Sometimes it’s hard to get all your vegetables in when you’re busy and you feel like you don’t have the time to cook. Cruciferous veggies are one of the best vegetable groups out there since they are high in vitamin A, vitamin C, folic acid, and fiber. In order to reap all the benefits, here are some easy cruciferous recipes to help your body get what it needs to keep you going!
Braised Broccoli with Orange and Parmesan (Serves 4-6 as a side)
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup / 60 ml freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 1 head of broccoli, florets and stalks trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese shavings
- 2 tablespoons toasted sliced almonds
- Directions:
In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat combine the orange juice and tomatoes. Bring to a boil and stir in the broccoli. Stir in the oregano and red pepper flakes, then cook until the broccoli it just tender, and bright green – a couple minutes. Do your best to avoid overcooking the broccoli. Season with salt and pepper, and transfer to a serving dish. Drizzle with the olive oil, and sprinkle with the cheese and almonds before serving.
-By 101 Cookbooks
Simple Creamy Cauliflower and Artichoke Soup (Serves 2)
Cook Time: 15 Minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 cups cauliflower florets
- 1-2 cups vegetable stock (depending how thin or thick you want the soup)
- ½ cup artichoke hearts (I bought canned artichoke hearts)
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil, minced
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1-2 cup shredded chicken, to garnish (I shredded a rotisserie chicken to make it easy)
- ½ cup cooked bacon, roughly chopped, to garnish
- olive oil, to garnish
- hot sauce, to garnish
- Directions:
Steam 2 cups of cauliflower florets until soft. Place cauliflower in a Blendtec along with vegetable stock and puree until smooth using the soup button. If you do not have a Blendtec, use a food processor or blender.
Add artichoke hearts, basil, and and a bit of salt and pepper. Puree once more to incorporate all ingredients.
Cook bacon to preference then roughly chop it. I shredded a rotisserie chicken to make it easier.
Place soup in a bowl, top with shredded chicken and bacon and add a few drops of olive oil and hot sauce on top of the soup.
-by PaleoOMG
Hashed Brussels Sprouts with Lemon Recipe (Serves 4)
Cook Time: 10 Minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus 1 Tbsp grated lemon zest
- 1 lbs brussels sprouts
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 4 teaspoons butter
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 Tbsp black mustard seeds or poppy seeds
- 2 Tbsp vermouth or dry white wine
- Salt and pepper to taste.
Directions:
Place lemon juice in a large bowl. Cut bottoms off sprouts, and discard. Halve sprouts lengthwise. If you are really ambitions, carefully cut out and discard the firm core of each sprout half. Thinly slice the sprouts. As you work, transfer slices into bowl with lemon juice. When all sprouts are sliced toss them in juice and separate leaves. (Recipe can be prepared to this point and refrigerated, covered, for up to 3 hours.)
When ready to serve, heat oil and butter over high heat in a skillet large enough to hold all sprouts. When very hot (almost to smoking point) add sprouts, garlic and seeds, and cook, stirring often, until sprouts are wilted and lightly cooked, but still green and crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Some leaves might brown slightly.
Add vermouth, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, 1 minute more. Turn off heat, add salt and pepper to taste and stir in the lemon zest, reserving a little for top of dish. Transfer to a serving bowl, sprinkle with remaining zest and serve.
-by Simply Recipes
