Food Lover's Cleanse Day 1

Ok, last night Chris and I did marathon shopping after a 4 hour car ride. Not the smartest thing we've ever done, but we really wanted to start the cleanse today and were on a bit of a timeline. For the most part we didn't have much trouble with getting the ingredients (aside from the blow to my checking account, which was painful). We did however struggle with finding a couple of ingredients:

• Sunchokes aren't in season, and are often difficult to get even when they are, the sunchokes are used in a recipe with roasted veggies so we substituted cauliflower. Fewer calories and less protein is a bit problematic, but it seemed like the best option.
• Couldn't find mackerel fillets, but did find steaks, I'm sure this will change cooking time etc.
• Couldn't find fresh albacore, it's not in season right now, and hard to find in a place like Reno anyway. Substituted whole Bonita tuna which I'll butcher myself.
• Couldn't find hemp seeds anywhere (very likely at Whole Foods, but we're on the other side of town and our car isn't working. Substituted flax seeds.
• Couldn't find Aleppo pepper, which is a Syrian pepper, looked around and I'm going to be substituting with Hot Paprika, although this is not ideal.

Breakfast this morning was Steel Cut Oats with Blackberries, Flax Seeds and Almond Milk. I added the flax seeds early on, since one of the main advantages of hemp over flax is that you don't have to deal with the husks in order to get to the nutrients. This was very tasty, despite the fact I'm typically not into hot cereal.

In the afternoon I made the Sesame-Miso Vinaigrette and the Spiced Pepita and Cashew Crunch. Both of these turned out awesome, though I realized half way through that I'd forgotten to spray the foil the crunch was baking on. It stuck pretty badly, but since it was only halfway through I was able to salvage it pretty well. 

Both of these were necessary for lunch which was Spinach, Tofu, Shaved Carrot Salad with Sesame Dressing and Spiced Pepita and Cashew Crunch. This is SUCH a good salad. It's really well balanced and flavorful, I'm normally not a huge fan of uncooked tofu, but the extra firm tofu soaked up the dressing, which is really assertive very very well. I would definitely make this even if I weren't on a diet.

The disappointment of the day was the snack, which was supposed to be an Avocado Smoothie, something I was really looking forward to. However, there are a couple of errors on the shopping list... Goat cheese and coconut water are listed as being items for week 2, but they both appear during week one as snacks. So unfortunately I didn't purchase them. So I decided instead to have Hard Boiled Eggs with Aleppo/Paprika and Smoked Sea Salt, which was quite tasty and a nice protein/fat boost after the lean lunch. 

Around snack time I also made the Greenest Tahini Sauce, through some misfortune Chris had grabbed epazote rather than mint, but I'd already sent him out to grab rice-wine vinegar, and that was after a 4 mile walk, so I didn't feel like having him go out again. I had some cilantro, which I thought would be good with the rest of the ingredients. However, either because of the cilantro, or because of the watercress, I found it needed additional lemon and salt, to help with the bitterness. 

Dinner was Quinoa and Roasted beets, Carrots, Cauliflower with Lemon and Greenest Tahini Sauce. I love beets, but Chris hates them. When some people (me) eat beets they taste sweet and delicious. When some other people (Chris) eat beets  "they taste like soil smells." However, aside from the beets Chris loved this. He really likes the green tahini sauce and the quinoa, I am not super keen on walnuts, so I'd maybe like to see a different nut added to the quinoa, like almonds or something. Though I don't really think it needs it, quinoa has a very nutty taste all on it's own. Though I'm sure my body is appreciating the added calories and fats. 

Dessert will be tangerines (though I may save mine for tomorrow). 

Overall I have to say I feel really satiated, and while I'm tired, it's mostly from working in the kitchen and exercise today, not from lack of nutrients. I'd say day 1 is a success despite the few hiccups.The only concern I have right now is that I'm thinking I'll be running out of containers very soon....

New Year Cleanse Day 1

I won't go into why I haven't updated this. There are lots of reasons, but none really notable aside from my applying and getting into graduate school last year, not to mention moving like 3 times. However, about 2 weeks ago Chris and I were talking about the holidays, wanting to shed a couple of pounds and the unlikelihood of that happening given my family's near fetishistic attachment to butter and cream.

