(Guest post from Kelsey Servi)

Tempeh –it’s what’s for dinner. (If you’re trying to naturally prevent lung cancer growth, that is.)

In a recent 2013 article, researchers from the University of Arkansas found that soybeans with a high oleic acid content could inhibit the growth of several cancers by up to 70 percent. Among the malignancies:

• Lung cancer (growth reduced by 68 percent)
• Colon cancer (growth reduced  by 73 percent)
• Liver cancer (growth reduced by 70 percent)

This was certainly not the first study to identify anti-cancer benefits in soy. Other studies exploring the correlation between soy and lung cancer date back to 1985, and one published this spring indicates high-soy diets may correlate with longer lung cancer survival. (That study found that women who ate more than 21 grams of soy protein per day were more likely to reach five-year survival after a lung cancer diagnosis.)

However, this study was the first to note these specific bioactive benefits in three individual soy protein isolates. The University of Arkansas was also the first organization to identify two of the three high-oleic acid soybean varieties, as part of an ongoing soybean breeding program.

Oleic acid – the main fat component in the much-acclaimed olive oil – is also associated with breast cancer inhibition.

Lab workers tested each of the soy isolates against cell lines from lung, colon and liver cancer samples. They found that growth for each type of cancer significantly slowed after exposure to the soy isolates, and that higher doses produced greater results.

Several other food-derived compounds offer lung cancer inhibitory benefits. These include reservatrol, an antioxidant in red wine, and curcumin, the main component of the Indian herb turmeric.

Tempeh, Two Ways

Tempeh is thought of as a boring, obscure “health store” food. But when prepared correctly, nothing could be further from the truth. Sure, it’s a fermented soy cake – but you can dress it up like any other animal meat. Crumbled tempeh makes a great stand-in for ground beef or ground turkey, and crispy, pan-fried tempeh strips are passable for bacon.

But just like you wouldn’t serve raw, unseasoned meat, you can’t serve raw, unseasoned tempeh. It needs a zesty marinade and some added fat to taste its best. Some tempeh products come pre-seasoned, and some come pre-cooked so all you need to do is heat it with some oil. (As with meat, soy should not be consumed raw.)

However, there are plenty of ways to get creative with the plain version! The following two tempeh recipes are full of plant-based protein (more than 15 grams per serving):

Tex-Mex Tempeh Tacos (serves one)

Ingredients:

1/3 package organic tempeh

3 tablespoons mesquite BBQ sauce

½ avocado

Shredded lettuce

Greek yogurt (to sub for sour cream)

Pico de Gallo

2 whole-grain tortillas

Directions:

-  Cut your tempeh into cubes, then brown in a skillet with 1 tbsp olive oil. Transfer to a bowl and toss with the BBQ sauce.

- Warm tortillas in oven (approximately 2-3 minutes).

- Layer taco ingredients as you would for any taco; add as much – or as little – as you’d like of each. If you’re not experiencing chemotherapy-induced nausea, try adding hot sauce or mango salsa.

Easy Tempeh Stir Fry (serves one)

Ingredients:

1/3 package organic soy tempeh

1 floret fresh broccoli

½ cup sliced carrots

½ onion

1 can baby corn or water chestnuts

¼ cup organic soybean oil

Teriyaki sauce and soy sauce, to taste

1 serving brown rice or soba noodles

Directions:

-Cook rice/noodles according to package.

- Add vegetables, oil, teriyaki sauce and soy sauce to a wok (or skillet). Sautee for 5 minutes; add tempeh cubes. Sautee another 4-6 minutes, flipping the cubes so each side gets lightly crispy and brown.

If desired, add another dash of teriyaki or soy sauce; serve over the rice or soba noodles.

You should note that it’s important to purchase tempeh that’s certified organic or made from non-genetically modified soybeans. (The health effects of genetically modified foods are not completely known, but what we do know suggests that they’re not ideal for health).

While the study uses soybeans that are specifically bred to have higher-than-average oleic acid concentrations, there are several natural ways to obtain non-modified, high-oleic acid soybeans. Ask your local grocer for help finding non-GMO soy products in their refrigeration.

