When a Salad is More Than Just a Bowl Full of Lettuce: By Healthy "Sous" Chef Partyologist, Lea Bowen

Chef Nancy and I do the majority of our cooking at the Cancer Wellness Center, and like to provide the staff and sometimes a patient or two, to a salad for lunch on the days we are there. Most often our salads are spontaneous creations, built from leftovers and items on hand in the kitchen. They are never the same, but always delicious. A heaping bowl of greens piled with tomatoes, avocados, black beans, cheese and a homemade balsamic vinaigrette are the ingredients in the salad bowl, but the thing that makes these salads taste even better is the fact that we actually take the time to sit down and eat with our colleagues. Having a few laughs with new acquaintances over lunch, nourishes your soul, while the wholesome salad nourishes your body. These noon time salads have become my new comfort food and I can't help but feel a bit deprived when I don't have the time or opportunity to sit down to a good salad for lunch. In our fast paced lives, it is so important to take the time to sit down with your family, friends and collegues and enjoy a few minutes of peace, laughter and healthy food. This is truly what tasting and savoring life is all about!

Making your own salad dressing is super easy, and tastes better, too! Check out my recipe for balsamic vinaigrette:

1/2 cup Balsamic Vinegar
1 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 TBSP Whole Grain Dijon Mustard

Sea Salt and Pepper to Taste

Place all ingredients in a jar and shake well.

The Ladies of Pink Heals Rock!

The first time I met Lisa Vingerling, was with Jimmy Rumba. Yes, that’s his name, Jimmy Rumba. He was teaching a party of twenty young, beautiful women how to Salsa Dance. Some women had long hair, some short and some none at all. But everyone was grooving and moving to the Latin music and laughing as they did.

Lisa is the founder of Pink Heals, a unique group that shows women under 40 that there IS life after cancer. That was Lisa’s answer when I asked her the goal of her non-profit. In Lisa’s words, “Being young and having cancer, is really an isolating experience, because the issues you face are very different than the issues faced by older women. Pink Heals confirms that there is life after cancer. Normal life. It will never the same as it was before, but in some ways, it’s better. You will get past it. You will stop thinking about cancer all day, every day. And you will become a better, stronger, more beautiful version of your former self. “

So how does Pink Heals accomplish lofty goals like helping young women have a renewed sense of self? What does this organization do to establish confidence and an ability to laugh, smile and enjoy everyday? The group approaches life after cancer in many different ways. Mostly just bringing women together and doing things that make them laugh and talk and learn more about their new normal. They dance, cook, learn about photography, party planning, and much, much more.

One special experience is Beauty & Bubbly. Lisa’s close friend, Robert Williams, asked her if he could help these young women feel beautiful. Robert is a talented makeup artist at SAKS in Buckhead. He organizes a bi-monthly event that invites under-40 cancer survivors to a glamorous makeup session conducted by skilled Dior and Trish McEvoy colleagues. A makeover, sparkling wine and a pink cupcake or two makes this event an incredibly special event.

Lisa’s positive attitude is contagious. Still in her early 30’s she means a great deal to me, as well as many young women in our community facing challenges that seem overwhelming. I’ve had the privilege of working with Pink Heals – here is a recipe that we have all enjoyed making and eating together.

Individual Whole Wheat Pizzas

1½ Cups Whole Wheat Flour

1½ Cups All Purpose Flour

2 Package QUICK-RISING Yeast

1½ Tsp Sea Salt

1 Tsp Sugar


1 1/3 Cup Hot Water (110 -120F) 


4 Tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil


Step One

Crank your oven up to 500F. Combine the Flours, Yeast, Salt and Sugar in a food processor; pulse to mix. Combine the water and oil in a measuring cup. Slowly drizzle the mixture into the processor with the motor running until it forms a sticky ball - the dough will be REALLY soft and sticky.

Step Two

Plop it out on a lightly floured surface. Spray a sheet of plastic wrap with cooking spray and place it sprayed side down on the dough and let it rest for 15 - 20 minutes before preparing.

Step Three

On a lightly floured surface, divide the dough into 10 balls. Pat each ball into a pizza. Spread on your choice of toppings and bake until the crust is crisp and golden about 10-12 minutes.

