Cook Broccoli Rabe for Health and Good Taste Benefits

 

Brimming with the flavors of the Mediterranean, my recipe for Broccoli Rabe with Garlicky Greens, Chickpeas, and Lemon Juice is sublime.

 

Despite its name, Broccoli Rabe is not part of the broccoli family. Broccoli Rabe is closely related to turnips, although cooked like a leafy vegetable.

 

It is a cruciferous vegetable and belongs to the same genus (Brassicas) as cabbage, cauliflower, and kale. In some regions, Broccoli Rabe is known as Broccoli Rapini or Raab.

 

Broccoli Rabe is rich in nutrients and has many health benefits. It is a great source of vitamin A and vitamin C (ascorbic acid), which contributes to good vision and better immunity, respectively.

It’s also rich in potassium, which is important for regulating blood pressure, and magnesium, which our bodies use to produce energy.

Note: This blog post is intended for information and entertainment purposes only and not meant as nutrition advice. 

This dish is a combination of sweet, sour, bitter, and umami flavors. Its whole food ingredients provide plant based energy and fiber from its dark green leaves, stems, and florets. Protein rich beans, piquant lemon juice, herbs, and spices complete the mix.

See my easy to make recipe for  Sautéed Broccoli Rabe. It's a simple, taste tempting dish.

Fresh and invigorating minced garlic, spicy red pepper flakes, and tangy lemon juice blend together to awaken even the sleepiest taste buds.

If cooked right, this tender, juicy side dish or light on the wallet and waistline main course has a slightly bitter yet appealing flavor. It's especially warming and comforting to eat during the winter, when Broccoli Rabe is in-season here.

Sautéed Broccoli Rabe

Ingredients:

1 large bunch organic Broccoli Rabe (about 1 lb.) rinsed in cool clean water and bottom of stems removed

4-6 cloves fresh garlic minced (adjust to taste)

1 large lemon squeezed for juice

1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans) rinsed and drained or substitute another bean or legume of your choice 

1 or two teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes to taste

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, or vegetable broth, or water, or combo

salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Optional Ingredients: sweet minced onion, capers, black pitted olives, pre-cooked pasta, quinoa, or brown rice, cooked Yukon gold potatoes, tofu cubes, tempeh slices, other type of bean or legume, nutritional yeast, and Italian herbs and spices like basil and oregano.

What to Do:

1. Prep Broccoli Rabe like this.

2. Cook on medium heat. Sauté garlic in oil (broth or water) until golden, and give the red pepper flakes about 30 seconds or so to infuse into the oil as well.

3. Pour in chickpeas and spices and herbs. Allow for creativity to blossom. Add a combination of optional ingredients like those above and sauté covered for 10-15 minutes more. 

Make sure the garlic, red pepper flakes, and chickpeas are mixed into the pot well—if they settle to the bottom without moving, they may burn.

4. Taste and correct seasoning. Drizzle on lemon juice before serving to draw out flavors. If the Broccoli Rabe tastes too bitter for you, cook another few minutes. The longer Broccoli Rabe simmers the mellower it tastes.

5. Serve while hot with crusty bread and soup or a salad. 

Another option is to serve Broccoli Rabe on a bed of pasta, quinoa, or rice. 

Look at the photo below. Sautéed Broccoli Rabe was so tasty and tender when combined with elbow macaroni and marinara tomato sauce, an easy-peasy new creation.

 

Here's a photo of Broccoli Rabe served with Potato Salad and Cole Slaw.

Did you ever eat or make Broccoli Rabe? Do you know how it was prepared? Please explain in the comments section below. 

What cruciferous veggies do you enjoy eating and how do you prepare them? Please share that info too.

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If you like what you see, please share on social media. Thanking you in advance for your comments and social media support.

Happy 2025! Wishing you much health, happiness, and harmony in the coming months. Please don't forget to check back soon at Colors 4 Health, the place where colors and a healthy lifestyle intersect.

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Why I Adore Eating Bananas

 

I adore eating bananas, because they supply a host of health benefits, wear eye-catching bright yellow peels, and taste delicious any way they are served.

Fresh bananas are one of the world's most popular fruits and can be purchased year-round. 

In the U.S., each person eats, on average, 13.4 pounds (6 kilograms) of bananas per year. 

A 2021 survey reveals bananas are the most widely purchased fruit among U.S. consumers.

