Today I bought broccoli rabe at the grocery for 99 cents a pound. Living in suburban New York, you're lucky to find any vegetable for 99 cents a pound. Even broccoli is $1.59 a pound. The trick to broccoli rabe is to clean it (and you can find lots of instructions on you-tube) well, and then boil it for 10 minutes with a little salt to reduce the bitterness. Then saute it in olive oil and garlic, adding some sea salt and a few red pepper flakes. It's a fabulous side dish, but that's just the start!
You can serve it mixed in with rigatoni and sausage for a one-dish meal, or you can make a pesto out of it. For pesto, drain the boiled broccoli rabe and mix it with 1/4 cup part-skim ricotta, 1/2 cup pistachios and 3/4 cup grated parm. Mix in your favorite pasta and ummm ummm good.
Broccoli rabe is full of nutrients that are good for your heart and liver. Potassium, vitamin C and beta-carotene are heart healthy. This great vegetable also has cancer fighting phytochemicals that are believed to ward off illness, including some cancers.
I'm learning to feed my organs instead of my taste buds, and this vegie does both.
Thanks to living social, I've started getting organic fruit and veggie boxes from https://eastdoortodoororganics.com/this-weeks-produce.php. We're eating healthier, and being introduced to new veggies (such as broccoli rabe!)
ReplyDeleteRuth, thanks for sharing that website! Please share any neat recipes here too. Today as I was making the broccoli rabe, during the saute stage I added a little sazon and it's so delicious! I'm thinking of growing it next year in the community garden.
ReplyDeleteRobin, we love broccoli rabe and I just sautee it up with garlic and olive oil, and finish it with a little good balsamic vinegar. The leftovers, if there are any, are great with tortellini and chicken broth--kind of a variation on Italian escarole soup. If you want to sound authentic, call it "rapini."
ReplyDelete