Recipe Testing for Cooking Class

Lately I have been thinking, nobody teaches vegetarian cooking classes around here, somebody should really do that. To borrow Isa Chandra Moskowitz's mantra, "I'm a somebody!" I started mentioning the idea that I was thinking of offering vegetarian cooking classes to teach people to cook delicious balanced vegetarian meals using fresh seasonal whole foods. The response seemed pretty encouraging, so I decided to go ahead.

The first cooking class is going to happen on Saturday October 14 from 5 - 8 p.m. at my place. We're going to make Roasted Butternut Squash Soup, Simple Pear and Walnut Salad, Cashew and Soy Bean Nut Roast drizzled with mushroom gravy, and Apple Crisp for dessert.

Thanks to Carolyn for this recipe! It has been a real hit at our house and so I can now confidently use it for a wonderful dessert at my first cooking class. This apple crisp is super healthy. The coating has lots of rolled oats and wheat germ. The rolled oats and wheat germ help to stabilize the release of brown sugar used in this recipe to sweeten the apples. The recipe is also made healthy by replacing the butter with canola oil and some of the sugar with yummy maple syrup. I love the cranberries in this recipe. Cranberries have long been valued for their ability to help prevent and treat urinary tract infections. Now, recent studies suggest that this native American berry may also promote gastrointestinal and oral health, prevent the formation of kidney stones, lower LDL and raise HDL (good) cholesterol, aid in recovery from stroke, and even help prevent cancer.

Feel free to contact me (info@melissawest.com) for information on the cooking classes. There is a special discount for those who register by October 7th!

My pretty new plates

These plates were a must-have at home sense. I aboslutely fell in love with them and had been searching for the perfectly shaped plate/bowl for everyday salads. These fit the bill.

The salad pictured here is one of my favourite convenience foods. It is called something like Asian Mix. It comes with dressing and those crispy noodle like things on top. I usually add toasted almond slices for added nutritional punch.

This is a piece of apple streudel. The recipe is from Dreena's Vive le Vegan. This apple streudel is a lot healthier than pie because it uses phyllo pastry. I find it best to use really fresh phyllo pastry - if it has been opened and in the freezer for a while, it is not nearly as good. The individual sheets of phyllo pastry are brushed with canola oil to make them crispy. Canola oil contains no trans fats. Trans fats raise the bad LDL cholesterol and lower the good HDL cholesterol.

On a side note I was at my doctor's the other day and he just about fell over at how low my LDL cholesterol is - 1.7, he said he has several patients that he couldn't get their cholesterol that low with cholesterol lowering medication!

Canola oil is a good source of the antioxidant vitamin E. Two tablespoons of canola oil a day will deliver about 1/4 of all the vitamin E you need to protect your body from free radical damage. Vitamin E may also reduce the risk of heart disease. Canola oil provides one of the best nutritional balance of all popular cooking oils. It contains only 7 % saturated fat, 61 % monosaturated fat, 11% omega 3 fatty acid, and 21% omega 6 fatty acid.

Dr. Joel Fuhrman's Top 7 Best and Worst Foods for Health

Top 7 Best and Worst Foods for Health and Longevity

Soup and Lemon Gems

This was a totally yummy coconut red curry soup from La Dolce Vegan. This soup has its nutritional high and low points. First off, the thing that makes the soup so yummy is a whole can of coconut milk, which is very high in saturated fat. Saturated fats trigger off an increase in low-density lipoprotein, which is also known as the "bad cholesterol." High total and saturated fat diets have been linked conclusively to heart disease. Research also shows that high saturated fat intakes are pro-inflammatory, and numerous studies implicate a high total-fat diet in cancers of the breast, prostate and lung. Adults and children four or more years of age should not consume more than 20 grams of saturated fat per day. 1/4 cup of coconut milk contains a whopping 13 g of saturated fat! Good thing you can buy light coconut milk. On the plus side coconut milk contains no cholesterol and is very low in sodium. Another nutritional power point is this soup was made with 1/2 cup of red lentils. I think this is a great idea when making orange soups - throw in a half a cup of red lentils and increase the fiber and protein count for the recipe. A 1/4 cup of red lentils will give you 7 g of fiber and 13 g of protein. Also included in this soup are sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes are a rich antioxidant food. Why are antioxidants important? Research suggests that consumption of antioxidant-rich foods reduces damage to cells and biochemicals from free radicals. This may slow down, prevent, or even reverse certain diseases that result from cellular damage, and perhaps even slow down the natural aging process.

