Is it just me or was cauliflower the one vegetable I wouldn’t touch as a child? Well, to be fair, I wouldn’t go near creamed corn either; the two repelled me faster than the phrase, “Here are your weekly chores.” But, just as I’ve matured over the years, so has my palette, and cauliflower has grown to become one of my favorite vegetables to prepare and eat. Plus, it’s healthy!
Health benefits: If you can get past the white color and interesting texture of cauliflower, you’ll begin to reap its benefits, which are plenty. For starters, cauliflower is excellent for healthy digestion which is common among cruciferous vegetables because of their high fiber and water content.
Cauliflower is also a great source of omega-3 fatty acids and Vitamin K, both of which can help prevent inflammation. It’s also high in folate and several b vitamins, including riboflavin, niacin and thiamin. And last but not least, cauliflower contains one of the highest amounts of glucosinolates, second only to broccoli, which can promote detoxification in the body and even help prevent certain types of cancers.
Nutritional statistics: One cup of raw cauliflower contains approximately 25 calories, 0 grams of fat, 5 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 2 grams of sugar and 2 grams of protein.
Cooking methods: There are countless ways to enjoy cauliflower, including fresh with dip or plain, roasted and seasoned, steamed like broccoli, or mashed for a faux ‘mashed potato’ style dish. More recent innovations include turning cauliflower into a pizza crust! See that and other recipes below to start getting gore adventurous in the kitchen with cauliflower.
Recipes:
Mashed White Beans with Cauliflower and Leeks
Whole Wheat Cauliflower Pizza Crust
See? There’s nothing to fear about this flowery, cruciferous vegetable. In fact, the only thing to really fear is going without it, as it’s a nutritional powerhouse that’s incredibly versatile in cooking and not to mention delicious. Clearly my judgement as a child was all wrong. Perhaps I should reconsider my position on creamed corn, too.
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