Butter

Ingredients

2 lbs. broccoli, cut into bite-size pieces
1/3 c. butter
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 Tbs. brown sugar (more or less depending how sweet you like your sauce to be)
5 Tbs. soy sauce
4 tsp. vinegar
1/4 tsp. pepper
dash crushed red pepper

Directions

Fill a large pot with an inch of water. Add the broccoli and bring to a boil.  Cook 4 to 5 minutes, or until the broccoli is crisp tender. Drain well and cover to keep warm. You can also steam the broccoli in a basket over hot water if desired.

Melt butter in a small saucepan. Sauté garlic for a minute or two to release the flavor into the butter. Stir in brown sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, pepper, and a dash of red pepper. Bring to a boil.

Lower heat and simmer until the mixture reduces and thickens, stirring occasionally. 

Pour the sauce over the broccoli and stir to coat.

Serve over rice if desired.

Notes

If you want a thicker sauce, combine 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon cold water. Stir until smooth. When the sauce comes to a boil, gradually pour in the cornstarch mixture, whisking constantly.  Cook until thickened.

You can use frozen broccoli instead of fresh.

Depending on your taste, if you like a sweeter sauce, add more brown sugar or honey. If you like the taste of soy sauce, add more of that. As always, taste the sauce as you make it. You can always add more soy sauce or brown sugar, but it is really hard to remove those ingredients after they are added.