Do you cook with soy? If so, what are your favorite tofu or tempeh recipes? If you try out either of these recipes, let us know your thoughts on our Facebook page.

Sources:

Seaman, A. M. (26 March 2013). Soy tied to better lung cancer survival among women. Reuters. Retrieved from http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/26/us-soy-lung-cancer-idUSBRE92P0VP20130326

Rayaprolu, S. J., Hettiarachchy, N. S., Chen, P., Kannan, A., & Mauromostakos A. (2013). Peptides derived from high oleic acid soybean meal inhibit colon, liver and lung cancer cell growth. Food Research International; 50 (1). Retrieved from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0963996912004322

Fresh picked apples at Harvest time

When apples are in season, there are a wide range of varieties to choose from. Red Delicious, Gala, and Fuji are crisp and juicy all by themselves. For baking, a nice balance of sweet and tart flavors can be made by combining Rome Beauties with Granny Smiths. For use in soups and sauces, the softer Johnathans, Cortlands, or McIntoshes all work well.

Apples are a great way to get fruit into your diet. From grab and go whole apples, to diced into a salad of baked whole for a yummy simple dessert, the possibilities are endless. We all know that apples are a great healthy snack. They are especially yummy with peanut butter on them. A slice of sharp cheddar cheese makes another tasty topping.

Golden Delicious apples bake up quickly

But did you know that apples are useful in the kitchen in other ways too?

Here are 4 tips to get the most out of an apple.

1) Green tomatoes will ripen faster when placed in a paper bag with an apple in it.

2) Try stuffing an apple inside a whole chicken the next time you roast one up to make it juicier.

3) Hardened brown sugar will soften easily when placed in a bag with an apple wedge.

4) Apples will absorb extra salt from homemade soups and stews. Just add few wedges to balance out too mush salt.

Got a handy use for apples? I’d love to hear about it.

Rapini is a perfect side dish for any Italian meal

Heirlooms are precious things. They are passed down through generations. In the vegetable world, an heirloom is one that has kept it’s traits through generations of open pollination versus through grafts and cuttings of other vegetables. Heirloom varieties such as tomatoes for example, were commonly grown in earlier periods of human history. Those varieties are not part of modern, large scale agrigulture which supplies the food generally found in grocery stores. Today’s tomatoes are bred for their productivity, and ability to stand up to processing or resist pesticides.

The popularity of gowing heirloom varieties in home gardens has spread across North America and Europe over the last decade. Another heirloom vegetable is Rapini.  Known as brocoli rabe, it is widely popular in Italian cuisine. Rapini has a pleasing bitter flavor often lacking in our American diet. In our greenhouse plot over at Nancy’s Garden here in Frisco, CO, we grew rapini with good success for our first crop. The leaves were abundant and we harvested them often as we waited for the crowns to develop.

The simplest way to prepare Rapini is the steam or blanch it first, then sautee it in olive oil with garlic. A sprinkle of crushed red pepper gives the dish some spice. I like to finish it off at the table with a healthy topping of ramano cheese. Italians often serve Rapini by itself as a side dish, cooked with canelinni beans as an entrée, or stirred into rissoto.

Potoatoes are another heirloom crop growing over at Nancy’s Garden. Plot holders Janet and John simply took some fingerling potatoes that had begun to sprout and buried them in one of the outdoor plots. Janet & John have been plot holders since the garden started in 2010. John said one of the

Potatoes growing in garden

challenges that popped up in the greenhouse this year are voles. The voles eat the roots of the plants as well as the tops and can kill plants. Filling in their tunnels is one way to deter voles. Using mice traps is another way John controls the vole population.

Since the planting season started early this year, we have sown a second round of rapinin over at our plot. As the seedlings begin to break ground, the must be thinned out so they have room to grow and fully develop. It is a fun experience to grow edible crops. The heirloom varieties are espicially rewarding because they are often not availble in grocery stores.

Learn more Mediterranean cooking and enjoy the benefits of this renowned cuisine here:

Kindle eBook Mediterranean Diet Recipes Cover

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I call this ” Somethin’ Outta Nothin’ “…

Using little bits of left over items together reduces food waste and helps save on food costs.

