In honor of tonight’s Cotton Bowl showdown featuring my beloved Kansas State Wildcats, this blog post is dedicated to the color purple.
Kind of like K-State in this year’s BCS Bowl selection process, the power of purple foods sometimes go unrecognized. These foods get their color from natural plant pigments called anthocyanins. Anthocyanins help protect cells from damage and may help reduce risk of cancer, stroke and heart disease.
Fruits and vegetables included in the blue/purple group are eggplant, plums, purple grapes, raisins and blackberries. Nowadays, you can even find purple carrots, purple potatoes and purple cauliflower.
Since most of my friends made the journey down I-35 to Dallas for today’s game, here’s a great tailgating recipe featuring purple produce. It’s a healthier version of a traditional favorite. Enjoy, and go CATS!
Healthy Broccoli Raisin Salad
2 heads fresh broccoli, chopped
1/2 large red onion, chopped
1 cup raisins
1 cup cashews
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/8 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup light mayonnaise or plain yogurt
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
In a large bowl, combine broccoli, onion, raisins and cashews. Prepare dressing in small bowl by whisking together remaining ingredients. Combine, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Recipe adapted from “From Blah to Ta-Daa!” and Rawmazing.
