Colorful vegetables can deliver more than just flavor or a pretty presentation on your plate, says Stan Hodes, executive chef at Baptist Hospital of Miami [1]. “You’re boosting your immune system when you eat meals filled with a variety of colorful vegetables,” Chef Stan says.
That’s because the different colors in fruits and vegetables represent a variety of natural cancer-fighting phytochemicals found in plants, he says.
Chef Stan took part in the ongoing Baptist Health Community Health series: Navigating the Supermarket for Breast Cancer Survivors. As part of his food demonstration, Chef Stan, prepared a vegetable ceviche packed with fresh and local produce. (To see Chef Stan prepare the dish, watch the video.) Here’s the recipe:
Ingredients
For the Ceviche
• 2 cups halved grape tomatoes
• 2 cups fresh corn kernels
• 2 cups diced and peeled jicama
• 1 cup mixed, diced, red, yellow, green peppers
• ½ cup diced mango
• ½ cup finely diced red onion
• ½ cup sliced scallions
For the Citrus Vinaigrette
• ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 small serrano peppers, seeded and minced
• ⅓ cup fresh lime juice
• ¼ cup fresh orange juice
• ¼ cup olive oil
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
Garnish
• 1 avocado, thinly sliced, Optional
Instructions
1. Add the tomatoes, corn, jicama, red pepper, mango, red onion, and scallions to a large bowl.
2. Add the cilantro, serrano peppers, lime juice, orange juice, olive oil, and salt to a small bowl and whisk together. Pour the citrus vinaigrette over the vegetables and toss to coat.
3. Refrigerate for two to three hours or longer to let the vegetables soak up the vinaigrette.
4. Plate, top with sliced avocado, and serve.