Look below and see why I adore eating bananas and simple, healthy ways to serve them.

Bananas are loaded with nutrients including potassium and vitamin B6. 

"One large banana is about 8- to 9-inches long and equal to one serving of fruit. It has about 120 calories and 490 milligrams of potassium. That’s 19% of a woman’s daily potassium needs and 15% of a man’s. 

Potassium can remove sodium from the human body and relax blood vessel walls, which helps manage blood pressure. 

Bananas are also a good source of vitamin B6, which is essential for the immune system, nervous system, and brain."

Bananas contain 8% of the DV of magnesium, another mineral that’s important for heart health.Trusted Trusted Source

Magnesium deficiency may be linked to an increased risk of heart disease, elevated blood pressure, and high levels of fats in the blood. 

Bananas are also a good source of prebiotics. Those are the carbs you don’t digest, but they’re a food source for the more-popular probiotics. Probiotics help support health promoting bacteria found in your gut. 

Probiotics can help reduce diarrhea people get after they take some antibiotics, reduce yeast and urinary tract infections (UTIs), treat some gastrointestinal infections, and ease irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Bananas are economical even in organic form, making them a thrifty fruit choice to add to meals and snacks.

Bananas are versatile, and their pleasing aroma, flavor, and texture makes banana recipes shine.

This golden yellow fruit is the color of sunshine and its color energy perks up mind, body, and spirit with increased optimism. 

A banana's golden yellow wrapper serves as an on-the-go care package for those who travel away from home. 

It's convenient to take a banana to work, school, the gym, or whenever you need a healthful, portable pick me up.

Look below for easy banana recipes 

and delicious serving suggestions

First up is a recipe for Homemade Baked Banana Chips from Laura at MOMables. Her video and post  shows how to make a simple yet scrumptious banana snack the whole family will love. 

Next up is Mel, the creator of A Virtual Vegan who shares her recipe for Vegan Banana Smoothie. If you want a gluten free version, make sure the oats you use are labelled gluten-free.

Next is a serving suggestion from yours truly that's easy, colorful, and nutritious. Two of my favorite kinds of fruit (organic bananas and organic raspberries) are placed on a platter, and topped with a sprig of mint to create a luscious dessert.

The finale is 

Dreamy Vegan Banana Smoothie 

by Nancy Andres

I love to cool off with a thick, creamy banana smoothie, especially on a sultry summer day. 

 

When I notice I have extra ripe bananas (those dappled with spots) hanging on the banana rack, I cut bananas into 1/4 in. round slices and place the bounty into one or two airtight glass jars or glass storage containers. 

I mark them with masking tape tags- “frozen bananas” and add the date I saved them. Then I pop them in the freezer for up to a month, to use later in smoothies.   

I live sustainably and one of my mottos is "waste not."  

Need a quick breakfast or a healthy snack? Reach for a container of frozen bananas, and make this fun recipe soon.

Dreamy Vegan Banana Smoothie tastes refreshing when made with frozen bananas, but you can use unfrozen ripe bananas in a pinch. 

Frozen bananas help to chill the smoothie and make it extra thick and creamy, similar to a milkshake. 

If you use fresh bananas, you may want to blend in a few ice cubes to chill the smoothie.

Ingredients:

1 cup ¼ in. round sliced frozen bananas (approx. 1 large banana)

½ cup unsweetened coconut, soy, or almond yogurt

½ cup unsweetened coconut, almond, or soy milk

¼ real vanilla or almond extract (if you use vanilla or almond flavored yogurt omit the extract)

Optional ingredients: 1 teaspoon almond or cashew butter, sprinkle of chia or flax seeds, and fresh pineapple, mango, strawberries or melon, etc.

 

What to do:

1. Assemble a lg. banana with other ingredients (layer) and place in the bowl of a blender. Blend on high speed until this drink is the consistency you enjoy. 

2. If some items stick together, turn off blender and remove the glass bowl from the base. Give the ingredients a swirl. Then, blend until smooth, adding more milk if needed to reach desired consistency.

3. Pour into a chilled glass and add a cinnamon stick, sprig of fresh mint, or slice of lime or lemon if desired.

This recipe serves 1 thirsty person and is best if used immediately.

To make multiple smoothies for family and friends, it's wise to make one smoothie at a time. 🍌

Did you know and understand these interesting details about bananas? Which information is new to you?