My daughter has been begging to bake lemon gems. Here are one of the best batches we have ever made. There really aren't any nutritionally redeeming qualities to these cupcakes, but they sure are a nice treat - and fun to make!

Does it get any better than this?

More Uncheese Sadness....

I was really excited to try another recipe from my uncheese cook book. I made the baked macaroni and cheese with high hopes. This too was disappointing. It wasn't cheesy at all. Mind you I had a cold when I was eating it and not much of an appetite at all. But the whole uncheese experience (along with a healthy dose of PMS) seems to have thrown me back onto the cheese wagon. Later that day I ate crackers and cheese and then cheese melted on toast... and felt pretty horrible about it. I want to make the switch to veganism but this cheese thing is just not happening yet. I don't understand it. I totally understand about all the saturated fat in cheese that any sane person would want to stay away from, so why can't I do it? I was saying to my friend Michaela tonight that I probably shouldn't beat myself up about it... that like everything else on my path to vegetarianism and now to veganism it will fall away on its own time. In fact I have been recently noticing a real aversion to eggs... so maybe cheese will be next (please fairies of nutritious eating cut my cravings to cheese!)

On another note. My friend Nancy is an incredible cook. She loves talking about food and is one of the most committed vegans and animals rights activists I know. I think she should have her own blog. Here are some peanut butter and banana cupcakes she made for me. They were beyond delicious. So moist and rich and peanuty. Nancy please start a blog! The world needs your input!

On yet another note.... I read a really interesting article that explains why I have been feeling a lot better about the internal balance in my body after having made a commitment to eating more salads (obviously the recent cheese episodes excepted). The author, Dr. Zoltan Rona, was advocating an alkaline forming plant based diet. The author was saying that "it is a biochemical fact that all disease, especially cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and arthritis exist in an acid medium. All animal products, refined foods, and most high gluten grains create an acid condition in the body. Plant based diets create more of an alkaline body pH." OK, so this is probably way too personal, but I think it is important because it speaks to the value of plant based whole foods in our diet. This month for the first month in years was the first month I did not have a yeast infection. It was also the first month I made a conscious effort to eat a huge serving a salad - raw leafy greens, every single day. Coincidence? I think not.

A couple of dinners....

Carrot Zucchini Crumb Casserole


This is from Dreena Burton's The Everyday Vegan. I used fresh carrots and zucchini from the garden. This dish is listed as a main course, but I think it would be much better as a side. A combination of things went wrong here. It is getting colder so the garden isn't giving up much anymore - I think the zucchini lacked flavour and freshness. Also, I don't think it was cooked enough either. I tried cooking it some more, but it really didn't come out much better. The soft tofu in this gave it a nice protein kick.

Cheezy Rice and Broccoli Casserole
Next up, in my attempt to cut back on cheese intake and move towards veganism, is my first creation from The Uncheese Cookbook. I had high hopes for this since Vegan Diva had been raving about it. I was a bit disappointed with the taste - I expected more cheese flavour - but unfortunately it did not deliver. Now here is the funny part. My daughter kept complaining that she didn't like it, but she ate a whole bowl of it! Also, my hubby polished off the entire casserole after my daughter and I were done with it. So, it wasn't anything really special, but it is SUPER easy to make, so I expect I will make it again. I made mine with brown basmati rice for an additional nutrition kick. Broccoli is one of those wonder foods that provides cancer protection. Like other cruciferous vegetables, broccoli contains phytochemicals--sulforaphane and the indoles--with significant anti-cancer effects. I served this with one of my favourite salads in a bag. This is an Asian mix. I can't wait for the baby greens and baby spinach to come back on the shelves. (Really do North Americans need another detour from eating fresh greens? iy yi yi!)

And if I may, a little rant. If one more person asks me how I get my protein, so help me! My ideal response is to ask how they get their 5-10 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Unfortunately I have not figured out a way to bring this in politely. Even the Canadian food guide only recommends two servings of protein a day. When is our protein obsessed society going to wake up and discover the health benefits of consuming large amounts of vegetables and fruits to fight against heart disease, stroke, cancer and type two diabetes?

