On Vacation...Sort Of

My baby nephew Benjamin.

My sister is visiting me for two weeks. I'm seeing her after five years and am so thrilled as I got to meet my nephew for the first time. The best part is that I am being taken care of. My sister is a chef by profession so she has basically taken over the kitchen. I am playing sous chef when needs be but am pretty much spending time taking care of my nephew while she cooks. So it's kind of a win-win situation for us both.
It's not just been a time for catching up, but it's the first time my sister is seeing Sean after his surgery and radiation. We have been conversing a lot about his nutritional changes so when she arrived on Thursday night I made sweet potato polenta with Asian vegetable fricasse from Paul Gayler's Pure Vegetarian. It has a bit of naughtiness with some butter, but it helped her understand how we try to include a larger portion of vegetables and whole grains in Sean's diet. The fact that it tasted completely delicious is a fab bonus.
I've enjoyed reading the recipe book Pure Vegetarian. It has some really simple and delicious vegetarian mains like cauliflower and date tagine (made it, loved it), Kerala pumpkin curry and twice baked macaroni and celeriac soufflé. Definitely a lot of stuff to try and help expand my repertoire. Next for experimentation will be the vegetable stifado and honey roasted vegetables with cumin and fig cous cous. I'm salivating just thinking about it.

Here's the recipe for the polenta and vegetables. It doesn't disappoint. And the colours look amazing on the plate. 

Sweet Potato and Coconut Polenta with Asian Vegetable Fricassé

Serves 6-8

450ml good vegetable stock

1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into small dice

600ml coconut milk

50g unsalted butter (I used organic salted butter)

175g quick-cook polenta (I used organic whole grain polenta and cooked it longer)

Salt and freshly ground pepper

For the vegetables:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

15g unsalted butter

1 garlic clove, crushed

1cm piece of root ginger, peeled and finely chopped

100g shiitake mushrooms

2 courgettes, sliced diagonally

1 small head broccoli, cut into florets

120g sugar snap peas, sliced diagonally

100ml good vegetable stock

4 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce (I used two tablespoons chilli past mixed with two tablespoons of agave syrup)

Place the vegetable stock and diced sweet potato in a pan, bring to the boil and simmer for 12-15 minutes until the potato is tender. Transfer to a food proessor and blend until smooth. Return to the pan, add the coconut milk and half the butter and bring to a rolling boil. Pour in the polenta, stirring constantly, lower the heat and simmer for 5-8 minutes until the polenta comes away from the sides of the pan, with the consistency of wet mashed potato. Stir in the remaining butter, season to taste, keep warm.
For the vegetables, heat the oil and butter in a wok or frying pan over a moderate heat, add the garlic and ginger and cook for 30 seconds. Add the vegetables, toss together for two minutes, then add the vegetable stock and sweet chilli sauce. Pour the wet polenta onto four serving plates or bowls and top with the vegetables. Serve immediately.

Project Food Blog - Challenge 1 - My Blog, My Life.

I’m often asked why I started a blog. The answer seems obvious – I love food right? But there is so much more that goes into the entire process. Writing, photography, research, curiosity…the list is endless. For me, it has become a sort of diary, helping me organise thoughts and experiences. When I really think about it, it’s more a culinary road map of my life – where I was, where I am and where I am hoping to be. I've never really reflected on what motivated me to start the blog, until Foodbuzz announced the Project Food Blog competition. Now that got me thinking.

It’s no secret I’ve had a tumultuous relationship with food. At different points in my life I’ve been underweight (petname: chicken), overweight (petname: piggy, no seriously) and have advised friends on healthy eating and exercise once I slimmed down to a healthy weight range. Of late, food has taken on a whole new significance. It’s become a source of healing and nutrition for my husband Sean, a brain tumour survivor, and still continues to be a source of pleasure that brought us together.

This turning point in my life in 2007 coupled with all the past years of cooking and experimentation has made me realise one thing – I want my lifelong career to be food related. Food has been my friend, comfort and enemy. However, we’ve finally come to an understanding with each other. It’s what comes to me most naturally, I enjoy learning and sharing with others what I know and nothing gives me more satisfaction than standing in front of the stove trying something new or sharing a meal with friends and family. It’s safe to say, we have pretty good chemistry now.

So for the majority of my adult life, I’ve been through a lot of changes – relationships have fizzled, friends have come and gone and I’ve lived in three different countries. But the one thing that has always remained constant is my incessant need to nurture and entertain people in my life through food. That’s how I like to be remembered. So why am I entering the contest? Because frankly, competition scares the hell out of me.

