20 October 2013

Broccoli Salad

Broccoli is considered to be one of the most nutritious vegetables that can offer numerous health benefits. It is more commonly used as salads. Broccoli mixed with combination of vegetables makes interesting variety of salads which are very healthy.

Health Benefits of Broccoli:

1. Prevents cancer. Anti-carcinogen properties are also present in broccoli and these are effective in hindering the development of prostate, cervical and breast cancer while also improving liver health.
2. Maintains a healthier nervous system. This can be attributed to its high potassium content.
3. Regulates blood pressure. This is possible because of the presence of magnesium, calcium and potassium in broccoli.
4. Reduces cholesterol. The vegetable contains a huge amount of soluble fiber which is proven to be effective in drawing out cholesterol from the body.
5. A great addition to your diet. For those who are dieting, broccoli can be a perfect addition to their diet plans. This is rich in fiber which prevents digestive problems and constipation, curbs overeating and maintains a lower and healthier level of blood sugar.

Here is a simple broccoli salad recipe with just onions and mixed nuts, which is very easy to fix and quite tasty to eat.

Ingredients:

Cooked Broccoli - 1 Cup
Onion, chopped - 1/4 Cup
Mixed Broken Nuts (Almonds, Walnut, Pistachio, Raisin) - 2 tbsp
Pepper powder - 1 or 2 tsp
Salt - 1 tsp
Olive Oil - 2 tsp

Cooking Broccoli:

1. Remove the florets from the broccoli, cut them into 2 (slit across) and drop them in boiling water and keep closed for about 5 minutes. Then strain all the water and wash the broccoli once in running water and keep aside the water-drained broccoli florets.

Method:

1. In a broad bowl, add the cooked broccoli, chopped onions, mixed nuts, pepper powder and salt and mix well.
2. Toss the olive oil on the above, mix well and then serve.




Tips:

1. The broccoli need not be completely cooked, the crunchiness should be maintained while eating the salad.
2. For those who want the broccoli to be further cooked, drop the raw broccoli florets in water and cook it for 10 minutes and remove. This will make broccoli quite soft and not too crunchy.
3. For more decorative purpose and added taste purpose, to the above salad add de-seeded tomatoes (raw),  bunch of chopped lettuces, grated raw cabbage (or semi-cooked) slices optionally.

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