Lola Berry serves up a nutritious Broccolini rainbow bowl recipe

Nutritionist, author and podcaster Lola Berry shows you how to up your nutritional intake using Broccolini.

Did you know that half a cup of cooked Broccolini provides about a third of your recommended daily amount of immunity-boosting folate? Or that every standard-sized bunch of Broccolini accounts for two and a half of your five recommended daily servings of veggies?

The long, lean, tender stems and feathery florets of the humble Broccolini don’t always get the buzz they deserve. Most Australians would probably eat more of the vegetable – which sits somewhere between broccoli and gai lan – if they knew just how good it was for them, and just how easy it is to assimilate its non-aggressive flavour profile into their recipes. It’s mild, sweet and tender, with a peppery edge.

“Broccolini is loaded with health benefits,” says the Australian nutritionist, author and podcaster Lola Berry. “It’s part of the cruciferous brassica family and is related to broccoli, kale, cabbage, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts. It’s one of the best wholefood sources of fibre and is packed with plant calcium, magnesium, vitamin A and a wallop of B vitamins.”

While deftly sneaking more vegetables into our diets is Berry’s modus operandi, the wellness expert says the key to getting healthy eating habits to stick around for the long run is to make your meals more enjoyable.

“It’s all about making meals you like, and then tweaking them just a tad to up their health benefits and nutritional value,” she says.

Broccolini makes a hardworking and flavoursome side for protein mains such as steak, salmon, chicken, chickpeas and tofu. Using this sprightly green, great for the gut and our skin, is a fast and easy way to make basic meals more nutrient dense. Gently saute Broccolini in a pan with butter or olive oil for five minutes – or steam it for the same amount of time – then season with a drizzle of lemon or olive oil, salt flakes, pepper and a bit of love.

Berry’s ultimate enjoyable meal combination is a wholesome Broccolini rainbow bowl that she likes to make on the days she practises yoga. Think: Broccolini, roast sweet potato, tomatoes, eggs, avocado, sauerkraut, hummus and almonds on a bed of spinach.

“This is what you’d call a macro bowl or Buddha bowl,” she says. “The hero ingredient is Broccolini because it’s jam-packed with health benefits.

“It’s essentially a really simple knock-up bowl that you can tailor to suit you. It’s really yummy with halloumi or feta, if you’re cool with dairy, and you can always ditch the eggs and you have a vegan delight.”

Here’s Berry’s easy, and absolutely delicious, recipe. Enjoy it for any meal of the day.

RECIPE: Lola Berry’s Broccolini rainbow bowl (serves 2, prep: 15 minutes)

(Dairy free, gluten free, fructose friendly)

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch Broccolini

• 1 teaspoon black (or white) sesame seeds or pumpkin seeds

• 1 sweet potato, scrubbed and chopped into bite-sized chunks (or 2cm hunks)

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

• Pinch of paprika

• Salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper

• 2 handfuls baby spinach leaves, washed and dried

• 8-10 cherry tomatoes, halved

• 1 avocado, sliced

• 1/2 cup sauerkraut (or kimchi; I just use store bought)

• 1/2 cup hummus (you can make one or go for store bought; there are some really clean store-bought ones these days, just watch out for the added seed oils and go for organic if you get the chance)

• 2 eggs

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C.

2. Spread the sweet potato on a baking tray and drizzle over the olive oil. Add the paprika, salt and pepper, then rub the oil and spices into the potato until it’s well coated. Roast for about 25 minutes or until the potato is crispy. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

3. Meanwhile, place the Broccolini in a steamer over a medium heat and cook for 4-5 minutes or until it turns a lovely bright green. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and set aside.

4. To assemble your salad, take two serving bowls and place a handful of baby spinach in the base of each one to create a little pillow for all your other goodies. On top, arrange the Broccolini, tomatoes, avocado, sauerkraut, hummus and sweet potato in separate little mounds.

5. While you’re assembling your salad bowls, bring water to the boil and boil 4 eggs (2 eggs per person). For soft-medium boiled I love 6-7 minutes. Then let them sit for an extra minute, then run them under cold water to make the peeling process easier.

6. To serve, add a sprinkle of your favourite nuts and/or seeds. I use almonds, chia seeds and sesame seeds. Then take a snap for social media, because you’ll be so proud of how amazing this looks!

Tip: To speed things up, you can roast some sweet potato the day before. Also, I just love the runny yolks in this recipe, but you can cook your eggs any way you like.

Original blog: The Guardian