Cruciferous Salad

Cruciferous vegetables (a family that includes broccoli and cauliflower) are most famous for their abundance of anticancer nutrients. They have lots of good stuff that has been shown to be integral for healthy and cancer free bodies, including wide ranges of vitamins, minerals, enzymes, antioxidants and important phytochemicals (plant chemicals), especially  the exclusive glucosinolates, a type of sulfur-containing compound. The more the vegetables are chopped and chewed the more activated the glucosinolates become, leading to increased development of isothiocyanates, which are powerful anticancer compounds. Chopping up the broccoli and cauliflower really small makes it easier to get more of these benefits and I find it more enjoyable than eating large pieces can be.

Cruciferous Salad
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Serves: 4-6
INGREDIENTS:
  • 4 cups broccoli, chopped finely
  • 4 cups cauliflower, chopped finely
  • 2 cups lentils (1 19 oz can), rinsed thoroughly and dried
  • ½ cup pine nuts (or pumpkin or sunflower seeds)
  • 1 red bell pepper, de-seeded and chopped finely
  • 1 roma tomato, chopped finely
  • ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons cold-pressed olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons green onions, sliced thinly
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
  • 2 tablespoons fresh oregano, minced
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • Sea salt and black pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS:
  1. Combine all ingredients and stir until thoroughly combined. It gets better after a few hours of marinating in the fridge, the broccoli and cauliflower soften and the flavors mingle together more. It can be stored covered in the fridge for a couple days.

 

Leave a Reply

Post Navigation