What reasons do you have for eating bananas?

Do you have a favorite way to eat or drink bananas?

Please explain in the comments section below.

I read and appreciate every comment. Just please don't put links in your comments, as I can't publish them that way. Thanks for understanding.

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This post is intended for information and entertainment purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Consult with a health provider for that.

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Top Reasons to Practice Gratitude with Tips to Help You Do It

It's simple to develop or deepen a gratitude practice, yet the impact it makes on well-being is phenomenal. 

This post has been updated 5/o7/2024

Gratitude Helps You:

See goodness in your life, instead of taking it for granted.

Improve your sense of well-being.

Enhance relationships.

Shift perspective to positives.

Reduce stress.

Lighten your mood.

Create energy that helps you feel fully alive.

Empower yourself.

Generate compassion and generosity toward others.

Tap into the lovingkindness inside you.

Kindle inspiration and creativity.

Sleep contentedly.

Integrate mind with body to boost immune system, develop resilience to setbacks, and lower blood pressure.

💗

See what I mean? Giving thanks stimulates those warm, fuzzy, feelings as well as improves overall wellness.

Please try the techniques listed below. Each is intended to help you make a gratitude practice a mindful part of your self-care plan.

3 Tips to Help with a Gratitude Practice

1. Write in a Gratitude Journal 

Designate a paper bound notebook or journal as a gratitude journal. Use a pen with ink in the color you consider to be a grateful  color. Try using a marker, chalk, or colored pencils if you prefer. 

Journal writing is a tangible, grounding way to acknowledge and record the gifts in your life. Writing with colors adds color energy to the mix, and helps you tune into your senses and the present moment. 

Whether you journal every day, three times a week, or once a week, commit to a regular time to journal. Then, honor your commitment. 

💗

2. Send thank-you notes  

Handwritten thank-you notes are a meaningful way to show others you were touched by their words, gestures, hospitality, understanding, time, or effort. The note can be brief, but make it as specific as possible. Mention the other person's act of kindness, and what it meant to you.

Sit down with your children, after they have received a gift. Discuss the idea that presents and other acts of kindness like a new book or toy or an outing to the beach with a friend's family aren't their birthright. 

Teach kids a valuable life lesson by following through. This is a good way to help children develop a lifelong practice of acknowledging gifts in their lives. If they are too young to write, a picture can say thank you too.

Make gratitude part of your self-care routine. Notice those people who make your life richer. The first month, send one of them a written thank you note. Then look for and send a thank you note to someone the next month, and so on.  Then, take a moment to write and mail a thank you note to yourself.

Be kind and send a simple thank you note or at least call when you receive a gift. Set a good example for your children. Express your thanks in person, email, or over the phone.

Just remember, nothing beats a thank-you note written on paper and sent in an envelope. It conveys the message that you took time to do it, and are grateful for that person's thoughtfulness. In fact, it can turn an acquaintance into a friend. 

💗

3. Curtail complaining for 24 hours 

This is a big one. Rather than find fault with others or yourself, make a healthier choice and search for hope and possibility in every situation. 

This applies to difficult people or conditions at work, at home, in your community, with social contacts, and with world leaders and issues. 

A challenging or stressful incident can teach you much about your inner strengths, and heighten patience, courage, and resourcefulness. 

First, admit you're uncomfortable when people don't act the way you think is right or things don't go your way. 

Look at this need to control with self-compassion. Then use kind eyes to lighten your perspective. A  gentle attitude helps reduce anxiety, stress, and self judgment. 

Non-attachment allows you to observe which things you are powerless over, or reveals solutions you may not have thought of before. 

Use this practice of not complaining one day at a time, and each day start fresh. Observe things without finding fault, and you'll have clear vision about what is working in your life.

Gratitude Improves Your Outlook

The Health and Relationship Benefits of Gratitude, what health pros have found.

Gratitude and Adolescent Materialism and Generosity.

Easy Strategies to Use Colors to Draw Gratitude into Your Life.

💗

Before you go please comment in the space provided below.

What helps you focus on gratitude and what happens when you do?

Which of the 3 gratitude development practices above haven't you tried, but appeal to you? Please explain.

Have you reaped the rewards of a gratitude practice? In what ways?

Please don't put links in your comment, as I won't be able to publish it that way.

Thanks for the visit and know that I'm grateful for YOU! 💗

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