Cancer-Fighting Cookbook (8 page)

1. Place a sauté pan over medium heat. When hot, add 2 teaspoons of olive oil and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown, 3–5 minutes, being careful not to burn garlic, as that makes it bitter.
   

2. Add the greens; sauté until coated in garlic oil. Remove from heat.
   

3. In a large serving bowl, add the pasta, cooked greens, 2 teaspoons of olive oil, and Parmesan cheese; toss to mix.
   

4. Season as desired and serve immediately.
   

PER SERVING
Calories: 170 | Fat: 7g | Sodium: 100mg | Carbohydrates: 22g | Fiber: 4g | Protein: 7g

Sweet or Salty?

In most cases, when you add a pinch (less than 1/8 teaspoon) of sugar to a recipe, you can reduce the amount of salt without noticing a difference. Sugar acts as a flavor enhancer and magnifies the effect of the salt, and vice versa.

No need to get takeout when you can recreate delicious Chinese classics at home!

1. In a food processor or blender, combine vinegar, juice concentrate, shallots, lemon juice, arrowroot, Worcestershire, agave syrup, and garlic; process until smooth.
   

2. Heat a wok or large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat until hot; add the olive oil. Add the onions and stir-fry for 1 minute.
   

3. Add the carrots, bell peppers, and broccoli; stir-fry another minute. Cover pan and cook for 2 more minutes.
   

4. Add vinegar mixture and sprouts. Bring mixture to a boil; cook, uncovered for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
   

5. Add cooked pasta and toss to mix.
   

PER SERVING
Calories: 140 | Fat: 2g | Sodium: 45mg | Carbohydrates: 27g | Fiber: 3g | Protein: 6g

Whole-grain noodles are gaining popularity and can now be found in almost any variety and shape.

1. Heat olive oil in large saucepan; sauté onions for about 5 minutes until translucent.
   

2. Add cabbage and Brussels sprouts; cook over medium heat for 3 minutes.
   

3. Stir in caraway seed, stock, pepper, and salt; cover and simmer for 5–8 minutes, until vegetables are crisp-tender.
   

4. Cook noodles in boiling water until tender; drain. Mix noodles and vegetables in large bowl and serve.
   

PER SERVING
Calories: 190 | Fat: 6g | Sodium: 200mg | Carbohydrates: 29g | Fiber: 6g | Protein: 7g

The Mediterranean diet is known for simple yet deliciously flavored dishes, such as this easy pasta recipe.

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot; gently cook the onions and garlic until soft but not browned. Add tomatoes, stock, and pepper.
   

2. Purée 1½ cups of cannellini beans in a food processor or blender; add to stock. Cover and simmer 20–30 minutes. While stock is simmering, cook pasta until al dente; drain.
   

3. Add remaining beans and pasta to stock; heat through. Serve with Parmesan cheese.
   

PER SERVING
Calories: 400 | Fat: 9g | Sodium: 590mg | Carbohydrates: 62g | Fiber: 7g | Protein: 17g

This recipe works well with canned clams if you are unable to get fresh. Canned clams are quite high in sodium, which may need to be taken into consideration. If using canned clams, you will need 1 (8-ounce) can of minced clams and 1 (10-ounce) can of whole clams. Reserve the clam juice and add to the sauce.

1. Before preparing this dish (preferably several hours or more), place clams in bowl of cold water with handful of cornmeal added; keep refrigerated. This will help purge clams of any sand or other debris. When ready to cook, rinse and scrub clams.
   

2. Heat olive oil, garlic, and red pepper in a deep skillet. Add chopped tomatoes, parsley, basil, salt, red pepper flakes, and oregano, bring to quick boil, then reduce heat and simmer 15–20 minutes.
   

3. Stir in white wine.
   

4. Add clams on top of tomato sauce. Cover and steam until clams open.
   

5. Meanwhile, boil water and cook pasta to al dente.
   

6. Serve tomato sauce and clams over pasta.
   

PER SERVING
| Calories: 350 | Fat: 9g | Sodium: 180mg | Carbohydrates: 54g | Fiber: 10g | Protein: 15g

This green pasta sauce looks like pesto, but it's full of broccoli, vitamins, and minerals.

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
   

2. In large saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and ginger; cook and stir until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.
   

3. Add broccoli; cook and stir 4 minutes longer.
   

4. Add water; bring to a simmer, cover pan, and cook 3–5 minutes, until broccoli is tender. Drain and place in food processor.
   

