Leafy Greens

This Asian-style slaw uses a base of peanut butter, which adds a nutty sweetness redolent of pad Thai and satay. It also adds body to the dressing and a touch of delightful crunch. Ginger paste is available in the Asian or Indian section of many grocery stores. Or, you can make your own using a food processor: place one gingerroot in the processor and add just enough water to help keep everything moving. For those who prefer the old school technique, a mortar and pestle with a touch of elbow grease yields excellent results as well.

Kimchee is the signature dish of Korean cuisine and a staple in my kitchen. While I certainly love, adore, and crave its stiff aroma and sharp pucker, I understand that it can be an acquired taste for some. It’s quite polarizing—you either love it or hate it. either way, just to be safe, you may want to warn your cohabitants and neighbors of your culinary goings-on so they don’t alert the police to a strange odor emanating from your home.

While certainly decadent enough on its own as a dip for crusty baguette or chewy ciabatta, this pesto is right at home as a base spread for all sorts of panini. Of course, it’s also a natural tossed in with penne or fusilli pasta (hot or cold), and it makes an excellent marinade or finishing sauce for chicken, salmon, or any delicate whitefish.

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).

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.

When I was growing up, coleslaw was pretty one-dimensional. It didn’t matter where you went, German deli, Greek diner, it was all pretty much the same: cold cabbage drowned in mayo with a few slivers of carrot for coloring and maybe a few celery seeds. These days, slaw has gotten an extreme makeover, and there are now more versions to choose from. This concoction is both warm and sweet and serves as a great base for salmon, chicken, tofu, or tempeh. Sautéing the onions, red cabbage, and carrots in a little brown rice vinegar, tamari, and ginger makes it easy to eat and mighty flavorful.

Some soy lovers might be surprised that their beloved bean goes by another name—edamame—which is the fresh, green, undried form, with all of its nutrients intact. Here, I’ve taken the edamame out of their furry little pods, and mixed them in with radishes, which have a fresh flavor and just a tad of heat. My friend calls radishes the sorbet of the vegetable set because of the way they brighten the palate and leave it feeling clean and happy.

If there’s a safe haven in the vegetable kingdom, it’s sweet potatoes. In fact, I bet that if every kid’s introduction to veggies were a sweet potato, it would knock down parental stress over healthy eating by at least 50 percent. I mean, what’s not to love? Sweet taste, beautiful color, and fantastic nutrition, not to mention a creamy texture that allows you to introduce chopped greens in a nonthreatening manner. Here, I’ve added kale, which has some outstanding anticancer properties, and ginger, which aids digestion, for a little zip.

When a confirmed, dyed-in-the-wool meat eater starts claiming a vegetable dish is his favorite meal of all time, that’s when I know I’m onto something. I made this for my husband, Gregg, and he went absolutely ga-ga over it. (And no, Gregg’s not one of those guys who would say it’s great just because I made it. He’s an honest food critic.) I’ve noticed that a lot of people who avoid vegetables gravitate to this dish. It could be because it’s colorful or comes in its own bowl, but I really think it’s because the hearty taste elicits a comfort food response. Squash has so many things going for it. It’s easy to digest and has numerous qualities—anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, immunity-boosting—that make it a boon for anyone dealing with cancer. Squash is also a natural vessel for all sorts of wonderful fillings. And if you aren’t in the mood for roasting squash, this quinoa pilaf makes for a yummy dish all on its own.

We’ve come a long way with greens since those days when the produce section in the grocery store consisted primarily of iceberg lettuce. First we started seeing more romaine, then—gasp!—mesclun, and now there are endless varieties of field greens, baby greens, micro greens, and even micro sprouts. That’s not a bad thing, of course, but it can be a little intimidating when you stare at the produce and say, “Hmm … what’s that?” Which brings us to kale. People sometimes steer away from kale because it’s slightly bitter, but a yin-yang approach will bring it into balance—in this case, using carrots and ginger to neutralize kale’s slight bitterness. Greens really are vital for maintaining health during treatment, and this recipe will help you learn to love the taste. For a decadently delicious touch, sprinkle Maple-Glazed Walnuts (page 141) over the greens just before serving.

For a lot of people, working with greens is reminiscent of a high school science project. I used to feel that way too. I remember the first time I brought home a bunch of Swiss chard. I laid those big, leafy stalks on my counter and thought to myself, “Should I just put these in a vase and stare at them? Or should I wait until summer and fan myself with them?” The truth is, for many of us, our aversion to greens goes back to childhood because kids are very sensitive to bitter tastes and, many greens, if not prepared properly, can be bitter. However, all it takes to remove that bitter taste is a very simple fix: a quick bath in olive oil and a little heat. Sautéeing chard in olive oil—or any green, for that matter—makes the flavor and consistency much more palate friendly. Adding orange to the mix makes these greens especially yummy, and that’s a great thing because greens and the phytochemicals they contain are a must-have for maintaining health.

As much as I love to cook, I also really enjoy watching other cooks go through their creative process. Recently I was at a conference at the Commonweal Retreat Center, where I was able to observe one of my favorite cooks, Claire Heart. She brought out this dish, and the first thing I noticed was that it had bok choy. Now that’s a great vegetable, but it tends to be bitter. She completely solved that problem by pairing it with yams to create a dish that tasted like a vegetarian Chinese Thanksgiving. It was a completely unique and delicious pairing. The colors blew me away as well. I went home and decided to play around with her concept, adding a little ginger for zing and digestion and a few more Asian-style flavors. Thank you, Claire!

From the beloved Greek pairing of spinach and feta comes this tantalizing combination of flavors. For a fast, elegant appetizer, whip up a batch of these as mini muffins—skip the paper liners, copiously grease the pan with oil, scoop 1 tablespoon of batter into each cup, and bake at 400°F for 6 to 8 minutes, then let them cool while you are mixing drinks. The yield is approximately 40 mini muffins.

A splendid no-cook soup that will awaken taste buds dulled by summer heat. This soup can be eaten as soon as it is made, but definitely benefits from having time to stand for several hours so that the lively flavors can mingle. This soup is a great first course for a Mexican or Southwestern-style meal.

The peppery flavor of watercress provides a delightful contrast to the sweetness of summer corn.

Cheddar-Oat Griddle Biscuits (page 153) provide a nice contrast to the mild flavor of this pleasant summer soup. Or try it with Garlic Croutons (page 159), if you’d prefer a little crunch.

A soup that looks and tastes garden-fresh, this is a good one to serve all summer long.

Here’s a cold soup that is substantial as well as refreshing. Serve with a fresh flatbread and tabbouleh salad.

Mild potatoes contrast with the earthy tones of arugula in a lightly curried soup.