Nutrient-Rich Cruciferae Vegetables Build Character Into Family Meal

Blackberries in Boston? Peaches in Pittsburgh? In the dead of winter? No problem, provided that you’re willing to pay the price--and compromise a little on flavor.

Many produce items once limited to certain regions or seasons are now available every day of the year--a feat made possible by modern packaging and handling methods, coupled with a transportation network that brings remote corners of the world as close as a neighborhood supermarket.

No one suggests that we reset the clock to when our ancestors enjoyed cucumbers for only five months a year (and ate the surplus as pickles the rest of the time), and fresh tomatoes for an even briefer period. On the other hand, it’s regrettable many of us have forgotten, or never tried, the vegetable delights that sustained folks not only in the fall, harvested at peak, but also as they were held over long winters in root cellars, dried or preserved. Among these are the Cruciferae, a group of vegetables with four-petal flowers in the shape of a cross.

Like most other vegetables, the Cruciferae are potent sources of vitamins and minerals. They contain few calories and are virtually fat-free. But when it comes to meal preparation, vegetables--the Cruciferae included--too often get shortchanged.

We can’t pretend that overcooked, under-seasoned broccoli, Brussels sprouts and turnips are irresistibly appealing. What we can say is that properly prepared and seasoned, these and other Cruciferae--cabbage, cauliflower, mustard greens, kale, collards, kohlrabi, turnips and rutabagas--will lend taste, texture and nutrition to meals.

First, consider calories. A half-cup serving of any of these vegetables ranges from a low of 7 calories for turnip greens to a high of 40 calories for mashed rutabaga. Even twice that amount, if not drenched in butter or cheese sauce, will hardly break the day’s calorie bank.

Next, check nutrients. A half-cup serving of broccoli or Brussels sprouts provides nearly all the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for Vitamin C--as much as a half cup of orange juice. Various other Cruciferae--cabbage, cauliflower, collards, kale, rutabaga and turnip greens--also contribute substantial Vitamin C.

As for Vitamin A, the Cruciferae represent some of the richest sources of beta carotene, which the body converts to make that vitamin. One half-cup serving of collards meets the entire day’s RDA, and a half cup of kale goes about 80% of the way. But there are several other good sources, too, including broccoli, Brussels sprouts and turnip greens.

These vegetables, particularly collards, kale and broccoli, contribute calcium, too. Most contain appreciable amounts of iron and are generally good sources of fiber. Finally, increased use of Cruciferae has been linked in some studies to reduced risk of certain cancers.

Obviously, there’s plenty to recommend these foods nutritionally; the challenge is to get people to partake of them often. An important first step is proper preparation.

The plain fact is that these vegetables don’t take kindly to overcooking. Broccoli and Brussels sprouts, for instance, are far better served on the slightly crunchy side than limp, yellowed and tasting of the sulfur compound that makes them unappealing to people of all ages. Depending on the size of the pieces, four servings of broccoli cook in just 5 minutes in a microwave oven, or about 10 minutes if steamed.

Timing for other Cruciferae varies with the size of the pieces, but all require relatively brief cooking, far less than the rest of the meal. They also require little personal attention, apart from an occasional glance to check for overcooking.

A second approach to overcoming resistance is to combine these vegetables with other, milder ones. Brussels sprouts can be mixed with carrots or lightly sauteed mushrooms. Cauliflower and small green peas harmonize well. Shredded turnips and carrots, lightly steamed and enhanced by chopped dill, are another good team for flavor and texture. You can combine rutabaga, turnips and even cauliflower in equal parts with mashed potato and season with freshly grated nutmeg for an excellent puree. Chopped collards can be cooked with rice in a chicken broth, and steamed kale goes well with cooked lentils generously seasoned with black pepper.

While we think nothing tastes better than a plain, properly cooked vegetable with its true flavor shining through, judicious use of herbs and spices can add sparkle. Try chopped parsley and chives on cauliflower, or caraway seeds on Brussels sprouts steamed in chicken broth. Sauteed green onion enlivens the flavor of kale or other greens.

Or make a simple sauce of yogurt seasoned with horseradish, pepper, vinegar and a dash of salt to top broccoli. Cruciferae may never replace peas on the banquet circuit, but if well prepared, they can add character to many a family meal.

Cooking With Alcohol Not a Caloric Problem

Question: While preparing dinner the other day, my sister and I got into an argument about calories from alcohol used in cooking. She said they evaporate, but I thought otherwise. Who is right?

Answer: It depends on how you use the alcohol. If you’re talking about the dramatic effect created by pouring warm rum or brandy on dessert and igniting it with a match, then your sister is correct. The alcohol does “go up in smoke.” On the other hand, if you use wine, beer or even brandy as part of the liquid in which meat, fish or chicken is simmered, then your answer is the right one.

Both beer and wine are diluted alcohol solutions, weakened still further because they usually account for only part of the cooking liquid--along with vegetable or fruit juices, broth and natural juices that seep from food as it cooks. And while brandy starts out with a much higher alcohol content, using it as part of the cooking liquid dilutes it, too. Diluted alcohol evaporates quite slowly, so what you added is pretty close to what you have when the dish is cooked.

