At the newly
designed award-
winning Astra
Lodge, at Falls
Creek ski resort,
Victoria, eye fillet
is served with a
caulif lower and
burnt onion puree.
Executive head chef
Kate Duggan says
caulif lower is a ‘true classic’ in the
vegetable world. “It evokes childhood
memories of warm ’n’ fuzzy winter
cheesy goodness for me,” she says.
“When caulif lower is pureed it has
such a delightful texture that is so
smooth and velvety. Paired with
caramelised onion and a hint of
mustard, it’s an old favourite with
a spin.”
Cauli-power
Whether you eat it steamed,
roasted or curried, caulif lower has
a tonne of health benefits, making
it a great vegetable to add to your
diet. Healthy Life naturopath and
nutritionist Stephanie Watts says
some people may not realise that
caulif lower is a powerhouse of
nutrients, antioxidants and disease-
preventing compounds. “It is the
perfect addition to any detox, with
its high sulphur content, supporting
efficient liver detoxification,”
says Watts.
“It also promotes the clearance
of excess oestrogen, providingwomen with relief from symptoms
of polycystic ovarian syndrome
(PCOS), endometriosis and
premenstrual syndrome.”
As a naturopath, Watts feels the
caulif lower deserves its new title as
a ‘superfood’ due to the compounds
sulforaphane and indole-3-carbinole,
both of which have been shown to play
a role in breast cancer prevention and
reduce the risk of developing estrogen-
dependent cancers.
To get the most out of caulif lower,
Watts suggests steaming or stir-
frying it to maintain its high nutrient
content. “I feel nothing beats the
steamed caulif lower covered in
cheese sauce from my childhood, but
these days I substitute the cheese
sauce with some cashew cheese...
blended with almond milk and
warmed on the stove.”CAULIFLOWER
FACTOIDS
The Nielsen research, published
March 2017, also found that:- Cauliflower is in the fridge of
six in 10 Australian homes. - It is purchased five times
per year on average. - Shoppers spend around $3 each
time they buy cauliflower. - The vegetable is especially
popular in Western Australia
where more than seven in 10
households buy it every year. - When cauliflower is in the shopping
basket, people are most likely to
pair it with broccoli, but broccoli
is more popular in general.
Nutrition
According to Healthy Life, cauliflower
contains some of almost every vitamin
and mineral our bodies need. A single
cup of raw cauliflower contains...- Calories: 25
- Fibre: 3 grams
- Vitamin C: 77% of the RDI
- Vitamin K: 20% of the RDI
- Vitamin B6: 11% of the RDI
- Folate: 14% of the RDI
- Potassium: 9% of the RDI
- Manganese: 8% of the RDI
- Magnesium: 4% of the RDI
Eyal Shani