Cruciferous Recipes Continued
As I said in my first cruciferous post, which can be found here, I try to eat some of this ‘superfood’ everyday, because it contains so many nutrients, including high levels of vitamins A (good for eyes, skin, & bone health), K (good for bone & blood health), & C (a powerful antioxidant), and has anti-inflammatory & anti-cancer properties, as well as lots of protien, fiber - all with a low calorie content. Common cruciferous veggies are: Broccoli, Cauliflower, Kale, Spinach, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Arugula, Mustard Greens, Watercress & Bok Choy.
Eating nutrient-dense food gives us good, clean, stable energy for the day (ie. no sugar spikes and drops), allowing us to think more clearly, deepen concentration, stabilize our mood & metabolism, and keep our digestion functioning optimally. It is no surprise that cruciferous vegetables are included in many weight loss diet programs.
I love eating yummy food, so please don’t think that ‘healthy’ means ‘not yummy’!
When teaching my clients about how to feel better in their bodies, I focus on things that are do-able on a daily basis. Simple exercises to improve core strength, balance, functional movement, joint health, flexibility, and mindfulness are all things that can be done at home, with frequency, in a short period of time, and can help us feel better immediately. Likewise, I try to share recipes that are not complicated, don’t require any special equipment or hard to find ingredients, and that are nutritious & delicious together. Making small, achievable steps towards developing and sustaining healthly habits can produce profound long-term results.
Kale Minestrone
This takes a little more than an hour, chopping included, and makes quite a big pot of soup - approx. 8 servings
Ingredients:
Your favourite Oil for cooking
3 cloves garlic - minced
*with all of these vegetables, chop off the ends and cut into approx 1 inch pieces
*really, you can use whatever veggies you have on hand. Potatoes and leeks are a common addition.
2 onions
3 ribs celery
1 large carrot
1 medium zuchini
large handful of Green beans
8 large kale leaves – center vein taken out, coarsely chopped up
1 cup each of white beans (canellini or navy) and kidney beans, or 2 cups of either type of bean, for simplicity
Large tin of whole tomatoes (approx 2 cups) – coarsely chop the tomatoes
Pasta – tiny macaroni or ditalini (very small tubes) 1/2 cup dry
Approx. 2 cups veggie or miso broth
1tsp each oregano and thyme
S & P
The Process:
Chop the onions first and get them started in your soup pot. Cook them in a bit of oil on low heat for up to 30 minutes, slowly carmelizing them to bring out more flavor. They may brown a bit, but be careful not to burn them. While they are carmelizing you can chop everything else up.
Add garlic, carrots and celery, and saute for about 5-10 minutes, adding a bit of veggie/miso broth if they are sticking to the pot.
Add the zuchini, Green beans, & herbs, and saute for 5-10 minutes more to blend flavors.
Add the pasta, white & red beans, chopped tomatoes, and the rest of the broth. Bring to a boil, and then turn down and simmer at a low heat for approx 15 -20 minutes. Add more broth as you like - the pasta can suck up some of the liquid. Just make sure the extra broth gets some simmering time in to blend the flavors.
Finally, add the kale and cook for another 5 minutes.
Creamy Cruciferous Casserole
I try to keep my dairy intake low, but this recipe totally breaks that rule. It is, however, jam packed full of nutrient rich cruciferous vegetables, and has such a rich, comfort food taste (like really yummy mac‘n’ cheese) that people who normally don’t love brussel sprouts, loved this.
This takes about 1 1/2 hours from start to finish, and makes 1 9x13 dish - approx 8 servings.
Ingredients:
2 onions, chopped into approx 1 inch pieces
30 small-med size brussels sprouts, chopping off the end and peeling away the outer and any discolored leaved, then sliced reasonably thinly
1 head each of brocoli and cauliflower, roughly chopped into approx 2 inch pieces
3 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1 cup of whole milk or cream – a little bit heated
1 cup grated cheese – parmessan, provelone, gouda, any of your favouritte type of hard cheese
1 cup breadcrumbs or panko
Your favorite cooking oil
S & P
The Process:
Slowly carmelize the onions on the stovetop on low heat approx 30 minutes. You can get this started while you chop everything else up.
I recommend roasting the broc and cauli in some olive oil and S&P in the oven at 400 for 15 minutes.
