Cook Broccoli Rabe for Health and Good Taste Benefits

 

Brimming with the flavors of the Mediterranean, my recipe for Broccoli Rabe with Garlicky Greens, Chickpeas, and Lemon Juice is sublime.

 

Despite its name, Broccoli Rabe is not part of the broccoli family. Broccoli Rabe is closely related to turnips, although cooked like a leafy vegetable.

 

It is a cruciferous vegetable and belongs to the same genus (Brassicas) as cabbage, cauliflower, and kale. In some regions, Broccoli Rabe is known as Broccoli Rapini or Raab.

 

Broccoli Rabe is rich in nutrients and has many health benefits. It is a great source of vitamin A and vitamin C (ascorbic acid), which contributes to good vision and better immunity, respectively.

It’s also rich in potassium, which is important for regulating blood pressure, and magnesium, which our bodies use to produce energy.

Note: This blog post is intended for information and entertainment purposes only and not meant as nutrition advice. 

This dish is a combination of sweet, sour, bitter, and umami flavors. Its whole food ingredients provide plant based energy and fiber from its dark green leaves, stems, and florets. Protein rich beans, piquant lemon juice, herbs, and spices complete the mix.

See my easy to make recipe for  Sautéed Broccoli Rabe. It's a simple, taste tempting dish.

Fresh and invigorating minced garlic, spicy red pepper flakes, and tangy lemon juice blend together to awaken even the sleepiest taste buds.

If cooked right, this tender, juicy side dish or light on the wallet and waistline main course has a slightly bitter yet appealing flavor. It's especially warming and comforting to eat during the winter, when Broccoli Rabe is in-season here.

Sautéed Broccoli Rabe

Ingredients:

1 large bunch organic Broccoli Rabe (about 1 lb.) rinsed in cool clean water and bottom of stems removed

4-6 cloves fresh garlic minced (adjust to taste)

1 large lemon squeezed for juice

1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans) rinsed and drained or substitute another bean or legume of your choice 

1 or two teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes to taste

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, or vegetable broth, or water, or combo

salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Optional Ingredients: sweet minced onion, capers, black pitted olives, pre-cooked pasta, quinoa, or brown rice, cooked Yukon gold potatoes, tofu cubes, tempeh slices, other type of bean or legume, nutritional yeast, and Italian herbs and spices like basil and oregano.

What to Do:

1. Prep Broccoli Rabe like this.

2. Cook on medium heat. Sauté garlic in oil (broth or water) until golden, and give the red pepper flakes about 30 seconds or so to infuse into the oil as well.

3. Pour in chickpeas and spices and herbs. Allow for creativity to blossom. Add a combination of optional ingredients like those above and sauté covered for 10-15 minutes more. 

Make sure the garlic, red pepper flakes, and chickpeas are mixed into the pot well—if they settle to the bottom without moving, they may burn.

4. Taste and correct seasoning. Drizzle on lemon juice before serving to draw out flavors. If the Broccoli Rabe tastes too bitter for you, cook another few minutes. The longer Broccoli Rabe simmers the mellower it tastes.

5. Serve while hot with crusty bread and soup or a salad. 

Another option is to serve Broccoli Rabe on a bed of pasta, quinoa, or rice. 

Look at the photo below. Sautéed Broccoli Rabe was so tasty and tender when combined with elbow macaroni and marinara tomato sauce, an easy-peasy new creation.

 

Here's a photo of Broccoli Rabe served with Potato Salad and Cole Slaw.

Did you ever eat or make Broccoli Rabe? Do you know how it was prepared? Please explain in the comments section below. 

What cruciferous veggies do you enjoy eating and how do you prepare them? Please share that info too.

We appreciate and read every comment, but will not be able to publish those that contain links.

If you like what you see, please share on social media. Thanking you in advance for your comments and social media support.

Happy 2025! Wishing you much health, happiness, and harmony in the coming months. Please don't forget to check back soon at Colors 4 Health, the place where colors and a healthy lifestyle intersect.

This post has been shared at Full Plate Thursday 727

This post has been shared at creative-muster-linkup-party-619

Best New Year Quotes to Get Off to a Fresh Start

 

Curious about which quotes can help you see and appreciate the personal and/or professional progress you've made this year, and inspire you to continue advancing toward goals and aspirations for the New Year? 

Look below for inspirational quotes that resonate with me. They may encourage you to connect with your spirit, find motivation and inspiration, and participate in activities that help you embrace the New Year with a sense of joy and adventure.

