Green Options

One of the biggest challenges to getting people to eat healthier, especially kids, is the perception that the food’s just not going to be as tasty as fast food that’s loaded with sodium, bad fats, cholesterol and refined products.

The key is to make the food taste absolutely fantastic.  Try this recipe for broccoli, for example.

Mom always said, “Eat your broccoli. It’s good for you.”  Now I’m a mom, and I’m a broccoli-pusher too. 

It’s not just lip service; broccoli and its cruciferous cousins really are good for you. It’s already been demonstrated that vegetables like broccoli, cabbage and kale, when chewed and digested, release chemical compounds that may inhibit the growth of breast cancer and prostate cancer cells.  These same chemicals (diindolylmethane, or DIM) may help to boost immune systems as well.

Cancer research now indicates that compounds extracted from cruciferous greens, when combined with selenium, form a drug that may be safer and more effective than traditional therapy in targeting melanoma, the most severe form of skin cancer.

Broccoli and cauliflower are the same plant. The different varieties are called cultivars. The plants have been selectively cultivated to enhance certain characteristics not unlike breeds of dogs, for example. All dogs, be they Chihuahua or St. Bernard are the same species.

The plant, Brassica oleracea, can be found in such cultivars as white, orange, yellow and purple cauliflower, the beautiful, green Romanesco cauliflower, broccoli, and the cross-variety of brocciflower. These varieties often available at farmers markets in the U.S. are just being introduced into the market in the U.K.

As with other members of the cruciferous vegetables (kale, cabbage, mustard greens), cauliflowers and broccoli are nutrient-dense. The colored varieties have been shown to be higher in some nutrients, their color is a good indication of the nutrient content. Gold cauliflower is higher in beta-carotene and the purple variety is higher in the same anthocyanins that make blueberries and red cabbage healthy. (Recipe for Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad after the jump).

Summer Vegetable Risotto
Use this recipe as a model for many of your favorite seasonal vegetables, so long as those on the sturdy side (bell peppers, artichoke hearts, broccoli, beets) are precooked until not quite tender, either by blanching, steaming, or roasting. As a general rule, for every cup of rice, you will need about 3 cups of simmering broth.

Cooking time: The total cooking time from the first addition of liquid

[...]