Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad

I was at the market and picked out a head of cauliflower and another of broccoli. In my quest to get in the best physical shape of my life (or at least the best in the last 15 years or so) I have been reshaping my diet just a bit. I eat a lot more fruit and vegetables than I ever have before although they have always been staples. I’m constantly looking for easy and satisfying ways to prepare my food. This method satisfies those two requirements and it turned out to be an amazing dish.

I used my pasta strainer that I bought a long time ago at a swap meet. I’ve never used it for pasta and don’t really see an advantage over a colander. In this recipe it worked out well because broccoli and cauliflower have different cooking times and when I say “cook” I really mean a quick blanch in salted water as I prefer them to be VERY al dente.

After removing them from the pot I tossed them with olive oil. I also had a couple of cucumbers that I halved and then sliced into thin strips with the side of my cheese grating tool. I also macerated some diced onion in cider vinegar and tossed this with everything else. For seasoning I just threw in a touch of red pepper flakes and crushed black pepper.