NET Cancer Awareness Day- November 10

Worldwide NET Cancer Day is 

Saturday, November 10.

ZEBRAS Unite!

• NETS are the "zebras" of the cancer world.   When doctors are in medical school, they learn when diagnosing illnesses that they should be looking for horses, or common disease causes, rather than zebras, or rare causes. NETS are rare, occurring in approximately 35 in 100,000 cancer diagnosis annually. That is why NETS are zebras, their unique stripes being a symbol of the disease.

• Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) arise in cells that can produce hormone-like substances, and arise primarily in the gastrointestinal tract, but can also be found in the pancreas, lungs, and other organs. 

• Neuroendocrine cancer, is listed with the National Organization of Rare Disorders. 

• Because NETs are rare, over 90% of all NETS are incorrectly diagnosed and treated for the wrong disease.  Many patients go untreated for years and have been told they have another disease. Patients with mid-gut NETs for example, have often been told they have Crohn's disease or IBS –irritable bowel syndrome.  From initial onset of symptoms the average time to proper diagnosis exceeds five years. 

• Because neuroendocrine cancer is rare, the public, and sometimes even the medical profession, lacks full awareness. 

• When the tumors are found early and treated, many NET patients can experience excellent longevity. On the other hand, failure to diagnose the disease, or a ‘wait and see,’ approach, has dire consequences, as in the case of Steve Jobs, founder of Apple,who had a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor similar to the one that I have. 

• Because of the disease’s rarity and complexity, it is important to obtain care at a center specializing in the care of neuroendocrine cancer. There are a handful of such centers throughout the U.S. and in Europe. Notable among these, is the NET clinic within the Ochsner Health Care System in Kenner, LA, just outside New Orleans (504-464-8500).  Having now treated in excess of several thousand NET patients over many years, the team of doctors and care providers in Kenner have a 80% 5 year survival for patients with metastasized small-bowel NETs. 

• Because of the rarity of NETS, it has had very low priority for funding in the medical research arena. With new diagnoses of neuroendocrine cancer increasing by more than 5% annually, the need for funding for medical research for these rare tumors is urgent. 

• Donations are invited to: 

• LSUHSC Foundation NET Research Fund; 200 West Esplanade Ave. Suite 200. Kenner, LA 70065 (504-464-8500)

• Carcinoid Cancer Foundation  

• Caring for Carcinoid Foundation 

The Carcinoid Cancer Foundation and the Caring for Carcinoid Foundation also provide incredibly useful information for people with NET cancer.  

• The MN Support group for NET/Carcinoid cancer is Northwoods Nets. 

Thanks to Jeff Drifmeyer, the NET Cancer Awareness Day website, and the Northwoods Nets group for ideas for writing this blog post.  

                               

Winter Squash and Cannellini Bean Soup

Winter Squash and Cannelini Bean Soup

Have you read Mark Bittman's recent book, Food Matters: A Guide to Conscience Eating?  I checked it out from the library last week and have been mesmerized by it.  Mark Bittman, who also wrote the bestselling How to Cook Everything and How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, and writes a culinary column in the New York Times, offers an easy-to-read rundown on how government policy, big business marketing, and global economics influence what we choose to eat.  In this book, he provides a compelling argument for increasing the amount of plant based foods and reducing the amount of processed foods and meat in your diet as a way to improve your health as well as reducing your carbon footprint. His flexible, simple and non-dictatorial style makes his advise "easy to swallow".   You can purchase his books at his site,  Mark Bittman or at most any local bookseller or on-line.

In his approach to reduce the amount of processed foods a person eats, he encourages people to increase their intake of whole grains such as quinoa, bulgar, and oats, as well as increasing intake of beans and legumes.  He provides great tips for how to cut down preparation time as well as costs. Most people think that eating healthful food is more expensive, but forget that processed foods are actually much more expensive. I tend to wax and wane in my efforts to cook large quantities of dried beans to have on hand in the refrigerator for a variety of uses. I know that it is much cheaper to cook my own beans and that buying canned beans also includes buying BPA (Bisphenol A), since that is what is used in most cans.  The taste of home cooked beans is also superior to the ones in cans, and the sodium content is much lower.  But sometimes I have not planned enough in advance to soak the beans adequately to make digesting them easier and reduce cooking time. 