This year many may feel they need extra encouragement to get off on the right foot in 2025. Each quote I provide is intended to fill you with hope and optimism for the year ahead.

Each new day, week, or month is a fresh start, and I use the first few weeks of the New Year for reflection. 

I often find guidance and direction for the future by connecting with my inner peace and pondering the inspiring words of others. 

The New Year can be a fresh start for you as well. Why not envision the days ahead, and  color them with as spectacular, serene, exciting, or low key elements as you want them to include?

Which of the quotes above are meaningful to you? Please comment below. Do you have a favorite motivational quote not mentioned in this post? Please share that too.

Best wishes and thanks to all who read www.colors4health.com. I'm grateful you visit and invite you to please come back again.

If you like what you see, please share on social media and have the best New Year ever!

See my Facebook page, Pinterest location, and Website too.

This post has been shared at creative-muster-linkup-party-619

This post has been shared at Talking About it Tuesday #51

This post has been shared at Weekend Traffic Jam Reboot!- December 12

Make a Creative Vegan Holiday Party Platter

Foods from 12 o'clock going clockwise: Savory Tofu, Carrot, Celery, Cherry Tomatoes, Garlic Hummus, Carrot, Cashew and Chive Cream Cheese, Marinated Beets, Carrot, Oven Roasted Spicy Chickpeas, Center Pineapple/Cranberry Relish

 

Tis the season to entertain and here are ideas, tips, and techniques to help you create gorgeous vegan canapé/appetizer platters. 

Select a platter or platters large enough to attractively display the nibbles and munchies you've decided to serve. 

An Assortment of Platters and Serving Dishes

Learn how plant-based food prep ideas make it easy to celebrate any holiday or simple gathering of friends and family in style.

Consider assembling finger foods that are luscious and eye-appealing, yet offer guests alternatives to conventional, highly processed charcuterie board ingredients.

Presentation is important, so why not make it colorful and whimsical? Get into the flow and have fun by mixing and matching textures, aromas, colors, and flavors. 

Don't forget the wellness quotient. Learn about foods that are nutrient dense and pick out ones with health promoting benefits. Select those vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds, and plant-based protein you think your guests might like to try. 

Save big by making food choices from in-season or on-sale products that are easy on the pocketbook and waistline too.

Here are simple guidelines for party planning.

1. Plan ahead. A few weeks before your event, search through your pantry. Are there foodstuffs you already have on hand you might use? 

My search revealed black pitted Kalamata olives, red pepper and eggplant spread, grape leaves stuffed with rice, and whole grain crackers of various shapes and sizes.

2. Think about your favorite snack foods and feature flavorful ones with nutrient dense ingredients. When you're ready to go food shopping, shop with a list that includes store specials and seasonal items to keep costs down.

3. No ho-hum taste either. Consider foods with distinct salty, sweet, savory, and spicy elements. If the item is bland tasting, season it well.

For example I selected pineapple/ cranberry relish, savory hummus, roasted spicy chickpeas, marinated beets, cashews, almonds, and coconut dipped date rolls. 

Food Choices Might Include:

Salty -Homemade potato chips, with recipe  from Nancy Andres (yours truly). Other choices can be olives, pickles, and salty spreads.

Organic Russet Potatoes scrubbed clean and sliced thin, but not peeled. Slices are roasted on baking sheet at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for approx. 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and rosemary. Serve warmed.

 

Sweet and Tart – 2 ingredient Pineapple/Cranberry Relish from Nancy Andres at Colors 4 Health.

This is Sweet and Tart Pineapple/Cranberry Relish made with one can crushed pineapple packed in its own juice, and a bag of fresh cranberries. Combine both ingredients and chop in food processor (optional 1/4 cup chopped nuts)

Eat apples, grapes, pears, or bananas for sweet fruit choices. Munch on a tangerine, grapefruit, or kiwi for tart flavor.

Dried fruit including raisins and apricots, and nuts, seeds, and coconut date rolls are fun to serve as a sweet finish to a wonderful meal.

From 12n and going clockwise: Coconut coated Date Rolls, Raisins, Date Rolls, Cashews, Date Rolls, Pumpkin Seeds, Date Rolls, Almonds, Apricots in Center

Savory – savory tofu, hummus, or roasted savory seasoned beans.

Spicy – roasted spicy chickpeas or spicy roasted nuts. 

