Breast Cancer Awareness Month 

This month is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, with a 1000 women still dying or being affected by breast cancer every month, there is still much to do to fight it.

The Chinese have understood the power of mushrooms for millennia , and have used Maitake, Reishi and Shiitake mushrooms in particular for the prevention (and in some cases the treatment) of various cancers, including Breast Cancer.  These mushrooms are packed with B vitamins for energy, B5 (pantothenic acid) that helps support the adrenal glands when stress is overwhelming, and a highly bio-available source of iron, coupled with fibre to ensure the prevention of constipation. 

Use this Breast Cancer Awareness week to explore the use of Shiitake mushrooms which are now readily available in dried form from most supermarkets in your weekly eating programme.   Add a small handful of Shiitake mushrooms to a large cup of hot filtered water and soak overnight before adding to soups, winter casseroles, and broths to enrich the flavour and support your immune system. Who would have thought that a simple mushroom could deliver so much?  

Make sure you visit http://www.breastcancercare.org.uk/ for more information about breast cancer and how you can help fight the cause. 



Is the 5:2 working for you? Get the Gloss have a fantastic section on their website of recipes, tips, where to eat, how to exercise, articles and support all about the 5:2. If your stuck for recipes, I have recently contributed twenty or so to the website and will be updating them on my blog on a regular basis. 




This week my Endive, Frisee, Rocket and grated Kohlrabi Salad with Toasted Cashew Nuts is proving popular. 



Kohlrabi, in season now, is a superbly rich source of vitamin C, more so than oranges! At this time of year, this vitamin is vital for boosting immunity and warding off diseases. Kohlrabi also contains health promoting phytochemicals that are thought to be anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer. This brassica can be served raw, shredded into salads, or roasted, keep the leaves and use much like you would steam kale or greens. 

Ingredients:

1 small head of Kohlrabi, outer leaves trimmed 

1 handful rocket, washed and drained 

1 small endive, quartered lengthwise 

1 handful core frisée leaves, (as these are the Sweetest)

6-8 cashew nuts, whole or halved 

1 dessert spoon of walnut oil 

1 tbsp. apple cider or white wine vinegar

Several sprigs of fresh tarragon

Small bunch chives, chopped finely

Salt and pepper to season

Method:

Coarsely grate the kohlrabi, and plunge into ice-cold water to prevent browning

Place the cashew nuts into a frying pan over low heat, and dry fry until golden. Remove from pan to prevent overheating and set to one side. Mix the walnut oil, chopped tarragon, chopped chives and apple cider vinegar as dressing. Arrange all the leaves into large salad bowl, top with grated drained Kohlrabi and cashew nuts and toss with dressing.  Serve as main course salad.

Enjoy!