Take a fresh look at this super food
Cut & clean
Place broccoli in a colander and rinse thoroughly under cool running water. Unless stalks are especially tender, cut off the thick base and peel them. Cut heads into florets.
Skip the heat
Raw broccoli is great tossed in salads or in veggie platters with dips.
Power food
Broccoli is an excellent source of vitamins C and A, and a good source of folic acid.
For your next salad...
Blanch broccoli in boiling water for two minutes, then drain and rinse immediately with cold water to capture the color and develop great flavor.
Varieties
Only one type of broccoli is generally found in markets, but a few close relatives of this vegetable are also available. Broccoli rabe has thinner stalks and is leafier, with smaller bunches of buds. It has a stronger, more bitter flavor, and all of the plant, including its leaves, is edible. Broccolini is a new vegetable that looks just like regular broccoli except that the stalks are delicate, with thin stems; the flower buds are also smaller.
Broccoli is available frozen and is sometimes included in frozen vegetable mixes.
Preparation, uses, and tips
Broccoli can be eaten raw or cooked. Place it in a colander and rinse it thoroughly before preparing. Unless the stalks are especially tender, cut off the thick base of the stalks and peel them. Cut the head into florets. Raw broccoli can be used for crudités served with dips, or can be added to salads. When adding broccoli to cold grain salads, blanch it first by boiling for just two minutes. Then drain and rinse immediately with cold water. This brightens the color of the broccoli and develops the flavor.
To cook broccoli, first cut into bite-sized pieces.
To boil
Boil broccoli in lightly salted water until just tender crisp, about four minutes.
To steam
Steam pieces about five minutes and whole stalks of broccoli for about ten minutes, until tender-crisp.
To sauté
Sauté in olive oil with garlic and herbs until tender-crisp, about ten minutes. Sautéed broccoli can be tossed with cooked pasta and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.
To microwave
Cook on High for five minutes; then let stand for three minutes before serving.
Flavors that go well with broccoli are basil, caraway seed, curry powder, dill, fresh lemon juice, herb-infused vinegar, marjoram, oregano, tarragon, and thyme.
Nutritional Highlights
Broccoli (raw), 1 cup (133g)
Calories: 25
Protein: 2.6g
Carbohydrate: 4.6g
Total Fat: 0.31g
Fiber: 2.6g
*Excellent source of: Vitamin C (82mg), and Vitamin A (1,357 IU)
*Good source of: Folate (62.5mcg)
*Foods that are an “excellent source” of a particular nutrient provide 20% or more of the Recommended Daily Value. Foods that are a “good source” of a particular nutrient provide between 10 and 20% of the Recommended Daily Value.
Copyright 2007, Healthnotes, Inc., 1505 S.E. Gideon St., Suite 200, Portland, Oregon 97202, www.Healthnotes.com.
2006-09-07
