general characteristics
The culture originated in the Mediterranean countries and was called “Syrian” cabbage. It differed from modern cauliflower in its more bitter taste, late maturity and flower structure. The head of the vegetable had a darker color and a soft creamy texture.
Content:
- general characteristics
- Benefits for the body
- Medicinal use
- Cosmetological use
- Use in cooking
- Cooking recipes
- Storage methods
From Syria, cabbage migrated to Cyprus, and from there to Spain, France, Holland, England and Russia. Cauliflower was grown only by the rich segments of the population and liked to eat it in the winter season. Cauliflower did not grow in the Russian climate, so agronomists had to change the structure and develop a “northern” version of the vegetable. Breeders created the denser, slightly sweeter cabbage we are accustomed to seeing today. Today the vegetable is grown everywhere. Among cruciferous vegetables, cabbage ranks second in terms of scale of cultivation, behind cabbage.
Benefits for the body
We eat shoots, which contain the maximum nutritional value of the product. It contains a large amount of vitamins B, , C, potassium, calcium, sodium and phosphorus. Cauliflower is one of the few plant foods that is high in iron. Of course, its quantity is significantly lower than that of meat products, but, for example, vegetarians should think about including vegetables in their diet.
The dietary value of cruciferous vegetables is well known. Cauliflower is an integral part of a healthy diet; per 100 grams of product there are only 25 calories. Vegetable protein will help you gain and strengthen muscle mass, improve skin color and tone, and constantly cultivate and expend energy potential. Fiber, which is part of the vegetable, stimulates the gastrointestinal tract and significantly speeds up metabolism. Daily consumption of 100-200 grams of the product accelerates metabolism and leads to noticeable weight loss and improved well-being. This is only possible if you switch to a healthy balanced diet, avoid bad habits, and engage in irregular sports.
But do not forget about the carbohydrate component of the vegetable. Based on 100 grams of raw product, we get 5 grams of carbohydrates. 1.9 of them are sugar, which is a fairly high figure.
Consuming sugar in large quantities will negatively affect not only your figure, but also your health.
Advantages and disadvantages
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Medicinal use
Our body absorbs cauliflower best. This is due to the thin cellular structure, which easily passes through the esophagus, is quickly digested and does not irritate the walls of the internal organs. Cauliflower is recommended to be included in children's diets and for gastrointestinal diseases. It is necessary for people with low secretory function of the stomach, peptic ulcers, and problems with bile secretion.
It is recommended to boil the vegetable, eat it pure or as a side dish. Use a small amount of spices or avoid them altogether so as not to irritate the walls of the internal organs.
If you have been diagnosed with gout, we recommend avoiding cauliflower. It contains a large number of purine bases, which can adversely affect the course of the disease.
Contraindications for eating cauliflower
No matter how valuable and nutritious the product is, there are certain categories of people who should avoid using it.
Contraindications include the presence of the following diseases:
- thyroid dysfunction;
- urolithiasis disease;
- gout;
- gastrointestinal disorder.
In addition, the product is prohibited for patients who have recently undergone surgery in the abdomen and chest area.
It is important to exit the cauliflower-based diet correctly, otherwise the lost kilograms will quickly return. You need to switch to the previous diet gradually, replacing 1 cabbage dish daily with a more familiar one.
In this case, the volume of fats and carbohydrates will increase slightly and the body will not begin to accumulate them, which will stabilize the weight.
Cosmetological use
Any vegetable can be turned into a healthy face or hair mask. Cauliflower is no exception. Your skin will receive an excellent charge of vitamins and microelements that will make it bright, radiant, and hide visible imperfections and signs of aging.
To make a mask, boil the inflorescences and grind them through a meat grinder. The resulting puree should be used as the main ingredient of the mask. We recommend enriching the cabbage puree with oils (olive, apricot, almond) or additional food ingredients (cucumber, honey, sour cream, raw egg). Leave the mask on for 5-10 minutes, rinse with warm water and pat dry gently with a towel. The optimal number of procedures is 1 time per week.
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Use in cooking
All parts of the vegetable can be eaten. The inflorescences are usually boiled or baked with meat, fish and other side dishes. You can make dietary vegetable broth from the “leg” of cabbage. The vegetable will give a characteristic bitter taste to the broth, which will complement the overall flavor palette.
Cauliflower can be subjected to all types of heat treatment: steaming, boiling, frying in batter or oil, baking. The main advantage of the product is its nutritional value. Despite the huge amount of vitamins and beneficial elements, the calorie content of the vegetable is minimal. Introduce 200 grams of raw product into your daily diet to speed up metabolism, remove cholesterol, improve the functioning of the digestive system and, accordingly, improve health.