Cooked cannellini beans and uncooked winter squash 

But reading his book revived my motivation. In response, on Saturday I cooked the dried cannellini beans I had in the cupboard. Cannellini beans are large white beans, about 1/2" long, with a firm texture and skin and a nut-like flavor.  Very popular in Italy, cannellini beans are mild in flavor and hold their shape well.  The many health benefits of beans are that they are low in fat, high in protein, high in fiber, minerals and B vitamins. One cup of dry beans makes about 3 cups of cooked beans.


Cannellini beans, like other kidney beans, require special preparation to make them more digestible. Soaking and boiling are the keys.  Put your cannellini beans in a bowl with enough tap water to cover, and set them aside for up to 12 hours.  Then drain the beans, and put them in a large pot with a tightly fitting lid and cover with cold water by a couple of inches.  Bring the pot to a boil and let it boil, uncovered for at least 10 minutes.  Then turn the heat down to a simmer and cook until the beans are nearly tender, which will take from 45 - 60 minutes. Adding salt to the cooking water can toughen some beans.  Mark Bittman's advise is to add the small amount of salt needed toward the end of the cooking process. I concur that this works well. 

Cooked Winter Squash

So as I looked at the cooked cannellini beans I decided to puree them with the cooked winter squash that was waiting to be finished in the refrigerator.  Surprise Pzazz!  I didn't realize how the white beans would add a thick creamy texture to pureed soup without adding a bit of fat!  I added garlic powder and ground sage to the puree and then put a sprinkle of cardamon on the soup when I put it in the bowl.  Of course, fresh sage and garlic would undoubtedly have enhanced it, but the route I used was conveniently easy.  Now that I know the wonderful combination of winter squash and white beans, I can think of many perfectly Pzazzed  seasonings to experiment with. Maybe I'll try cannellini beans with rosemary and winter squash, or cannellini beans with garlic and kale.  Or....create your own Pzazzed Possibilities! The chilly damp air today invites a warm, hearty soup.


Ingredients:

1/2 cup cooked white beans (preferably cannellini beans)            
1/2 cup mashed cooked winter squash

3/4 cup vegetable broth
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon ground sage powder              
Dash of salt and pepper
Sprinkle of ground cardamom

Preparation:
Puree all ingredients to desired consistency in an appliance of your choice.   I put all ingredients into my 4-cup glass Pyrex container and then used my Cuisinart Smart Stick Immersion Blender to puree it and then warmed it in the microwave.

Nutrition per serving:
Servings per recipe: 1
Serving Size: 11/4 cup
Calories: 166
Total Fat: 0 g                                              
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 109 mg
Total Carbs: 34 g
Dietary Fiber: 7 g
Protein: 9 g

Broccoli Crepes

Think of this broccoli crepe recipe as a template for any savory pureed green vegetable crepe.  I just happened to have leftover broccoli puree from supper last night so that dictated what I tried tonight.   When I rolled them up, I put a dollop of low-fat ricotta cheese in it sprinkled with a bit of nutmeg.  Nutmeg and broccoli are exquisite partners.  The next time I make these with broccoli, I might add other seasonings to the batter, such as Nature's Seasoning, or garlic and onion powder, or Mrs. Dash Garlic and Herb blend, then sprinkle a bit of Parmesan cheese on the crepe before I roll them up. 

I know that most crepe recipes use more flour than I have used here, but I wanted to keep the carbohydrate count low, while emphasizing the vegetables.  It worked well enough that I am dreaming of many more savory vegetable possibilities.  Maybe they are more like pancakes than crepes.  Hmmmm......How about a pancrepe????  A crepcake????  

I used the liquid egg substitute of Egg Beaters for this recipe.  While I don't like the idea of artificial ingredients, Egg Beaters are incredibly handy for this application and I'm not sure yet if egg whites would work.  I'll try it and let you know.  

Anyway, this template can be used in a variety of ways, I think.  Another time I might try pureed asparagus enlivened with mint or dill.  Or go Indian with pureed spinach and curry.  Or head for the Mediterranean with pureed broccoli seasoned with oregano, thyme, and basil.  Pureed kale with onion and rosemary.  You get the idea.

Of course, it's probably not limited to green vegetables, either.  What about winter squash pancrepes?  Pzazz in so many places!

