Cauliflower is a member of the cruciferous family of vegetables, often overshadowed by its green cousin broccoli. This is one vegetable that deserves a regular rotation in your diet, however, as it contains an impressive array of nutrients, including vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other phytochemicals.
Adding to cauliflower’s appeal is its extreme versatility. You can eat it raw, add it to salads, or use it in your cooking. Cauliflower can even be seasoned and mashed for a healthier version of “mashed potatoes” or grated for “cauliflower rice” (recipe below).
Because of its beneficial effects on numerous aspects of health, cauliflower can easily be described as a superfood. Some of its most impressive benefits follow:
1. Fights Cancer
Cauliflower contains sulforaphane, a sulfur compound that has also been shown to kill cancer stem cells, thereby slowing tumor growth. Some researchers believe eliminating cancer stem cells may be key to controlling cancer.
Research has shown that combining cauliflower with curcumin (the active compound in the spice turmeric) may help prevent and treat prostate cancer.
2. Boosts Heart Health
The sulforaphane in cauliflower and other cruciferous vegetables has also been found to significantly improve blood pressure and kidney function. Scientists believe sulforaphane’s benefits are related to improved DNA methylation, which is crucial for normal cellular function and proper gene expression, especially in the easily damaged inner lining of the arteries.
3. It’s Anti-Inflammatory
You need some level of inflammation in your body to stay healthy. However, it’s also possible, and increasingly common, for the inflammatory response to get out of hand. If your immune system mistakenly triggers an inflammatory response when no threat is present, it can lead to significant inflammation-related damage to the body, a condition linked to cancer and other diseases, depending on which organs the inflammation is impacting.Cauliflower contains a wealth of anti-inflammatory nutrients to help keep inflammation in check.
4. It’s Rich in Vitamins and Minerals
Most Americans are seriously lacking in nutrients their body needs to function. Eating cauliflower regularly is a simple way to get these much-needed nutrients into your body. For instance, one serving of cauliflower contains 77 percent of the recommended daily value of vitamin C. It’s also a good source of vitamin K, protein, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, magnesium, phosphorus, fiber, vitamin B6, folate, pantothenic acid, potassium, and manganese.
5. Boosts Your Brain Health
Cauliflower is a good source of choline, a B vitamin known for its role in brain development. Choline may boost cognitive function, and improve learning and memory. It may even diminish age-related memory decline and your brain’s vulnerability to toxins during childhood, as well as conferring protection later in life.
6. Detoxification Support
Cauliflower helps your body’s ability to detoxify in multiple ways. It contains antioxidants along with sulfur-containing nutrients that activates detoxification enzymes.
7. Digestive Benefits
Cauliflower is an important source of dietary fiber for digestive health. But that’s not all. The sulforaphane can help protect the lining of your stomach which provides you with this health benefit by preventing bacterial overgrowth of Helicobacter pylori in your stomach or too much clinging by this bacterium to your stomach wall.
8. Antioxidants and Phytonutrients Galore
Eating cauliflower is like winning the antioxidant and phytonutrient lottery. It’s packed with vitamin C, beta-carotene, kaempferol, quercetin, rutin, cinnamic acid, and much more. Antioxidants are nature’s way of providing your cells with adequate defense against attack by free radicals.
Cauliflower Fried Rice
Fried rice is one of those dishes that you can easily adjust to suit your taste. You can add in an array of vegetables, herbs, and spices. You can have it vegetarian, or add chicken,shrimp, pork, or other proteins if you feel like it. I think it’s delicious as a dinner and leftovers are great for kids lunches.
Ingredients
½ large cauliflower head or 1 whole small head
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
a thumb size piece of ginger, finely chopped
1 cup green beans, sliced
½ large red capsicum/pepper, sliced
1 large handful of bean sprouts
2 scallions, finely sliced
2 T. of herbs of your choice (I used parsley and thyme)
4 eggs, beaten
2 T. coconut oil
1-2 T. coconut aminos *
sea salt + freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
Pop the cauliflower florets in a food processor and pulse until your cauliflower resembles rice. I used my Vitamix and did the cauliflower in four portions so it wouldn’t jam the blades.
Heat the coconut oil In a large frying pan, on high heat.
Add onion and garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes until softened.
Add in the cauliflower, ginger, beans and red pepper and cook for about 2-3 minutes, until tender.
Add the eggs, spring onions, sprouts, coconut aminos, herbs, salt and pepper, and cook until everything is heated through and well combined. Serves 2-3
*NOTE: You’ve probably heard of coconut milk and coconut oil but coconut aminos are essentially coconut sap: a liquid product, frequently used in place of soy sauce in Paleo cooking.
Cauliflower Crust Pizza
Ingredients
2 tsps. melted butter or coconut oil
2 ½ cups organic cauliflower, grated (about 1/2 a large head)
1 large organic egg, lightly beaten
1 ¼ cups shredded mozzarella cheese, preferably raw
2 T. grated parmesan cheese
Himalayan salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup tomato sauce (avoid canned, use natural jarred or fresh)
1 cup organic grape tomatoes, sliced in half
2 cloves garlic, sliced
¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
Fresh basil leaves, optional
Preparation
Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, and preheat oven to 425ºF.
Grate the cauliflower using a box grater until you have two cups of cauliflower crumbles. Steam until soft and let cool.
Mix in the egg, one cup mozzarella, parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper. Once combined, pat into a 10-inch round prepared pizza pan. Coat lightly with melted butter or coconut oil and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until golden.
Top the pizza with the sauce, ¼ cup mozzarella, grape tomatoes, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Bake in the oven until melted and bubbly, another 10 minutes. Top with basil before serving.