But even if you are counting calories very carefully, it should not affect your decision to use some alcohol in cooking when it enhances the flavor of the dish. A cup of wine used in a recipe for six servings would provide just 35 calories, assuming all the sauce was consumed, which is not always the case.

Q: I’m in my first year at college. Before I went away I decided to become a vegetarian. I pay careful attention to my diet, and am reasonably sure I’m getting all the nutrients I need. However, I read that getting enough iron can be a problem, especially for young women, and that substances in the diet can inhibit absorption. Is this something I should worry about?

A: A number of foods contain substances that inhibit iron absorption. More than 20 years ago a group of British scientists accidentally discovered that eggs affect the body’s ability to take up iron. Phytic acid in whole grains also binds the mineral, making it unavailable. So, too, do large amounts of cellulose (one of the fractions of fiber), tannins in tea and polyphenols in coffee. But to those who do not consider the day started without a cup of coffee, or lunch ended without tea, the suggestion to drink these beverages apart from meals is clearly unwelcome.

On a more positive note, it is also known that one of the things that enhances the absorption of “non-heme” iron, found in grains, vegetables and fruits, is ascorbic acid (Vitamin C). In practical terms, this means that taking a glass of orange juice increases the amount of iron absorbed from your cereal. Similarly, eating broccoli at a meal with dried beans will mean that you will benefit more from the iron they provide.

In short, to maximize iron absorption, it’s a good idea to inject a good source of Vitamin C into meals whenever you can. Along with orange juice and broccoli, that would include other citrus fruits, melons, strawberries and vegetables such as green pepper, cauliflower, kale, spinach, turnip greens and cabbage.

Q: In recent years I’ve noticed that so-called fresh chickens in my supermarket are really frozen. The department manager assures me that these are not frozen birds in the process of thawing. He claims that fresh birds are now kept at a lower temperature to permit them to stay fresh longer. Is this true?

A: Yes. Fresh chicken in the supermarket case often gives the appearance of being frozen but, in fact, only the surface is icy. Underneath the meat is well chilled, but not solid.

Nowadays, poultry plants commonly pack chickens in ice and maintain them at a temperature just below 32 degrees , or chill them with nitrogen. Either method removes body heat rapidly and preserves the bird on the way to the supermarket. Birds processed this way can remain fresh longer--up to seven days in the refrigerator case.

Q: I’m an avid reader of ingredients lists and never cease to be amazed at what I find. For instance, recently I noticed that frankfurters and luncheon meats contain corn syrup. Then I became curious about just how much sweetener they contain, but there was no way to tell from the ingredients list. I wonder if you could provide the information.

A: They don’t contain much. Frankfurters, bologna and similar products can contain a maximum of 2% corn syrup by weight. That translates to just over half a gram per ounce. To put that into more visual terms, a one-ounce slice of bologna would contain about 1/8 teaspoon of corn syrup.

Question: During the holiday season, I plan to eat both duck and goose. I realize they contain more fat than chicken, but is that fat more saturated too?

Another question: Are turkey and chicken frankfurters high in fat?

Answer: Yes, the fat in duck and goose is more saturated than that in chicken, but the nutritional significance is small if you eat them only rarely and especially if portion sizes are controlled. As a point of reference, 3 1/2 ounces of dark-meat chicken without the skin contains a total of about 10 grams of fat, of which a little more than 2 1/2 grams is saturated. That amount of chicken, by the way, would contain about 205 calories.

While calorically comparable, the same size portion of duck would have a little more saturated fat: over four grams. The same amount of goose would provide 4 1/2 grams of fat and a total of 240 calories.

If the 3 1/2 ounces of dark-meat chicken included the skin, it would provide as much saturated fat as the goose, and 250 calories.

As to your second question: Despite the fact that they may be labeled as “reduced fat,” 70% or more of the calories in chicken or turkey dogs can come from fat. Three-and-a-half ounces (about two hot dogs) provide 5 1/2 to 6 grams of saturated fat and between 225 and 260 calories.

Q: I have recently begun to do some cross-country skiing, and have found that I really do enjoy it. Can you tell me how many calories I am burning as I traverse the snow?

A: The exact figure will depend on the terrain, the condition of the snow, and on how fast you are going. In general, you will spend somewhere between 0.098 and 0.143 calories per kilogram of body weight per minute, depending on whether you were skiing leisurely on light snow or walking on your skies on hard snow. (In the extreme, going uphill at top speed you will burn 0.274 calories per kilogram per minute.)

To calculate more precisely how many calories you burn, you will need to start by dividing your body weight in pounds by 2.2 to convert it to kilograms and then multiply it by an average figure for energy expended and by the length of time you spend skiing. Take an individual weighing 160 pounds, or 72.7 kilograms, skiing for an hour. Since conditions vary, we will take the midpoint of the usual range, or 0.121 calories per kilogram per minute. In that case, you could expect to burn about 530 calories an hour. For purposes of comparison, an hour of leisure biking at a rate of 5 1/2 miles per hour would burn 279 calories.