Cruciferous Cauliflower

Cruciferous. It stirs up visions of crusty weirdness in my mind when I hear it. It is the one true word I have related only to the cauliflower since learning it all of those years ago. Now you have gained V.I.P access into the inner workings of my mind. Lucky you!

So, the cauliflower - that's what I'm getting at. That delicious florette filled numiness that I love, especially coupled with dill. There are so many ways to prepare and enjoy this delight that I thought I'd share some of them whilst offering a plethora of nutritional benefits.

I give you.....

The wonderful cauliflower. Looks good, doesn't it?

I saute cauliflower in coconut oil, add fresh dill and garlic and toss until lightly browned. Just before plating this treat, I squeeze in the juice of half a fresh lemon - it is to live for! My family loves this dish.

You can also roast cauliflower florettes in the oven with a little sea salt and coconut oil - tastes remarkably like popcorn! You're welcome....

So, I never used to wonder about things like nutritional value - but these days I'm all about learning.

Here are some interesting facts about the cauliflower:

1.> It fights diseases with two main ingredients; indole-3-carbinol, or 13C, and the photonutrient sulforaphane. This element cleans toxins from the system. 13C couples with the sulforaphane to create an anti-estrogen. Too much estrogen in our bodies (high levels) supports rapid tumor growth so we want to avoid that where possible.

2.> Vitamin C and Folate (B9) are found in cauliflower. Both work for us when it comes to keeping our immune systems working efficiently.

3.> More B Vitamins are covered - niacin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, and thiamine are included in the jam packed mix.

4.> It helps digestion - it's all that dietary fiber that we get when we eat it.

5.> Allicin - it's what is in cauliflower that helps prevent strokes, heart attacks and can even lower cholesterol.

6.> If you count the calories, cauliflower is very low in calories but dense in flavor and fiber.

You can use cauliflower as a mashed potato replacement - steamed is delicious and does maintain some of the nutritional value of the veggie, but raw is always best.

Cauliflower is a versatile vegetable that has far reaching benefits. Make sure it's on your shopping list, or growing in your garden.

More cauliflower, please!