Culinary Curiosities!

Todays post is short, sweet, and very practical!

This week I challenge you to take a fun food "risk." My challenge to you is to go to your grocery store or farmer's market, and pick out an organic fruit or vegetable that you have NEVER had before. Better yet, choose a fruit or vegetable that you have never even HEARD of before! As you are browsing the market or store, allow your body's natural intuition to guide you to the food that is most appealing, satisfying and exciting to you! If you follow your excitement, chances are pretty darn good that your body will benefit big time from the item you are attracted to. When you get home, do a little research to discover any tricks in preparing the item. There may be special ways to peel, cut or serve the produce that are important to know.

I offer this challenge because I did just that today, and it was so much fun! I bought organic broccoli leaves. I have had plenty of broccoli throughout my life, but never the leaves! When I got home I did some research and learned that broccoli leaves are a richer source of beta-carotene than either the stems or the florets. Plus, they are an excellent source of carotenoids and vitamin A. (In fact, they provide 16000 IU of vitamin A per 100 g, which is several times greater than in the flower head!)

I ate my leaves in two ways. First I sauteed a few leaves with a little olive oil, shallots and garlic. It was SO delicious! The other half I blended in my vitamix with lemon, coconut water, frozen pineapple and cucumber. This was also SO delicious (although to be fair, I couldn't really taste the unique flavor of the leaves like I could with the first dish, but I felt good knowing the nourishment I was feeding my body!)

When you bring this level of excitement and newness to your palate, you will not only expand your culinary horizons, but you will also be engaging with food in a mindful, fun and curious way. When you enter the kitchen with that sort of vibration, you create a relationship with your food and body that is incredibly energizing, nourishing and (of course) fun!

I'm sending you all love and light :-)