PIzza Dough

I've had a few requests for my pizza dough recipe. This is a recipe I have modified based on the recipe that came with my bread machine recipe book.

Pizza Dough
1 & 1/2 cups beer or water (I use water - I have used beer but find that it makes absolutely no difference to the taste for some unknown reason)
1 & 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 cups multi grain bread flour
1 cup spelt flour
1 & 1/4 cup white bread flour
2 tsp. of yeast

Set bread maker to dough setting and press go!

I think I'm in love...

I can't stop watching TLC's Take Home Chef. Really, I don't think it is about the food, rather the dish that is doing the cooking. Isn't Curtis a complete doll? I would have to say that my number one fantasy right now would be for Curtis to find me shopping at the No Frills in Ajax! LOL! Guess I better start shopping Whole Foods in Los Angeles. Curtis is both single and young enough to be a boy toy. I think I am so attracted to him because he shares some of my favourite qualities in my husband - blond hair, blue eyes, dark eyebrows, beautiful eye lashes, humour and charm. I am happily married, but if this man wanted to show up and cook at my house I would definitely let him in!

All About Curtis
Curtis Stone is a master chef, author and host of TLC’s new series Take Home Chef.


Curtis began cooking at the Savoy Hotel, in his hometown of Melbourne, Australia, at the age of 18. There, he worked with many European and British chefs who instilled in him the importance of working abroad to build one’s experience and skills. On completing his qualifications as a chef, he set off for Europe to experience life and the cuisines of Italy, France and Spain, before finally arriving in London.


In London, he found himself literally knocking on the door of the legendary Marco Pierre White, the youngest chef in the world to be awarded three Michelin stars. His book White Heat was the first cookbook ever given to Curtis. That afternoon he started work at Marco’s restaurant, The Grill Room at Café Royal.


From The Grill Room, Curtis proceeded to Mirabelle as sous-chef and played a large part in creating the Mirabelle Cookbook. He worked at the restaurant for another year, during which time it was awarded a Michelin star. After winning Marco’s trust and respect, Curtis was made head chef at another of White’s flagships, the critically acclaimed Quo Vadis. The restaurant has been a Soho institution since 1926. Karl Marx once lived upstairs, and previous owners included Peppino Leonie and artist Damien Hirst. During Curtis’ four-year stint at Quo Vadis, he was approached by a publisher and included in a book about London’s finest chefs, London on a Plate.


Curtis’ appearance in London on a Plate led to a heightened media profile in the United Kingdom, where he appeared on Taste Today on the Taste Network, Great Food Live on U.K. Food, BBC2’s Saturday Kitchen and ITV’s This Morning. He then filmed the 15-episode television series Dinner in a Box for U.K. Food in 2002.

Curtis filmed his first major series called Surfing the Menu with a tie-in book, Surfing the Menu, for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in 2003. In 2004 he hosted an Australian reality series, My Restaurant Rules, for Network 7. Missing the heat of the kitchen, Curtis returned to London to work with Terence Conran on relaunching the famous Bluebird Club in London’s Chelsea district.

Surfing the Menu has now been sold to 26 territories worldwide, including the U.K. and U.S. Cookbooks accompanied the first two series, and Curtis has recently completed the third season. He also writes a regular column for Delicious Magazine in Australia.

Curtis stays true to his cooking philosophy: keep things simple and use naturally produced ingredients that are in season. "If you get your hands on good ingredients and treat them properly, you don’t need to do much," he says. In his cooking, Curtis likes to concentrate on flavors with a modern European edge.

Curtis is 30 and single. While he is currently based in Los Angeles, he lives in London.

Firsts

If you can believe it this was the first time I had cooked with fennel and the first time I had baked sweet potato fries.

The soup is a parsnip and fennel soup from The Everyday Vegan. This soup turned out really good. I found it a little light for a main dish, but it would be nice to serve to company. The salad and sweet potato fries rounded out this meal. So why would you want to make sweet potato fries over regular ones? One of my favourite nutritionists (local Canadian) Joey Shulman recommends "Go for Colour! Nature is very wise and gives us clues about the health benefits of various goods. In terms of produce, the more colourful a fruit or vegetable, the healthier it is for us. The pigment of the skin or flesh of produce comprises nutrients called phytochemicals. These chemicals offer a multitude of disease preventing and health promoting effects." (Alive Sept. 2002 No. 287)

Sweet potatoes are an antioxidant-rich, anti-Inflammatory root vegetable with an excellent source of vitamin A (in the form of beta-carotene), a very good source of vitamin C and manganese, and a good source of copper, dietary fiber, vitamin B6, potassium and iron.

