Cooking with cruciferous!

Cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, Chinese cabbage, kohlrabi, spring greens, kale, mustard greens, arugula, and more are all from the group of plants known as cruciferous / brassica or ‘cole crops’, grown in the cool season! All these vegetables, most of them related to cabbage, are referred to as minor vegetables though they are in fact loaded with vitamins A, C, and B6 as well as folic acid and fiber. They're also filled with antioxidants which help your body fight the bad stuff.

Choose your own favorite cruciferous veggies and let them be your ‘go to’ veggies at least three times a week. The bonus is they are easy to prepare and low in calories! Try these tips to take cruciferous vegetables from dull to delicious!

1. Roast Your Cruciferous Vegetables! Roasting vegetables like broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower unlocks their flavor and delivers a crispy outer texture you will begin to crave. To roast, just wash and cut your vegetables into bite-sized pieces, drizzle with olive or avocado oil, and add a pinch of salt and pepper. Simply pop them on a baking sheet in single layer and roast at 425°F for 15-20 minutes or until tender and lightly brown. Delicious!

2. Spice Them Up! A great flavor agent like a herb or spice can easily take the flavor of your vegetables up more than a notch! Whether roasting, grilling, sautéing, or steaming, sprinkle on some turmeric, black pepper, rosemary, red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, or garlic to your vegetables to take their flavor from bland to bright. And as an extra health bonus: herbs and spices deliver helpful phytonutrients, too!

3. Get Saucy! There’s nothing like a great sauce to kick up the deliciousness of your vegetables! To cook or raw cruciferous vegetables, drizzle on your favorite homemade stir-fry sauce, add on an aromatic aioli, or lightly layer with your favorite hot sauce. Or, on raw leafy cruciferous vegetables like Bok choy, collard greens, cabbage, or kale, add a citrus juice (like lime juice or lemon juice) to add some flavor and zip!

4. Add Cruciferous Vegetables to Your Favorite Soup! Add your vegetables to the foods that you already love, like soup! Mix in chopped broccoli into your favorite lentil soup, add in chopped cauliflower to your favorite chili, or blend in some ribbons of kale or cabbage to your next vegetable or bean soup.

Try our favourite supper recipe!

Cauliflower & Broccoli Stir Fry

Ingredients:

• 1 head of cauliflower

• 1 bunch of broccoli

• 1 Red Pepper

• 8oz of mushrooms

• 1 medium onion

• 1 orange (juice & zest)

• 3 garlic cloves (minced)

• ½ inch of ginger(minced)

• 2 tsp Chinese ‘5’ Spice Blend

• 3 Tbsp of Tamari (soy sauce)

• 2 Tbsp honey (agave or maple syrup)

• 2 Tbsp neutral oil

• 1 tsp sesame oil

• optional: sesame seeds

Instructions:

1. Start out by prepping the vegetables. Cut broccoli and cauliflower in small florets, set aside to blanch. Slice pepper and onions in long strips and quarter the mushrooms.

2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and blanch cauliflower and broccoli till almost tender. Immediately transfer to a bowl with ice water.

3. In a large skillet or wok heat oil over medium heat and sauté onions for 3 minutes, add the peppers, minced garlic, ginger and Chinese ‘5’ Spice. Continue to cook for 3 minutes.

4. Turn heat to medium high and add the remaining ingredients except broccoli and cauliflower. Once the liquid starts to thicken, around 5 minutes, add the remaining vegetables and mix all together. Garnish with sesame seeds and enjoy.

This is our favourite snack for dipping!

Broccoli Cauliflower Cheese Sticks

Ingredients:

• 3 cups chopped broccoli florets

• 1 cauliflower head or 5 cups chopped cauliflower

• 1 large egg

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1 tablespoon flour

• 1 1/2 teaspoons Mediterranean seasoning

• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

Instructions:

1. Boil cauliflower and broccoli in a pot of water for 5 minutes. Remove and drain well on kitchen paper.

2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

3. Place in a blender with the egg, salt, flour, Med Seasoning and 1 cup of cheese. Pulse until well blended. Pour into a shallow 10.5 by 7 baking pan lined with parchment paper.

4. Bake for 20 minutes and then remove it. Top with the rest of the cheese and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Then grill for 2 minutes. Allow it to cool before slicing and serve with marinara.

5. Season with more salt after cooking if needed