Cooked or Raw?
There are books that praise raw foods and even warn people against cooking vegetables. However, the latest research shows that many of the antioxidants in vegetables are used better by the body if you cook the vegetables first. This rule applies to the lycopene in tomatoes – an important antioxidant that reduces the risk of prostate cancer. It also applies to the antioxidants in carrots and in broccoli.
But how do you make a vegetable like broccoli taste good? try broccolini, a sweet tasting hybrid of broccoli and curly kale steam or microwave either broccoli or broccolini – that keeps the vitamins in as well as making the antioxidants available to the body stir fry either broccoli or broccolini in a little bit of olive oil with some onion, garlic, perhaps some chicken and some toasted sesame seeds try Rosemary’s recipes for a delicious broccoli frittata or a quick and easy broccoli soup
Broccoli frittata
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, sliced
- 500g broccoli pieces
- 6 eggs
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup cheese, grated
Method
Heat olive oil in a frying pan, then add onion and broccoli. Cover with a lid and let the broccoli sweat for about five minutes, stirring a couple of times. Beat eggs with water, and pour over the broccoli. Cook over a low heat for about 5 minutes, lifting up the edges so the uncooked egg mixture can run to the bottom of the pan. When it’s almost set, sprinkle the top with grated cheese, and place the pan under the griller so that the cheese melts. Cut the frittata into wedges and serve hot, cold with salad, or sandwiched in a slab of Turkish bread.
Broccoli soup
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 800g broccoli
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups milk (low-fat milk is suitable)
- freshly ground black pepper
- natural yoghurt
Method
Place olive oil in a saucepan and add onion and garlic. Cook over gentle heat for about 3 minutes, but don’t let the onion brown. Add the broccoli and chicken stock. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for about ten minutes. Puree the soup, adding milk and black pepper. Reheat and serve with a dollop of natural yoghurt.