Purple cauliflower for health
Cabbage, head cabbage, savoy cabbage, kale, broccoli, broccoli, white, gray, green and purple cauliflower.
Cabbage is really a very extended family and who cares so much about the health of those who consume them!
Purple cauliflower, perhaps not so well known and not so readily available among the stalls, the fruit counter of the supermarket is very rich in beneficial properties.
The violet cauliflower of Catania is one of the kings and villages of the purple cauliflower, even if in the world there are other varieties, such as the Graffiti cauliflower, the purple Cape or the Violet Queen, grown for example in South Africa;
harvested in January, purple cauliflower is small to medium in shape, compact and of a red-wine color, except for the stem and the internal parts which remain white; with a delicate flavor, it is from paler and "softer" taste compared to traditional white cauliflower.
Read also Cauliflower in vegan recipes >>
Properties of purple cauliflower
Like blue or purple colored fruits and vegetables - eggplant, radicchio, figs, blueberries, plums, currants, black grapes or purple cabbage - purple cauliflower is also packed with valuable nutrients, including anthocyanins - pigments that color certain foods of vegetable origin red and blue and have anti-inflammatory, antiplatelet, microcirculatory and antioxidant properties, carotenoids, vitamin C, potassium and magnesium.
Anthocyanins also perform the important function of "scavengers" of the body, both by counteracting the action of carcinogens and harmful free radicals, and by lowering blood cholesterol levels.
Recipes with purple cauliflower
Purple cauliflower, great in all types of diets, from omnivorous to strict vegan, can be cut into small pieces and eaten raw in salads;
alternatively it is excellent cut into pieces and stewed with a little extra virgin olive oil, together with a rump of garlic, salt, pepper and balsamic vinegar to flavor.
In the oven it becomes special if au gratin e enriched with grated parmesan. Also simply steamed and served with green vegetables or sauces, for example peas, broad beans, green beans or broccoli, it is a great idea for scenographic courses and healthy and tasty side dishes.
Highly suggestive are the purple cauliflower soup - simply browning it with an onion, a sage leaf (then to be removed), a potato, add the broth, blend everything and serve with oil, bruschetta and chopped hazelnuts - the "purple risotto" and pennette with cheese, pepper and purple cauliflower.
Another winning idea could be to substitute it for white cauliflower to make vegan cauliflower pizza.
Reference book: "The secrets of long life: how to keep body and mind in good health". Umberto Veronesi, Mario Pappagallo.
Read also Cauliflower, the food to put on the table at least once a week >>