Here at 9000 feet elevation, our crop choices are limited. The best success comes with cold tolerant crops such as  kale, lettuce, and spinach. Herbs like cilantro, mint, and parsley can be grown fairly easily too. Many gardeners experiment with peppers, tomatoes, and zucchini with varying degrees of success. These warmth loving crops can do OK in greenhouse environment. Often it depends on their specific location inside the greenhouse.

In our plot we have radishes, lettuce, mustard spinach, kale, collards, rapini, arugala, spinach, and cilantro.  It has been so amazing to witness the process from start to finish.

Arugala and Rapini

Placing seeds in the dirt, seeing them sprout, harvesting the new growth, and finally tasting that incredible flavor of homegrown food. Mostly the kale and collards get cooked. The other varieties end up in salads or on sandwiches.

Recently, I have begun to use the tender greens I have been harvesting in a new way. I like my greens lightly cooked. Stirring them into a hot pot of freshly cooked grains does the job quite well. In this case, I cooked a pot of Quinoa flavored with curry powder and some shredded zucchini. As to pot came off the stove, I stirred in a variety of chopped greens. My recent harvest included arugala, mustard spinach, and rapini.

chopped greens and diced radish

All of these have a bright, peppery flavor that compliments the quinoa beautifully.

To finish the dish, I sprinkled on garam masala, a spice blend, and a bit of flax oil. A  topping of fresh cilantro and diced radish, also grown in the greenhouse, added an extra kick of greens and some crunch. This is quite a change of pace from a bowl of oatmeal. I find the savory combination of greens and seasonings gets me going much more than the typical sweet flavorings of oatmeal.

Greenhouse Quinoa

I highly recommend the experience of growing edible crops. Even if you are limited to a flower pot in  a window sill, the rewards are worth the effort.

More recipes are available in my new eBook for Kindle, Mediterranean Diet Recipes

After Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong recovered from testicular cancer, he created the Livestrong Foundation as a resource for those with cancer. He sometimes worked the phones himself and received many questions about his lifestyle and his diet. Cancer patients wanted to know exactly what he was eating that made him recover so strongly.

Lance is an elite athlete. His body might not be anything like yours, but a healthy diet cannot only reduce your chances of getting cancer, it can also help you recover faster. The National Cancer Institute gives an overview of nutrition in cancer care and says cancer can change the way the body uses food. Some types of stomach or intestinal tumors may prevent the body from absorbing the necessary nutrients from food.

Cancer treatments can also affect the senses and the appetite. One type of cancer that requires proper nutrition is Mesothelioma cancer, which typically affects the lungs and is caused from exposure to asbestos. Many people don’t know that this type of cancer can also affect organs vital for digestion such as the stomach and intestine.

Treatments for cancer will often make the patient weak and tired. Food is our main source of fuel. Eating the right foods during cancer treatment can help replenish nutrients in the body and give the patient additional strength and mental vitality needed to speed recovery.

Because the immune system is weakened by cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation, it is important to eat foods that naturally boost the immune system. Other symptoms such as diarrhea, constipation, and vomiting can also be addressed with proper nutrition.

Lance Armstrong already followed a rigorous training schedule and diet plan. You probably are not used to monitoring every little thing you put into your body. If you could prevent getting sick with cancer, the extra effort would probably be worth it. If cancer has already invaded your body, you want to do everything in your power to fight it.

Even if you’re not an award-winning athlete, good nutrition is one of the most cost-effective and simplest things you can do to possibly extend your life. You never know, you might have the sudden urge to take up cycling to expel all that extra energy from eating good food.

About Jillian McKee:

Bringing a wealth of personal and professional experience to the organization, Jillian McKee has worked as the Complementary Medicine Advocate at the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance since June of 2009. Jillian spends most her time on outreach efforts and spreading information about the integration of complementary and alternative medicine when used in conjunction with traditional cancer treatment.

Visit Jillian on her blog      Follow Jillian on Twitter    Find Jillian on FB

Fresh Herbs add sparkle as a topping for many dishes or tossed into salads to liven them up.

