Vegetarian

Green tea and rice, baked? At first glance, that may seem more like a ceramic project you’d put into a kiln and pray it comes out right. But look a little closer, and you’ll see the insight of my brilliant colleague Catherine McConkie. We fiddled with this dish forever, and then Catherine suggested we bake it. That might seem strange, but baking rice is common in restaurants where large batches are made, and it guarantees perfect texture. It’s a slightly longer process, but the baking completely neutralizes the green tea’s sometimes astringent flavor, while allowing all of its wonderful nutrients to permeate the rice.

Sometimes I feel like the United Nations is meeting in my kitchen. This time around it’s India and Lebanon at the table. It sounds exotic, but this is really just a nice, simple hummus (that’s the Lebanese part) with a zingy curry buzz (hello, Sri Lanka). Chickpeas are rich in protein and essential amino acids for keeping the body strong, while the sesame seeds in the tahini have high levels of anticancer phytochemicals; and since the seeds are ground into a paste, they’re easy to digest.

I used black beans in this recipe because I love their taste and nutritional profile—lots of antioxidants. Because the beans are pureed, you don’t get too much bang for your buck.

The creamy white beans provide a nutritious canvas that blends well with the purplish black kalamatas. The beans are high in protein, which keeps the body in fighting shape during treatment.

The creaminess of navy beans makes a great base for spreads and dips, which I’ve supercharged by adding sun-dried tomatoes. Use it as a sandwich spread, or a dollop on veggies.

Wasabi is rich in chemicals that some studies show cause cancer cells to starve. The combination of wasabi and ginger might be a bit much for those with swallowing difficulties, but for everyone else this dip’s creamy coolness makes it perfect for slathering on rice crackers or dipping veggies into, especially jicama.

Cornbread is one of those foods people get mighty opinionated about, as in “Nobody makes cornbread as good as my (momma, grammy, Uncle Phoebus, just fill in the blank).” Not only that, but once someone gets a beloved piece of that cornbread in their hands, well, as one writer said, “If you try to take my cornbread, there will be consequences and repercussions.” I think of cornbread a bit like barbecue: Just about every region of the country has its variation, which, as if ordained from above, is simply the best. Cornbread, cornpone, jonnycakes, hush puppies—the names and approaches differ, but not the devotion. My version is California-style, as in how do we keep all of that awesome taste while using healthier ingredients? Using some spelt flour helps, as does using just a bit of organic maple syrup as a sweetener and extra-virgin olive oil in place of butter. The lemon zest allowed me to put the word “beyond” into the title of this recipe. If you’ll allow me to play yenta, I’d match the cornbread with the Rockin’ Black Bean Soup (page 71). They’re a very happy couple.

Ever notice how in the United States the consistency of most oatmeal falls somewhere between wall plaster and grout? The things we do to those poor oats. There oughta be a law! As a result, we often resort to the culinary equivalent of wallpapering, covering up the abomination with butter and brown sugar. This is a shame, because oatmeal just needs a little love to deliver a heartwarming, nutritious meal. The best oatmeal recipe is akin to a two-part harmony, pairing solid prep with inspiring spices to yield a joyous anytime song. Part of the trick is to soak the oats overnight, so plan ahead. Top this with fruit compote or nuts, and you’ll never again wonder why oatmeal isn’t used as an industrial adhesive.

The whole idea of Anytime Bars is right in the name; you never know when hunger is going to strike, and you want to be ready to take advantage of those moments to nourish yourself. A lot of my clients take these portable packets of pleasure to chemo sessions. It may seem odd that people want to eat during treatment, but many do, and these bars are a delicious, healthy alternative to the bowls of sweets so often found around infusion centers. The great thing about this recipe is that you can change the ingredients to fit your taste preferences. You can even split the batter and make half with currant and cranberries and the other half with walnuts or whatever you’d like. These bars come together very quickly with the food processor, but if you don’t have one, you can certainly chop the fruit and nuts by hand.

Here’s all you need to know about poached eggs: Ira Gershwin said his songwriting career wouldn’t be complete until he got his beloved poached eggs into one of his songs, which he eventually did (“I’m a poached egg … without a piece of toast; Yorkshire pudding … without a beef to roast.”). I guess Ira felt like so many of us do: sometimes the best little meal is the simplest. In this case, I’ve enhanced the yum factor by topping this comfort food with Basil Lemon Drizzle. The result is a very light sauce, which the fat from the yolk takes on a trip all around your mouth. Hmm … yummmm.

Those who are going through treatment often want to eat familiar foods, and for many folks egg salad fits the bill. What I did here was take my nana’s egg salad and adapt it a bit so all that great protein was easier to nosh. Instead of the chunks common to German-style egg salad, I opted for a lighter, creamier texture that works great on crackers, in a pita or wrap, or on top of salad greens. Adding a pinch of cayenne and a little lemon gives this egg salad a bit more zip. I have a feeling Nana would approve.

