Web Exclusive: Recipes from "One Bite at a Time"

One Bite at a Time by chef Rebecca Katz shares delicious, nourishing recipes with people who need food the most: cancer patients. Dietary restrictions, was well as damaged taste buds from cancer treatment, turn many patients off of food, but Katz, whose San Francisco-area practice creates culinary solutions for people with cancer, reinvigorates the appetite through immune-building meals.

Supporting chapters help loved ones understand the culinary ups and downs that patients experience, as Katz’s clients share anecdotes of the impact these recipes have had on their lives. To order One Bite at a Time, visit www.amazon.com or www.tenspeed.com.

CASHEW CREAM

1 cup raw cashews

1 cup water

1½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

SOUP

3 pounds carrots washed and cut into 1-inch pieces

8 to 10 cups cold water or Magic Mineral Broth

1 teaspoon sea salt

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 cups chopped yellow onions

2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

1/2 teaspoon curry powder

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

1/8 teaspoon ground coriander

1 small pinch of red pepper flakes

1/8 teaspoon maple syrup

To make the soup, in a 6- to 8-quart pot combine the carrots and the water. Cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the 1 teaspoon of salt and decrease the heat to medium-low. Cook until the carrots are very tender, about 20 minutes. Drain, reserving the cooking liquid and carrots in two separate bowls.

In the same pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions with a pinch of salt and sauté until golden. Add the ginger, curry, cumin, cinnamon, allspice, coriander, and red pepper flakes and stir to combine. Deglaze the pan with 1 cup of the carrot cooking liquid. Add the carrots to the pot and mix well to coat with the onions and spices.

In a blender, puree the soup in batches, adding the cooking liquid first and then the carrots. Blend until very smooth. Add additional liquid to reach the desired thickness. Return to the pot, add the maple syrup, and reheat slowly. Think FASS and taste. Does it need a squeeze of lemon, a pinch or two of salt, or a drizzle of maple syrup?

To make the cashew cream, grind the cashews in a mini food processor or nut grinder (some blenders are not powerful enough to turn nuts into cream, so we give them a head start). If you have a Vita-mix, ship this step. Put the water in a blender. Add the ground cashews, lemon juice, salt and nutmeg. Blend until very smooth, about 3 minutes. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and drizzle cashew cream on top.

Serves 8 to 10

2 pitas

DRESSING

¼ teaspoon sea salt

¼ teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon brown rice vinegar

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 ½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice

SALAD

6 to 8 cups romaine hearts, roughly chopped

1 English cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into small pieces

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

3 to 4 ounces organic feta cheese

1 cup kalamata olives, pitted and halved lengthwise

¼ cup chopped fresh mint

¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cut the pita into quarters, split into layers, and place on a sheet pan. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until golden. Remove from the oven and cool.

To make the dressing, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, vinegar, cumin, and salt in a small bowl. Whisk to incorporate. Set aside until ready to use.

In a large salad bowl toss the romaine hearts with the dressing. Top with the cucumber, tomatoes, feta, and olives. Sprinkle with the mint, parsley, and broken pita chips.

Toss the salad at the table and serve into individual plates.

Serves 4 to 6

1 pound wild salmon fillet, pin

2 shallot bulbs, halved and bruised

Bones removed and cut into 1-inch cubes

3 kaffir lime leaves

½ teaspoon sea salt

1 stalk lemongrass, cut in chunks and bruised

8 cups Magic Mineral Broth*

Squeeze of lime juice

2 (14.5-oz) cans coconut milk

Chopped scallions, cilantro, or fresh mint, for garnish

3 (1-inch) pieces fresh ginger

Season the salmon with ¼ teaspoon salt, cover tightly, and refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes and up to several hours.

In a large straight-sided sauté pan or a low-sided pot just large enough to hold the salmon in a single layer, bring the broth, coconut milk, ginger, shallots, like leaves, lemongrass, and ¼ teaspoon salt to a slow boil over medium heat. Let the ingredients infuse their flavor into the liquid for about 20 minutes. Decrease the heat to low and continue to let the broth develop for another 30 to 40 minutes; it will be worth the wait.

Remove half of the broth from the sauté pan and reserve for a future use.

Slide the salmon into the remaining broth and poach over medium heat for 7 to 9 minutes, just until tender. Serve in a shallow bowl with the broth ladled on top. Squeeze a bit of lime over each fillet and garnish with scallions, cilantro, or mint.

Serves 4

*recipe shown below

Magic Mineral Broth

6 unpeeled carrots with half the green tops, cut into thirds

2 Japanese or Hannah’s yams or sweet potatoes with skins on, quartered

2 unpeeled medium yellow onions, cut into chunks

1 Garnet yam with skin on, quartered

1 leek, both white and green parts, cut into thirds

1 tablespoon sea salt

1 (6 by 1-inch) strip of kombu

1 bunch of celery, including the heart, cut into thirds

2 bay leaves

4 unpeeled cloves garlic, halved

12 black peppercorns

½ bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley

4 whole allspice or juniper berries

4 medium red potatoes with skins on, quartered

In a 12-quart or larger stockpot, combine all the ingredients. Fill the pot to 2 inches below the rim with water, cover and bring to a boil.

Remove the lid, decrease the heat to low, and simmer a minimum of 2 hours. As the stock simmers some of the water will evaporate; add more if the vegetables begin to peek out. Simmer until the full richness of the vegetables can be tasted.

Strain the stock using a large coarse-mesh strainer (remember to use a heat-resistant container underneath). Bring to room temperature before refrigerating or freezing.

Makes 6 to 7 quarts

½ cup finely chopped blanched or raw almonds, pulsed in a food processor to form small granules

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon sea salt

2 cups organic all-purpose unbleached flour or organic spelt flour

1 cup organic malt-sweetened chocolate chips

1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder

½ cup melted coconut butter

½ cup maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine the pulsed almonds, flour baking powder, baking soda, salt, and chocolate chips.

In a small bowl, whisk together the coconut butter, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and ½ cup water. Pour into the dry ingredients.

With a spatula, mix the dough until very well combined.

Form cookies by placing 1 tablespoon of dough at a time on the prepared baking sheet. Use a spoon to flatten the top. Bake 8 to 10 minutes. They’re done when the bottoms are deep golden brown and the tops are lightly brown. Transfer to a rack and cool.

Makes 24 to 30 cookies