Ingredients:
1/3 cup Egg Beaters
2 teaspoons whole wheat flour
1/4 cup broccoli puree  ( This was leftover from last night.  One cup of chopped broccoli , then steamed and pureed with enough liquid to make a thick consistency will yield about 1/4 cup of puree. )
1/8 teaspoon salt
Dash of freshly ground pepper
Other seasonings to taste (not included in nutritional analysis)


Preparation:
Use a fork to mix the egg substitute with the flour.  Add the broccoli puree with seasonings as desired and mix well again.
Coat a saute pan with non-stick spray and heat the pan to medium-high heat.  Pour one-third of the batter into the pan and cook until bubbly, which only takes about 1 - 2 minutes.  Then carefully flip and cook until just lightly browned, about 1 minute.   Repeat twice more to make a total of 3 small pancrepes.  Fill each with a dollop of low-fat ricotta cheese sprinkled with nutmeg, if desired.  Or sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. (These optional fillings are not included in the nutritional analysis.)




Nutrition per serving:
Servings per recipe: 1
Serving Size: 3 small crepes
Calories: 82
Total Fat: 0 g
Cholesterol: 1 mg                                                                  
Sodium: 317 mg
Total Carbs: 8 g
Dietary Fiber: 3 g
Protein: 11 g

Powerful Purple Pzazz Smoothie

November is Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month!

And November 10 is World NET Cancer Day! 
(NET is the acronym for NeuroEndocrine Tumors)

The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network has chosen purple as the designated color to increase awareness of this deadly cancer.  Please see their website at www.pancan.org to learn more about pancreatic cancer and how you can become involved in raising awareness and participate in raising funds for research.  It is the only type of cancer that has not seen an improvement in the 5 year survival rate in 40 years.  

My type of cancer is a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor, which is the same type that Steve Jobs died from, and comprises only 5% of all pancreatic cancers. 

Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) is the umbrella term for a group of unusual, often slow growing cancers, which develop from cells in the diffuse endocrine systems.  They are found most commonly in the lung or gastrointestinal system, but they can arise in other parts of the body, such as the pancreas. 

November 10 is World NET Cancer Day!

For more information about this exciting event, see 

http://netcancerday.org/

The World NET Community was established in March 2010, in Berlin, and works to provide worldwide awareness of NET cancer. 

The zebra is the logo for NET cancer. I will explain more about this another time.  
On November 10 I will be wearing my zebra scarf with a purple blouse!  
Pzazz for sure! 

NET cancers are frequently misdiagnosed and patients are treated on average for 3 - 7 years  for the wrong disease.  There are a number of different types of NETS and they all have a different way of expressing themselves in terms of symptoms as well as how they look under a microscope. 

The Carcinoid Cancer Foundation provides comprehensive and remarkably useful information about NET cancer for the newly diagnosed. 

The Caring for Carcinoid Foundation is another remarkable foundation that focuses on raising funds for research for NETs, as well as providing support for individuals with NETS.   

So, to kick off this important month, I made a Powerful Purple Pzazz Smoothie for my breakfast. A recent addition to my smoothies has been black raspberry seed nutri-powder. Black raspberry (which is different than red raspberry) has been shown in numerous scientific studies to be a potent anti-tumor agent. See below for citations..And while I firmly believe that no extract from any food will ever be as powerful as the synergistic effect derived from eating a variety of nutrient-dense foods, I am eager to add to my cancer "survivorship" in whatever ways possible.  Thus, this smoothie is a Pzazzed and Powerful way to continue to blaze my trail to longevity in November!

Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon Black Raspberry Seed Nutri-Powder (Botanic Innovations is the source I use to purchase my black raspberry seed powder. Other on-line resources are BerriHealth, and there are probably others, too) 
1/2 cup frozen triple berry mix (raspberries, strawberries, blueberries)
1/4 cup frozen blueberries  (I still have some in the freezer from summer 2011!)
1/2 frozen banana, sliced 
1/2 cup Westsoy Organic unsweetened soy milk

2011 Garden Blueberries

Preparation:
Blend in a MagicBullet or blender to desired consistency. 

Nutrition per serving:
Servings per recipe: 1
Serving Size: 1 cup
Calories: 151                                                      
Total Fat: 3 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 26 mg
Total Carbs: 30 g
Dietary Fiber: 9 g
Protein: 6 g

Citations of some studies supporting anti-angiogeneis and anti-oxident properties of black raspberry extract:
1.  Liu Z, Schwimer J, Liu D, Greenway FL, Anthony CT, Woltering EA. Black Raspberry Extract and Fractions Contain Angiogenesis Inhibitors. J Agric Food Chem 53; 2909-3915,

2. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3184418/

3. Fatty Acid Content and Antioxidant Properties of Cold Pressed Black Raspberry Seed Oil and Meal, J. Parry, Liangli Yu, PhD. et.al.
4.  Inhibitory Effect of Chardonnay and Black Raspberry Seed Extracts on Lipid Oxidation in Fish Oil and their Radical Scavenging,  J. Parry, Liangli Yu, PhD. et.al.

