The Antioxidant Express : Broccoli Fennel and Goji Berry Salad with Blueberry Vinaigrette

Need an antioxidant boost? This is a very quick post about a spontaneous salad I just made and had to share with you. I believe it may impart superhero powers. (Be careful). Well. I can't climb walls quite yet but it did give a distinct bounce to my step.

This salad is super simple: broccoli, fennel, and dried goji berries - all three jam-packed with antioxidants and vitamins. But you can sub dried cranberries or other dried fruit if you don't have goji berries on hand. Also feel free to use your own favourite vinaigrette on it. This blueberry vinaigrette is one I made up because I had a bit of juice from some frozen blueberries that I strained for another recipe (for an upcoming post!).

In my last post, I mentioned Jo Robinson's book Eating on The Wild Side which is such a fascinating read. And I apologize in advance because the fact that I'm so enthralled by this book at the moment means I'll be geeking-out on you for the next little while, and spewing out all kinds of little nutrition tidbits I'm learning about. So here's what I just learned about broccoli which I did not know before. The powerful cancer-fighting properties and overall super-nutritiousness of broccoli, I already knew about, but what I didn't know is that broccoli loses all those wonderful nutrients extremely fast. Sadly, by the time it has gone through storage and transport and ends up on your supermarket shelf (usually about 10 days), it has lost 80% of its glucosinolates, 75% of its flavonoids, and 50% of its vitamin C. Aka, the good stuff. So it's very important to buy broccoli directly at a farmer's market, where you can ask the farmer when it was harvested (usually the previous day!). Or even better, grow it yourself! Jo Robinson recommends you immediately put the broccoli in the fridge when you get home, and make sure to eat it within 2 to 3 days.

Enjoy your salad and have a fabulous and healthful weekend! xxx

BROCCOLI, FENNEL, AND GOJI BERRY SALAD WITH BLUEBERRY VINAIGRETTE

Salad
1 medium head of broccoli
1 medium fennel (with leaves still on it if possible)
1 tbps. chopped fennel leaves (optional)
1/4 cup goji berries

Blueberry Juice Vinaigrette
2 tbsp. unsweetened blueberry juice
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. maple syrup
1 tsp. dijon mustard
1 finely chopped clove of garlic
Salt and pepper to taste

Separate the broccoli head into small florets. In a medium saucepan filled with about an inch of water, steam the broccoli florets in a steaming basket for about 1 minute, 2 at the most. Remove quickly to maintain crunch, colour, and beneficial nutrients. You can also skip the steaming altogether (On the one hand, it's been said that eating raw broccoli gives you a whopping 20 times more sulforaphane than standard cooked broccoli but there are also studies showing its nutrients are more digestible when lightly steamed -  I like to give mine this light steaming first, mostly as a matter of personal taste, it makes the green greener and is more tender to crunch on).

Thinly slice the fennel bulb. Place the broccoli florets and fennel in a salad bowl, and add the chopped fennel leaves and goji berries. Mix your vinaigrette (I just put everything in a mason jar and then shake for a minute), pour over salad. Toss and serve.