For as long as I can remember, I have loved the idea of food as medicine. Although I am guilty of stuffing my own face with more junk than I should (think french fries, pizza, and crispy, salty snacks–ooh, where can I get some now?), I am an unabashed dictator when it comes to laying down — and enforcing– healthy-eating rules for my family.
Global statistics on cancer are alarming. You’d think that with all the knowledge we have today, and medical advances, we would have this disease under control. But the World Health Organization actually predicts that cancer deaths will nearly double between 2007 and 2030. In developing countries like India, which once had low rates of cancer, the number of new cases is increasing at a rapid clip.
While some cancers have a genetic risk– meaning you have a greater likelihood of contracting it if a close relative had it– the comforting fact is that most cancers can be pushed away by following healthy lifestyles, like not smoking, exercising, and following a healthy diet rich in fruits, vegetables, beans, and grains. Such is the diet promoted by the gals behind Kicking Cancer in the Kitchen, Annette Ramke and Kendall Scott.
The idea of using food to fight cancer is not, in itself, new. A number of doctors and health organizations have long promoted a low-fat vegan diet for preventing, reversing, and surviving cancer. Christina Pierello whose PBS show some of you are likely familiar with, has a personal story of beating cancer with a macrobiotic diet that’s nothing short of miraculous. And there is abundant research to show that plant-based diets can actually lower the risk of getting several cancers, including prostate and colorectal cancers and even breast cancer. Some studies have even found a benefit of plant-based diets in preventing leukemia.
- 1 small onion , diced
- 1 small head broccoli , chopped (1 cup)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic , finely chopped
- 1 medium tomato , diced
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley , packed, chopped
- 6 medium mushrooms , chopped
- 1 package firm tofu (14 ounces)
- 1/4 cup unsweetened rice milk
- 4 tbsp arrowroot or cornstarch
- 2 heaping tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp dried dill
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a pan over medium heat, saute the onion and broccoli in the olive oil for five minutes. Add the garlic, cover, and cook for two more minutes. Add the tomato, parsley and mushrooms, and saute for two minutes. Remove from heat and cover.
- Place the tofu between two cutting boards or two plates and squeeze excess water out. In a food processor or blender, combine the tofu, rice milk, cornstarch, nutritional yeast, paprika, mustard, turmeric, dill, salt, and pepper.* This mixture can also be mixed by hand in a large bowl if a food processor is not available.
- Scoop the mixture into a large bowl and mix in the sauteed vegetables. Pour into a pie plate or similar-sized baking dish. Bake for 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand for five minutes before serving.
- (Recipe From Kicking Cancer in the Kitchen. The Girlfriend's Cookbook and Guide to Using Real Food to Fight Cancer. By Annette Ramke and Kendall Scott)
- *I deviated slightly from the recipe to add the turmeric to the veggies while sauteing them, instead of blending it with the tofu mixture. This is because turmeric, unless it is roasted first, imparts a bitter taste to any dish.
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Banana Pecan Pancakes From Kicking Cancer in the Kitchen
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Healthy Quickie Snack Tip:I love bhel, not least because it’s super-easy to make, fat-free, and it can even be super-healthy if you use the right ingredients. My favorite snack right now is to mix some brown rice crispies (kurmura) in a bowl with a spring onion (scallion), white and green parts finely chopped, a finely diced potato zapped in the microwave until tender, a plum tomato, a few squeezes of lemon juice, and a sprinkle of cayenne. For the crispy, crunchy element I throw in some sunflower seeds (instead of sev, the squiggly, deep-fried thingies you can find in Indian stores and which are a traditional ingredient in bhel).
Just toss it all together and eat. Do you hear your waistline thanking you?
For a more traditional bhel recipe, read this post.
good one vaishali; it sure pays to imbibe healthy eating. nice recipe and the book sounds a must keep !
Very filling frittata..Loving it.
Love this recipe, I definitely have to try it
that is such an informative and detailed post!!!
Sowmya
Ongoing Event – Eggless Bakes and Treats
Ongoing Event – SYF&HWS – Ginger
The frittata looks amazing. The last vegan pancake that I made did not look as fluffy as yours.
I am also interested in a homemade diet for my cats, though I am not sure they will all go for it. Where did you find yours or did you devise it yourself? Thanks!
Shan, I’ve tried all sorts of combinations of veggies, lentils and fish (my cat is not vegan), but nothing really works beyond a point. She does like it much more when I give her fish or meat alone, without any veggies or lentils, and although cats do need a high-protein diet, I am not sure how balanced that is. So for now I just feed her a high-quality, store-bought cat food.
My fellows were never fond of quiches and frittatas back in the day when we did eat eggs so I was surprised when they loved a vegan asparagus frittata. We are huge broccoli lovers so I’ll have to give this recipe a try one day too.
hi Vaishali ! I would love to make this eggless & vegan frittata – however I dont have acces to nutritional yeast.. Is there a substitute that would work for this dish ? keen to know what could work….
Hi Kalyani, just leave out the nutritional yeast. The frittata will still be delicious and will have lots of flavors.