Carrot Soup with Garam Masala

One of 4 bowls filled with carrots

This soup was inspired by two things.  First, I finished the rest of the pink banana squash for my lunch today and was sad that it was the last of it. (Though I froze some for a treat this winter.)  I had added garam masala, an Indian spice mix, to the squash and tossed it with the left-over tofu I made yesterday with a marinade of tamari(soy sauce), ginger, curry, and garlic.  Delicious combination. So garam masala was on my brain as I looked at the heap of carrots harvested from Tom's garden yesterday.    Hmmm,,,,carrots and garam masala.......

If you aren't familiar with garam masala,  it is a common spice blend from India and Pakistan, and usually consists of cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, coriander, and black peppercorns.  It is generally a mild, sweet seasoning, but can be spicier, depending on how much black pepper is used, which is the type I had in my cupboard.  


A quick look on-line for pureed carrot soup recipes yielded one that included garam masala at the blog of Three Many Cooks. But it also used olive oil, butter, and whole milk, so I adapted it to fit my dietary needs.  Rather than adding milk or cream at the end, I swirled in plain goat yogurt and found that it was the perfect compliment to the flavors. You could use any type of plain yogurt that you enjoy.  I made only a half-batch of the soup, as I often do when creating something new, but was sorry that I hadn't made a whole batch because I will quickly deplete what remains!  

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons coconut oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion

1 1/2 lbs carrots, cut into approximate 1" slices (about 5 cups)    
2 teaspoons sugar
3 large garlic cloves, thickly sliced
2 Tablespoons garam masala (If you are unaccustomed with this spice, you might want to use less.)
3 cups chicken broth
Salt and pepper to taste (I didn't add either)

Preparation:
Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large deep saute pan. Add carrots and then onions; saute, stirring very little at first and more frequently at the end, until vegetables start to turn golden brown, 7 - 8 minutes.  Reduce heat to low and add sugar and garlic; continue to cook until all vegetables are a rich caramel color, about 10 minutes longer.  Add garam masala; continue to saute until fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute more.

Simmering carrots with garam masala

 Add broth; bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.  Reduce to low and simmer, partially covered until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.  Puree in a VitaMix or with an immersion stick.  Ladle into small bowls, and swirl in some plain yogurt.  I used goat yogurt from my friend, Christal, and it was just the right amount to tame the garam masala.  I also added a very tiny sprinkle of ground hazelnuts.  The nutritional analysis doesn't include the yogurt or the nuts.

Soup without the yogurt

Nutrition per serving:
Servings per recipe: 4
Serving Size: 1 cup
Calories: 156
Total Fat: 7 g                                              
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 153 mg
Total Carbs: 21 g
Dietary Fiber: 5
Protein: 3 g

Gingered Kale Soup

The kale falafel flopped. Does this sound like the start of a Dr. Seuss story?  Nope, it was the tale of my day yesterday.  I had found a recipe for Baked Sweet Potato Kale Falafel on Diana Dyer's blog,   365 Days of Kale .  I thought it was definitely worth a try, because I love kale and the recipe pureed the ingredients before forming them into patties, so I was hopeful it would work for me. In making them, I made only a half batch so thought the ingredients could be processed in my Magic Bullet.  Nope..too small.  So I moved it to the VitaMix.  Nope. Not enough liquid.  So I moved it to my early 1980's food processor.  Just right.  (Now it sounds like the story of Goldilocks and the 3 Bears!) Then the patties stuck to the parchment paper when they were baking, probably because I omitted the coating of sesame seeds.  So I took them out and tried frying them in coconut oil. That helped the process, but they were ugly at best.  Taste was ok, but not as good as I had hoped.  Oh gads......I still had to clean the Magic Bullet, the VitaMix and the food processor I had used, in addition to the the two pans, and the mixing bowl.  I am sure Diana Dyer's Baked Sweet Potato Kale Falafel's were delicious, and I had done something wrong.   If anyone wants to give them a try, here is the link to her recipe for her Baked Sweet Potato Kale Falafel and let me know how you did. Interestingly, I found myself munching on them today.  I think the day of melding the flavors improved their taste, and they provided a much healthier alternative to munching on the brownies I made for Sam who is coming for dinner tonight.

