on the quiet cauliflower

OK, so I’ve cut down on my dear beloved broccoli because it seems I might actually have been overdosing on them (yeah, it’s possible). Did you know – I was told that broccoli would be orange or yellow if not for the green chlorophyll, so an overdose of it could tint your skin orange the way an overdose of carrots might. And so I’ve started exploring cauliflower, the closest thing I could think of to broccoli.

I’m afraid I have to admit that I’d always thought of cauliflower as the less tasty, less colourful version of broccoli, with a weird texture between soft and crunchy. But I’ve decided to like it, and really, now that I’ve started, I realise that it’s really not half bad. (And a mound of melted cheese on top doesn’t hurt either haha).

Anyway, while having my cauliflower for lunch today and thinking half-wistfully about broccoli, I decided I really did need to find out what benefits eating cauliflower had. You always hear such a lot about broccoli’s life-enhancing powers, but not so much about cauliflower (well I hadn’t anyway). I mean, it’s such a subdued, colourless vegetable, I really couldn’t help wondering if there was any real point in my eating it.

Well – it turns out cauliflower is a powerhouse in its own right. Besides the obvious no-fat thing, it’s super high in vitamin C, vitamin K, and omega-3 fatty acids. It also contains other good stuff, including phytochemicals, glucosinolates, carotenoids, folic acid, fibre, potassium and manganese (yeah I know, some of us still wonder what’s manganese for). It’s really quite as decent as broccoli. So have some today! (With a mound of melted cheese on top haha). Remember though, that boiling reduces cauliflower’s nutrient levels, so try steaming or stir-frying instead.

WHFoods has a good article on cauliflower.

And that picture above is my painting entitled, um… Choux fleurs. Yup.