The Azul kitchen: Broccoli with toasted almonds

Don’t forget to eat your greens! This month Jo makes it just that bit easier for us to get the benefits of super-nutritious broccoli. This delicious side-dish always goes down well at the villa retreat… even amongst those who aren’t normally keen on broccoli. So even if you’re not a fan (especially if you’re not a fan!) give this a try and let us know what you think. Or if you are already a broccoli lover and have a favourite way to serve it, feel free to share it with us in the comments section.
Broccoli with toasted almonds and sea salt

Ingredients

  • A handful of almonds
  • 300g broccoli
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Sea salt to taste

Directions

  1. Chop the almonds coarsely and toast in a dry pan on medium heat until slightly browned. Set aside.
  2. Rinse the broccoli and break into large florets. Steam for 5 minutes. If you don’t have a steamer you can use a small pot with 1cm of water.
  3. Put the broccoli in a salad bowl. Add olive oil and sea salt. Top with toasted almonds. Serve warm or cold.

Recipe nutrition facts

  • Broccoli gets overcooked easily, and when overcooked it tastes awful and loses nutrients. It should maintain its fresh green colour after being cooked.
  • Apart from being packed with vitamins and minerals, broccoli has antioxidant properties.
  • Broccoli has more vitamin C than many citrus fruits.
  • It has almost as much calcium as whole milk, and the calcium is better absorbed.
  • The most powerful nutritional value of broccoli comes from the isothiocyanates it contains. Isothiocyanates are a class of very potent anti-carcinogens (cancer-fighting substances).