Cauliflower is just one of many vegetables in the family Brassica oleracea, which belongs to the same family as broccoli and tomatoes. In fact, it is a vegetable with a lot in common with these other vegetables. It reproduces by spores. In most cases, only the young head is consumed - the edible yellow flesh only sometimes referred to as "curd" when cooking. The interior of the vegetable is nutritious, full of vitamins A and C and with a texture similar to butter.
What is so special about cauliflower? Well, it has a mild onion flavor like cabbage and broccoli but it also contains less potassium and more magnesium than either of them. It has a mild flavor. It is low in fiber, but higher in protein than either cabbage or broccoli and it is high in vitamin A, E and K. Its water solubility is better than either cabbage or broccoli and it contains no cholesterol. What's more, cauliflower resembles tiny white grains of rice and is rich in nutrients, but it is not remotely like rice or corn.
These are only a few of the most remarkable qualities of cauliflower. To begin with, it is far lower in calories than either cabbage or broccoli, even cooked. It contains no fat, for some reason, and this makes it great for vegetarian diets. Also, cauliflower does not have a sweet taste, rather it has a somewhat bitter taste that may be improved by adding cream and/or milk.
Cauliflower also has almost two grams of protein per serving, far more than any other vegetable. Of course, it's still far lower than the eight grams of protein found in beans, which is one serving. But if you're looking for a good source of protein, or you just need a good vegetable to add a bit of zest to your meal, cauliflower should be considered. With only about twenty-two grams of calories per serving, it's also very low in saturated fat. And since it is high in potassium and magnesium, it is helpful to keep track of your sodium intake - about two grams of sodium for every one gram of protein, making it a very good addition to low-salt diets.
The only time that I've had problems with eating cauliflower is when I'm trying to lose weight. The high sodium content makes me sluggish, causing me to occasionally eat double the amount of veggies as I should. However, if you don't care about sodium, the rest of the cauliflower is excellent in most ways. The low-calorie count is especially helpful, helping you to stay in shape and cut down on your appetite.
Cauliflower steams are wonderful for stuffing mixes, puddings, soups, sauces, salad dressings and more. It absorbs the flavors of the sauce or dressing very well and adds a great deal of flavor to whatever it's served with. It also works well as a meat substitute, cutting calories and allowing people to enjoy all the different benefits of cauliflower without having to worry about health issues related to the animal meat. If you opt for the steamed kind, you can still enjoy lots of florets, and eating them is a satisfying and healthy way to get a wide variety of vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants in one healthy food.
Many people also avoid cooking cauliflower and cabbage because they fear that the result will be "garden cabbage". This is nothing more than a spongy cauliflower, and while it is usually much easier to cook than most cabbage types, cooking pureed cauliflower often results in a flatter consistency and less flavorful vegetables. While there isn't a huge difference between cabbage and cauliflower, they do have their differences and cooking them can allow you to enjoy both of them at the same time.
Cauliflower rice is a cross between cauliflower and broccoli, and it is a healthy, nutritious alternative to the typical vegetable bulb. Not only does cauliflower rice have a nice texture similar to that of rice, but it tastes just like rice as well. Not only is cauliflower rice a delicious alternative to traditional vegetable dishes, it is also a great healthy alternative to junk food. Try a bowl of this healthy vegetable today, and discover what everyone else has already discovered: cauliflower is awesome!