I’m no professional cook, I still under season food and there has been more than one disaster, which I have blogged about.

However, I think that’s the beauty of my blog journey. It’s a constant exploration of new ingredients, cuisines, nutrition and related experiences and sometimes, yes things do flop. I care deeply about what I do and am not afraid to admit when I’ve made a wrong decision. That’s what’s so great about cooking – you can interpret a dish any way you please and it will turn out perfectly or follow the instructions and still get it all mixed up. But actions speak so much louder than words, and when I cook for someone I know they feel my love and affection through the effort I’ve made, even if the pasta is a bit over cooked.

So yes, I think I’m a strong contender for the next food blog star because I have the passion and enthusiasm for cooking and blogging by the bucket load. It feels like a natural extension of my life and career as a journalist and amateur photographer. But although I have my eye on the prize, I know the journey is just as important as the destination. I’m strapped in, have swallowed the fear brimming and am ready to take on the ride. If you think I'm worthy enough, click the profile button on the right side bar to vote for me to advance to the next round.

Best of luck fellow competitors. Let's start cooking.

Interview with Jeanne Wallace

Dr Jeanne Wallace

One of the driving forces behind this blog has been the fact that I have had to rethink the way I cook for my husband Sean, a brain tumour survivor. He is under nutritional counselling by Dr Jeanne Wallace (pretty lady pictured above) who specialises in complementary nutritional and herb therapy for cancer patients through her company Nutritional Solutions.

She has been an absolute God send for many, teaching us the foods that help fight carcinogenic cells and promote the body's natural healing ability. I asked Jeanne a couple of questions regarding her approach and the kind of foods brain tumour patients need to focus on. She also shares her fantastic recipe for Indian-style tea (chai) that's a real cancer buster.
Here's her enlightening interview:

Does the food we eat have a direct influence on the diseases we develop?

We believe so. Exciting research in the new field of nutrigenomics shows that

constituents in our food actually change the expression of our genes. In 2009, Dean Ornish conducted a study on men with prostate cancer where a healthy diet was shown to decrease the expression of over 500 genes that are associated with cancer.

Is it true that cancer is also a by-product of unhealthy eating? Can you please explain how?

The environment in the body is either favorable or unfavorable for cancer growth. If one has a poor diet, this causes increased inflammation, elevated blood sugar, high copper levels, decreased immune functioning, etc. All of these factors favour tumour growth and cancer cell proliferation.

In a nutshell, can you elaborate on nutritional counselling, i.e. what exactly Nutritional Solutions does?

We provide a report which surveys published research regarding nutrition and dietary supplement support for the specific cancer type. We use functional blood work analysis to determine problematic areas for each client. Follow up testing is done to assess the efficacy of the clientʼs nutritional protocol. Our goal is to modulate the environment in the body so that it is not a good host for cancer cells.

Can you tell us what inspired you to target nutritional counselling for brain tumours?

I have a family history of cancers. About 12 years ago, a close friend was

diagnosed with a brain tumour. I knew from her own challenges how important nutrition was, so I began researching. All these years later, this friend is still a long term survivor of a stage IV brain tumour and I continue to help others with this diagnosis.

Most of the advice for those enrolled with you for nutritional counselling can be used for people not suffering from cancer as well. It is just about eating good wholesome food, like our ancestors ate in the past. How important do you think this message is to educate those who still depend on packaged and pre-prepared foods?

We think a whole foods diet is important for everyone. We do only see cancer

patients here in our practice. However, we have a separate diet report that could be used by all for prevention purposes.

How does eating the right food during chemotherapy and radiation help the body?

Certain foods and supplements have been shown in scientific studies to increase the efficacy of chemotherapy and radiation, as well as, reduce the side effects caused from these treatments.

For brain tumour patients, what should their plates be filled with at every meal?

Your plate should consist of a palm-sized portion of protein and three servings of

vegetables. We also encourage our clients to “eat a rainbow”, meaning choose a

vegetable and fruit from each colour category each day.

In your opinion, what should every pantry for a brain tumour patient contain in terms of staples and why?

Healthy choices include: grass fed meats, free range poultry, cold water fish, hi-

omega eggs, organic fruits and vegetables, raw nuts.

What snacks do you suggest one keep on hand for nibbles between meals?

High protein, low carbohydrate snacks are best. We like to suggest nuts, and raw vegetables with dips like hummus or tahini.

Aside from nourishing the body with good food, what other avenues do you suggest to help your patients get better?

We offer support and guidance with supplement choices. We encourage clients to

seek other complementary alternative medicine (CAM), when appropriate and depending on their situation. Some modalities that we support are: acupuncture/acupressure, massage, stress reduction techniques, physical therapy, etc.

