Salad with broccoli, chickpeas, olives and anchovies

Today’s recipe, in addition to being very easy to make and being tasty, is a rich source of health thanks to its ingredients.

The main ingredient of this lipidomic bowl is BROCCOLI.

Belonging to the cruciferous family along with cabbage, cauliflower, savoy cabbage and Brussels sprouts, broccoli are a powerful combination of nutrients. 100 grams of broccoli equal to 150 percent of the vitamin C recommended daily amount. Broccoli also contain important minerals, from zinc to iron, B and K vitamins, antioxidants and proteins.

Let’s find out in detail what benefits broccoli bring to our health:

• CANCER PREVENTION

A regular consumption, without overcooking, would be able to prevent the organic damage caused by exposure to pollution and provide powerful protection from oxidative stress responsible for aging and cellular deterioration. It is a green weapon against cancer, and is also useful as liver detox.

• CHOLESTEROL REDUCTION

Broccoli are rich in fiber and help lower cholesterol.

• DIABETES PREVENTION

Sulforaphane is much more abundant in broccoli than in other vegetables; it is a compound that can decrease glucose production.

• BONE HEALTH

Due to the presence of sulforaphane, broccoli can prevent or slow the progress of osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis.

• EYE HEALTH

This food is rich in vitamin A, which is useful for eye health.

• SKIN HEALTH

They also contain plenty of vitamin C, which is a very powerful antioxidant that can help fight skin damage caused by sun exposure and pollution.

• DIGESTION IMPROVEMENT

Fibers contained in broccoli have a positive effect on the health of the digestive tract: they facilitate bowel movement and the proper passage of food through the intestine, thus preventing constipation.

CHICKPEAS are the other key ingredient in today’s recipe, thanks to their beneficial properties: in fact, in addition to being excellent sources of vegetable protein, fiber, vitamins (especially of the B group) and minerals that are very important for the well-being of the body, such as magnesium, phosphorus and iron (useful in cases of anemia), they contain saponins, useful to reduce cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood. The fibers and the proteins they contain promote satiety and gastrointestinal health.

Since the fatty acid content in chickpeas is mainly due to polyunsaturated omega-6 (linoleic acid) and monounsaturated omega-9 (oleic acid), with the addition of ANCHOVIES as a source of omega-3 (EPA and DHA) and OLIVES as source of omega-9, we obtain a complete and very balanced recipe for a lipidomic meal.

This tasty, very easy-to-make bowl with seasonal broccoli, chickpeas, Taggiasca olives and anchovy fillets can be prepared in advance and served warm or at room temperature, as a side dish or along with the appetizer, with bruschetta. A quick but really tasty and flavorful dish… try our LIPIDOMIC BOWL!

LIPIDOMIC BOWL – RECIPE

Ingredients fo 4 persons

2 Broccoli
400 g Chickpeas (already boiled)
2 tablespoons Taggiasca olives
1 clove garlic
1 pinch chili pepper
extra virgin olive oil
4/5 fillets of anchovies
Salt
Pepper

Preparation:

Wash the broccoli and divide the florets.

Heat a pan with extra virgin olive oil and a clove of garlic, add the broccoli and sauté for a few moments.

Season with salt and pepper and cook for about 10 minutes with the pan covered, twisting every now and then. If necessary, wet the bottom with a tablespoon or two of water.

When the broccoli are cooked but still firm, add the chickpeas (drained of their water) and the taggiasca olives.

Adjust salt if necessary and cook for 4 to 5 minutes more, or to your taste. With the heat off, add four to five anchovy fillets.

The recipe can also work very well with Romanesco cabbage or cauliflower. For a lighter version, you can boil broccoli in salted water, combine them with the other ingredients and season raw.