The ‘It’ vegetable for 2014

Move over kale, you are no longer king.

We have seen kale flood the market from everything to chips, smoothies, salad mixes and even milk shakes.

In 2013, kale truly was king.

Don’t get me wrong, I am a long time fan of kale for both its high iron content, antioxidant boost and its fibre content.

However there is a new vegetable king that is quickly emerging.

Gastropost from National Post two weeks ago asked their Gastroposters to decide- Kale vs. Cauliflower. Hundreds of foodies across Canada and my vote was for cauliflower. Cauliflower, a cruciferous vegetable, is in the same plant family as broccoli, kale, cabbage and collards.

The key benefits of cauliflower are

• Anti-Inflammatory due to it’s high vitamin K content
• High in Immune Boosting Vitamin C
• High in Fibre providing 9 grams ( almost 1/3 of your RDI) per 100 calories
• Fights Cancer (Cauliflower contains sulforaphane, a sulfur compound that has also been shown to kill cancer stem cells, thereby slowing tumour growth. Some researchers believe eliminating cancer stem cells may be key to controlling cancer.)
• Boosts Heart Health (Sulforaphane in cauliflower and other cruciferous vegetables has been found to significantly improve blood pressure and kidney function)

Watch for cauliflower popping up on restaurant menus, in soups and stews and my personal favourite, pizza. Enjoy my smart spin on this ‘It’ vegetable for 2014

The ‘ It’ vegetable pizza 

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You truly need to try this to believe it!

Ingredients
1 cup cooked, riced cauliflower (see directions below)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon of garlic salt
Olive oil (optional)
Pizza sauce, shredded cheese and your choice of toppings*

Directions
1. Remove stems and leaves from one head of cauliflower, and chop the florets into chunks.
2. Add to your food processor and pulse until it looks like grain. Do not over-do pulse or you will puree it. (You can also use a cheese grater).
3. Place the “riced” cauliflower into a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for eight minutes (may need to adjust according to your microwave). No need to add water.
Note: One large head will produce 2-3 cups of riced and cooked cauliflower. The remainder can be used to make additional pizza crusts immediately, or can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week.

To make the pizza crust
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Line a baking pan with parchment paper (do not skip this step as the crust will stick otherwise).
3. In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup cauliflower, beaten egg and mozzarella.
4. Add oregano, minced garlic salt, mix well. Transfer the mixture to your cookie sheet, and pat out into a nine inch round.
5. Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes.
6. Remove from oven and let cool. This helps to make the crust more solid.

To make the pizza
1. Add sauce, toppings and cheese.
2. Place under a broiler at high heat just until cheese is melted (approximately 3-4 minutes).
*Toppings need to be precooked since you are only broiling for a few minutes.

Serves 6

Nutrition facts per slice (without toppings)
Calories 73
Saturated fat 2.5 g
Cholesterol 49 mg
Sodium 300 mg
Potassium 85 mg
Carbohydrates 1.8
Fibre 0.5 g
Sugar 0.73 g
Protein 7 g

Want more?

For more recipes  pick up a copy of Live The Smart Way gluten-free and wheat-free cookbook from Kathy Smart, North America’s gluten-free expert and National Health Activist of Canada.

• http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/02/22/cauliflower-health-benefits.aspx
• http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=13
• National Cancer Institute, Cruciferous Vegetables