The brussels sprouts could be either roasted (for less time – 10 minutes max) or sauteed with the onions depending on time and oven space. I sauteed mine with the onions, but I do love the flavor of roasted brussels – I just didn’t have room in the oven, and I was tight for time.
Meanwhile, make the cream sauce. Melt the butter in a small pot, sprinkle in the flour and whisk until it is all blended. Heat the milk or cream a little bit before adding it to the pot and whisk everything together. Bring to a low simmer, so there are tiny bubbles, but nothing burns. Let it simmer for 5-10 minutes, then take off the heat and add 1/3 cup of the grated cheese and stir in to combine well.
Put all of the veggies in a casserole dish (9x13ish). Pour the cream sauce in. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese overtop and cover with breadcrumbs. Cook for 30-40 minutes, until the top is brown and it’s bubbling inside. Let it sit for at least 10 minutes before serving, for everything to settle.
Veggie Pizza
*Just before going into the oven for the final step: the veggies are already roasted and the crust has had a short pre-bake.
I have not made a lot of my own pizza dough, and I was making this for others, so I was pretty tame and used 100% whole wheat flour. Next time I will be more adventurous and try quinoa, sweet potato, or cauliflower crusts.
Personally, I think almost any veggie works on pizza, as long as it can be roasted beforehand. I love the rich flavor of roasted vegetables, and it also helps reduce the veggies so there is less moisture (for less soggy pizza).
This takes about 2 hours from start to finish, and less if you are using a pre-made crust - and makes 2 big pizzas. You can freeze half the dough once it’s finished rising, and half the amount of veggies if you just want 1 big pizza.
Ingredients
The Crust
2 ½ cups whole wheat flour – plus extra, for the process
1 small packet dry active yeast (approx 1.5 tsp)
¼ tsp salt
1 cup warm water
1 tbsp olive oil
pinch of sugar
cornmeal – a few pinches
Veggies: all sliced thin
2 Red onions
15 Mushrooms
2 Red peppers
15 Brussels Sprouts (chop off the stem and remove the outer and any discolored leaves – then slice thin
Arugula - 1 big bag – washed, dried, and not sliced, just natural
Tomato puree - I just used 1 small can (approx 1 cup) of plain tomato puree for 2 pizzas, but feel free to get fancy
Olive Oil
S&P
Optional: grated cheese and any other topping that sounds interesting
The Process:
I recommend starting the crust, and then while it sits, do the veggies.
Veggies
Roast all the veggies, except arugula, in the oven at approx 400, mixed with a little bit of olive oil and S & P.
Roast veggies separately, as each takes slightly its own time – somewhere between 10-15 minutes.
When they are done (for me ‘done’ means a little browned, and softened), put each veggie in its own bowl/plate, to make pizza assembly easier.
The Crust and Final Process
1. Put the pinch of sugar in the warm water and then sprinke yeast in. Let it sit about 10 minutes until it get foamy
2. Once it is foamy, pour it into a large bowl, add flour, salt and oil and combine.
3. Knead it all together 5-8 minutes until the dough is elastic, but firm – add more flour if necessary.
4. Cover and let it sit for 30 minutes or so.
5. Lightly grease 2 12-inch pans and sprinkle it with a pinch of cornmeal – not a lot – but it helps to prevent the pizza from sticking
6. Divide the dough in half. Roll out ½ on a lightly floured surface, just a bit to get it started, then place it in the pan and continue to stretch it out until it covers the pan and is pretty thin. Pinching around the edges can make a thicker crust at the edge, but is not necessary. (You can freeze 1/2 of the pizza dough if you like).
7. Cook the crust in the oven at 400 for 10 minutes
8. Take out and spead a thin layer of the tomato puree over the whole pizza, avoiding the edges.
9. Add the veggies starting with the arugula. I put on lots of arugula as it reduces a lot when it’s in the oven. I would then add the onion, brussel sprouts, mushrooms , and red pepper in that order for maximum colorfulness, but that is totally up to artistic interpretation.
10. Sprinkle whatever else you like – including cheese – and cook another 10-15 minutes, until the crust is golden brown.
Eating well is one step towards whole body health.
Safe, healthy, effective exercise also allows us to feel better, and move with more ease and power throughout our whole lives. Feeling long, strong & calm from the inside out is possible.