Her stir-fry calls for a couple of carrots, a red pepper, four cabbage leaves, two handfuls of bean sprouts, two tablespoons of olive oil, a clove of garlic, a half a green chili pepper and a half-inch square piece of ginger root. Mix the garlic and spices and stir-fry in the olive oil for 30 seconds, then add the carrot, peppers, cabbage and bean sprouts.
Dowden says this is an especially healthy dish that goes down well -- and stays down -- when you're stuck in bed with a cold. The vegetables are loaded with beta-carotene and Vitamin C that help the body's immune system.
The chili pepper contains a substance that acts as a decongestant, she says, and ginger promotes sweating, which hastens healing. Garlic provides antiseptic sulfur compounds, which make it an excellent remedy for colds.
