Broccoli is one of the healthiest vegetables, but it is not very common in Russia. Maybe because its price is much higher than that of ordinary white cabbage, or not everyone knows how to cook it correctly and tasty.
Benefits of broccoli cabbage
This emerald green cabbage resembles cauliflower in appearance. It also consists of inflorescences tightly pressed against each other. Broccoli contains vitamins A, B, C and E, trace elements and, most importantly, vegetable protein and essential amino acids. Of the mineral compounds in it, you can find iron, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, sodium, copper, magnesium, chromium boron and iodine. In addition to them, it contains folic acid, choline, methionine and riboflavin.
The fiber contained in this cabbage has a beneficial effect on intestinal motility, its regular use is a good prevention of atherosclerosis. It also contains the substances sulforaphane and myrosinases, which have both anti-inflammatory and antitumor effects. Therefore, the use of broccoli is also the prevention of cancer. It is clear that it is very important during heat treatment, and it is necessary for the better digestibility of this product, to preserve all the benefits of this wonderful cabbage.
How to cook broccoli cabbage properly
In order to preserve in the maximum amount such substances necessary for the body, it does not take long to cook cabbage. When cooking broccoli, you need to follow the basic principle of cooking vegetables - do not overcook the product.
In a double boiler, broccoli cabbage disassembled into inflorescences should be cooked for no more than 8 minutes.
Before cooking, this cabbage should be washed well and then disassembled into inflorescences. To do this, boil in a small saucepan and add a little salt to the water, then dip the inflorescences in boiling water. How much to cook them depends on the size of the inflorescences. If they are of different sizes, so that the inflorescences are boiled evenly, large ones can be cut in half. As a rule, broccoli should not be boiled for more than five minutes. It is worth noting that nutritionists do not recommend boiling broccoli for a long time, since heat treatment takes away anti-carcinogenic properties from this cabbage. After boiling, the broccoli should become a little softer, but at the same time it should not turn into a "smudge".
You can make a delicious puree soup from broccoli by boiling its inflorescences in a ready-made vegetable broth, and then chopping them in a blender until puree.
After boiling, the cabbage can be immediately placed in a bowl of very cold water. This will stop the cooking process of the vegetable and give it a delicious crunchy texture.
Boiled broccoli can be used in salads or as a side dish for meat or fish dishes. To enhance its beneficial properties, you can add a little ready-made mustard, a teaspoon of lemon juice, honey and olive oil to the salad dressing. Combine these dressing ingredients and pour over salad or simply boiled broccoli florets.