Cauliflower diet
The popularity of the diet is due to two reasons. Firstly, it allows you to quickly lose extra pounds. Secondly, during a diet, beneficial substances are not washed out of the body, but, on the contrary, accumulate.
Nutrition based on cauliflower can be combined with the following products:
- lean meat and fish;
- cereals and vegetables that do not contain starch;
- seafood;
- low-fat milk;
- fruits, berries and greens.
The standard food set is prohibited: sweets, spicy, fried foods, fatty foods, alcohol.
Using any of the permitted additions, an individual menu is developed for the week. Daily calorie content should not exceed 1300 kcal. The ideal option is 900 kcal.
Diet features
The specificity of the diet is that it is ideal for almost everyone. Despite the limited range of permitted foods, it is easy to develop a diet that will remain satisfying.
Characteristics of cauliflower-based nutrition:
- In parallel with weight loss, intestinal cleansing occurs;
- the condition of the skin, hair and nails improves;
- cholesterol levels decrease.
Despite the obvious benefits, you cannot stick to this diet for a long time, as it will harm your health. The maximum possible course duration is 2 weeks.
What results should I expect and when?
The diet is considered one of the most efficient. The first results will be noticeable within a week. The number of kilograms lost depends on the average calorie content of the dishes consumed.
If it was minimal, then, as a rule, the scales show minus 7–8 kg. If you have partial food restrictions, you will not be able to lose more than 3 kg in a week.
Cooking recipes
Cauliflower baked with creamy sauce
We will need:
- cauliflower – 400 g;
- lactose-free butter – 1 tablespoon;
- durum wheat flour – 1 tablespoon;
- cream (10%) – 500 ml;
- grated hard cheese – 150 g;
- spices to taste.
Cooking method
Wash the cauliflower, separate into florets and boil in salted boiling water. Cooking time – 10 minutes. Drain the inflorescences in a colander and let dry. Fry flour and cream in butter, bring the mixture to a boil and add cheese. As soon as the cheese starts to melt, add your favorite spices.
Take a baking dish, lay out the inflorescences and pour in the prepared creamy sauce. Bake at 180°C for 25-30 minutes.
Cauliflower in batter
We will need:
- cauliflower – 400 g;
- chicken egg – 4 pcs;
- cow's milk - ½ cup;
- durum wheat flour – 100 g;
- olive oil – 2 tablespoons.
Cooking method
Prepare the batter: mix milk, vegetable oil, yolks, add flour and whipped whites. Mix the ingredients until a homogeneous mixture is obtained. Wash and boil the cauliflower (5-7 minutes). Dip the finished inflorescences in batter and fry until golden brown.
Quiche with cauliflower
We will need:
- cauliflower – 300 g;
- chicken egg – 2 pcs;
- low-fat sour cream – 120 ml;
- mustard (Dijon or regular) – 1 tablespoon;
- hard cheese – 70 g;
- salt, pepper, spices to taste.
Cooking method
Buy puff pastry at the store or prepare it yourself according to any recipe. Place the vegetable in boiling water for 3-5 minutes, then transfer to a large, wide container. Line a wire rack with baking paper and place the cakes on it. Cut the hard cheese into small cubes and place it on the crust. Separate the cabbage into florets and place on the wire rack with the crust and cheese. Prepare the sauce: mix a chicken egg, low-fat sour cream, mustard, a pinch of salt, pepper and Provençal herbs. Pour the prepared sauce over the quiche and place in a preheated oven. The oven should be preheated to 200°C. Total cooking time is 40 minutes. 10-15 minutes before readiness, add the necessary spices to the quiche.
Storage methods
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There are 4 simple ways to store cauliflower.
Method No. 1
Trim the roots, carefully remove the top leaves, tie twine (or any other dense thread) around the stalk and hang it perpendicular to the surface. It is important that the cabbage is hung at a certain distance from other vegetables, the edges should not touch. In a suspended state, the vegetable is stored for 30 days.
Method No. 2
Dig up the unripe cabbage and leave it to “ripen” in a dry place without access to sunlight. It is important that the air circulates normally in the room and that the temperature does not exceed +4°C. Ripening can last 2-3 months.
Method No. 3
Compact the inflorescences with leaves into plastic or plywood boxes. Cover the vegetables with film and leave them in a dry place out of direct sunlight. Cabbage can be stored for 60 days.
Method No. 4
Cut the inflorescences, separate them from the leaves, rinse thoroughly, dry, wrap in a craft or plastic bag and place in the freezer. You can lightly boil the vegetable first (no more than 5 minutes). The shelf life of frozen cabbage is 12 months. We recommend freezing vegetables in the fall to ensure constant access to nutritious food throughout the winter. All you need to do is take some vegetables out of the bag and immediately place them in boiling water. Frozen vegetables will cook much faster than fresh ones.
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