How does fennel score on the nutritional scale? Fennel offers antioxidant protection and immune support from vitamin C along with fiber, folate and potassium for cardiovascular and colon health.

This is my 100th post!

Can you believe that this is my 100th post on blogger? Here is a nice chick pea soup/stew from The Everyday Vegan and oatmeal nut bread.

My friend Lisa requested the recipe for a healthy loaf of bread to bake in the bread machine. The chick pea soup/stew picture above is also pictured with this bread. So, this is one that I modified from the recipe book that came with my bread machine to make it healthier.

Oatmeal Nut Bread

1 & 1/4 cups lukewarm water
2 tbsp. powdered milk
1 &1/4 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. molasses
1 tbsp. honey
2 tbsp. canola oil
1 & 3/4 cup of multi grain best for bread flour
1 cup white best for bread flour
1/3 cup oatmeal
1 & 3/4 tsp. yeast

Add Ingredient : 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Select grain and 2 lb loaf size. At the add ingredients beep add the walnuts.

Pies of sorts....

I *love* pie. I also love pizza. I had some leftover pizza dough the other day so I decided to make pizza pies, or calzones as they are properly called. The nice thing about the calzones is you can really stuff them with veggies, cut way back on the cheese and bake them in the oven. This particular calzone was stuffed with green pepper, tomatoes, and zucchini. The middle one was made with cheese and tomato sauce only for my daugher - hence the cheese oozing out all over the place. These calzones were a hit at our house, so watch for more of these in the coming weeks.

Next up is the first apple pie of the season. My daughter and I went apple picking about a week ago. Nothing like farm fresh produce. This pie disappeared in a matter of hours. I'm looking for the nutritionally redeeming qualities of pie. Well, it is loaded with fruit... apples none the less. Apples contain both insoluble and soluble fiber. One medium (5 ounces) unpeeled apple provides over 3 grams of fiber, more than 10% of the daily fiber intake recommended by experts. Even without its peel, a medium apple provides 2.7 grams of fiber. So the peeled apples in this pie contain lots of fiber to help digest our food. Apples have long been touted as an excellent source of flavonoids that act as antioxidants, moping up oxygen free radicals that can damage DNA.

Roasted Tomato Soup

The tomatoes are still overflowing in our backyard garden. I picked these beautiful tomatoes to make oven roasted tomato soup from Dreena's The EveryDay Vegan. Roasting these tomatoes in the oven for over an hour really enhanced the flavour.



Here is the soup after it has been pureed and served up.



This soup was accompanied by a hearty fresh salad.

Why was this dinner a nutritional home run? Eating fresh seasonal organic vegetables (and all of the vegetables in my garden are organic) is a fantastic way to boost your nutritional income. Colourful fruits and vegetables such as the tomatoes contain health-protective phytonutrients that promote optimal health. Eating raw food with your cooked food gives your body healthy enzymes that help to digest your food. Also eating a huge green salad such as this one helps to fill you up with less calories. Also, the increased fiber content means that the food will pass through your bodily more easily. All you protein enthusiasts need not worry. All these greens do contain some protein, however the nuts and the hemp nut seeds boost the protein count of this dinner.

Vegetarian Food Fair - Toronto

Yesterday we went to the Vegetarian Food Fair in Toronto. I scored two finds at the fair. First up is the uncheese cookbook. I have been wanting this book for a while. I thought it was a steal at $12.00! Everybody loves a deal. Watch out for uncheese recipes in the coming days on the blog.

The second item was a find. I have looked everywhere in Ajax for hemp seed nut butter. Nobody carries it here! So I scooped up this jar. I don't think it was a deal, but I was happy to finally get my hands on some.

The food fair was fun. I really enjoyed my dim sum plate from Vegetarian Haven, although I took major exception to the "chicken" drum stick. On a whole I was overwhelmed by all the faux meat and dairy at the festival. What was up with that? I'm a vegetarian because I don't like meat.... why were they offering food that is just like meat? I want veggies! Also, if I hadn't known better I would have thought that vegetarians are a pretty unhealthy bunch based on all the deep fried food they were serving up there. I was shocked there wasn't more fresh food.

