Eating To Ward Off Cancer
Eating to ward off cancer means removing the foods from your diet that cancer cells feed on, while simultaneously adding in the food, herbs, and supplements that cancer cells hate. Read more
Posts
Shaved Brussels Sprouts & Apple Salad
Shaved Brussels sprouts are awesome. I’ve been using them for everything. My true favorite thing to make with them is Caesar salad. Yes, it sounds weird, but don’t knock it til you’ve tried it. I like to mix these shaved sprouts with kale or Romaine lettuce, slather them in my fav Caesar dressing and I’m a happy camper. This recipe for shaved Brussels sprouts & apple salad is a kicked-up version of my traditional Caesar recipe. I say kicked up because it also has apples and bacon in it. Really, what could be bad?
Obviously this recipe is not vegan, because…. well… umm… I’ve used bacon in it. But, I can honestly tell you that I’ve eaten this so many times, in so many ways, and there is so bad version. You can leave out the bacon or use a vegan bacon or a smoky mushroom to easily veganize this salad.
Oh, and I use my favorite Caesar dressing recipe — which just happens to be vegan — so really you can go full out vegan pretty easily if that’s your thing. My thing changes so often and obviously I’m a mess of contradictions because this version of shaved Brussels sprouts & apple salad with the bacon with my vegan cashew Caesar dressing is my favorite way to eat it so far!
I’m kind of a freak about leftover salad. I love almost anything straight out of the fridge as a leftover. Except salad. I just hate it when it goes all wet and limp. Enter this salad… it’s even better leftover the next day. The Brussels sprouts stand up so well to the creamy dressing that there is no grossness involved. This makes it perfect to make for a crowd because you can make it way in advance. This is just awesomely easy and convenient.
I served this salad as a main course with sliced chicken on the top and it was fabulous. I also ate it as-is alongside a roasted sweet potato for an awesome dinner. Versatility. Ya gotta love it!
And, if you’re looking for another great salad recipe that makes for good leftovers, try my Chopped Broccoli Salad.
Here are some of the great healing benefits of this Shaved Brussels Sprouts & Apple Salad:
Brussels sprouts are from the same cruciferous vegetable family as cabbage, broccoli and kale. They are rich in protein, fiber, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. They are touted for their aid in weight loss because they have so much fiber and so few calories. Research has shown that these sprouts contain colon-cancer fighting substances and vitamins to protect against Alzheimer’s. Traditionally, they are known as more of a winter vegetable, but many markets now carry them year-round, which makes me happy because I like to eat them year-round!
It really is true that an apple a day is a good thing. Apples help to strengthen your heart. They are also good for your digestion and they can help eliminate mucus when you have a cold. Apples have a high antioxidant content, especially Granny Smiths and Red Delicious. This, combined with the fact that they have a lot of healthy fiber, is why apples are good at fighting Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and some cancers. They have also been shown to help ward off diabetes, high cholesterol and gallstones.
Research shows that pumpkin seeds may reduce blood sugar and increase bone density. And, because they are rich in iron, they are good if you are tired or have anemia. In Asian medicine, pumpkin seeds are sometimes used to get rid of intestinal parasites and to decrease inflammation in the body.
Cashews are really a multi-tasking nut. I use them all the time so I say it all the time: Cashews have a lower fat content than most other nuts. Most of the fat in cashews is unsaturated and is made up of oleic acid; this is the same acid that is found in olive oil, making these nuts a heart-healty choice. The cashews give this dressing a velvety, creamy texture.
Capers, although small in size, are a big source of anti-oxidants, and they actually can make you feel better emotionally because they activate the “happiness” center of your brain.
Garlic is amazing in its antiviral and antibacterial capabilities. Garlic is actually a Chinese herb (Da Suan). It’s used to kill toxins and parasites and also to reduce swelling in the body. It’s what I call a great “A” herb: anesthetic, antibacterial, anti fungal, antioxidant, antiviral, etc….
| Shaved Brussels Sprouts & Apple Salad | Print |
Recipe type: salad, side dish, vegetables
Cuisine: American
Author: Stacey @Kitchen Of Youth
Prep time:
Total time:
Serves: 4
This is a creamy Caesar salad that's made with hearty shaved Brussels sprouts and apples... oh there's optional bacon in it too! This is one salad that is even better the next day!
Ingredients
- 12 oz shaved Brussels sprouts (you can buy these store-bought at many markets, or shave your own by slicing them really thin)
- ⅓ cup chopped, cooked bacon
- ⅓ cup raw pumpkin seeds
- 1 Granny Smith apple, unpeeled, sliced (discard the core)
- One batch of my Vegan Caesar Salad Dressing
- sea salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Mix all of the salad ingredients together in a large bowl.
