Making Broccoli Tasty As Well As Healthy

Broccoli ranks as one of the world's super foods. The health benefits of broccoli are well-documented, versatile, and potent.

Over 500 scientific studies confirm that eating broccoli reduces the risk and enhances recovery from cancer. The chemical sulforaphane, also known as SFN and 1-isothiocyanato-4-(methylsulfinyl)butane, found in broccoli and broccoli raab, activates a process of cellular suicide in lung cancer cells. Aggressive, hard-to-treat prostate cancer is 24 to 78% less likely to occur in men who consume at least one serving of either broccoli or spinach per week. Just one serving of broccoli weekly makes a difference. 

Broccoli is not a plant source of vitamin D (mushrooms are, however), but it contains chemicals (phylloquinone) that help the body conserve vitamin D.

And even if broccoli didn't contain chemicals with measurable impact on deadly disease, it is a great source of basic nutrition. A 100 gram (3-1/2 ounce) serving of broccoli is just 34 calories, but it provides vitamin B1 (thiamine), vitamin B2 (riboflavin), vitamin B3 (niacin), vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid), vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), folate, vitamins C, E, and K, beta-carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin, calcium, magnesium, iron, and fiber. Cooking broccoli doesn't necessarily reduce its nutritional value very much. Boiled broccoli still has 67% of the vitamin C content of raw broccoli, for instance, but steamed broccoli has almost 100% of the vitamin content of the raw vegetable.

The problem with serving broccoli to your family is that some people love it and some people hate it. Some people are "super tasters" who have genes that make their noses uniquely sensitive to broccoli's sulfur compounds. However, there are many different ways to make broccoli tastier for even the pickiest eaters. Here are 10 suggestions.

1. Microwave broccoli low and slow

Cooking broccoli (and other cabbage family vegetables) in the microwave longer at a lower setting conserves its antioxidant power. One study found that cooking broccoli for 4 minutes at 900 watts destroyed its antioxidant power, but cooking it for 24 minutes at 180 watts had almost no effect. And you'll also get a more vibrant "greener" green color that makes the vegetable more appealing.

2. If you boil broccoli, shock it in cold water and reheat

If you boil broccoli, have the water boiling before you put the broccoli in. You'll conserve more nutrients and cook the vegetable faster. When the broccoli is tender, take the pot off the heat and drain the cooking water. Then plunge the broccoli into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Warm up to serving temperature just before you eat it. 

See Also: What Doctors Don't Know About Nutrition

3. Use broccoli on grilled cheese sandwiches

Roasted broccoli can have a meaty texture with a slightly sweet taste. The centers the florets will be soft and the edges will be crispy--if you don't overcook. Many recipes call for roasting broccoli at 350 degrees F/175 degrees C for half an hour. That's too long. Just toss washed florets in olive oil and sea salt, black pepper, and sliced garlic, as desired, and cook for 10 minutes in a preheated over, then slice to add to grilled cheese sandwiches.

More Ways To Make Broccoli Tastier

4. Cook broccoli when family members with sensitive noses are out of the house, and then heat and serve when they return

Not everyone can smell the distinctly sulfurous odor of cooked broccoli and other vegetables in the cabbage family, but some people have genes that make them "super sniffers" of sulfurous smells. If members of your household like the taste of broccoli, but can't stand the smell, cook it when they aren't at home, or serve broccoli raw or in salads.

5. Soak broccoli in salt water before using it in stir fries

Brining broccoli, the same way you might brine poultry or pork, allows it to come out more tender when it is stir fried.

Make the brine with a tablespoon (15 grams) of table salt in a quart (a liter) of water, soak for at least 2 but not more than 4 hours.

6. Add a little lemon juice to cooked broccoli

Fresh broccoli contains about 4 grams of natural sugar per serving. Those sugars are easier to taste if they are contrasted to a sour taste, just a little lemon juice added to the broccoli just before serving, or a bitter taste, such as cheese sauce.

7. Hide broccoli in lasagna

Add thin slices of tender steamed broccoli (it's important to cook it first) to layers of lasagna. You can also do this with zucchini, carrots, yellow squash, tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms, and asparagus, all of which should be cooked to tenderness before layering with the lasagne. 

8. Hide broccoli in tomato sauce

The tomato sauce you use for pizza or spaghetti is a great place to add chopped vegetables such as broccoli or carrots. It is important, however, to chop them fine enough that they are not visible in the sauce, and as in other methods for hiding vegetables in cooked food, broccoli should be cooked to tenderness before it is chopped or sent through a food processor to be added to the sauce.

9. Don't be afraid to "overcook" broccoli if family members complain it tastes bitter

Some people carry genes that give them ability to taste a substance known as PROP (), a bitter component of broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and cilantro. The longer you cook these vegetables, the less PROP they contain.

Don't use them in stir  fries if bitter taste is a problem. You can't fry them long enough to break down the PROP.

See Also: Maitake Mushrooms: A Real Culinary Treat

10. Pan roast broccoli to emphasize its sweet flavor

Even broccoli haters warm up to the vegetable when it is roasted on low heat in a plastic bag or parchment paper, preferably on the lowest possible setting for at least an hour. Pan roasting broccoli caramelizes its sugars so that they stick to the tongue. Heat a sautee pan with 2 tablespoons and add broccoli florets in a single layer, cut side down. Cook the florets over moderate heat until they are dark brown but not burnt on the bottom, about 8 minutes. Then add water to cover the bottom of the pah and cover, cooking over low heat until the water has evaporated, about 4 minutes. Add another tablespoon of olive oil and slice garlic cloves to taste, and sautee until the garlic is golden brown. Add salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste, drizzle with a little lemon juice, and serve.