A couple of days after this discussion I received the January issue of Bon Appetit, and the previewed their Food Lover's Cleanse for 2015. I have always struggled with dieting/cleanses/eating light. I find that recipes that spring from those ideas tend to be tasteless at best and disgusting at worst. So I was intrigued to find a cleanse that made taste a real priority.

After reviewing the Food Lover's Cleanse recipes for 2014 and 2015 recipes I decided to start with 2014, given that 2015 is kind of beet-centric, and Chris really doesn't like beets. I won't reprint the recipes here, rather I'll just give links to the originals and discuss my initial impressions.

So let the games begin.

Grapefruit, Avocado and Arugula Salad

Originally this recipe is supposed to be made with arugula and Fennel, however I didn't have any fennel so I just mixed 2 bunches of arugula with 1/2 a head of green leaf lettuce (red would have been better). I initially made this recipe to go with some fish I had, but I once the whole thing was ready I took one bite of the fish and decided it wasn't worth a night of puking. I tossed the fish and just ate the salad. I had some left over and had it with boneless/skinless chicken breast, that I heated separately, the next day. It was super tasty.

The dressing was really yummy, a tiny bit Asian tasting (ginger and sesame oil). The only thing I would change is to increase the amount of dry mustard or use actual mustard, good dijon if possible. The components of the salad interacted really nicely: the sweetness of the grapefruit, the spiciness of the arugula and the creaminess of the avocado.

I think the original recipe with the fennel would be amazing and I would SERIOUSLY like to try it next time I have some fennel.

Bottom Line: I give this recipe 4.5 Stars

Dressing Ingredients
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon sesame oil

Method
Whisk first 10 ingredients in large bowl to blend. Season with salt and pepper.
Using sharp knife, cut between membranes of grapefruits to release segments.
Toss chopped/torn arugula and green leaf lettuce. Arrange grapefruit segments and avocado slices on top. Drizzle dressing over salad.

Homemade Vitamin Water

Drinking water is a serious issue for me. I don't much care for water, unless it's really cold and I'm really thirsty I don't enjoy drinking it. Drinking flavored waters is expensive, and they almost always add corn syrup and shit that I don't really want either. So for the next month I'm going to be doing my own flavored water.

One thing I would like to mention is I don't think these need to be left overnight, but you do need to let them sit at least a couple of hours. I also think that you can re-use stuff at least one time. For instance this week I'm doing Lemon, Cucumber and Mint, and I've refilled the pitcher, without changing the ingredients twiee. The flavor tends to change (the lemon looses a little oomph and the mint get's stronger), if you're on a budget I would recommend this. Also, I tend to just crush herbs like mint, basil and sage. It brings out the flavor and you don't end up with a bunch of green things stuck to the sides of your pitcher.

1) The classical : lemon/cucumber:
Mix in a pitcher: 

8 cups of water  

0.5 cucumber and a lemon, thinly sliced  

1/4 cup fresh crushed basil leaf or 1/3 of crushed fresh mint leaves. 

Leave in the refrigerator overnight before serving.

2) The granite : Strawberry/Lime or Raspberry/Lime
Mix in a pitcher : 8-10 cups of water  

6 strawberries  or Raspberries 

one thinly sliced lime  

12 crushed fresh mint leaves. 

Leave in the refrigerator overnight before serving.

3) The digestive : Fennel/citrus
Infuse 1 to 3 grams of dried and crushed fennel in 150 ml of boiling water for 5-10 minutes. Allow to cool.
Mix in a pitcher 8-10 cups of water 

lemon juice (put the leftover lemon in the mix) 

1 small thinly sliced orange 

12 fresh crushed mint leaves 

The infusion of fennel seeds. 

Leave in refrigerator overnight before serving.

4) The antiOX : Blackberry/Sage
Note that a part from the berries, sage leafs is the herb that has the highest antioxidant content.
Mix in a pitcher : 8-10 cups of water  

1 cup of blackberries that have been very slightly crushed  

3-4 sage crushed leaves. 

Leave in refrigerator overnight before serving.

