Green Tea & Chocolate: The Cancer Slayer Chronicles

Keep Calm, Carry On... And Eat Spring Salad

Here is my suggestion for a de-stressing your weekend (we had enough of that ole ball and chain this week, didn't we?):

Turn off the TV. Go outside. Eat a salad.

This week I have been literally craving the salad I'm going to tell you about today. I woke up wanting it first thing in the morning, and thinking about it late at night. At one point, I had to get up and walk away from my computer and simply chop vegetables.

Ribbons of purple radicchio, paper-thin moons of red & pink radishes, feathery bits of cilantro...

It's the season for bitter greens. In addition to calcium and magnesium for bone health, bitter greens are full of cancer-fighting antioxidants like vitamin E, and beta-carotene. In  Chinese medicine, bitter foods help stimulate liver chi, making it a detox-assisting food.

And with a little mustard, vinegar & olive oil, they are simply delicious!

Sliced Spring Salad with Avocado and Feta adapted from Molly Wisenberg's A Homemade Life; serves 6

8 red radishes, sliced very thickly thinly into translucent wafers

1 medium radicchio, quartered and then sliced crosswise into ribbons

4 Belgian endive, sliced croswise into 1/4" strips (discard the root end)

A handful of cilantro leaves, about 20 sprigs, chopped

1 medium avocado, cut into strips

4 oz crumbled feta (here I like Organic Valley's Feta Crumbles made from cow's milk)

1 TBSP Dijon-style mustard

3 TBSP red wine vinegar

1/2 tsp salt

5 TBSP olive oil + 2 tsp

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine the mustard, vinegar and salt. Whisk to blend well. Add the olive oil and whisk vigorously to emulsify. Taste, add more oil as needed to calm the vinegar.

Combine all the chopped vegetables in a large bowl, including the cilantro. Toss with the vinaigrette to taste (you may not use all the dressing).

Distribute the avocado over the salad and top with the feta.

Serve immediately.

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Recipe: Guilt-Free Coconut Oil Popcorn

I was recently eavesdropping on a conversation between two friends via Facebook (like we all do now, right?). They were talking about popcorn. One mentioned trying coconut oil & nutritional yeast to flavor her popcorn. My ears pricked up.

Coconut oil talk seems to be everywhere these days -- and my grocery store shelves are brimming with the stuff. Even Trader Joe's has coconut oil now!

So I hopped on the bandwagon and now I'm all about substituting coconut oil for butter. Although it is a saturated fat & moderation is urged, as with all things, it does have some surprising benefits: Coconut oil lowers cholesterol, boosts immunity, and increases metabolism -- not to mention it smells heavenly & feels great as a moisturizer.* What's not to like?? 

About once a week, I use coconut oil in my Dutch Baby or Almond Waffles. Recently, my husband used it in our favorite chocolate cake recipe and it only made it better!

Ready to worship at the alter of coconut oil now, too?

OK, back to the popcorn.

After "hearing" my friends talking about it, I had to try it with coconut oil; I was not disappointed. You won't be either. Below is my "recipe" for coconut oil popcorn.

Popcorn For Lunch

1 TBSP grapeseed oil (best for high temperatures)

1/4 cup non-GMO, organic popcorn kernels

2 heaping spoonfuls of organic coconut oil

1 heaping spoonful of nutritional/Brewers yeast (if nutritional yeast isn't your thing, experiment with other toppings, like cinnamon sugar, or garlic powder and Italian Seasonings -- whatever you're craving!)

salt to taste

Directions:

In a heavy pot with a secure-fitting lid, heat the grapeseed oil on medium-high heat. Toss in a few popcorn kernels and replace the lid. When you hear the kernels beginning to pop, add the rest of the kernels and replace the lid. Give it all a good shake to coat the kernels in oil.

When the popping gets going fast, turn the heat down a little to medium.

Meanwhile, heat the coconut oil in a sauce pan or cast iron skillet on medium-low heat. Get out a big mixing bowl. Occasionally shake the popcorn around.

Once the popping slows to only one pop every few seconds, remove the pan from the heat. Keep the lid on for another 30 seconds or so to finish off the last of the kernels, then dump the popcorn into your mixing bowl.

Add the melted coconut oil and using two big spoons, toss to coat.

Shake the nutritional yeast over the popcorn and add a few shakes of salt. Again, toss to coat.

Enjoy!

*Additional reading re the benefits of coconut oil.

Roasted Broccolini

Broccolini, or "Broccoli Baby," is the new in-season darling in our house.

We've eaten it several times in the last week, straight off the platter with our fingers, like these little spears are crispy, salty, green French Fries. In my opinion, they are way tastier than French Fries!

What follows is my basic recipe for preparing it. It is really more of a method than a recipe since it is simply olive oil, salt, and the broccolini. The trick to this scrumptious side dish that even children will adore is in the oven temp, the rack position, and the cooking time.

The best part is that the whole thing takes 20 minutes, from cutting board to serving platter.

Roasted Broccolini; serves 2

1 bunch broccolini (resembles broccoli but with a long stem & small floret)

extra virgin olive oil

salt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees with the racks in the top third of the oven.

Meanwhile, slice off the ends of the broccolini (just a quarter inch).

Spread the broccolini on a roasting pan, giving space between each stem. If you are doubling the recipe, spread among more than one roasting pan. If the broccolini are stacked, they will steam more than roast.

Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. I tend to be generous.

Roast the broccolini for 15 - 18 minutes, checking toward the end for your own preference in crispiness. I like mine a little scorched. If using more than one roasting pan, switch their positions half way through to ensure even cooking.

Enjoy!