December 2011 Archives

I trust that you all are having a nice holiday! Hopefully getting some quality time in with family and friends and not spending too much time here on the internet! Technology is useful and handy, and there are definitely times that I need to get away from it.

Survey Results
Thank you to those who took the Cancer Dietitian Reader Survey. I had just over 100 completed, which was my goal. We have a lot of good information from the responses, including great ideas for future articles! For those who are interested, check out this page with the results.

Easy Roasted Cabbage Recipe!
Cabbage is another type of cruciferous vegetable. I guess third time's the charm, because this is the 3rd cruciferous vegetable recipe that I've written in a row! Brussels Sprouts and Kale are also in the same cancer fighting category!

My dietitian friend told me about this recipe from Kalyn's Kitchen. Check out the site for recipe pictures and more info. I love the recipe because I've been getting a cabbage (or two!) in my vegetable box every week and don't always have the time to chop it or shred it. This recipe only requires washing and cutting it into 8 wedges, then it's ready for roasting!

Roasted Cabbage With Lemon

Ingredients:

• 1 medium-sized head of green cabbage
• 2 T olive oil
• 2-3 T fresh squeezed lemon juice
  
• sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
• lemon slices, for serving cabbage (optional)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 450F. Spray a roasting pan with non-stick spray or olive oil.
2. Cut the head of cabbage into 8 same-size wedges, cutting through the core and stem end. Then carefully trim the core strip and stem from each wedge and arrange wedges in a single layer on the roasting pan (leave some space around them as much as you can.)
3. Whisk together the olive oil and lemon juice. Then use a brush to brush the top sides of each cabbage wedge with the mixture and season generously with salt and fresh ground black pepper. Turn cabbage wedges carefully, then brush the second side with the olive oil/lemon juice mixture and season with salt and pepper.
4. Roast cabbage for about 15 minutes, or until the side touching the pan is nicely browned. Then turn each wedge carefully and roast 10-15 minutes more, until the cabbage is nicely browned and cooked through with a bit of chewiness remaining.
5. Serve hot, with additional lemon slices to squeeze lemon juice on at the table if desired.

I've made this 3 times in the last week. Yes, I had a lot of cabbage, ha! The first time I made it, I was out of olive oil and lemon juice, so I used canola oil and lime juice. My husband liked the lime juice version better! I like the original recipe. Let me know what you think!

Courageous 26 Year Old Cancer Survivor Shares His Story
You won't want to miss Ron's story. His courage during a difficult cancer diagnosis is inspiring and reminds you how small things can make a big difference!




Don't forget to make your year end contribution to Cancer Services, helping make this website possible! Thank you to those who are regular donors!  Everything Cancer Services does is delivered at no charge. What's more, 90 cents of every dollar goes to survivor programs and community services.

Thank you for caring for survivors!
- Julie

Greetings! If you're like me, you like local stuff. Food, crafts, businesses, farmers. One of our clients (a regular reader of this website too!) referred to supporting Cancer Services as "Buying Local". I love it! Not only are we a local agency (no national or state-wide affiliations), but we had a local artist, Mike Foley, create an awesome short film about Cancer Services called:

Facing the Boogie Man

I've been known to watch it through a couple of times whenever I need a little inspiration. You can't help but move with the rap at the end! And I get goose bumps each time I watch it. We hope you are inspired by too :).



How is Cancer Dietitian sustained?

As I mentioned before, there are no advertisements on this site. Why? Well, I started out with Google ads. I thought the site would be a good way to bring in some income (as most blogs do!!). However, the ads that came up with my articles were selling things that I would not recommend. And I had no control over the ads.

The ads had to go because I feel strongly that this website should be an unbiased and consumer oriented site providing evidence based information on nutrition and cancer. End of story.

Enter Cancer Services! When I started working for the agency (4 months after starting the website), I had the opportunity to use it as part of our education programs. Amazing! But, just as everything else in life, nothing is free; someone has to pay for it.

