It’s February and you know what that means.  Women are wearing red in support of the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women campaign – even Dr. Oz is supporting the cause in his red scrubs.

You’ll read stories about the benefits of quitting smoking, exercising more and eating fruits and vegetables all in a concerted effort to support the health of your heart. Coinciding with these heart health messages are advertisements for chocolate candy. Sales of candy soar in February as men and women buy it as a gift to express their love and gratitude to their partner.

Wouldn’t it be better to couple the bouquet of flowers with a homemade dinner overflowing with a true treat that will flood the heart with love?

Broccoli is packed with key nutrients, including:

• Vitamins A and C
• Fiber
• Glucoraphanin, a super antioxidant

Broccoli helps to boost your body’s natural detoxification system, which supports overall health including cardiovascular health. So, we challenge you this Valentine’s Day – toss the chocolate and opt for a gift of broccoli to show someone you truly care. Ok, ok…if you can’t ditch the chocolate altogether, what about combining the two?

Our friends at About.com created a chocolate-covered broccoli recipe that includes broccoli, semisweet chocolate chips, peanut butter and sea salt. All you need is 20 minutes of prep.

Ingredients

• 1 large head of broccoli, raw or lightly steamed
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup peanut butter or almond butter
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt, such as Maldon sea salt (optional)

Preparation

1. Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper

2. Wash and dry broccoli. Trim spears to a length of about 2 inches. Set aside.  Also, if desired, broccoli can be steamed to desired tenderness.  However, be aware that over-steaming broccoli will breakdown the enzyme myrosinase, which helps to convert glucoraphanin to sulforaphane.  Don’t worry though, your gut mircoflora will also take care of the conversion.

3. Place chocolate chips and peanut butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat 1 minute on 50% power. Stir and continue heating in 30-second increments at 50% power, until chips are completely melted.

4. Working quickly, dip each broccoli spear into chocolate mixture, allowing excess to drip off. Place on prepared cookie sheet.

5. Sprinkle with sea salt. Let cool 20 to 30 minutes. Refrigerate if desired.

We’d love to hear from you.  Share your favorite broccoli recipes with us!