About this Recipe

Many people can eat raw broccoli and not have any adverse effect on their digestive systems but for others "Cruciferous veggies, such as broccoli and cauliflower,kale and cabbages contain complex sugars that you can't digest," says Cavuto. "They're called raffinose, and they can produce gas. They're also rich in soluble fiber, which doesn't break down until reaching the small intestine, and that can cause gas, too."(1) This in turn causes all those familiar symptoms of indigestion — bloating, upset stomach, and gas.

Don't stop eating broccoli. Broccoli is really good for you, but an alternative to raw is to cook it, but only for a very short time. In this recipe we have you cook the broccoli for 3 minutes only, then stop the cooking process by straining and running under cold water. This will make the broccoli more easy to digest plus still keep its nutritional value. There are many broccoli salad recipes and once you try this method, so long as you really do not overcook it, the broccoli still maintains a nice firm texture and color and when refrigerated, the cold flavor lends itself nicely to using in salads.

Sweet red peppers can be like eating a juicy red apple. No kidding! Some red bell peppers have this amazing sweetness, so good in fact many people will eat them sliced and raw as part and serve them on their veggie and dip platters. Things to pay attention to when you are choosing a red bell pepper is how heavy they are. A good one will have a nice thick wall and be filled with juice. When you are selecting your red pepper, don't buy the ones that are sunken looking and avoid any with black blemishes as you are going to be missing out on just how great a sweet red bell pepper can taste if you choose the wrong ones. Selecting the best fruits and vegetables is key to good flavor and textures and a keen eye at the food market will help you determine the best ones.

Grandmother's Tips for Broccoli and Red Pepper Salad Recipe:

1. Most important tip is not to overcook the broccoli.

2. This salad dressing is a nice compliment to the salad, but it is what we'd call a bit more of an adult type of flavor. Because of the white wine vinegar and Dijon mustard combination, it is a bit nippy. Also there is raw garlic in it so that too adds to the bite in this dressing. It is not a sweet dressing so children may not like the whole salad just because of the dressing. We would maybe suggest this same salad but using our Creamy Cashew Salad Dressing. This is a really nice mild sweeter nutty flavor and sure to be a hit with pretty much anyone.

3. You should make ahead of time and refrigerate so the broccoli has time to cool.

4. You can plate the lettuce ahead of time and refrigerate as well. Don't put the salad with dressing onto the lettuce until time to eat so the lettuce stays a nice texture.

Whenever you’re making a salad, it’s super important to make sure that all of your vegetables and fruits are fresh and more importantly, mold-free. It’s also important to know what kills mold so you can kill it if you find it in your home or on your food. For food items, it’s going to be the smartest to dispose of the moldy food, so you don’t end up eating mold. If you find mold in your kitchen, you can use natural kitchen cleaners like vinegar, which is one of the best ways to kill mold that’s growing on surfaces. Just spray the vinegar right on the mold and let it sit before wiping it away. Make sure you keep your home fairly dry to keep mold away as well.

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Ingredients

(Print)

Makes 2 servings:

Salad Part:

2 cups broccoli florets, washed and cut into nice bite sized pieces

1 red sweet bell pepper

1/2 cup sliced raw almonds

2 large lettuce leaves

Dressing:

3 Tablespoons white wine vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1/2 garlic clove, cut into slices

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

3 sprigs fresh parsley,cut up a little - enough to make a tablespoon

Directions

1. Use boiling water with one teaspoon salt added to it to cook the broccoli pieces. Once the salted water comes to a boil, add the broccoli. Be sure there is enough water to cover the broccoli pieces. Set the timer for 3 minutes. When the timer goes off remove from the heat and drain the water out immediately. Run cold water over the broccoli to stop the cooking process. Let drain then transfer the broccoli to paper towels. Spread the florets to give space on the paper towel so the moisture comes off of them. Transfer, paper towels included to a dish and place into the refrigerator to cool.

2. Cut the red pepper in half, and with a small paring knife cut off the stem and cut out the flesh. Remove the seeds. Cut into strips, then nice small chunks for the salad.

3. Transfer into a good size mixing bowl. Cover the bowl with wrap and refrigerate. One of our favorite reusable products is abeego food wrap.

4. While the veggies are cooling in the refrigerator, make the dressing.

5. Pour the vinegar, oil, garlic, mustard, salt, pepper and parsley into the Magic bullet mixer. Blend until smooth. Pour into a small container with a lid and refrigerate. Let everything sit refrigerated at least an hour so it will all be nice and cool.

6. To assemble, break the lettuce leaves into bite sized pieces. We did it all in one presentation bowl, but you can build into two individual serving dishes if that is your preference.

7. Remove all the ingredients from the refrigerator and pour the dressing into the cut up red peppers. Gently stir in to combine. Add the sliced almonds and stir to combine. Lastly add the broccoli and gently fold in. Cover and refrigerate. Do not put onto the prepared lettuce until just before you are serving and eating. That way the lettuce will not get soggy.

8. Gently spoon the salad onto the lettuce. Serve and enjoy.

ENJOY!

Return to this Broccoli and Red Pepper Salad recipe or check out more recipes at Grandmother's Kitchen

As you’re cleaning your kitchen after preparing this salad, you want to make sure you clean all of your cutting boards and utensils properly. It’s a good idea to wash everything in warm water and to use a good natural dish soap to clean them. You can even use a baby safe dish soap if you have little ones or you yourself are sensitive to harsh chemicals.

If you’re cooking meat or preparing meat, it’s even more important to clean up really well after and disinfect everything. You can still use natural kitchen cleaners for this instead of harsh chemicals like bleach. Vinegar is like nature’s bleach since the acids really combat germs and bacteria. Use this or lemon juice, which has similar antibacterial properties, and you will have clean kitchen tools in no time.

Abeego wrap is a favorite product in Grandmother's Kitchen. We have been using this wrap for about a year now and have them in most of the sizes. You clean them the same was as washing dishes with a little soapy warm water and a rinse out, then let them air dry. With all the buzz about plastic being so wasteful and cluttering up planet earth with garbage everywhere, we like to do our own little part and are always on the lookout for reusable products.

Here is where we buy these reusable food covers made from beeswax.

References: (1) 14 Sneaky Foods That Screw With Your Digestion. Read More.