Cancer Dietitian is supported solely by Cancer Services, Inc. a local, community non-profit agency in Winston-Salem, NC. Thirty percent of our budget is supported by individual donors. Another large group of supporters are volunteers. We have 300 volunteers who provide over $400,000 worth of services with their time. We love both types of Go Givers and could not do what we do without them!

Do you want to become a Go Giver for Cancer Services? There are two easy ways. Chose one or both!! 

1. Giving a donation of any amount will help continue the Cancer Dietitian website and many other programs. 90% of all moneys go directly to programs and client services! Donations are 100% tax deductible. We appreciate any support you are willing to give!
2. For readers in our local area, become a Go Giver volunteer!  Here are our volunteer needs.
3. There's actually a 3rd option. Do you know of a business who would like to be a sponsor? We have many sponsorship opportunities including this site! Of course, all sponsorships are tax deductible as well and your business would be recognized. Let me know if you need more information.

Thank you for reading this site, sending me emails, encouraging me and sharing your recipes and ideas. It's part of what makes my job so amazing! 

Now... what you're really here for... :-P

Kale Chips Recipe

They're so easy. And SO GOOD! I can't believe I have never made them before. What is wrong with me??

Anyway - here's a mental picture for you. 2 dietitians (one does food demonstrations for Whole Foods in W-S). 5 bunches of greens. 3 recipes. Trust me... this was the best one, by far! :).

Instructions:

1. Rinse (and dry!) Kale. Tear it into pieces. Or buy in one of those packages that has it already rinsed and cut.
   
2. Toss with olive oil and salt.
   
3. Lay on baking sheet (don't stack on top of each other).
   
4. Bake @ 375, checking every few minutes until they are crisp, like chips! I didn't mind the little bit browned taste, but they can burn FAST if you're not watching!
   

That's it!! And they're good the next day too. Even our 1 year old liked them. Her first chips! :)

Thank you again for all your support and encouragement!

- Julie

Aaah, brussels sprouts. I just learned that it is brusselS sprouts! I kind of feel sorry for them. Not only do they have a commonly misspelled name, most people don't like them. They're small. And they're green. The first time I tried to cook them, they turned out gross and bitter. That was probably in the year 2000 (any Conan O'Brien fans out there??).

Anyway - more recently (10ish years later) I've stir fried them. Or "steam fried" them, which tastes pretty good. But I thought I would try something different this past weekend. I picked up a bag of them from Costco and decided to roast them. There seemed to be plenty of rave reviews about roasted brussels sprouts online.

But first, you might want to know some...

Fun Facts About Brussels Sprouts!
[I got these from the Fruit and Veggie Guru!]

• 1 pound fresh = 4 cups cooked brussels sprouts
• Brussels sprouts should be stored in the refrigerator and used within a week.
• They are available year round, but production peaks in November and December
• In addition to their cancer prevention benefits, they are also low-fat, saturated fat-free, very low sodium, cholesterol-free, low in calories, a good source of fiber, high in vitamin C and a good source of folate.

How Can Brussels Sprouts Reduce Cancer Risk?

According to the AICR article on brussels sprouts, brussels sprouts are cruciferous vegetables--cousins to broccoli, cauliflower and Bok choy, turnips, chard and watercress. Studies link greater consumption of cruciferous vegetables with decreased incidence of several types of cancer. [NOTE: I will be covering this group in my "Fighting Cancer With Your Fork Seminar on Jan 17th. Be sure to RSVP here or call the Cancer Services office at 336-760-9983!]

Cruciferous vegetables (including brussels) are a source of isothiocyanates, a class of phytochemicals that help our bodies detoxify undesirable compounds, possibly stopping cancer before it starts. Like their cruciferous relatives, brussels sprouts' taste and smell can be bitter or delicious.

Research reported by AICR shows that there are several common components of cruciferous vegetales that have also been linked to lower cancer risk, including glucosinolates, crambene, indole-3-carbinol.   Isothiocyanates mentioned above are derived from glucosinolates.

"Several laboratory studies have suggested that cruciferous vegetables help regulate a complex system of bodily enzymes that defend against cancer. Components of these vegetables have shown the ability to stop the growth of cancer cells in various cell, tissue and animal models, including tumors of the breast, endometrium, lung, colon, liver, colon and cervix."