How often do you think a 'cheat day' for brain tumour patients is okay?

Certainly, eating out with friends and family can be challenging. Try to choose a

restaurant where you can order a high quality protein and lots of vegetables. When craving sweets try to make these at home or buy those that use low glycemic sweeteners and whole, or better yet, no grains. Diet changes can be challenging. Understanding the rationale makes this easier to stick with.

Any final words for brain tumour patients and survivors?

We are beginning to see cancer as a chronic disease – one that we live with and

manage over time. Taking steps to harness the power of nutrition is empowering!

Jeanne’s Chai Recipe

Makes 10 servings

Chai is a spiced tea drink popular in India. Why drink chai? The aromatic spices in chai are rich in antioxidants and have useful anti-inflammatory properties. For

example, cinnamon is a potent antioxidant (2,674 ORAC units per 1/4 tsp) and helps regulate blood sugar levels. Orange peel contains several bioflavonoids that have research demonstrating they may induce apoptosis (cell death) in cancer cells, such as limonene. Ginger provides elemene, which recent research suggests helps fight brain tumors. Black pepper has also shown some anti-cancer properties and improves the absorption of nutrients. Cardamom promotes healthy digestion. In addition, seven of the spices in chai inhibit the activation of NF-kappa-beta, a signalling factor within cancer cells that turns on over 200 genes involved in tumor progression, invasion and angiogenesis. Brewing up a batch of chai fills the house with a heady aroma. But perhaps the best reason to drink chai is that it tastes wonderful! Use organic spices when available!

8 cups water

2 tsp cardomom pods (green)

2 tsp. whole black peppercorns

2 tsp whole cloves

4 tsp cinnamon chips

2 tsp dried orange peel or 4 tsp zest from an organic orange

4 whole star anise

2 tsp nutmeg chips (4 whole nutmeg bulbs)

4 tsp minced fresh ginger (or 1 TBSP dried ginger pieces)

1 vanilla bean (3-4” long), chopped fine, or 2 tsp pure vanilla extract

4 teabags or 4 TBSP green or black tea leaves (can be made without tea)

stevia or agave to sweeten

To make the spice mix: Bring water to boil, add spices (don’t add the tea yet). Reduce heat and simmer on low for 20 minutes, or longer if you like it spicier. Remove from heat, add tea leaves and steep 3 minutes. Strain into glass pitcher. Keeps refrigerated for up to 10 days.

To make one cup of chai, combine 1/2 cup soy milk (or organic grass-fed dairy milk, rice milk, almond milk or other substitute) and one half cup of the liquid herb/tea mix. Heat. Add agave or stevia to sweeten. Enjoy.

Chai can be served iced during the summer months.

You can contact Dr Wallace here:

Jeanne M. Wallace, PhD, CNC
1697 East, 3450 North
North Logan, Utah 84341 USA
Phone: (435) 563-0053
Fax: (435) 563-0052email: admin@nutritional-solutions.net

She's a Winner!

Sharing recipes with the world...one potato chop at a time.

I've been waiting with bated breath since Saturday. That's because I knew the winners of the The Foodista Best of Food Blogs Cookbook were being announced at the International Food Blogger Conference in Seattle. I'm not going to lie, I was checking the Foodista website every day since hoping for the list to be revealed. And today, it finally was. I am so excited to say, my recipe for East Indian Potato Chops were among the chosen 100. Thanks to everyone who voted for me.

It's no secret that potato chops are one of my favourites.  If you remember when I first started the blog last year, I wrote about the powerful sway they have over my father when my mother whips up a batch. So more than anything, I have my mother to thank for teaching me how to make them and sharing her own recipe with me.

Even more importantly, I have my mother to thank for my love for cooking. I remember her combing through cook books and magazines daily and always being interested in making things from scratch. No matter what she was cooking in the kitchen, she always encouraged my sister and me to help her - even if it was just shelling peas. Her recipes files still sit in the kitchen cabinet yellowing with age and she can recall which magazine she cut out a particular page from or what happened when she tried that recipe. Today, I pretty much do the exact same thing.

So thanks ma, this win is yours as much as it is mine. If it wasn't for the weekly 'cooking lessons' I would  never have developed an interest in the culinary world, let alone start a food blog. I only hope that when I have my own children I can teach them to enjoy and appreciate food just as you have taught me to. And now in celebration for our little win, I'm off to enjoy a large scoop of ice cream. I know it will be morning for you when this post goes live, but I'm pretty sure you wouldn't mind doing the same. I love you.

My beautiful mother on my wedding day.