Fuck Cancer || Eat Watercress

I'm hiding from cancer behind this leafy green superfood. I'm completely convinced that if I eat enough of it I'll be healthy forever. That being said, I cram a ton of this stuff into my diet... so much so that I'm surprised I haven't mentioned it to you all before. I even yell at my mother to eat more of it. You don't have to believe me, just Google it! The G never lies...

-Eating watercress daily can significantly reduce DNA damage to blood cells, which is considered to be an important trigger in the development of cancer,

- Research from the University of Southampton has revealed that a plant compound in watercress may have the ability to suppress breast cancer cell development. 

The articles go on forever. I have yet to dig out the actual trials though - the scientist in me is screaming. I refuse to look; afraid I may sit and criticize the work, in turn, swearing off eating cruciferous vegetables all together! I mean, we all know that academic publishing is a bit flawed. Trials often go missing in action: Ten trials may have been done but only two have a positive result. Those two will appear in an academic journal, while the other eight with unfavorable results got lost in a shredder somewhere. But, I digress.. Shit, what were we talking about again? OH RIGHT! Population studies aside - watercress is delicious and if it doesn't ward of cancer I'm pretty sure it wont give it to you. Watercress also contains significant amounts of iron, calcium, iodine, and folic acid, in addition to vitamins A and C. - Look, it's just plain good for you. 

It's pretty peppery when raw (nothing a little citrus can't handle) but cooked it has a much milder flavor.  I put it on sandwiches, in salads, soups - sauté it, boil it, steam it, eat it raw in handfuls with the fridge door open... Most of the time I just throw it in some veggie broth with some tofu for a few minutes and just eat it.

But, check out this super easy soup. You can use potatoes in lieu of the cauliflower but this way is healthier.

Easy Watercress and Cauliflower Soup

Olive Oil
Small chopped onion

2 cloves minced garlic
Head cauliflower cut up
2 cups of low-sodium chicken stock
2 cups of water
1 bunch watercress

2 Laughing Cow Cheese Wedges (optional)
Salt
Freshly ground pepper

In a big pot, saute onion in a little bit of olive oil until soft and translucent add garlic. Add the cut up cauliflower, stock, pinch of salt and pepper, and water. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer until cauliflower is super soft. Add the cheese wedges if you want and stir it around until it dissolves. (gives it some flavor and makes it a touch creamier) Stir in watercress.
Puree soup in a blender... not all of it at once or it will spray molten veggie mush in your face. If you're a fancy pants and have an immersion blender use that.

Tuscan Sausage Soup

 I bought a really nice bunch of kale from the organic farmer's market this week and this soup was the first thing that came to mind.  I love soup as a meal and this one definitely fills you up. It's really simple to make and you only need one pot to do it. I like kale in soups because it keeps it's shape and doesn't get super wilty like spinach or chard. When buying kale, look for dark green leaves without spots or little holes. The bunches that have massive leaves tend to be more fibrous and tough so choose shorter ones. I'm convinced green leafy veggies are going to protect me from cancer so I try to eat them as much as possible.   Kale is loaded with vitamins and anti-oxidants so eat up! Always choose organic when available!!! What's the point in eating greens to be healthy if they're full of chemicals and pesticides anyway?

Organic Kale

Ingredients:


4 Links of Hot Turkey Sausage Removed from Casings
4 Slices of Bacon Cut Into small pieces
1 Bunch of Kale Chopped (stems discarded)
1 Medium Yellow Onion Diced
3 Cloves Minced Garlic
2 Large Red Potatoes cut into 1/2 inch squares
3 Cups Chicken Broth
3 Cups Hot Water
1/3 Cup White Wine
1 Cup Fat Free Half & Half
Salt and pepper To Taste




Add bacon pieces to a large pot over medium-high heat and saute until the bacon begins to sizzle and crisp. Add Onion and saute until it begins to become transparent. Add sausage and brown. Keep jabbing it with a wooden spoon so the sausage crumbles into small pieces. When browned, add the minced garlic and saute for another minute. Add white wine, chicken broth water and potato chunks. Bring to a boil for a few minutes then reduce the heat to med-low and simmer about 15min partially covered. Add the kale. Simmer another 15-20 minutes. Turn the heat to low and add the half & half. Simmer on low another 10 min. Season with salt and pepper. If you couldn't find 'Hot' Sausage you can add some cayenne pepper to taste. Enjoy!

Tomato Soup & Grilled Cheese || For Grown-ups

Grilled cheese and tomato soup is a favorite comfort food of mine. However, we're adults now and we need to keep it classy. Although I admit it to be quite tasty, there shall be no more Campbell's condensed soup and Wonderbread with Kraft Singles! Check out my twist on this American classic.

Roasted Tomato Soup

Heirloom, Plum, Campari, Vine Ripened

Ingredients:

5 lbs of assorted tomatoes (just go to the tomato section and       pile a bunch of different ones on the scale)

6 Cups of chicken STOCK (chicken broth isn't the same)

1 head of garlic, peeled (apx 10 cloves)

1 large yellow onion, diced (apx 2cups)

1 Cup heavy cream (more or less if you want)

4 Bay leaves

3 Tablespoons of butter

1 handfull of chopped fresh basil

Olive Oil

Salt & Fresh ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 450.

Cut the tomatoes into quarters and scoop out the seeds with a metal teaspoon. Spread the seeded tomato pieces and peeled garlic cloves out on a foiled baking sheet. Drizzle generously with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for apx 30-40 minutes or until they start turning brown and caramelized. 

In a large soup pot, melt butter on medium high heat. Add onions and saute until they're soft. Add the roasted tomatoes and garlic to the pot. Pour in 6 cups of chicken stock and add the bay leaves. Reduce the heat and let it simmer until half of the liquid is gone. Apx 30-40 min. Pick out the bay leaves and add the fresh basil. 

If you don't have an immersion blender (the handheld stick kind) then you can puree it in a regular blender in batches. Return the blended soup  to the pot and slowly mix in the cream. Let simmer for 10 more minutes then add more salt and pepper if you want.

 Baller Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Fresh Sourdough bread, gruyere cheese, (shredded so it melts better) sliced tomato, arugula, prosciutto and course ground or Dijon mustard. Then, cook it a pan with a little bit of butter and truffle oil.