That is what makes these so powerful! Ok - so what is the...

Fool Proof Brussels Sprouts Recipe?

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients (Pictured!)

Brussels Sprouts (washed, cut off ends and then cut in half)
Olive Oil
Black Pepper
1 medium onion, diced (optional)
"no-salt" seasoning blend
Salt (optional)

[Aside: You're not going to believe that all of my ingredients came from Costco. And no... they did not pay me for it, ha! I use a lot of onions so I always get them there. Usually I buy olive oil in bulk. And I picked up the no-salt seasoning on a whim one day. I use it regularly! Anyway, back to the recipe!]


Instructions

1. Toss together the cut brussels, olive oil, black pepper, diced onion and no-salt seasoning blend. Amounts of seasoning will depend on how many brussels you have. It's up to you!
2. Bake at 375 degrees until done. I think mine took between 45 minutes and an hour.
   
3. Salt, if desired.

Done!! And here's the final product!

Next time I'll share the amazing discovery (also this weekend) of Kale Chips. Holy cow, how could I have never made them before?!? They are SO good!!

Don't forget to take the Cancer Dietitian Survey! We only need 19 more to get to our goal of 100 completed!

- Julie

Our volunteer luncheon was wonderful and I had many compliments on the recipe. That means it's good enough to share with you all! Keep in mind that just like with most of my recipes, I do a little bit of tweaking. So I'll give you the recipe as best I can and you'll have to do a little bit of experimenting on what works best for you.

The first thing is that I used dried beans! Why? You know why if you read my last article! If not, check it out: One of the Top Cancer Fighting Foods: Dried Beans! How to Cook Dried Beans. The article also spells out how to prepare dried beans to use in recipes.

Black Bean Chili in a Crock Pot!

First I'll give you the recipe, then I'll tell you some ways you can alter it to fit your needs. I got the inspiration from this site.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 6 garlic cloves, minced or crushed
  
• 2 chopped onions, medium size
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste - of course, I definitely used more!
• 1 tablespoon chili powder - .... or more!
• 2 to 3 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried leaf oregano
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cans (14 oz. each) diced tomatoes in juice
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 2 cups of frozen sweet corn (I added this, because i love sweet corn in chili!)
  
• 2 cans (16 ounces each) black beans, drained and rinsed (see below on how you can use dried beans)
• 2 cans (16 ounces each) beans -- pinto, garbanzo, great northern, kidney beans, etc. -- drained and rinsed (see below on how you can use dried beans)
• GARNISHES: grated cheese, sour cream,  green onion, or other
  

Instructions:

1. Heat the oil in a skillet and saute the onions, garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook 1 minute, then add chili powder and cumin and cook 2 minutes, stirring.
2. Add this mixture to the crock pot along with all remaining ingredients except canned beans.
   OR
   
3. Add the mixture to the crock pot with the previously soaked beans! [SEE TIPS BELOW ON A FEW ALTERATIONS TO THE RECIPE IF USING DRIED BEANS!]
   
4. Stir well and cook on low all day. If using canned beans, stir in an hour or so before serving.
   
5. Serve with garnishes.

Extra Tips for This Recipe

Tips If you are going to use dried beans:

• In order to make it with dried beans, be sure to soak the beans in plenty of water for at least 8 hours before using in the recipe.
  
• To measure out the 4 cans worth of beans (as the recipe calls for) - I used the empty tomato cans as scoops.
• I added extra water/broth (probably an extra 1.5 - 2 cups) to the recipe when using the soaked dried beans. It then seemed a bit runny, so I thickened it at the end by mixing a little bit of flour with water and stirring in.
• It also required extra spices! I pretty much doubled all the spices that were called for. Then, I added even more of each of them at the last minute before serving. You can never have too much spice, ha! Before serving, I also added some onion powder and garlic powder. 
• If you're brave - You could try this recipe with beans that you did not even soak!
  

