Thursday, August 2, 2012

Broccoli Crunch

Fast dinners that satisfy with little prep require a quick chop and mix.  Tonight was one of those nights.  With lots of broccoli to use up and I wanted something with some crunch, I decided to make a quick broccoli salad.

Traditional broccoli salads usually are made with raw broccoli and lots of mayo and bacon.  I like my broccoli to be bright green and some of the rawness taken out so I steamed it for just a minute to get it bright green then I took it out of the steamer and rinsed it with cold water.  You could blanch it if you want, but I didn't want to wait for a full pot of water to boil, so I steamed it.  I believe it makes it a prettier salad.

This salad keeps well for a few days in the fridge so make up a big batch and pull it out to have a quick snack, lunch or with dinner as a side.

Broccoli Crunch

1 lb Broccoli
1/4 Cup Red Onion, Sliced
1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese, Shredded
1/4 Cup Cilantro, Chopped
Sunflower Seeds or Nuts (Optional)

Dressing
2 Tbsp Mayo or Veganise
1 Garlic Clove, Minced
2 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
1 tsp Truvia
1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Himalayan Pink Sea Salt (to taste)
Black Pepper (to Taste)

Cut broccoli into florets.  Steam in steam basket just until they turn bright green, then remove and cool down.

Prepare dressing and toss with broccoli and remaining ingredients.

There are many nutritional benefits of broccoli. Broccoli is nutrient dense and it's low in calories, one cup is only 45 calories. Broccoli contains Vitamins C, K, A, B6, B2, E, B1, B3, B5, Folate, Manganese, Fiber, Tryptohphan, Potassium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Protein, Omega 3 fatty acids, Iron, Calcium, and Zinc.

Broccoli is high in fiber, which helps maintain a healthy gastrointestinal (GI) tract. It also helps in the reduction of cholesterol levels in the blood a great addition to broccoli nutrition.

So chop it up...and eat your Broccoli!

Stormy