Blender

This is probably one of the most common paletas—maybe because the flavor is so kid- and adult-friendly. Strawberry paletas have been my brother’s favorite since he was a kid. The best strawberries in Mexico are from Irapuato; they’re a kind of wild strawberry that sweetens the air, and people travel from all over to get big baskets of them. If you are lucky enough to have access to wild strawberries, which are smaller than those that you find at grocery stores but have intensely concentrated sweet flavor, please use them to make these paletas. They are so good and also quite delicate, so they squish easily—perfect for our purposes.

The filling for these crêpes is made with mirin, a Japanese cooking wine made from sweet brown rice. You can find it at health food stores, Asian food stores, and possibly your local supermarket. This is a fabulous vegan dish, ideal for brunch.

Drizzles and dollops are very helpful for people who are dealing with impaired taste buds as a result of treatment. Drizzles are a bit like Roman candles; they light up the palette. They’re lighter than dollops, but don’t be fooled; the parsley in this drizzle is like a whiff of pure oxygen. It’s that energizing.

Putting avocado and cream in the same title is almost redundant; avocados by their very nature have one of the creamiest textures in the fruit kingdom, as any guacamole lover can attest. Avocado has fantastic proportions of healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals, especially potassium. In fact, avocados contain more potassium than bananas, making them ideal for combating the potassium loss that can occur because of dehydration. Whether on a cracker or over a dish, this creamy dollop guarantees you both fantastic taste and superb nutrition.

You know that old Sesame Street song that goes, “One of these things is not like the others …”? Put a cashew next to butter and margarine, and you’ll probably think, “Hey, I know which one of these doesn’t belong.” Think again. I’ve pleased many a client who swears by butter but wants to go dairy free by substituting nut creams, in this case pulverized cashews. Not only is the taste fulfilling and delightful, nuts are far better for you than any store-bought buttery spread made from corn oil.

When I was in high school, my idea of a great time was sitting on the floor with my best friend Jill and devouring a huge bag of pistachios while we discussed which cute boys we had crushes on. By the time we were done, we were knee-deep in shells and soul-deep in feminine solidarity. Little did I know we were also improving our health. Turns out those pistachios are their own wellness center, rich in potassium (for cell fluid balance and nerve function), magnesium (for enzymes that help catalyze the body’s energy), thiamine (for appetite stimulation), and vitamin B6 (for protein absorption).

This is my riff on green goddess dressing. I’ve omitted the buttermilk, but you won’t miss it a bit, as the luscious avocado blends with the brown rice vinegar to create a mellow dressing that’s ideal tossed with crunchy salads—a mix of tastes and textures that’s like giving your palate an invigorating massage.

Move over, Hoover. The finest vacuum we know, capable of getting a whole load of nasty stuff out of your system in a jiffy, is none other than pineapple. It contains a host of enzymes, including bromelain, which helps dissolve the mucus buildup that’s so common with lung issues. It even aids in flushing fat from the body. (Liposuction in a glass. Who knew?) As for the taste, it pops like fireworks—or like the grand finale in this smoothie, due to the addition of ginger and mint. This great, refreshing smoothie is good for anyone, with just one caveat: If you have a sensitive mouth or throat issues, omit the ginger to avoid irritation. If you have a sensitive stomach, cut the amount of pineapple to two cups and add an additional banana.

Both papaya and pineapple have a lot of enzymes that aid digestion. If you’re having digestive difficulty, drinking some of this smoothie before a meal will help lessen bloating and indigestion.

A lot of people wonder why adding healthy items like flaxseeds to a decent-tasting smoothie destroys the taste. The answer is that the smoothie recipe didn’t take into account the items you’d want to add. The normal fix is to add a ton of sweetener, but I don’t agree with that approach, especially in recipes for cancer patients. But the berry blast of this smoothie plays well with the vital flax and whey. The abundant antioxidants make this smoothie one for the books.

Coconut and mango in one drink? Yum! Coconut is one of those foods that tastes so amazing, you can’t possibly believe it’s also good for you. It’s kind of like waking up to find out that chocolate is guaranteed to grow back your hair and help you run a seven-minute mile. Coconut milk and coconut oil, which is a variation in this recipe, both contain lauric acid. Guess what else contains lauric acid? Mother’s milk. And like that most elemental of foods, the lauric acid in coconut milk and oil has antiviral and antibacterial properties. And as for fat, although coconut contains saturated fat, it’s assimilated better by the body because it’s vegetable based, not animal based (like butter). But forget all the science for a moment. You want to do the happy dance? Drink this.