- Add as much dressing as you like, and toss well.
- Enjoy!
Paleo Brussels Sprouts Gratin
Brussels Sprouts have been shown to protect against Alzheimers and they are great for weight loss… what an awesome veg!
For years, everyone in my house would sit at the table making horrible, distorted faces whenever I tried to serve a dish with vegan cheese. But, wow have the times changed! The vegan cheese options are now so amazing that even the haters have become lovers. This paleo brussels sprouts gratin is so cheesy and gooey and rich and decadent and lots of other adjectives that I can’t think of right now…
Originally, I had planned to make this dish to serve as a Thanksgiving side. So, I started experimenting several weeks before the holiday.
We ate so much of this in the weeks before the actual day, that there was no way I could get myself to serve it at the holiday table — I was literally afraid of the reaction… I mean, hungry people can get so mean!
So, here it is a few weeks after Thanksgiving, and I can’t stop thinking about these brussels sprouts. So, now I will be making them again and I will hope that everyone else feels that enough time has passed since that week that we all ate this sooooooo many times.
If you haven’t found vegan cheeses that you love yet, send me a comment and I will share with you my favorites and where to get them. For this gratin, I love using a vegan smoked gouda.
And, if you’re like me and can’t get enough brussels sprouts, you have to try my recipe for Paleo Vegan Caesar Salad.
Here are some of the amazing healing ingredients in this paleo brussels sprouts gratin:
Brussels sprouts are from the same cruciferous vegetable family as cabbage, broccoli and kale. They are rich in protein, fiber, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. They are touted for their aid in weight loss because they have so much fiber and so few calories. Research has shown that these sprouts contain colon-cancer fighting substances and vitamins to protect against Alzheimer’s. Traditionally, they are known as more of a winter vegetable, but many markets now carry them year-round, which makes me happy because I like to eat them year-round!
In Asian medicine, we use coconut to strengthen the body, reduce swelling, and stop bleeding. Coconut kills viruses, bacteria, and parasites. It’s good for all types of infections and viruses in the body, including the flu, bronchitis, tapeworms, urinary tract infections, and herpes. And perhaps most importantly, it helps you keep your mind sharp and it makes it easier for you to focus. I like to use full-fat canned coconut milk for this gratin.
Tapioca is a starch that comes from the cassava plant. It’s not really a flour in the traditional sense; it’s grain and gluten free. It’s good for your circulation and your digestion. Oftentimes I will make recipes (like this one) with tapioca flour — it works as a great substitute in a lot of recipes that would otherwise include flour or another thickener.
| Paleo Brussels Sprouts Gratin | Print |
Recipe type: vegetables, side dish, casserole
Cuisine: vegan, paleo, whole30, vegetarian
Author: Stacey @There's A Cook In My Kitchen
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4-6
If you are not yet a fan of vegan cheese, this dish will make you one! It's easy, healing, and so decadent tasting. It's the perfect winter side dish!
Ingredients
- 1-3/4 lb brussels sprouts, ends trimmed, and each sprout cut into halves or quarters
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- sea salt
- 1 Tbs grass-fed butter
- 1 Tbs tapioca flour (here's one)
- ¾ cup full-fat coconut milk (I buy this kind by the case)
- ½ cup vegan parmesan cheese
- 2 slices vegan smoked gouda cheese, chopped (or use whatever kind you like)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F convection setting, or 450°F regular bake setting.
- Toss the brussels sprouts with the olive oil and a generous amount of sea salt.
- Spread the sprouts out on a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast in the oven 20 minutes.
- In a small pot, melt the butter.
- Whisk in the tapioca flour and continue to whisk until it's totally smooth and starting to color (about 3 minutes).
- Pour in the coconut milk, ¼ cup of the parmesan, and the smoked gouda and stir until melted, about 5 mins.
- Add salt to taste.
- Put the brussels sprouts in an oven-proof casserole dish and pour the sauce over.
- Sprinkle remaining parmesan over the top.
- Bake in the oven 20 mins.
- Enjoy!
Paleo Vegan Caesar Salad
Even if this wasn’t a paleo vegan Caesar salad, you would still love it more than any other Caesar!