Blogging Catch-Up

OK, you know you are food obsessed when you have a back log of photos and cooking experiences that you haven't posted about yet! LOL!

So firstly, the squash soup made it to re-runs, slightly different salad, but basically the same thing. This salad has fresh mangoes and pecans on top. It is topped with an amazing Asian sesame dressing.


Next, inspired by my friend Carrie over at House of Simon I coppied her peach cobbler. Once again I tried to healthy the recipe. I halved the "butter" and drastically reduced the sugar. I also cut down on the white flour and used spelt flour. Carrie was right, this was best straight out of the oven.

Then there was this simple meal of salads and a fresh tomato sandwhich from the garden. The green salad is becoming a real favourite - garnished with walnuts and fresh pears. On the side was a quinoa salad. The flavouring combination in this salad was super cool - grapefruit, avacado and fresh mint. Pretty fresh!

And then there was take out. Avacado sushi and vegetable tempura. Next time I will skip the tempura (too greasy) and stick with the avacado sushi. Hey, are you noticing something about this post? It includes a lot of my favourites from my top five list!

So, that is what I have been eating. A lot of fresh, in-season produce. I am pretty impressed with my salad consumption as of late as well. I think I am actually addicted now. I can't seem to get through the day without a fresh salad. I honestly feel unourished. Dr. Joel Furhman recommends trying to eat a pound of salad a day. I'm getting there. Raw leafy greens are known for improving human longevity. They have a high nutrient per calorie ration and contain hundreds of cancer-fighting phytonutrients.

Lots of fall goodness...

On holiday Monday we went in search of an apple orchard. Although we didn't find a place where you can pick apples, we did happen upon a place that sells local produce. I went crazy for the fall produce. I picked up a couple of butternut squash to make soup. Squash is a fairly good source of anti-cancer phytonutrients. I made this soup extra rich by adding a whole bulb of roasted garlic to it! I also roasted garlic to have with the multi grain crusty bread. My hubby thought the meal was fantastic. Personally, although I totally adore roasted garlic, I hate to admit, it was a bit too much garlic. Although all that garlic is totally fantastic for the prevention of atherosclerosis and diabetic heart disease, and reducing the risk of heart attack or stroke.

Top Five things Everybody Should Eat before they die

I was tagged by Carrie over at the House of Simon to list the top five foods everybody should eat before they die. My list will be the top five foods everybody should eat so that they don't die (prematurely of cancer, heart disease, stroke or diabetes complications)

Walnuts
Walnuts are a fabulous source of omega 3 fatty acids. The omega fatty acids should be consumed in a ration of 2:1 (2 portions of omega 6 for every 1 source of omega 3) The average North American consumes omega 6 and 3 in a ration of 10:1! This imbalance contributes to long-term diseases such as heart disease, cancer, asthma, arthritis, and depression. Walnuts' concentration of omega-3s (a quarter-cup provides 90.8% of the daily value for these essential fats) has many potential health benefits ranging from cardiovascular protection, to the promotion of better cognitive function, to anti-inflammatory benefits helpful in asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, and inflammatory skin diseases such as eczema and psoriasis. In addition, walnuts contain an antioxidant compound called ellagic acid that supports the immune system and appears to have several anticancer properties.

Legumes
OK, so this one is kind of a cheat. I lumped all those amazing legumes together. Black beans, chick peas, black eye peas, lentils, white beans, kidney beans - they are all fabulous. They are a terrific source of cholesterol lowering fiber of and a fantastic fat free source of protein for vegetarians.


Avacados
Avacados are a healthy source of monosaturated fats that have been shown to lower cholesterol. Avocados are a good source of potassium, a mineral that helps regulate blood pressure. Adequate intake of potassium can help to guard against circulatory diseases, like high blood pressure, heart disease or stroke. Enjoying a few slices of avocado in your tossed salad, or mixing some chopped avocado into your favorite salsa will not only add a rich, creamy flavor, but will greatly increase your body's ability to absorb the health-promoting carotenoids that vegetables provide.

