I know of very few people whose lives have not been affected in some way by cancer. Mike was just a little boy when he lost his father to pancreatic cancer. My aunt is a breast cancer survivor. Our friend Michele has undergone treatment for skin cancer, and just recently, our friend Jill lost someone very dear to her after a long battle with breast cancer that metastasized to her brain. It is for Jill’s friend Jen, and for everyone else in our lives who has been touched by this disease, that I am writing this today, to participate in the third installment of Cooking to Combat Cancer.

Cancer is a scary word, and I’m sure it’s easy to feel powerless when you or someone you love is faced with that diagnosis. I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia nearly 10 years ago, and after struggling with various treatments, I took a good hard look at my diet, figuring it was one small thing I had control of. Cancer is, obviously, a very different beast than fibro, but consuming a diet made up of good, wholesome foods is a great way to help manage all sorts of health conditions.

Food is a powerful thing: it provides both fuel for our bodies and comfort for our souls. I’ve talked a lot about the latter here, but it’s easy to forget sometimes that so many foods contain compounds that fight cell damage, reduce inflammation, boost immunity, and are as beneficial to those battling disease as to those of us who are trying to stave it off, or who are managing chronic health conditions. The fact that they taste good is a bonus.

I tend to like vivid color on my plate, so with that in mind, I chose red quinoa as the base for my cancer-fighting dish, a warm quinoa salad. Quinoa is a favorite pantry staple, a great canvas for other flavors, and a breeze to prepare – just rinse it well and cook it as you would rice. I tossed my cooked quinoa with a zippy dressing spiked with lots of minced garlic, lemon juice and zest, all bound with a bit of extra virgin olive oil. I added about a cup of thinly sliced spring onions to the mix, as well as several handfuls of young kale.

Inspired by Sara Kate’s recent post at The Kitchn, I opened a tin of olive oil-packed sardines, reserving the oil to fry them in. I gave the sardines an ultra-light coating of Wondra flour seasoned with sea salt and a little cayenne, then gently fried them until they were crisp on the outside and just warmed through.

I gave the warm quinoa salad another quick toss before serving it, placing the sardines on top and finishing the whole thing with another hit of lemon zest. The richness of the fish married really well with the nutty quinoa, brightly flavored dressing, sharp onions and tender young kale – this meal was as full of flavor as it was packed with healthy goodness.

(Big thanks to Mele Cotte for hosting, and to Blue Kitchen’s Terry B for referring me there.)

I’m in the midst of another busy time at the office. I worked Saturday and Sunday, so our weekend meals were pretty pared down. Mike cooked up a nice steak on Friday, but Saturday was so muggy the thought of cooking anything indoors went right out the window. I wanted something quick and light, so I decided on grilled halibut.

One of my favorite tricks to get a meal out quickly, particularly in hot weather, is to whisk up a batch of vinaigrette or dressing and use it in multiple ways. In this instance, I made my chile-lime dressing and used it to marinate the fish, as part of a mango salsa to go on top of the fish, and to dress an updated version of my quinoa and black bean salad. In just minutes I had the base for three different parts of our meal – and the rest came together in a snap.

Chile-Lime Dressing

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground smoked chipotle
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons chile powder (Mike makes his own, but you can buy very good quality chile powders from Penzey’s or other vendors)
Juice of 4 limes
1/3 extra virgin olive oil

Combine dry ingredients in a small bowl and stir together until combined. Add lime juice and whisk well, then slowly whisk in oil until combined. (You can also combine the ingredients in a clean lidded jar and shake well to combine.) Refrigerate any unused dressing for up to 3 days.