Good Nutrition for Cancer Recovery Cookbook

Ok so you know that I am sometimes a barefoot and not quite naked chef, but I am not sure if I mentioned that I am also a cancer survivor. Did I?

Well I was diagnosed just under eight year's ago and have been in remission ever since. The rest of the details belong to another blog. But......I found out about this book today and because this is a subject close to my heart, I wanted to share it with you.

 It's a cook book called Good Nutrition for Cancer Recovery Cookbook and is aimed at patients experiencing cancer related weight loss. It has been developed by the Nutritional Science Department in University College Cork and the Cork Institute of Technology in collaboration with Breakthrough Cancer Research. The cookbook was created by dieticians and includes information, advice and a bank of nutritious recipes to combat weight loss in those who are going through cancer treatments.

I lost four and a half stone because of my cancer treatment and would have very much welcomed something like this whilst I was going through treatment. A lot of people might welcome weight loss but during treatment for cancer it can impact on the treatment and the outcome.

The cookbook project was funded by the HRB and that has allowed for the production of 19,000 copies which will be distributed to cancer centres throughout Ireland. The book is available free of charge but a donation of €5 is suggested which goes towards postage and packaging of the book.

For more information and to order your copy please see here.

What a wonderful idea - well done to all involved.

B
xx

Chicken Korma from scratch

This is a favourite of mine from the takeaway so I decided to have a go at making it at home. This is the recipe I used:

Ingredients:
One white onion
One red pepper
Three medium chicken breasts
Olive oil
Chicken Korman Curry Paste (available in a jar)
Fresh Coriander
One can of coconut milk
50ml water
50 ml Double Cream
1 teaspoon of sugar
Half teaspoon of dried ginger or a piece of fresh ginger

Method:
Dice the onion and cut the red pepper into strips.
In a non-stick pan fry off the onion and red pepper until they are soft.
Add half of the jar (small jar) of curry paste and cook for about 2 minutes on a medium heat. Do not burn the paste.
Add the ginger and stir in well. The smell should be amazing at this stage!
Add 50ml water and stir until it has mostly evaporated off.
Dice the chicken and add to the pan.
Stir until sealed with all the wonderful curry paste and juices.
Add the can of coconut milk and stir in well.
Add the sugar
Add the double cream
Turn the heat down to medium low and stir so as all the wonderful creaminess and flavours infuse into the chicken which needs to cook all the way through (should take about 10-15 minutes)
Chop the fresh coriander and sprinkle over the top. Turn the heat down.

Serve: 
This is a dish that needs to be placed in the centre of the table so as people can serve themselves.
Serve with pilau rice or basmati rice, some warm naan breads and for an extra treat some popadoms which you can buy and pop yourself in a pan (the younger kids will love watching them burst into life).

I forgot to take a photo of this dish but I promise you it was so delicious. Next time I make it I will take some pics.....

Brenda

French Toast

Ingredients:
3 eggs
3-4 slices of bread
2 tablespoons of milk
Olive oil
Knob of butter

Method:
Put the eggs and the milk into a wide bottomed bowl (so as you can dip the bread easily when you are ready for cooking) and whisk them lightly. Add pepper to taste. I never add salt to the recipe.

You must have a non-stick pan so as to avoid the French toast sticking. Heat the pan and add a small splash of olive oil.

Soak the bread in your egg mixture and place onto the pan. Turn the heat down and flip the French toast - cooking for about 2-3 minutes on each side.

The French toast should be crisp and firm.

For adults I cut the bread into halves and arrange on a plate. Serve with a knob of butter. It can also be served with ketchup or honey or anything you like! A really yummy treat is to spread a little chocolate spread on top.

For the kids, I cut the bread with a ginger bread man cookie cutter before I put it onto the pan. 

I serve it with a knob of a butter and a glass of juice and it makes for the perfect breakfast, brunch or lunch.

For a more substantial lunch, I add some beans......


Brenda