Quinoa
Quinoa is a miracle food. Not only is quinoa high in protein, but the protein it supplies is complete protein, meaning that it includes all nine essential amino acids. Not only is quinoa's amino acid profile well balanced, making it a good choice for vegans concerned about adequate protein intake, but quinoa is especially well-endowed with the amino acid lysine, which is essential for tissue growth and repair. In addition to protein, quinoa features a host of other health-building nutrients. Because quinoa is a very good source of manganese as well as a good source of magnesium, iron, copper and phosphorous, this "grain" may be especially valuable for persons with migraine headaches, diabetes and atherosclerosis.

Blueberries
My Grandma Butcher instilled my love of blueberries. I don't know anybody who appreciates this fruit more than my Grandma. Blueberries are nutritional superstars! Packed with antioxidant phytonutrients called anthocyanidins, blueberries neutralize free radical damage to the collagen matrix of cells and tissues that can lead to cataracts, glaucoma, varicose veins, hemorrhoids, peptic ulcers, heart disease and cancer. Anthocyanins, the blue-red pigments found in blueberries, improve the integrity of support structures in the veins and entire vascular system.

Kale
When I think of green leafy vegetables, I think of kale. There are few other foods around that pack more nutritional punch with very little calories than kale. Kale has organosulfur compunds that help to prevent cancer. Kale helps to optimize your cells' detoxification and cleansing ability. Kale has cartenoids that act like sunglasses to prevent cataracts. Kale is an excellent source of calcium with way less saturated fat than the calcium from milk.


What's my favourite cheat? Pie!
I love pie, apple pie, cherry pie, peach pie, peach and blueberry pie. To me there is nothing better than fresh fruit in pastry.

That's my list - I cheated since I chose more than five. I tag: laura jesser, dori, emmy from vegan diva, 28 cooks, and Super Connally from the green grotto.

Tomatoes from our Garden

We have so many tomatoes from our garden right now that it is hard to use them up. Anybody want any tomatoes? I decided to try my hand at home made salsa again... I am happy to say the second attempt was much better than the first. I took this with me to a family dinner at my Mom's house this weekend. It was a real crowd pleaser. My family demolished this salsa in minutes. Everybody knows that tomatoes are an excellent source of lycopene - which helps to fight cancer and heart disease. Recent research clearly shows that tomatoes' protective effects against prostate cancer and cardiovascular disease are due not simply to their lycopene content, but result from the synergy of lycopene with other phytonutrients naturally present in whole tomatoes.



Second up is a simple tomato and lentil salad. The spice in this one is tarragon. It also has lemon rind in it. I thought it was quite tastey, especially with the cherry tomatoes from the garden. This was my vegetarian main dish at my Mom's house. Lentils are an excellent source of protein and fiber--with virtually no fat. The calorie cost of all this nutrition? Just 230 calories for a whole cup of cooked lentils. This tiny nutritional giant fills you up--not out.

Cheese and Saturated Fat

I usually prefer to approach healthy eating from a positive perspective in terms of putting food into our bodies to improve our health. I don't usually like to think about depriving myself, rather I like to think of food as nuturing. But, and here is the big but, I am trying to talk myself out of eating cheese.


I was reading the back of the mozerella cheese package that I was using for the pizza I was making. I was shocked when I read that a 1.5 cm slice of cheese contains 5 grams of saturated fat! That means this 7 cm chunk of cheese contains a whopping 23 grams of saturated fats!!! Saturated fats are generally recognized as a significant cause of both heart disease and cancer. Basically saturated fats cause atherosclerosis, in other words, hardening of the arteries. According to Dr. Joel Fuhrman "Cheese is the food that contributes the most saturated fat to the [North] American diet and is one of the most dangerous foods in the world to consume. Though it tastes good, it should be used very rarely, if at all. Most cheeses are more than 50 percent of calories from fat, and even low-fat cheeses are very high-fat foods" (Fuhrman 2003, 135-136).



Well I tried to rectify this unhealthy pizza by loading it up with lots of fresh toppings. I find pizza a great way to use up the bits and pieces left in the fridge.



Here is the final dinner. A small slice of pizza served with a huge green salad loaded with cucumbers and tomatoes fresh from our garden. The flesh of cucumbers is primarily composed of water but also contains ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and caffeic acid, both of which help soothe skin irritations and reduce swelling. Cucumbers' hard skin is rich in fiber. Beets help to fight against heart disease and some forms of cancer so I shredded some beets on top in an attempt to counteract the cancer and heart disease causing cheese!