This Cancer Wellness at Piedmont class was shot in front of a live audience and 15 online chat participants. See below for the recipes prepared in this cooking demonstration. 

Roasted veggie soup

Ingredients:

• 3 carrots, peeled and chopped into 2-inch lengths
• 1 large red onion, peeled and cut into eighths
• 1/2 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and chopped into 2-inch pieces
• 4 Roma tomatoes cut into four pieces
• 1 head of fennel, chopped into 2-inch pieces
• 6 garlic cloves
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Sea salt and black pepper
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 6 cups veggie stock*
• 4 cups sliced kale
• 1 herb bouquet with thyme and parsley
• Julienned basil for garnish

Step one

Arrange the carrots, onion, squash, tomatoes, fennel and garlic on a sheet pan that has been sprayed with olive oil spray. Drizzle with the olive oil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, turmeric and paprika. Toss to coat. Roast the vegetables until they are browned, about 30 minutes.

Step two

Scrape the roasted veggies into a large stockpot along with ½ cup of the stock. Using an immersion blender, puree the veggies, leaving some texture. Add the remaining stock and the herb bouquet to the pot. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the flavors have melded. Add the kale and cook until the kale is tender. Remove the herb bouquet and serve, garnished with the basil

Veggie stock*

Keep a large resealable bag in your freezer, labeled veggie stock, with the date. During the week, toss in ends and pieces of your veggies, and any herb stems and pieces. When the bag is full, take it out and drop the contents in a large stockpot. (For beautiful color in your stock, make sure to add in some papery skin from the outside of an onion.)

Barely cover with water and bring to a boil. Turn down to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Strain the veggies from the stock and use in any soup recipe. Want richer stock? After removing the veggies, continue to cook and reduce the stock by a third to half of its volume.

Lighten Up! Seafood Gumbo

Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped red pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 4 garlic cloves, grated
• 1 (15-ounce) can fire-roasted tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
• 24 to 32 ounces shrimp stock*
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 (8-ounce) package crab meat
• 1 pound medium shrimp, uncooked, peeled and deveined, reserving the shells.
• 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon of hot sauce
• Kosher or sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste

To serve: Warm brown rice, chopped parsley, thinly-sliced green onions

Step one

Place the flour in a 9- or 10-inch cast-iron skillet; cook over medium heat for 20 to 30 minutes or until nicely browned, stirring constantly with a whisk. Remove from heat; set aside.

Step two

Heat the oil in a stockpot. Add the onion, pepper, celery and smoked paprika; sauté until vegetables are tender. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant. Add the tomatoes, Cajun seasoning and bay leaves, and then bring to a boil. Gradually add browned flour, stirring with a whisk. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Step three

Remove and discard the bay leaves. Add the shrimp and cook for two to three minutes or until the shrimp just begin to pink. Add the crab and cook for an additional minute. Add hot sauce, salt and pepper to taste. Serve the gumbo over rice, garnished with chopped parsley and green onions.

Shrimp stock*

• Place 1 tablespoon of oil in the bottom of a stockpot, add the reserved shrimp shells and sauté until the shells are pink. Add 4 cups of vegetable stock and cook for about 30 minutes. Strain, pressing down on the solids.

Easy cornbread muffins

• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup whole wheat flour
• ¾ cup medium grind corn meal
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup skim milk
• 1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
• 2 egg whites

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine dry flour, corn meal, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir in milk, oil and egg, mixing just until dry ingredients are moistened. Pour batter into a non-stick sprayed muffin tin. Bake 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Lighter and luscious apple granola

• 3 cups oats
• ¼ cup uncooked millet (optional)
• ¼ cup sesame seeds
• ¼ cup chopped walnuts
• ¼ cup chopped almonds
• 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon each mace and cardamom
• ½ cup dried apples
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• ¼ cup orange juice
• Zest of 1 orange

Step one

Preheat the oven to 300F. In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients except dried fruit. Drizzle in the maple syrup and stir well. Add orange juice and zest, stirring so all ingredients are coated.

Step two

Spread the mix out onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and bake for about 30 minutes, checking about every 10 minutes so nothing burns.

Step three

Remove from oven, add the dried fruit and cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Mexican inspiration soup

• 3 large Roma tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 red onion, peeled and halved
• 4 green onions
• 2 Cloves Garlic, peeled
• 8 cups chicken stock
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ½ teaspoon chipotle
• 1.5 pounds skinless boneless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1/2-inch strips
• ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 3 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 8 ounces light Monterey Jack or cheddar, grated
• 1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and chopped
• Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
• Nonfat Greek yogurt and chopped tomatoes for garnish

Step one

Grill the tomatoes, onion, and green onions over high heat. Remove from the grill and chop the red and green onions. Set aside.

Step two

In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add the onion and whole garlic cloves, and sauté until both are a deep golden-brown, about eight to 10 minutes. Add the grilled tomatoes and puree using an immersion blender.

Step three

Add the chicken stock to the tomato-onion mixture and stir to combine. Add the, cumin, turmeric and peppers and bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer for about 20 minutes.

Step four

Add the chicken; simmer until just cooked through, five to seven minutes. Stir in the scallions, cilantro, and lime juice. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper. Just before serving, divide the cheese into six to eight bowls. Ladle on the hot soup, garnish with avocado, yogurt and tomatoes.

Really good chicken stock

• 4 to 5 pounds raw chicken bones
• 2 medium carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces (if organic, no need to remove the peels.)
• 2 celery stalks, cut into 2-inch pieces, leaves removed
• 1 large yellow onion, washed, unpeeled and quartered
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
• 1 small bunch parsley, washed (or combo of green herbs)
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• Cold water, to cover

Step one

Add all the ingredients to a large stockpot. Over high heat, slowly bring the water to a boil. Reduce the temperature to a simmer. Using a large spoon or ladle, skim off the foam as it appears at the top of the stock. Continue this until there is very little foam on top, about an hour. Continue cooking uncovered for about two hours until the flavor develops.

Step two

Cool the strained stock as quickly as possible. An ice bath will cool the stock faster than your refrigerator. Fill your kitchen sink with ice and water. Place the container in the ice bath and stir until the temperature is reduced to 70 degrees. Refrigerate or freeze the stock. It will keep about two days in the fridge.

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