Suggested Toppings:

Roasted Red Peppers

Sautéed Mushrooms

Caramelized Onions

Goat Cheese

Tomato Sauce

Capers

Kalamata Olives

Fig Jam

Fresh Basil

For more information about Pink Heals please visit the website at http://www.pinkheals.org/ or contact Lisa at lisavingerling@pinkheals.org

This article originally appeared in the April 15th Edition of the Buckhead Patch at www.buckheadpatch.com

Out of Indulgence Comes Inspirationa Guest Post by Healthy Sous Chef Partyologist, Lea Bowen

I recently traveled with family to Chatanooga, TN for a weekend spring break getaway. As a good mother should, I dutifully followed my husband and kids to the Tennessee Aquarium, RockCity! and The Chickamauga Battlefield. Seeing with the new eyes of my children, I enjoyed the tourist stops, but my real reason for traveling to Chatanooga was for a chance to revisit a restaurant I had discovered in the past, named St. John's.

Finally the night of my indulgence arrived - along with a torrential downpour. Arriving at the restaurant I was worried that the kids would be miffed at the lack of chicken nuggets on the menu - when all I really needed was a relaxing and tasty evening. My concern was unfounded. Outside the thunder and lightening crashed, but the stars aligned inside the cozy dining room. The kids were actually game to try something new and I, got my first taste of pork belly.

Being a voracious reader of food magazines, I have been reading about this trendy cut of pig for several years. My plate arrived with succulent pork belly, served on a bed of peperonata and topped with a perfectly poached egg. I went to bed that night dreaming of my delicious first course. Yup, this was only my appetizer, which I followed up with a pork tasting that included pork loin, pork rilette and a pork sausage. Indulgence at its best!

I returned home feeling a bit guilty, yet inspired by my wonderful vaction meal. If not the pork belly, certainly the peperonata could be incorporated into a healthy weeknight dinner. I made my own version of peperonata and served it on top of yellow brown rice and grilled balsamic chicken. The peperonata reminded me of my vacation, while the grilled chicken and rice gently nudged me back to reality.

Here's my recipe for the peperonata, which is a delicious bed for any kind of meat - and super on bread brushed with olive oil, straight from the grill!

LEAs’s Perperonata:

2 TB Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Cup Chopped Yellow Onion

1 Each Red, Yellow and Orange Bell Pepper, Chopped

1 14.5 Oz. Can of Diced Fire Roasted Tomatoes (I used Muir Glen)

2 Garlic Cloves, Minced or Grated

¼ Cup of Balsamic Vinegar

Step One

Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat and add the onions. Saute, stirring occasionally until onions are translucent, about 8-10 minutes. Add peppers and cook for another 5-7 minutes, while stirring.

Step Two

Add the remaining ingredients and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce to simmer and continue to cook over low heat until the mixture has thickened and liquid has reduced. Serve warm or at room temperature over grilled meats or roasted veggies. Leftovers taste great on a log of goat cheese!

Friends, Poetry, Fun and Food

The Poetry Reading I attended at Cancer Wellness at Piedmont was wonderful. Each guest brought a poem they had composed, or one of their favorites. Some were funny, some sad, all the readings captured insight into the group of fellow survivors and friends. Vicki Woodyard, one of my journaling buddies has published a new book, "Life with a Hole In It". It's an amazing story of an amazing woman - it's her story. Vicki lost both her daughter and husband to cancer, and she writes about her life with grace and insight. I read the book cover to cover the weekend that I bought it. The book is available on Amazon here:

http://amzn.to/hCgMN5

And because I can't resist passing on a recipe from the food that made us happy that night, here is my easy, healthy and delicious recipe for:

Mediterranean Goat Cheese Tarts

Olive Oil Spray

24 Wonton Wrappers

3 TB Olive Oil

2 Anchovies, Drained

2 Cups Julienned Multi Colored Bell Peppers

1 Cup Thinly Sliced Red Onion

½ Tsp Italian Seasoning

Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

½ Tsp Grated Garlic

4 Oz Goat Cheese, Room Temp

¼ Cup Non Fat Greek Yogurt, Room Temp

1 Tsp Lemon Juice

Capers and Chopped Basil for Garnish

Step One

Preheat the oven to 350F. Spray a non-stick mini muffin pan with the olive oil. Press the wrappers into the tin and spray again. Bake for about 8 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the tin and let cool.

Step Two

In a large sauté pan over medium heat, dissolve the anchovies in the oil. Stir in the bell peppers, onion and Italian seasoning. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally for about 30 minutes or until the peppers have softened. Add the garlic and cook and stir for another few minutes.

Step Three

While the peppers are cooking, mix the goat cheese, yogurt and lemon juice together.

Step Four

To assemble the tarts, place a Tsp of the goat cheese mixture in the bottom of each tart. Top with the peppers and garnish with the herbs and capers.