To keep herbs such a such as Cilantro or Parsley fresh for up to 10 days:

1) Pick off any leaves around the base of the stem area

2) Trim the end of the stems so they are even and all are freshly cut

3) Place the herbs in a stable shaped coffee mug that won’t tip over

4) Fill the mug with one inch of water, making sure that no  leaves are in the water

5) Put a produce bag loosly over the whole thing and keep it in the refrigerator.

Make a fresh cut across the base and pick off an leaves at the bottom

Remove Leaves from the bas area & make a clean cut across the bottom of the stems befor putting the bunch into a cup with a little water in it.

Put a produce bag loosley over the whole bunch

Place a plastic bag loosely over the whole thing and store in the fridge

Photo of finished dish

Thai cuisine never ceases to amaze me. The variety of textures, shapes, and colors is a feast for the all the senses. With Valentine’s Day approaching, I can’t think of a better style of cooking to share with someone you care about. One of the fastest ways to a person’s heart is definitely through their stomach.

This dish originally called for tofu, which my wife, Kathy is not fond of at all. Tofu is one texture she cannot, shall we say, appreciate. I set out to find a substitute. Something that mirrored the color and appearance of the original ingredient was needed. The final selection surprised even me. Of all things, humble cauliflower rose to the occasion.

The main Thai ingredient in this dish is roasted chili paste. It is spicy of course, and also has a deep and complex flavor.

Use in stirfrys and soups

Cauliflower, with its mild flavor is a perfect compliment. In this case, opposites definitely attract! The bumpy surface gives the overall dish a great visual appeal. A splash of fish sauce, known as nam pla, gives the dish a distinctively Thai flavor.

The original recipe calls for onion and zucchini. I also added some red bell pepper to highlight the color of the chili paste. Together, these three vegetable lend a sweet influence to counter the fiery chili paste. Of course you can tone down the heat by adjusting the amount of chili paste to suit your preference.

This dish works nicely as a vegetable side dish. To make it more of entrée and move it to the center of the plate, add in a handful of shrimp. For a vegetarian version, simply stick with tofu in place of the cauliflower. To go fully vegetarian, substitute 2 oz. vegetable stock, 1 teaspoon of soy sauce, and a pinch of salt for the fish sauce. Serve with steamed jasmine rice. If you are feeling ambitious, add coconut ginger soup to the menu along with a cashew nut salad. A cup of Thai tea from Yogi Teas will top things off nicely.

A caffeine and sugar free Thai tea

Let a Thai meal bring you closer to your Valentine. I encourage you to prepare the meal together and share in the smells, colors, and textures of this delightful cuisine. Afterward, you can experiment on each other with Thai massage.

RECIPE:

Cauliflower in Roasted Chili Paste

Ingredients

1 Tbs Vegetable oil

3-4 Cloves Garlic, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup Onion, cut lengthwise into 1/2 inch wedges

1 /2 Cup Red Bell Pepper, cut 1″ long into strips

1 Cup Zucchini cut into semi circles

2 tsp Roasted Chili Paste

1 Tbs Fish Sauce

2 Cups Steamed Cauliflower florets

Heat a wok or large skillet over medium high heat. Add the oil and toss in the garlic, onion and red bell pepper.  Cook until translucent, about a minute.

Add the Zucchini and cook, stirring occasionally until shiny and tender, about 2 minutes.

Reduce heat and add the chili paste and fish sauce. Toss well. Add in the cauliflower and toss until coated and heated through.

Serve with steamed Jasmine rice.

A Cuisinart gold toned coffee filter (center) works great

While some recipes call for layers of cheese cloth in a colander, I have found a Cuisinart coffee filter to work quite well and be easy to clean up. And bowl or container that will suspend the filter is fine. The goal is to allow space for the whey to drain out.

The yogurt will thicken considerably the longer it stands. In the first stage it will be like sour cream. At this point it is great in dips, on sandwiches instead of mayonaise or in salads. Think curried potato salad…

Scoop yogurt into strainer

… When the yogurt reaches the consistency you like, transfer it to a clean container and store it in the fridge.

If it gets too thick, stir a bit of the whey back into it.

As it get thicker the flavor will change until it tastes like a mild cheese.

Creamed dishes such as spinach that call for dairy will be tasty with strained yogurt.

The remaining whey can be discarded.

The liquid whey can be discarded