This Caesar salad is better than any Caesar salad you have ever had. Yup. I said it. It’s BETTER. And, it has no dairy. And the croutons are grain-free. And instead of Romaine lettuce, it’s got shaved brussels sprouts and kale. And, I’ll say it again… IT’S BETTER THAN ALL THE OTHER CAESAR SALADS YOU HAVE BEEN EATING! You should believe me (I mean, I almost never write in all caps…)
I wish I could take all of the credit for this awesome dressing, but the credit goes to Angela at Oh She Glows. She’s amazing and she created the original version of this dressing. Check out her blog if you want a real treat.
When I made this Caesar for friends, I didn’t tell anyone it was paleo or vegan. And I’m not kidding, not one person knew, and a few asked for the recipe. My daughter is a huge Caesar fan — she knows what’s in this recipe (and what’s not) — and this Caesar is her favorite.
The dressing is whipped up in your blender. You can use whatever greens float your boat. You can use whatever croutons you like, but I encourage you to buy some grain-free bread (I actually used grain-free bagels), cube it up, toss it with a little oil, sea salt, black pepper, and garlic powder and toast them in the oven, because, OMG, it’s just amazing (especially with bagel slices). If you are not a strict grain-free eater, go buy some everything bagels and slice those up — that would be awesome!
And, if you take my recommendation and use kale and brussels sprouts, this salad will make for great leftovers in the fridge, because these greens are hearty enough to sit in the dressing without wilting…
You should also try my Vegan Caprese Salad With Hearts of Palm!
Aside from being the best tasting Caesar salad ever, this paleo vegan Caesar salad is also a great healing salad:
Kale is everywhere these days. It is extremely nutritious, and because it to so popular you can find it already washed and prepared in lots of markets. My cheat for this recipe was that I bought this kale already shredded and washed at the market. If you are using a whole bunch of kale, make sure you clean the leaves thoroughly and remove the center thick stems if they bother you (I don’t like to eat these think stems when they are raw). This dark leafy green is a great source of fiber and calcium. It’s also rich in many minerals, including magnesium, iron and potassium. One serving contains 200% of the daily requirements of Vitamin C and 180% of Vitamin A.
Brussels sprouts are from the same cruciferous vegetable family as cabbage, broccoli and kale. They are rich in protein, fiber, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. They are touted for their aid in weight loss because they have so much fiber and so few calories. Research has shown that these sprouts contain colon-cancer fighting substances and vitamins to protect against Alzheimer’s. Traditionally, they are known as more of a winter vegetable, but many markets now carry them year-round, which makes me happy because I like to eat them year-round!
Cashews are really a multi-tasking nut. I use them all the time so I say it all the time: Cashews have a lower fat content than most other nuts. Most of the fat in cashews is unsaturated and is made up of oleic acid; this is the same acid that is found in olive oil, making these nuts a heart-healty choice. The cashews give this dressing a velvety, creamy texture.
Capers, although small in size, are a big source of anti-oxidants, and they actually can make you feel better emotionally because they activate the “happiness” center of your brain.
Garlic is amazing in its antiviral and antibacterial capabilities. Garlic is actually a Chinese herb (Da Suan). It’s used to kill toxins and parasites and also to reduce swelling in the body. It’s what I call a great “A” herb: anesthetic, antibacterial, anti fungal, antioxidant, antiviral, etc….
| Paleo Vegan Caesar Salad | Print |
Recipe type: paleo, vegan, vegetarian
Cuisine: salad, side dish (Recipe adapted from Oh She Glows)
Author: Stacey @Kitchen Of Youth
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4
This is the best Caesar salad you will ever have. Really. And there's no dairy and the croutons are grain-free. Enough said.
Ingredients
- For dressing:
- ½ cup raw cashews
- ½ cup water
- 2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
- juice of ½ a lemon
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 tsp liquid aminos
- 2 tsp capers
- sea salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- few drops of hot sauce (or to taste)
- 1 tsp coconut sugar
- For salad:
- one head of kale, sliced into ribbons
- about 1 lb. Brussels sprouts, thinly sliced
- a big handful of vegan Parmesan cheese (or Parmesan of your choice)
- For the croutons:
- 1 or 2 bagels (I used grain-free ones), cut into small chunks
- 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
- sea salt and black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 °F.
- Toss the crouton ingredients together in a medium bowl.
- Spread them out on a baking sheet and bake until slightly golden and crisp (mine took about 13 minutes).
- Place all of the dressing ingredients into a blender and whiz it up until really smooth (I used my Vitamix, so it was pretty fast)
- In a large bowl, toss together kale and Brussels sprouts.
- Sprinkle in the Parmesan and toss.
- Add the dressing and toss well.
- Sprinkle the croutons onto the salad and gently toss again.
- Enjoy!
