Cruciferous vegetables or Brassicas? They're the same. Some members of the delicious, diverse and health-promoting family are cabbages, kale, radishes, bok choi, brussel sprouts, broccoli, kohlrabi and cauliflower, just to name a few.
The term cruciferous comes from the shape of the flower --4 petals arranged in a cross-- of the vegetables in this family. Brassica is the Latin name for this family which means "cabbage." Either way, they are all considered part of the mustard family and contain sulforaphane, a food molecule that in clinical studies has been shown to reduce inflammation, helps with the cellular effects of aging, helps prevent cancer, protects the brain and heart and assists in detoxifying the body, especially the liver.
Absorption in the upper intestine of the nutrients in brassicas happens best when they are eaten fresh from the field and raw. If you are steaming them, chop them and let them sit 10 minutes or so before cooking to let a little chemical magic happen to make the nutrients more available to your body after they are cooked.
Some PLANT BASED RED CABBAGE FLAVOR AFFINITIES AND TECHNIQUES from The Flavor Bible by K. Page and A. Dornenburg:
+ APPLES + CIDER VINEGAR + TEMPEH BACON + BLUE CHEESE* + WALNUTS + BALSAMIC VINEGAR + MAPLE SYRUP (or COCONUT PALM SUGAR) + RED WINE VINEGAR + LOCAL GOAT CHEESE* + FRESH LEMON JUICE + SEA SALT + BLACK PEPPER Techniques: raw, steam, saute, stir-fry, braise, boil (and I like to grill it!)
* If you are living the plant based life use a sprinkle of nutritional yeast or homemade or prepared nut cheese. Click on the recipe titles below to celebrate this beautiful family.
Rise and Shine Fresh-Pressed Juice - yes, you can juice red cabbage! It adds tons of liver-cleansing nutrients, a peppery flavor and amazing color to this fresh and tasty juice