Celtic Wisdom, Irish Feast!

This Guest Post is by my colleague and wonderful pal, Dennis Buttimer. Dennis and his wife Angela are good friends special to not only me - but to many participants at Cancer Wellness at Piedmont Hospital. We had so much fun doing our class together a couple of weeks ago! Here the workshop recap from Dennis, along with some pictures of the yummy food:

The Friday Four on March 25th (pub salad with creamy tarragon dressing) reminded me of the workshop I facilitated with Nancy entitled “Celtic Wisdom, Irish Feast.”

We held this workshop at Cancer Wellness at Piedmont and we opened with Nancy’s extraordinary culinary skills in the form of a healthy version of Shepherds’s Pie, Pub Salad, Colcannon and delicious Apple Tart. Nancy shared some humorous stories of her adventures in the British Isles and after our lunch, I delved into the second half of the workshop.

We discussed five (5) facets of celtic wisdom: individual universes(our unique gifts), anam cara (soul friend), circle of belonging (community), tree of life (spirituality), and reverence of nature (God in all things). We dialogued about the gifts of this wisdom and the group went on to write and recite their own myths, limericks, poems and what community means to them. Imbued with Celtic energy, the participants shared insights, excitement and hope.

I applaud Nancy Waldeck for her people skills, cooking abilities, inspiration and for her fantastic book she has created: Taste and Savor:

Slainte’! (Cheers to good health!)

Dennis Buttimer is a counselor, facilitator, registered yoga teacher,
and wellness coach in private practice with his wife Angela at Buttimer and Associates, LLC.
Together they facilitate integrative health and wellness groups, classes and workshop. Their blog is www.althingsintegrative.com

The Cook's Warehouse Revisited By Healthy "Sous" Chef Partyologist, Lea Bowen

Last weekend, I had the pleasure of assisting Chef Nancy at two different cooking classes at The Cook's Warehouse. It seems like only yesterday, that I attended my first cooking class, at the then, new Cook's Warehouse on Amsterdam Ave. I was a single twenty-something on a girl's night out. I remember being in awe of the store and giddy with excitement about seeing my first live cooking demonstration. The Chef's for the class were April Moon and Lynne Sawicki. I know this, not because of my brilliant memory, but because I still have the recipe handout from that evening's class. We learned how to make Linguini Puttanesca, Tomato Basil Salad, Tuna Carpaccio and Tiramisu. All those years ago, I could not have imagined that one day I would return to The Cook's Warehouse, not as a student, but as, dare I say it, a professional. Okay, so I am still dreaming of one day being the featured chef at a Cook's Warehouse class, however, being there as a Sous Chef to Chef Nancy was enough to make me as giddy as I had been the first time I set foot in the store all those years ago. The Cook's Warehouse has expanded to a total of three stores over the years and has moved from it's original location on Amsterdam Avenue. The kitchens that I worked in at Brookhaven and Midtown were beautiful and the volunteer staff was exceptional. I had a great time helping out with the Gluten-Free Class and the South African Food and Wine Paring last Saturday and look forward to more chances to work with Chef Nancy at these stores. Mostly, I have enjoyed the little walk down memory lane that this experience has brought me and proud of how far I have come as a cook over the past few years. I think I will dust off the recipe sheet from my first class and serve up some Linguini Puttanesca for dinner this evening. As always, I am Tasting and Savoring Life and enjoying every minute of it!

Stealth Health, In Action: By Healthy "Sous" Chef Partyologist, Lea Bowen

Last weekend I traveled to Orlando, Fl with my daughter for a cheerleading competition. I was looking forward to some bright sunshine and breaking out the spring wardrobe. Typically when I put on a pair of shorts at the first sign of warm weather, I am temporarily blinded by my ghostly white legs as they emerge from a long winter spent hidden from view under a pair of jeans. This spring, however, more shcoking than the sight of my white legs, was the sight of my buttoned and zipped shorts as they slipped down my body and landed around my ankles. Could it be that my favorite pair of shorts from last summer was too big to even be worn with a belt? Indeed it was. It was at that moment, that I laughed to myself, and knew for sure that Chef Nancy's "stealth health" was not just a cute expression to describe her food philosophy, but an honest to goodness reality. Although I did not set out to lose any weight, it is certainly an added bonus to the already wonderful experience I am having working with Chef Nancy.

As always, don't forget to take the time to Taste and Savor, because a stealthier, healthier you might be just around the corner.