Broccoli, a super food!

Broccoli, the big cleaner

Experts consider broccoli one of the most beneficial vegetables. It contains generous amounts of vitamins and minerals. Its outstanding quality is its combination of vitamins, minerals, flavonoids and carotenoids that helps to eradicate toxins. Our body gets rid of toxins during a two-step process. Broccoli supports both of these steps through three different glucosinolates. It is the only vegetable, which offers these im­portant phytonutrients in this combination and concentration.

The support of broccoli’s nutrients for oxygen metabolism makes this vegetable equally helpful in lowering the risk of chronic inflammation and cancer. Broccoli also has an unusually strong combination of both vitamin A (in the form of beta-carotene) and vitamin K. For people with a lack of vitamin D broccoli is a food they should eat as often as possible. It is also a particularly rich source of a flavonoid called kaempferol that fights cancer cells.

Broccoli Asian Style

Both my men need some persuading to eat their cruciferous vegetables. Especially my husband wrinkles his nose in disgust when he detects a hint of sulphuric odour. Occasionally I insist that they eat their way through some kind of cabbage.
My son is happy with steamed broccoli, doused in soya sauce, but my husband needs a bit more convincing. The Asian flavours of this stir-fried dish mask the scent of the cabbage family sufficiently enough for him. This recipe combines green broccoli with vibrant red bell pepper tossed together with ginger, spring onions, garlic, sesame oil and soya sauce.
I don’t mind just stir-frying the broccoli for around two minutes or so. That leaves the little florets crunchy in the middle. If you have a nagging husband like me, you might want to steam the broccoli two minutes before stir-frying. That makes it a lot softer without damaging the vitamins too much.
Wishing you happy cooking, always!

Stir-fried broccoli, Asian style

Ingredients:

(for 4 servings)

• 2 cups broccoli (one big or two smaller heads)
• 1 big red bell pepper
• 6 spring onions
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 tbsp minced ginger
• ½ tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• Salt
• Pepper

Method:

Clean and wash the spring onions. Chop them as you like. Peel the garlic cloves and mince them. Wash the bell pepper and the broccoli. Cut the bell pepper into cubes or slices and divide the broccoli into small florets. If you want to steam your broccoli to soften it, do this now. Clean the ginger root and mince it. About one inch (2.5 cm) of ginger will give you one tablespoon.

Place all your ingredients into easy reach before you start stir-frying. Heat the olive oil in a wok. Add the onions, the ginger and the garlic and stir them until the onions have softened and turned a bit translucent.

Add the bell pepper, the soy sauce and the sesame oil and combine well. Finally add the broccoli and fry for another two minutes or so.

If you want some zing in this dish, add some chopped fresh chillies in the beginning. Add salt and pepper before serving according to your taste.
Tip:
The healthy components of garlic and onions need oxygen to become heat and acid resistant. Experts recommend cleaning, chopping or crushing garlic and onions about 15 minutes before use. By doing this, you get the maximum benefits of the anti-cancer agents in garlic and onions.