Broccoli Rabe

Rolling out of bed and checking my iPhone’s Weather Channel app resulted in a decision...

Rolling out of bed and checking my iPhone’s Weather Channel app resulted in a decision to take a rain check on today’s Farmer’s Market Thursday. The 60-70% chance of rain was too much for me to gamble – what if by the time the farmer’s market opened, it got rained out?

Instead, I went to my local grocery market and picked one ingredient to base a dish around. I headed straight to the greens….. the big leafy ones! And what first caught my eye? Broccoli rabe.

IMG_2859 copy

Let’s talk about b-rabe for a minute. This cruciferous vegetable (cruci-what?) is one of the most nutrient-dense veggies out there. Those smart Italians… let’s learn:

  • Ditch the OJ and grab the ‘rabe: a 3.5oz serving of b-rabe contains more than HALF your daily requirement of Vitamins C.
  • Star in an Herbal Essences commercial: it helps prevent Alopecia, spot baldness.
  • Spend your botox fund on ‘rabe: this veggie helps slow aging, being high in flavonoids, which are antioxidants.
  • Fight cancer with a plate of it: broccoli rabe is a rich source of glucosinolates, which your body converts into cancer-fighting molecules.
  • “B-rabe does the body good”: this veggie is rich in Calcium, aiding bone strength and preventing osteoporosis.
  • Ladies, never say “it’s that time of the month” again: b-rabe helps reduce inflammation and decrease PMS symptoms by supporting a healthy hormonal balance in your body.
  • Rock your bikini sooner: this veggie is low in calories and high in fiber, which helps with weight loss.
  • You may need to floss after, but you’ll live longer: it’s a great folate source, which is a B vitamin that protects against heart disease and birth defects.

Stay tuned – today at 2:00pm, I’ll be posting up my recipe for a dish focusing around broccoli rabe. You’re going to love this one… it’s an Italian classic (big surprise, eh?)!

 

with love, Ali

leave a comment