Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Broccoli... easy to grow, good to eat, and full of benefits...

Do you like broccoli? 
We love this vegetable... it is pretty easy to grow... 
And after we harvest the main 'crown', the smaller 'crowns' keep popping up and we get to continue enjoying the vegetable...
Broccoli is rich in vitamin C, and is high on dietary fiber...
Broccoli also contains multiple nutrients that have potential anti-cancer properties...
Furthermore, broccoli possesses the highest levels of carotenoids among its 'cousins' in the brassica family...

Lutein is one of those carotenoid compounds found in broccoli... and this stuff is good for the eyes...

Broccoli is also an excellent source of a chemical called indole-3-carbinol... this chemical apparently helps to repair our damaged DNA cells...
Now, how to cook the veggie... boiling the broccoli supposedly reduces the benefits of the anti-cancer compounds, with reductions of of 20 to 30% after 5 minutes, 40 to 50% after 10 minutes, and 70% after 30 minutes...

As with many other vegetables, steaming is recommended so as to maximize the benefits of the potential anti-cancer compounds....

13 comments:

  1. I know only this easiest way: to steam broccoli.

    This also keep its original taste.

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  2. Yes, I love broccoli and it is a staple in my garden. Like you I am thrilled to harvest the side shoots after harvesting the main crown. Not only does home grown broccoli taste better than store bought it also requires less cooking time.

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  3. My plants have yet to mature this year but I'm at my parents place today and I've just gone out into the garden and noticed their bumper crop...guess what I'm having for dinner...

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  4. I agree steaming is so much better than boiling but I also love it tossed into the wok for a stir fry!

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  5. One of my favorite vegtables

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  6. I love broccoli! In fact I have tons of little seedlings in my conservatory at the moment. I also grow Broccoli Romanesca which looks like a mix between broccoli and cauliflower and then of course, Purple Sprouting Broccoli which matures in the winter. All very tasty and oh so good for you :)

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  7. Anonymous4/23/2012

    Broccoli is probably one of my son's favorite vegetables, and we love broccoli in my house. Maybe I should try to grow this..

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  8. I love broccoli. Thanks for reminding us of all the benefits of this tasty treat.

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  9. It is a very beneficial plant indeed. It looks like you have a nice crop there, in your garden.

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  10. Glad to know one of my favorite vegetables contains so much nutrients, I buy this every week and surprisingly quite cheap too, much prefer this than cauliflowers.

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  11. I like it but hubbys not crazy about it so I guess I won't be growing any.By the way-my garden is growing... :)

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  12. I like broccoli, and eat it almost every day. But find it a bit hard to grow. But I will try again...

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  13. I love broccoli among the brassicas. However, it is very expensive in supermarkets here. We only grow them in our highlands with subtropical temperatures, making it expensive. Oh i can have it everyday. Sometimes i only saute it a bit with soy sauce and mushroom and i am already happy. An additional thing about broccoli is its richness in phytoestrogenic properties. Estrogen is the female hormone that keeps us young, haha!

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