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Creative Veges 101 – Broccoli

Welcome to Creative Veges 101 where I take you on a journey of learning how to:

  • Get creative with vegetables
  • Experiment with delicious quick recipes
  • Easily get them into your meals everyday

This week is Broccoli, another vegetable from the cruciferous family.

Cruciferous vegetables are rich in:
  • Vitamin A
  • Vitamin C
  • Vitamin K
  • Fibre
They contribute to a long list of health benefits including reduced inflammation, heart health  and blood sugar regulation.
Cruciferous vegetables are unique because they possess sulfur-containing compounds, which have been shown to have cancer-fighting abilities such as:
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  • Decreasing cancer cell growth
  • Increasing cancer cell death
  • Slowing the growth-promoting effects of estrogen
Broccoli also contains indole-3-carbinol that helps break estrogen down and excrete it from the body. Unwanted estrogen in the body that is not balanced with progesterone can be the cause of many female hormonal problems including an increased risk of estrogen-driven cancers.
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Eating a couple of serves of cruciferous vegetables every day is one of your biggest protective measures against getting cancer again.
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Broccoli Tabouli
Is one of my favourite salads because it uses raw ‘riced’ broccoli. Mixed with parsley and mint, just adds more super-greens to this nutritious dish. The flavours will not disappoint as you experience the zing of the mint, the sweetness of the goji berries and the richness of the pistachios and pumpkin seeds. You MUST try this!
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Broccoli Mash
Is mash with a healthy fat twist. Don’t get bored with mash, experiment with different vegetables and combinations. Mash is such a comfort food I love them all! You may need to add a little liquid if you can’t get a good consistency going or you are using a stick blender or food processor.
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Coconut Curry Broccoli Soup
Anything with coconut milk is dreamy and definitely an occasional treat rather than a weekly affair. I have gone back to cooking with either minimal oil or no oil, and just cook with water. With this recipe, no-one will be the wiser if you just put all the ingredients (except coconut milk) in a saucepan, add about 1/4 cup of water, put the lid on and cook slowly over low heat. Once all the vegetables are cooked, add the coconut milk and blend with a stick blender or food processor.
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Roasted Broccoli
Is worth doing once. You never know – it just may tempt the most unlikely broccoli hater into conceding the green ‘stuff’ isn’t too bad after all (this was the case with one of my boys). I don’t even bother with the oil, just place the florets on a baking tray lined with baking paper, sprinkle with Herbamere and bake.
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NOTE: If you have an underactive thyroid or iodine deficiency, cooking (lightly steaming) cruciferous vegetables lessens their goitrogenic properties.