Health benefits of broccoli

Spinach has a reputation as a superfood, courtesy of Popeye, but really that title should belong to the humble broccoli. Often overlooked, it has in fact got an amazing blend of vitamins and minerals.

Vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene, and vitamin C, are both present in broccoli. Both these vitamins are essential for health, and it is also believed that they may help in reducing the risk of various illnesses such as heart disease and some types of cancer.

Broccoli is also a great source of folic acid, which helps prevent anemia and is also important for the development of healthy embryos for pregnant women.

There are also two minerals contained in broccoli - calcium and potassium.  Calcium is important for strong teeth and bones, and although broccoli doesn't contain as much as dairy products such as milk, it can be a useful source of calcium for anyone on a dairy-free diet. Potassium is useful for those who are trying to lower their blood pressure.

Finally, broccoli is rich in both soluble and non soluble fibre, both of which are important for the health of the gastrointestinal tract.

So now you're convinced how healthy broccoli is, you need some recipes to try! Here are just a few ideas for cooking this versatile and delicious vegetable.

As a side dish, you can boil, steam or stir fry broccoli very easily, but why not try a few of these other ideas for a change?

Broccoli in cheese sauce (gratin)

This is a very simple idea, similar to cauliflower cheese. Cook your broccoli lightly, so that it is not completely soft. In a separate pan, make cheese sauce in the normal way. Put the broccoli into an ovenproof dish, coat it with the cheese sauce, and top with breadcrumbs and grated cheese. Cook in the oven for about 15 minutes, or under the grill to brown the top.

You can also do this with a mixture of cauliflower and broccoli, which is really tasty.

Tuna and broccoli pasta

This is a huge favourite in this house, and I often cook it when we need a quick supper dish. Sorry the quantities are a bit vague, but that's because I don't weigh the ingredients usually, just throw it together!

Cook around 300g dried pasta in the usual way. Meanwhile, cut about half a head of broccoli into small florets, and add it to the pasta pan for the last 5 minutes of the cooking time.

In a small frying pan, heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Add a few handfuls of breadcrumbs and cook on a lowish heat to toast. Add a flaked tin of tuna into the breadcrumbs, with a few chopped anchovies if you like then, and a pinch of chilli flakes (optional).

When the pasta and broccoli are cooked, drain them and then stir in the tuna mixture, and serve immediately.

For another recipe with broccoli, see my other hub here http://hubpages.com/hub/Easy-one-pot-chicken-and-chickpeas