While I was tasting the kale falafel last night, I commented that I wished I had made a kale soup instead.  So that's what I made for tonight.  It's a combination of several other "green soup" recipes I had done and this one turned out superb.  Pzazz after all!  While many of my "green soups" look similar, the taste differences make each one distinct and keep me coming back for more. 

And yes, kale is still available in Tom's garden!   The photo at the top of this post is of the kale harvested on Monday morning.  Beautiful, isn't it! I like Diana Dyer's description of kale as a terrific cancer "phyter" because it is power-packed with phyto-chemicals that promote general good health and have been linked to cancer reduction.   While I don't think I meet her goal of eating at least 1 - 2 servings daily of foods from this power packed family, I certainly aim for one.  I concur with her that this improves my chances of long-term cancer survivorship and I would like to think that this has helped me live for 14 years since first diagnosed with a 14cm pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor in 1998.  Now that is Poweful Pzazz!!!!

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons coconut oil
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 medium red garnet yam, peeled and cubed
2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
4 cups chopped kale
1 small leek, white part only, thoroughly washed and chopped
2 -3 garlic cloves, peeled
2 - 3 Tablespoons grated ginger
About 1 cup water
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preparation:
Heat coconut oil in pan and add the chopped onion with the salt.  Cook over low heat, stirring several times, until the onions are nicely caramelized, which takes at least 20 minutes, but is well worth the time.
While the onions are cooking, wash the kale and take any tough stems off, and chop coarsely.  Set aside.  Put the garnet yam and the whole garlic cloves in a soup pot with the vegetable broth, and cook until almost tender. Add the kale, leek, ginger and enough water to cover the contents by about 1".  Simmer until the kale is tender.  Add a few grinds of black pepper.  Puree contents in a VitaMix or blender.  

Nutrition per serving:
Servings per recipe: 3
Serving Size: Generous 1 cup                
Calories: 146
Total Fat: 4 g
Cholesterol: 0  mg
Sodium: 360 mg
Total Carbs: 26 g
Dietary Fiber: 6 g
Protein: 5 g

Squash Bisque

Winter Squash Bisque

 15 lb. Pink Banana Squash from Tom's garden

This remarkably large Pink Banana winter squash from Tom's garden was substituted for the butternut squash in this soup recipe from my friend, Regis.  When I served the soup for myself at dinner last night with Tom, Dan and his friend, they asked for a taste, and then asked for a bowl of it for themselves.  Yes, this soup is one that has appeal to anyone who likes winter squash soup.  Tom added a drizzle of Half-n-Half and a few pine nuts to their soup bowls, while I reveled in it just as it was.  Today for lunch I added a swirl of kefir and finely ground pecans to dress it up for this photo. Hearty soups made with winter squash are the hallmark of autumn for me. The addition of a bosc pear and apple to this soup make it just different enough to give a new Pzazz to my array of fall squash soups.  

Pink Banana squash is a variety of winter squash that tastes similar to butternut squash. It is an earthy, dense, flavor-filled squash.  Similar to the butternut squash, it has a very thin skin, so if you purchase it in the store, it is an economical choice as opposed to the types of winter squash that have a thick skin that can't be eaten, yet you pay for it by weight.  But most importantly, butternut and pink banana varieties of winter squash that won't disappoint in taste and will keep in a cool place for weeks while I create more ways to use them.  

Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon coconut oil

Seeded center of Pink Banana Squash

1 cup finely chopped onion
2# butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
(2# squash= about 3 cups peeled, cubed)
2 medium bosc pears, peeled, cored and cubed
1 medium Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored,
  &  cubed
4 teaspoons lemon juice, divided
1 Tablespoon finely grated gingerroot
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne powder
1 (14 1/2 oz) can low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup apple juice
1 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Preparation:
1.  In a large pan, heat the oil over medium-low heat.  Add the onion and saute 10 minutes.
2.  Add the squash cubes, pears, apple, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, grated ginger, cumin, curry powder, cayenne broth, apple juice, water, and salt.  Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes.
3.  Let cool slightly.  With a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked solids with a little of the broth to a blender or VitaMix.  Puree until very smooth and add the rest of the soup and puree all until very creamy texture is achieved.
4.  Stir in the remaining 2 teaspoons of lemon juice and the pepper.  Heat through.  

Nutrition per serving:

Squash patch in early summer

Servings per recipe: 8
Serving Size: 1 cup                                        
Calories: 121
Total Fat: 2 g
Cholesterol:  0 mg
Sodium: 95 mg
Total Carbs: 27 g
Dietary Fiber: 5 g
Protein: 2 g