Healing Foods Event - Broccoli :)

'Healing Foods Event' aims at focusing one food item, every month by highlighting their health benefits and challenging you to come up with recipes in their most 'healthy form'. It was started by Siri and this month I am guest hosting the event with the theme Broccoli.

The reason I chose Brocoli is I myself want to know different recipes of it. I hardly know any recipe from brocoli :). So this event is going to help me by adding to my food knowledge.

Broccoli (from the Italian plural of broccolo, referring to "the flowering top of a cabbage") is a plant of the Kale family Brassicaceae (formerly Cruciferae). It is classified in the Italica cultivar group of the species Brassica oleracea. Broccoli has large flower heads, usually green in color, arranged in a tree-like fashion on branches sprouting from a thick, edible stalk. The mass of flower heads is surrounded by leaves. Many varieties of broccoli are perennial. Broccoli most closely resembles cauliflower, which is a different cultivar group of the same species.

Broccoli's noteworthy nutrients include vitamin C, vitamin A (mostly as beta-carotene), folic acid, calcium, and fiber. While the calcium content of one serving doesn't equal that of a glass of milk, broccoli is an important calcium source for those who don't consume dairy products. Calcium does more than build strong bones. Research shows that this mineral may play a role in the control of high blood pressure, and it may work to prevent colon cancer.

Beta-carotene and vitamin C are important antioxidants that have been linked to a reduced risk of numerous conditions, including cataracts, heart disease, and several cancers.

Come let's go green this November and make some special dishes (simple or complex , rice or daals, sandwiches or noodles) ....which must contain Broccoli.
If your dish contain Broccoli as main ingredient it would great :).

Guidelines for the event:

1. Create any dish using Broccoli and post the same in your blog. You could use any variety of spinach. Non-Bloggers can send their recipes with the details mentioned below to the same email address.

2. Please link this announcement in your posts. Also link to Siri's blog.Usage of the logo is optional.

3. Multiple entries are more than welcome - more the merrier!

4. Send your details - Name, Recipe URL and Photo (any size, optional) to spicemantra(at)live(dot)com before Nov 30th 2010, midnight.

5. You can send previously blogged entries, provided they are re-posted!

Happy Cooking!