These chickpea burgers are similar to a Middle Eastern falafel. But the Americanized version of falafel usually resembles carnival food: they’re often deep-fried in some unhealthy oil. It makes me want to cry, because falafel done right is so delicious and nutritious. It’s all in the blend. Here the secret ingredient is basmati rice, which holds the chickpea mixture together and creates a complete protein. I love the mini-burger concept; the whole wheat bun is like putting falafel in a top hat and tails, and it’s perfect for folks who like the taste of beans when they’re broken down and combined with heady herbs and spices. Gently pan-seared or baked, these burgers are bountiful bites of health, especially topped with a dollop of Tomato Mint Chutney (page 176).

Many recipes in this book include beans, because they’re a great source of protein, fiber, and other nutrients, so I figured I’d better include a basic recipe for cooking them. I cook beans with kombu, which contains an abundance of glutamic acid, an amino acid that helps break down the starches in the beans and makes them less combustible. Adding lemon juice to the soaking water and skimming off the foam make the beans even easier to digest.

Here’s a great example of what I call culinary architecture, which entails building on a great foundation. In this case, I’m playing off what Middle Easterners call tabouli, a wonderful salad with a fantastic fresh taste that’s incredibly easy to make (and impossible to mess up). The base of any tabouli is a grain, lemon juice, parsley, and mint. That’s our building block. Then we add the ornamentation, which always emphasizes both form and function. The beans create a complete protein, the pleasing crunch (and a whole bunch of antioxidants) comes from pepper, while olives add a little healthy salt. Like any powerful piece of architecture, it’s the combination of simplicity and tasteful elegance that makes this salad so enjoyable and memorable.

This salad was inspired by one of those gorgeous, colorful Bollywood flicks that offer a feast of singing, dancing, and romance. I love Indian food, as it was my first real introduction to all things curry. Only much later did I learn that turmeric, a typical spice in curries that gives them a yellow tint, has tremendous antitumor and anti-inflammatory properties. And to think, I loved it just for its taste! Here, I was hankering for a swirl of flavors with an Indian feel. The chicken makes a great starting point because it’s full of protein and amenable to all sorts of accessorizing. In this case, the mango and raisins play delightfully off the curry spices.

Baked or shirred (pronounced “sheared”) eggs have been around forever. In this recipe, baking eggs over a little sautéed spinach with some feta cheese and a shaving of nutmeg creates a dish that looks and tastes beautiful. Just the sight of these eggs nestled in colorful ramekins is enough to bring even the most reluctant eater back to the table. To further enhance the yum factor, serve topped with Basil Lemon Drizzle (page 177).

One of my favorite gatherings is the Food as Medicine conference, which brings together hundreds of nutritionally minded physicians, nurses, and other wellness professionals. I cook for the attendees, and while they often kindly tell me how much they learn from me, it definitely goes both ways. In fact, this recipe was inspired by Dr. Joel Evans, who is attracted to nutrition from both a scientific and an aesthetic viewpoint and loves to speak about the colors of food having a tangible relation to their healing qualities. There is a school of thought—and increasing scientific evidence—that the more vibrant the color, the more nutrition there is to be found in a food. As an ode to Joel, I set out to create the most colorful salad I could, using purple beets, orange carrots, and fresh mint. If I’d had a vegetable crisper instead of a box of crayons as a kid, this salad would have been the result. You can substitute lemon or lime juice for the orange juice.

I love Asian fare, but I can also see why people stay away from it in their own kitchens. It can be a bit daunting, especially all of those veggies with exotic names that most of us didn’t grow up with and don’t have the faintest idea how to prepare. That’s a shame, because most of them have a load of body-supporting phytochemicals. Here I’ve combined two powerhouses, bok choy and shiitake mushrooms. I prefer baby bok choy, as bok choy gets more bitter as it matures.

Pretty much everyone has a neighbor or friend (kind of a June Cleaver type) who loves to cook and also somehow manages to be a CEO and raise three Rhodes scholars while spending three hours a day (minimum) in the kitchen. This is the recipe you give that person when she says, “Oh, I’d so like to make something for you.” This is a labor of love, and while not quite as physically intensive as, say, coal mining, it takes a bit of effort. But it’s worth it, because the recipe is big enough to be made in ramekins so it can serve as six little meals, and it stores well, too.

Potatoes get a bad rap as being one big carbo load with little or no nutrition. That’s a shame, because it’s not true of all varieties, especially not purple Peruvian potatoes. Smashing, as the name suggests, uses muscle to get what you need, instead of lots of butter and milk like typical mashed potatoes. A hand mixer will do, but I prefer my mom’s old potato masher from 1953. As you pulverize all of those inner starches, you’ll produce a fluffy texture, a lot of flavor, and, with these potatoes, a gorgeous and unusual color.