  4. For Dipping – use crunchy crackers, pita, artisan bread, or colorful veggies for dipping devices with hummus or things including vegan cream cheese. Crackers like Wasa, and snacks like pretzels or homemade potato chips are additional choices to use with spreads.

Serve gluten free crackers or gluten free chips on another plate and mark crackers with a little gluten free sign.

5. People appreciate eating foods that are fresh, seasoned well, and attractive. Select quality over quantity.

It's fun to let your creativity shine. Make your Vegan Holiday Party Platter a colorful feast for the eyes and palate, and a display of deliciousness and joy.

Do you yearn to keep the holidays or  informal gatherings cost effective and within your budget? Please share about that in the comment section below.

Want to spend more time with your guests than in the kitchen? Do you think a make ahead party platter would work? Share your comment below. 

Please don't use links in your comment, as we can't publish it that way.

Make a Creative Vegan Holiday Party Platter hours before your next party and relax, kick-back, and celebrate. 💖👍

If you like what you see, please share on social media. Thanking you in advance for your support.

 Wishing you a Joyous Holiday Season and a very Healthy, Happy, and Satisfying December.

This post has been shared at Full Plate Thursday 727

This post has been shared at Talking About it Tuesday #51

This post is FEATURED at Senior Salon Pit Stop #341. Yahoo! I'm excited and honored.

This post has been shared at senior-salon-pit-stop #340

This post has been shared at Talking About it Tuesday #49

This post has been shared at The Hearth and Soul Link Party – December 2024 Edition

This post has been shared at Weekend Traffic Jam Reboot! November 28, 2024

5 Easy and Effective Ways to Practice Gratitude

Grateful for Love in My Life

The Oxford Dictionary defines gratitude as the quality of being thankful, and readiness to show appreciation for and return kindness.

 

This post will show you 5 easy and effective ways to practice gratitude, and illustrates  "Top Reasons to Practice Gratitude with Tips to Help You Do It."

 1. Observe and Revise Words you Use to Communicate. Grateful people have a positive communication style. They freely express ideas and feelings to convey awareness of life’s gifts, givers, blessings, good fortune, abundance, and verbalize their thankfulness often.

2. Grateful people acknowledge inherently good things others have done on their behalf. Feeling grateful and accepting and appreciating help from others creates a more relaxed body state and allows the subsequent benefits of lowered stress to wash over them. 

Tip: Check in with your mind and body at least once a day to gauge whether practicing gratitude increases your sense of well-being.

3. Grateful people act grateful. When people follow through on grateful motions including smiling, saying thank you, and writing letters of gratitude or “going through grateful motions,” parts of their minds and bodies get conditioned to feel gratitude more often.

Grateful for Friends and Family

4. Grateful people live and delight in the current moment. When people savor the present moment and witness what it holds, they are less likely to project into the unknown (future) or dwell on the past.

5. Grateful people are those who find value in each experience, person, or thing (not take anyone or anything for granted). 

Finding a lesson or blessing in everything that happens, is a step in the right direction to feeling grateful and satisfied with daily living.

The regions associated with gratitude are part of the neural networks that light up when people socialize and experience pleasure. These regions are also heavily connected to the parts of the brain that control basic emotion regulation, such as heart rate and arousal levels.

One of my most treasured life goals is to have relationships that bring out the best in us. I seek friendships with people who are kind and respectful people. I have learned to practice healthy behaviors that are relaxed, encourage personal growth, and stimulates a sense of gratitude and joy.

What steps have you taken or want to take to live a more grateful life? Please share a comment or observation in the section below.

Have you made strides in improving your self-care practices and/or do you need motivation, encouragement, or support in this area? Please share that too.

I read and appreciate every comment, but please don't put links in your comment. I won't be able to publish it that way.

Grateful for the Bounty in Each Season

Wishing those who celebrate Thanksgiving or other holidays or special days this month a Happy and Healthy holiday. Good wishes and thanks to all who read this post. I'm grateful you visited and invite you to please come back again. My wish for everyone is to ...

Honored and Delighted!!! 5 Easy and Effective Ways to Practice Gratitude is a feature at Traffic Jam Reboot 12 6 2024

This post has been shared at Talking About it Tuesday #49

This post has been shared at The Hearth and Soul Link Party – December 2024 Edition

This post has been shared at Weekend Traffic Jam Reboot! November 28, 2024

This post has been shared at Talking About It Tuesday #47

This post has been shared at SSPS# 337

This post has been shared at Home Matters Linky Party #506