A bouquet of broccoli for your Valentine

Cinzia Cuneo 12 febbraio, 2010 San Valentino, verdure

We all know that vegetables are good for our health, but did you know that broccoli is extremely effective in reducing the risk of heart diseases? That’s why I suggest that you include this vegetable in your Valentine’s Day menu, by offering it to the one whose heart beats for you!

In fact, all the vegetables in the cruciferous family (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Chinese cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kale, broccoli rabe, etc…) contain excellent properties for preventing diseases. As for broccoli, it is available all year round, is inexpensive, can be preserved and adds colour to your food.

When you are buying broccoli, look for firm stalks and a compact head; if the head contains any yellow flowers, this means that it’s not fresh and it will most probably have a bitter taste. You can also eat the stalks, after having pared them. Make sure that you don’t overcook broccoli, as it will become pasty and unappetizing; overcooking also kills its taste as well as its nutrients.

So, Happy Valentines Day!

A few of our recipes that feature broccoli:

• Buttered Broccoli Purée
• Ligurian Broccoli Soup
• Pasta with Broccoli and Ham
• Sesame Beef and Broccoli

Originally published in the Journal de Montréal on February 14, 2009.

Autori

Cinzia Cuneo

Italiana di nascita e canadese d'adozione, Cinzia ha deciso di coniugare le sue competenze professionali e la sua passione per la buona tavola sviluppando un servizio per aiutare i numerosi «aventi bisogno» a riprendere il controllo della loro alimentazione. Così è nata SOSCuisine. Ingegnere di formazione al Politecnico di Torino, Cinzia ha conseguito un Master's Degree in scienze applicate all'École Polytechnique de Montréal.