Why would any write a cookbook just about how to make dinner with bags of cruciferous vegetables? And 21 Days of Cruciferous Vegetable Recipes? Who wants to eat that much cruciferous and why?
Our Story
Ten years ago in 2013, I started this collection of recipes. Our cardiologist at the time was promoting a plant-based diet (PBD) for my husband’s cholesterol management. Initially, I was completely against it. I felt my husband and I were not walking heart attacks by any stretch of the imagination. I gritched and groaned, complained and moaned. Even though I was a healthcare professional, I was difficult. Little did I know what I know now – even after years of working in healthcare, that eating mostly, or even only plants, can prevent heart disease and cancer. What a difference 10 years makes.
The cardiologist suggested a variety of documentaries including Forks Over Knives and at least three books to read including The China Study. During those first few years, nothing related to “no meat” was my friend. I couldn’t fathom the idea of not eating meat. Now these books and films are my best friends and so are The Blue Zones, the Reducetarian Foundation, and so many more.
To add fuel to the motivation, pancreatic cancer appears to run in my family. Both my mother and her brother (my uncle) died of pancreatic cancer and I am now on an annual surveillance program. As I was hitting the middle years, and suddenly, a change to eat more plants began to seem like not such a bad thing. As I researched PBDs they are not only good for the cardiovascular system but also, if including cruciferous vegetables, are great at potentially preventing other diseases such as cancer, and dementia and supporting healthy longevity.
At the time, I was a very picky vegetable eater. I grew up in the South. I enjoyed some vegetables but I was not a fan at all of the traditional Southern greens like collards and mustards, slimy green beans, and carrots. As a working healthcare professional, I found adhering to a plant-based or vegetarian diet would take some time to prep and store fresh vegetables. I hated wasting food so over-buying gloriously beautiful and colorful vegetables in the store and then having decaying food in my veggie bins was troublesome at best. So, to make it work, I took it as a challenge.
To the rescue were ready-to-eat salad mixes powered with kale, chicory, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and broccoli, a package of dried fruits and seeds, and a dressing. Salads don’t get much more cruciferous than that! I would probably never stand in the kitchen and prep these vegetables into a salad mix so I was most happy it was done already for me.
These packaged salads were a lifesaver to getting more cruciferous vegetables in our dietary pattern. I stuffed, stewed, souped, and stir-fried my way to 21 recipes that are now our go-to recipes every month. Meatless Monday, Taco Tuesday, and Wok Wednesday jumpstart our week and minds into using these vegetables for lots of cuisines.
Fast forward to 2023
The overarching goal of this continued lifestyle is to get as many cruciferous vegetables in a dish and in a day as quickly as possible. There are so many packaged cruciferous vegetables now – my favorite is currently a kohlrabi blend! I travel quite a bit and check in on grocery stores. There aren’t too many chain grocery stores that don’t have some kind of bagged, cruciferous vegetable salad mixes. Almost every grocery store, including Walmart, Target, and Trader Joe’s, has variations on a theme of a cruciferous mix, alone or with additional mixings to create an Italian, Asian, or Southwest salad. Choose your bags and begin your 21-day journey to get more cruciferous veggies in your life.
The cookbook has been revised with new recipes and is completely plant-based or vegan. Readers can sub back to dairy and meat products should they so desire. No pressure.
Enjoy these recipes! Some of my favorites are Colcannon, Latkes, and Tortilla. But you just can’t go wrong. One or two might be a bit more complicated, but all are meant to provide the home vegan wannabe cook with a variety of easy cuisine options, techniques, and flavors to experience and fall in love with!
READY TO EAT MORE CRUCIFEROUS VEGETABLES FOR YOUR HEALTH?
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