How to make tasty broccoli that you will love

Recently I was discussing broccoli with a friend. She mentioned that she had hated broccoli as a kid, but now as a grown-up, she learned to eat it. But she still wasn't in love with it. I exclaimed: But how can you not love it? She then answered that it was its watery, slimy taste that she didn't like.

Then I understood. Yes, even I'm not partial to broccoli when it’s simply boiled. It loses its taste and crunchiness. So here’s a sure-fire way to cook and enjoy broccoli.

1^st step: Wash the broccoli. If you buy super fresh broccoli, there might be little critters in it. So soaking the entire head of broccoli in water with vinegar is the best way to go.

2^nd step: Cut the broccoli in little florets, or ‘trees’ as I once explained to a little kid. I keep the stem and chop it also because I don’t like food going to waste.

3^rd step: Cook the broccoli by vapor. If you don’t have one of these, you might want to invest in one. They’re cheap and cooking vegetables this way is the best way to conserve their vitamins. And plus, they keep their crunchiness, different from boiling them.

What you do is you place a little water in a pot, place this metal collector on top with the broccoli inside, cover with a lid and boil the water. The water vapor will rise and cook the broccoli without immerging the broccoli in water.

The broccoli will be done when it’s dark green and soft.

4th step:  Sauté the broccolis with your favorite condiments! I like heating olive oil in a skillet and adding chopped garlic. In the picture, I added grated ginger root to give an extra flavor. You can also experiment with herbes de provence, chopped onion & soy sauce, tomato sauce, etc.

Chopped garlic and ginger

Note: It is possible to skip step 3 and directly sauté the broccoli. It will take longer, the broccoli will be crispier, and it will need more oil. The extra heat also takes away some of the precious vitamins. In the end, the florets may be more to your taste but it’s generally a less healthy option. I recommend doing the main cooking by vapor instead of frying.

All done! Now here are some quick facts about broccoli and why I love them so much:

-It has lots of iron, like other dark-green vegetables.

-It also has important quantities of beta-carotene.

-It’s high in Vitamin C

All in all, broccoli is a cheap super food. Enjoy!

Super foods! Today, Brussel sprouts. Small, but powerful!

Welcome to Super foods, a list made of extra special and nutrient-packed foods. Today, Brussel Sprouts, a dark leafy vegetable rich in vitamins.

Brussel sprouts are thought to have originated in Belgium (no surprise there) or near the Medieterranean. Records show that it's been cultivated since the Roman times, and the variety we eat today probably date from the 13th century. What's for sure is that it's one of the oldest foods in the Old World. 

So, what's so special about Brussel Sprouts? Brussel sprouts is on my list because it helps get rid of the bad type of colesterol, protects against cancer since it contains sulforaphane, and it's filled with 

vitamins C and K. 

Studies from Cancer Prevention Research show that there's a connection in between protection against cancer and sulforaphane. Another food that contains sulforaphane is broccolis.

This is what you get in 100 grams of Brussel Sprouts:

3,38 grams of protein 6% of RDA

3,8 grams of fibre, 10% of RDA

85 mg of vitamin C, 142% of RDA

177 µg of vitamin K, 147% RDA

389 mg of potássio,  8% RDA

1,40 mg of iron, 7,8% RDA (woman) and 14% RDA (men)

Since Brussel Sprouts are rich in sulfur and that makes them indigestible, it's better to cook them in 2 waters. Place them in boiling water for 3 minutes, drain, and then cook them again for 20 minutes in boiling water with salt. Now you can eat them like this, or make them into purées, or add sauce to them.

Enjoy!