Broccoli Roasted Red Pepper Salad

On Friday I bought four pounds of broccoli for only $1.99 at my favorite gourmet grocery store here in Gig Harbor, WA called Harbor Greens. My husband kept looking at me like I was crazy, "What on earth are you going to do with 4 pounds of broccoli?" Is what he asked me when I got home and was putting away the groceries. "It was a great deal!" I blurted back to him. Then I started wondering what was I going to do with all this broccoli and not to mention 25 pounds of peaches (they were a great deal too, only $10,) but that is another story, for another time.

So my search began for whatever I could find on broccoli. This search led me to a wonderful website http://www.whfoods.com/ This website is moderated by The George Mateljan Foundation. This website is filled with information about every food (not manufactured food) but every natural food known to man.

Broccoli is loaded with nutrients, some of which I did not know about. In one cup of broccoli there is only about 44 calories, 4.66 grams of protein, 123 mg of vitamin C, along with a whole host of other nutrients. No wonder eating broccoli can put a person on the high road to health. There are many health benefits of eating broccoli, but the one that caught my eye was that Sulforaphane, the active compound in broccoli and the other cruciferus vegetables, has the ability to counteract the damage caused by sun exposure (WHFoods.org). Just one more reason why eating broccoli is a good thing.

I also searched the Internet for simple, easy, and nutritious meals to make with broccoli instead of just the ordinary stir-fries and tossing them in salads. I stumbled upon the Vegetarian Times website where they made a nice salad of goat cheese, sun dried tomatoes packed in oil (they are packed in soybean oil) and seared broccoli. I thought the premise of the salad was a good one but since I will not touch any soy the oil packed tomatoes was out. So I continued my search which led me to combine two recipes that I already had. One from a back of the can of Cannelini beans and one for a goat cheese and roasted red pepper salad. I think you will be amazed at the simplicity of this salad and how versatile it can be.

Broccoli, Roasted Red Pepper Salad
Serves 4

4 cups broccoli florets, steamed for 3 minutes in 1 inch of water
1 whole roasted red pepper, chopped
1 can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
Grated rind of one lemon
2 cloves garlic, grated
3 ounces goat cheese or almond goat cheese, crumbled
1 Tablespoon drained capers
3 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

After broccoli has steamed for 3 minutes drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process. mix with the other ingredients in a large bowl gently to keep the goat cheese intact.

Can be served over baked potatoes, brown rice balls, a good gluten free pasta, or the way my husband likes it all by itself.

Try it tell me what you think!