Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Crossing Cruciferous Veggies

By now everyone should know what cruciferous vegetables are.Well , hopefully, because they are crucial to good health and a good diet. Not only that they're the most common and delicious. Best of all cruciferous veggies are also versatile too.

Cruciferous veggies include cabbage,cauliflower, cress, bok choi and broccoli. The name Cruciferous comes from the New Latin meaning cross. All cruciferous vegetables get the name from the shape of their flowers which are cross shaped.The veggies  are high in vitamin C and soluble fibers along with containing phytochemicals that reduce the risk of cancer. These types of greens can have a variety of tastes from the mild sweetness of cabbage to the sharp eye watering bite of wasabi and radishes. Another good aspect of them is that there are twenty five types which can be made a variety of ways.

What to do with cruciferous vegetables? A cook or chef can literally make anything with them. Watercress is part of this family  and it can be made into delicate tea sandwiches using whole wheat bread and homemade mayo. Cabbage is good stuffed or in soups as well as shredded in a tangy salad. Cauliflower is great as a dipper for healthy dips or in a turmeric laced soup. Use bok choi for stir fries or for chow meins. Put a few radishes in a salad for color and use wasabi as an eye opening jolt to sushi.Even mustard seeds , another cruciferous veggie can be used in flavoring  for any dish.

Incorporate more of these healthy veggies into your diet. They'll not only make life better but varied. Try all the different types in a slew of recipes. They're tasty and good!

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