For the Love of Broccoli Rabe

I have always had a love affair with this leafy green vegetable. Before I ate raw I would saute it up with some olive oil and garlic with a sprinkle of toasted pine nuts. When I went raw I was so sad that I couldn't enjoy it anymore. Then I found out about massaged kale salad and I skipped the kale and went right to the rapini. I was in heaven. Coming off my juice feast I have been craving this so much I can't stop eating it. In fact I had it for breakfast this morning!

This leafy green has many different names including raab, rapa, rapine, rappi, rappone, fall and spring raab, turnip broccoli, taitcat, Italian or Chinese broccoli, broccoli rape, broccoli de rabe, Italian turnip, and turnip broccoli although it is best known here in the US as broccoli rabe or rapini.

It comes from the Mediterranean and China. I didn't realize that it was so widely used in Chinese cooking. Apparently it is the most popular vegetable in Hong Kong although the Chinese version is said to be lighter green and less bitter in taste. I am most familiar with the Italian style and that is how I eat it.

Although it's name would lead you to believe it is a member of the broccoli family that would be inaccurate. It is actually a decedent of a wild herb and part of the turnip family. It has a nutty, bitter taste rather like mustard greens. It is a source of vitamins A, C, and K, as well as potassium. You can buy it all year long, but its peak season is from fall to spring.

When buying these delicious greens look for bright green leaves that are crisp and not wilted. It will have small broccoli buds that may have yellow flower buds which are edible. Avoid any bunches that have yellowing leaves however.

To prepare the greens for raw dishes you will want to cut off the bottom stems that are tough and discard. Chop the remaining greens and buds up to make them easier to massage. Sprinkle with some good quality Celtic or Himalayan salt and get your hands in there to begin massaging. Of course we all know that the best Italian food is made with love so send your loving thoughts to your greens while you squeeze. You will be surprised at how quickly they will begin to wilt and take on that traditional cooked appearance.

Because some of the stems are thick I prefer to let the broccoli rabe sit out on the counter for a while to marinate and then I let it marinate in the refrigerator overnight. Before eating I either bring it back out onto the counter for a while to take the chill off or I put it in the dehydrator for a bit.

You can keep it simple and just add a bit of good quality cold pressed olive oil and garlic or you can go to town and add all kinds of things like mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes, pine nuts, olives, fresh tomatoes, onion, red pepper flakes. Whatever sounds yummy will be.

Fun, Fun, Fun in the Kitchen

What a wonderful day of eating I had today. I woke up around 7:00 and drove my son to school for his baseball game. I headed off to the store to pick up a few things and it was so fun to be able to go into different sections of the produce aisle.

When I got home I started preparing food for the day. It was so fun. First I made a Sweet and Sour Sauce from Snowdrop that I have made before that I think it so delicious.

Sweet and Sour Sesame Sauce
¾ c nama shoyu
¾ c honey (or agave)
2 cloves garlic
1 pc ginger as big as your thumb (equal to the amount of garlic approx)
2 T sesame seeds
2 T coconut oil
1 t sesame oil
2 t red pepper flakes

Chop the garlic & ginger so it doesn’t jam under your blades, and put all into the food processor and blend till the veggies are well pureed. The seeds will float up with the oils when left standing, that’s ok, just stir when using.

I put some broccoli slaw mix, bean sprouts, shitake mushrooms, cilantro, and green onions, in a bowl and mixed them with half of the sauce. I let it sit out on my counter for the day and get nice and soft. When I ate it for dinner later I drained off the liquid and added some more sauce on top. Yum!

Then I made some more of my special Broccoli Rabe.
1 bunch rapini chopped
celtic sea salt
olive oil
2 cloves of garlic minced
4-6 sun dried tomatoes chopped
6 mini portabella musrooms sliced
red onion chopped
1 med tomato chopped

I simply chop up the rapini and massage it with some celtic sea salt. Then I drizzle some olive oil over it. I added the rest of the ingredients and let it sit on the counter for the day. I will then move it into the refrigerator until the next day. You could put it in the dehydrator to warm it instead.

Last but not least I made some marinara sauce from Alissa Cohen's book, Living on Live Food. I love this sauce. It is so delicous and comes together quickly in the food processor. I made some zucchini noodles with my peeler (I have to get the saladacco!!! ), added some spinach that I massaged for a quick minute and some mini portabellas. I mixed the marinara with it and put it aside. I had plenty of marinara left over.

In less than an hour I had 3 meals prepared and ready to go with enough sauce left over to make at least 2 more dishes too! How cool is that? I was very excited.

The only thing I would have done differently is that I would not have mixed the zucchini with the marinara sauce until I was ready to eat it. It released too much water that I had to drain off and it still was a bit watery when I ate it. It still tasted delicious though. I knew about this but I forgot. It's been a while since I made that.


What a great raw day. I am loving food again and enjoying the ease of preparation and planning. I haven't introduced nuts back into my diet yet for a couple of reasons. The number one reason is that my stomach is a bit tender and nuts are harder to digest so I figure I will just wait and see what happens for a while. I am not craving them yet so I will just enjoy life without them for a while.