5. Add lemon juice, salt, pepper, basil, and remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil; process until smooth. Return to saucepan over low heat.
   

6. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.
   

7. Add pasta to saucepan with sauce. Toss to coat over low heat, then sprinkle with cheese. Serve immediately.
   

PER SERVING
Calories: 480 | Fat: 17g | Sodium: 410mg | Carbohydrates: 72g | Fiber: 9g | Protein: 17g

Al Dente

Al dente is an Italian term which means “to the tooth.” It describes how pasta should feel when it's properly cooked. Never cook pasta until it's very soft or it will lose its character. When you taste cooked pasta, there should be a little bit of resistance at the center. When you look at the bitten end, you should see a small opaque line.

This simple recipe is full of vitamins C and A. Serve it with toasted Hearty-Grain French Bread (Chapter 13) and some red wine.

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
   

2. Prepare the Sirloin Meatballs in Sauce, adding tomato sauce and grated carrots to the sauce. Simmer until meatballs are cooked.
   

3. Cook spaghetti in water according to package directions or until almost al dente. Drain spaghetti, reserving ¼ cup cooking water.
   

4. Add spaghetti to meatballs in sauce along with ¼ cup cheese. Simmer, stirring gently, for 5–6 minutes, or until pasta is al dente, adding reserved cooking water if necessary for desired consistency.
   

5. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan and serve immediately.
   

PER SERVING
Calories: 620 | Fat: 16g | Sodium: 840mg | Carbohydrates: 88g | Fiber: 16g | Protein: 37g

Whole-Wheat Spaghetti

Whole-wheat spaghetti has a much stronger taste than regular pasta. It should be served with strongly flavored sauces until your family is used to the taste. You can also gradually switch to whole-wheat pastas by starting out using just a third whole-wheat pasta (and the other two-thirds plain) and increasing the proportion of whole wheat each time you serve it.

Cranberries and apricots make a sweet combo. Add some sage and thyme to give it more warm flavors, and it would make an excellent Thanksgiving entrée.

1. In a large pot, combine quinoa, apple juice, and water. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until done.
   

2. In a large skillet, heat onion and celery in oil, stirring frequently, until soft.
   

3. Over low heat, combine onions and celery with quinoa.
   

4. Add remaining ingredients, tossing gently to combine. Heat for 3–4 more minutes.
   

PER SERVING
Calories: 380 | Fat: 10g | Sodium: 200mg | Carbohydrates: 71g | Fiber: 6g | Protein: 7g

Quinoa and Whole Grains

Quinoa is a good source of those important antioxidants that help reduce inflammation, including one with the tongue-twister name of superoxide dismutase. It's also a good source of folate and magnesium.

With no added fat, this is a very simple one-pot side-dish recipe. Personalize it with some chopped greens, browned chicken breast, or a veggie mix.

1. Combine all ingredients except salt and pepper in a large soup or stock pot. Bring to a slow simmer, then cover and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until rice is done and liquid is absorbed.
   

2. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove bay leaf before serving.
   

PER SERVING
Calories: 460 | Fat: 2.5g | Sodium: 5mg | Carbohydrates: 91g | Fiber: 10g | Protein: 21g

Stuff It!

Rice makes excellent stuffing for poblano or green bell peppers. Carefully remove the top of the bell peppers or, for poblanos, slice down the middle. Fill with cooked curried rice and lentils, Fruited Fall Quinoa (Chapter 4), or leftover Risotto Curry (Chapter 4) and bake at 375°F for 25 minutes, or 15 minutes for poblano peppers.

When cooking tofu, you need to press out the excess water, otherwise it splatters in hot oil and doesn't brown well. To do this, slice a block of tofu in half and wrap the cut pieces in layers of paper towels, changing the towels for new sheets when these get soaked.

1. Heat the oil in a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add tofu; stir-fry, cooking it until it starts to brown. Remove it from the wok and set aside.
   

2. Add the garlic, onion, and ginger and stir-fry for about 1 minute.
   

3. Add the squash and edamame and stir-fry about 2 minutes.
   

4. Add the bamboo shoots, chilis, and rice, stirring well to combine.
   

5. Add the soy sauce and cover the wok, cooking the mixture for about 5 minutes or until the squash becomes tender. During the cooking, check that the mixture does not get too dry and add stock as needed, stirring it in well. Serve hot.