Deirdre Imus

Organic coconut milk. It's an indulgence and it can be expensive, but the benefits are enormous and it's nice to have an alternative to rice and soy milk. There are loads of vitamins in it, and my son and I like to have it with cereals or with smoothies. Just this morning he had a smoothie with coconut milk, yogurt, strawberries and bananas. It's delicious. Like most families, we never have that much time in the morning, so we plan things out ahead of time to make sure we're making our quick snacks healthy and satisfying.

I've heard rave reviews about the food at the Imus Ranch, which you and your husband co-founded as a retreat for kids with cancer. What's a dish that never fails to win over skeptics who may not think vegan food can be delicious?

Sautéed kale. We've had over 700 kids at the ranch and when they are at home, they don't eat kale, or bok choy, or brussel sprouts or beets. We grow the green leafy vegetables in abundance in the greenhouse because they are loaded with anti-cancer properties. The kids pick them out of the garden and then we make them taste good when they get into the kitchen—otherwise they just won't eat them. So for the kale, all we do is sauté it for 2 to 3 minutes in olive oil and a little bit of balsamic vinegar, then add a dab of soy sauce and Himalayan pink sea salt. My son eats bowls of the stuff, though he especially loves it with minced garlic. All of the recipes we put in the cookbook we did a few years ago, The Imus Ranch: Cooking for Kids and Cowboys, were tried and true dishes that almost every kid liked. They love the 'crabby-less' crab cakes made with zucchini and topped with a lemon dill sauce. And the broccoli cheddar bake that we make as an alternative to mac 'n' cheese. It has the crunchiness of a regular mac 'n' cheese from breadcrumbs and the kids always finish it off. They can't believe it's so good and many times they will be in the kitchen writing down the recipes so their moms can make it for them at home. These kids know that when they support their immune system, they are making themselves healthier.

What projects do you have in the works that you're most excited about?

My environmental center has a very strong green building program. We've built the first green hospital, The Sarkis & Siran Gabrellian Women's & Children's Pavillion at the Hackensack University Medical Center. All of the materials that were used structurally are entirely green, like the recycled steel frame and the blue cotton denim insulation. We're now building the first green cancer center in the country, which will be significant because we're also looking to have a green pharmacy and green doctors down the road. We're doing one program at a time and we're trying to get children's health on the agenda of the presidential campaigns because no one's addressing it.