Tips if you want to make it in a regular pot, instead of a crock pot:

• I have been able to take almost all crock pot recipes and cook them in a regular pot. You could do that for this recipe. If using canned beans, just follow the instructions above and instead of moving to #2, just add all the other ingredients to #1 and heat until the chili is ready to eat! This would likely not take more than 20-30 minutes.
  
• If using dried beans, you would do the same thing, follow the tips above for using dried beans (extra water and extra spices) and then cook for a WHILE until they are done.  First bring to a boil, then let it simmer. That would probably take about 2 hours.

I hope you enjoy!!

- Julie

First - I have a small favor to ask. Will you please take this survey? Why? Well - in case you haven't noticed, there are absolutely NO ADVERTISEMENTS on this page. I thankfully work for a wonderful charity whose mission includes education.

But I have to (and should!) prove that the information make a difference. That's where you come in! Plus... everyone who completes the survey will be entered in a drawing for $15 to our boutique! Thank you for your help. :)

Why Dried Beans?

I've covered it before, many times! Beans (Legumes) are one of the best foods that you can eat for promoting a healthy body! There are so many different phytochemicals, viatmins, minerals and fiber that are proven to reduce cancer risk. Plus, it's a great source of healthy carbs AND protein. These credentials are hard to beat when it comes to nutrition!

Want more reasons to eat them? Check out this article: Cancer Fighting Foods: Beans and Legumes

If you're like me, the idea of cooking dried beans is VERY SCARY! People say you have to soak them, then you have to cook them and after all that work - are they really going to taste good? It's taken me a long time to become more comfortable cooking the beans.

In the past, I used to use a lot of canned beans. However, I've been trying to cut back on canned, partly because of the amount of sodium in them and partly because of concerns over BPA. There's not consistent evidence on any link BPA and poor health, but now that we have a small child in the house, we've been extra cautious. (For more on BPA - check out my article from 2009).

Another great reason to use dried beans over canned? THEY ARE WAY CHEAPER! A 16 oz. bag of dried beans is equivalent to 3 cans of beans. I've been able to get dried black beans from COSTCO. Don't quote me, because I can't remember for sure, but I think that 6-16oz. packages of black beans are less that $5 there. That is one heck of a deal!

Not convinced? Check out this article about 10 reasons soaking dried beans will change your life.

How to Cook Dried Beans:

Ok - so you might be considering dried beans, but not sure exactly how to cook them. First - it does take a little bit of planning. You can't just pull them out and eat them in an hour. There are some quick cooking methods that work quite well (see the package for instructions). It usually involves covering them with water, bringing them to boil and simmering for 1-2 hours.

My co-worker told me that she just puts them in a crockpot overnight and they're ready in the morning to pack for lunch. Some suggest soaking them and dumping out the water. This is supposed to help get rid of the enzymes that cause the unpleasant side effect of gas. In the case of soaking, you would strain the beans, put them back in the pot, cover with fresh water and cook in that.

Here's a fool-proof procedure for using a crock pot (one of the best inventions ever!) to cook dried beans:

1. Rinse under cold water. Pick out any stones or bad looking beans (I rarely have to pick anything out).
2. Poor the beans into a bowl or pot (you could use the crock pot for this as well). Add enough water to cover all the beans and an additional 2 inches. If using the crock pot - do not turn it on!
   
3. Let the beans soak for at least 6 hours, or overnight. Soak in the fridge if it's especially warm in the room. You don't want bacteria to have the opportunity to grow.
4. After soaking, dump out the water and rinse your beans.
   
5. Put the beans back into your crockpot and cover with enough fresh water to completely cover the beans with an extra 2-3 inches.
6. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. You know they're done if they mush when you eat them!
7. Drain the beans.
8. Use in a recipe, store in the fridge or put 1 2/3 cups (equivalent to a can of beans) freezer bags or containers. 

I just made a chili recipe in the crock pot after soaking black and pinto beans all day. If they turn out good (I REALLY hope they do, because I'm bringing it to a volunteer appreciation lunch tomorrow!) - I'll share the recipe in my next article!

Do you have suggestions on how to use dried beans? Email me and I'll share it!

Oh yeah - Don't forget to take the survey!

- Julie