Bless Her Heart

Another flowering vegetable that is extremely healthy for you is cauliflower…the vegetable that looks much like the broccoli sitting beside it in the produce aisle, except for being white.

Cauliflower, like broccoli, consists of tightly packed flower buds that form one dense heat known as a “floret” or as a “curd.” These florets are connected by a core and one thick stem.

Though we typically think of cauliflower always being white, cauliflower also comes in orange, purple and green…each having slightly different nutritional benefits. All having the same delicious flavor.

Nutritional Value: Although raw cauliflower is 92% water, cauliflower does pack a powerful punch when it comes to nutrition.

In fact, cauliflower is considered a superfood because of its high levels of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidant… (along with all of the other cruciferous vegetables, including arugula, broccoli,  brussels sprouts, cabbage and kale)…

Antioxidants: Cauliflower contains three specific antioxidants that help to prevent tumors from forming and to keep existing tumors from growing larger.  Nutrients in cauliflower also help protect non-cancerous cells from damage. Cauliflower has anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and antibacterial effects.

Fiber: Cauliflower is an excellent source of fiber. Fiber is important for maintaining a  healthy digestive system. Fiber also helps reduces your risk of dementia, heart disease and obesity.

One cup of raw chopped cauliflower contains: Calories: 27…Carbohydrates: 5.3 grams…Protein: 2.1g…Fiber: 2.1 grams…Fat: 0.3 grams…Sugars: 2 grams…Sodium: 32.1mg… Vitamins: Vitamin B6: 0.2mg…12% DV…Vitamin C: 51.6mg…57% DV…Vitamin K: 16.6mcg…about 14% DV…Minerals: Folate: 61 mcg…Magnesium: 16 mg…4%DV…Potassium: 319.9 mg…7%DV

Buying cauliflower: Peak season is late summer through late fall.

Look for:

• firm, compact heads that are tightly closed
• attached leaves that are bright green and crisp
• no yellow florets…this means that the cauliflower is past its peak
• no heads that show signs of softness…these are already spoilage

Using cauliflower: Cauliflower is best when eaten within a day of purchase. It does not store well. If you do plan on storing it, keep it in the crisper section of the refrigerator in its original packaging.

Don’t wash cauliflower until you’re ready to cook it.

Store cooked cauliflower in the fridge for a few days or in the freezer for a few months. You could also blanch fresh cauliflower florets, and then freeze them for up to a year.

Brown spots on cauliflower: As your cauliflower is being stored, you may notice brown spots on the crown. This is a sign of the oxidation that takes place naturally as the cauliflower is exposed to light…kinda like the peels on the bananas over there that are just begging to be made into banana nut bread…

You could simply cut these occasional brown spots away.  If it reaches the point where this discoloration appears throughout the head, then toss the cauliflower. Go get another head of cauliflower…or skip whatever you were trying to make for now.

As I write this, I cannot honestly say that I can’t even remember the last time I ate cauliflower, let alone cooked with it.

But somebody must be enjoying it.

In fact, =cauliflower went viral for a spell there – from 2012 and 2016. American production increased by 63%. Sales of cauliflower-based products increased by 71% in one year alone.

Cauliflower can easily substitute for starchier foods (such as potatoes), adding vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber. Substituting cauliflower rice for grains adds an extra vegetable to your meal and reduces calories and carbs if that is one of your goals. You can make your cauliflower rice or purchase pre-cooked and grated cauliflower sold as cauliflower rice.

People began using cauliflower a healthy low-carb, gluten-free alternative to almost everything –  legumes, grains, chicken, beef, rice, pizza dough

Cauliflower rice, along with its nutritional content and health benefits, was trending.

Cauliflower suddenly became the vegetable of choice for people on every popular diet out there, including keto and Paleo.

To make cauliflower rice: wash a raw cauliflower head…cut or break it into smaller florets…pulse the florets into a food processor…pulse until the cauliflower pieces are the size of rice grains…use within two days…freeze whatever you can’t use within those two days so that the cauliflower rice doesn’t start to smell like sulfur.

Last year, over 27 million tons of cauliflower were produced last year…including not only your typical white cauliflower…but also the green, orange, and purple varieties…(not sure that I’ve personally seen cauliflower that was any color than white)…