When I was a kid, nothing could compare to hearing the jingling bells of the ice cream man; it meant I got a Creamsicle. Looking for that taste again and to create something kids would adore, I came up with this recipe. One note: If you have a sensitive mouth or throat issues, omit the ginger to avoid irritation.

There’s this old restaurant called Field’s near where I used to live in Baltimore. Every town has a place like this—or at least used to—with a soda counter, red plastic stools, and sweet-and-sour elderly waitresses in pink candy striper outfits. Going to Field’s was like making a pilgrimage, except instead of seeking wisdom we desired to attain the perfect milkshake. I think this smoothie gives Field’s a run for its money—without creating the world’s largest sugar spike. A little almond butter is the secret ingredient, creating a creamy goodness that will make you want to twirl around in your seat.

My freezer ended up with warning notes all over it after I made this granita. I put the liquid into a shallow pan in the freezer, and only a few minutes later I completely forgot it was in there. I opened the slide-out freezer drawer and was hit with a tidal wave of red. It wasn’t quite like the elevator door opening in The Shining, but it was pretty bad. I figured, “Okay, fool me once, shame on you.” I swabbed out the whole freezer, put the food back in, made another batch, put that in the freezer, and left the kitchen. A few minutes later my husband, Gregg, wandered into the kitchen. Pause. “Beccaaa!! “ Okay, fool me twice, shame on me. Once I cleaned off Gregg and the freezer (in that order), I made a third batch, and up went the warning notes. Success!

When treatment side effects dry out the body—and believe me, that’s a fairly common occurrence—granitas come to the rescue. Granitas are similar to Italian ices in consistency, which makes them great for people with mouth sores, and melons are full of water, so they’re great for rehydration. In fact, melons in any form are a wonderful source of fluids and nutrients. Eaten on an empty stomach (and that’s the best way to consume them, as they can cause an awful lot of tummy rumbling when combined with other food), melons require little stomach action and go right into the small intestine, allowing quick absorption of their nutrients. And here’s a fun fact: Cantaloupes are named after the Italian town Cantalupo, which means “howl of the wolf.” No telling if there’s a run on cantaloupes there whenever the moon is full …

A lot of people have only had a close-up encounter with broccoli as raw crudités or boiled until it’s gray and limp, which is unappetizing and often difficult to digest. Here, sautéing the broccoli in olive oil, infusing it with broth, and then blending releases all of its sweetness and cancer-fighting properties and helps everything go down nice and easy.

A staple of Latin cuisine, this black bean soup rocks because it’s a nutritional powerhouse. Black beans are rich in protein and dietary fiber, and recent studies link black bean consumption to reduced rates of pancreatic, breast, and prostate cancers. Cooking the beans with kombu, an easy to find dried Japanese seaweed that breaks down the bean’s sugars, eases gas and bloating while softening the bean’s exterior. As for taste, I guarantee your taste buds will say “more, please!”

I like the way nature balances her books. In summertime, everyone gets hot and loses water. So what does Mother Nature do? She produces an abundance of summer squash, which happens to be full of water, making it an ideal vegetable to combat dehydration. I think of zucchini as the perfect party guest. It’s mild and mixes well with a crowd. The key with zucchini is good prep, so that the flesh stays somewhat firm and tasty.

Thank heavens that sweet potatoes are no longer relegated just to Thanksgiving. For years bodybuilders, who follow strict eating regimens to repair their muscles after workouts, have feasted on sweet potatoes because of their outstanding nutritional content, ease of digestion, and pleasant flavor. Chock-full of beta-carotene, vitamin A, and other body boosters, sweet potatoes are also extremely anti-inflammatory, which may protect against cancer growth. As a cook, I like sweet potatoes because they make a wonderful creamy canvas for warming spices such as cinnamon and ginger. This soup is an especially great meal for people with a lingering metallic taste in their mouth due to chemotherapy. It’s delicious served with a dollop of Apricot Pear Chutney (page 175).

Avocado lovers will go ga-ga over the taste and those with swallowing difficulties or mouth sores will delight in the texture. Those of you into cool or room-temperature soups will embrace the clean, fresh feel of this blend. Avocados are one of those great superfoods, full of good fats and vitamins. They’re fun to work with, and all of the great shades of green in this soup are like preparing a beautiful watercolor that you can eat.