5) WATERmelon : watermelon/Rosemary
Mix in a pitcher : 10 cups of water + 1 cup of watermelon cut into cubes + 2 rosemary stems. Leave in refrigerator overnight before serving.

6) The exotic : Pineapple/Mint
Mix in a pitcher : 8-10 cups of water  

1 cup of pineapple cut into cubes 

12 crushed fresh mint leaves

 Leave in the refrigerator overnight before serving.

7) The traditional : Apple/cinnamon
Mix in a pitcher : 8-10 cups of water 

1 cup of apple cut into cubes 

2 cinnamon sticks 

2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon. 

Leave in the refrigerator overnight before serving.

8) The zingibir : Ginger/tea
In advance: heat 1 teaspoon of ginger in two cups of tea, let it cool down.
Mix in a pitcher: 10 cups of water with two cups of the ginger tea 

4-5 pieces of fresh ginger cut into cubes. 

Leave in the refrigerator overnight before serving.

Broccoli with Caramelized Onions and Pine Nuts

I don't know about you, but I get seriously tired of steamed broccoli. I'm dieting right now, and I know it's a really great vegetable, but after so many nights of it I just want something else. Don't get me wrong I eat other veggies, but steamed broccoli is an incredibly quick and easy thing to prepare so it get's thrown into the rotation with a little more regularity.

I think this recipe has a lot of potential. I think the next time I make it rather than steaming the broccoli I'm going to roast it, which, while taking more time, will bring out a nice nutty flavor that I think will mesh well with the additional nuttiness of the pine nuts and the sweetness of the vinegar. I also feel like it could do with a little heat, but I'm not sure what.

This recipe isn't perfect as far as diets go, onions have a lot of sugar (though they do prevent heart disease) and pine nuts have some added fat, but it's good fat, so I'm not going to worry too much. I think next time I'm going to do garlic, sun-dried tomato and red pepper flakes instead of the onion and vinegar.

3 tablespoon(s) pine nuts, or chopped slivered almonds
2 teaspoon(s) extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup(s) chopped onion (about 1 medium)
1/4 teaspoon(s) salt, or to taste
4 cup(s) broccoli florets
2 teaspoon(s) balsamic vinegar
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

1. Toast pine nuts (or almonds) in a medium dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until lightly browned and fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl to cool.
2. Add oil to the pan and heat over medium heat. Add onion and salt; cook, stirring occasionally, adjusting heat as necessary, until soft and golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, steam broccoli until just tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. 

4. Once the onions are finished add vinegar (the original recipe didn't do this, but it will coat things more evenly and pick up some good pan flavors).

5. Add the nuts, onion mixture and pepper; toss to coat. Serve immediately.

No pictures today! Sorry

Roasted Romanesco

So my produce box came with one of the strangest veggies ever. Romanesco, also known as Roman Cauliflower, it is completely bizarre looking. It looks a little like a miniature alien city. Here's a picture!

See! Crazy right?

I'm pretty sure my Mom has made it for me before but I couldn't really remember, so I didn't want to do too much to it, because I wanted to get a good feel for the flavor. I decided to roast it, and then promptly made my boyfriend cook dinner, so he should probably be writing this post.

Overall I liked the flavor of it quite a bit. It was hard for me to eat cause Chris went a little nutso with the red pepper flakes, but what I could taste was pretty yum. Roasting brought out a really nice nutty flavor similar to what happens when you roast broccoli, but it overall it had a much more similar flavor to cauliflower. Anyway here's the recipe

Ingredients:
1 medium head fresh Romanesco, cleaned & chopped in to bite-size florets
5 medium cloves garlic, diced
1/8 cup olive oil
Salt & Pepper

Pinch Red Pepper Flakes

1/4 of a lemon (wedged)
1/4 (or less) cup grated fresh parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375F degrees. 

2. In a bowl toss romanesco, garlic, olive oil , red pepper flakes and salt 

3. Roast on a baking sheet for about 20-40 minutes or until just tender

4. Squeeze lemon over it

5. Sprinkle cheese over the top

Lentil and Veggie Soup with Italian Sausage

This is definitely going to be one of my new favorite early spring soups. It's easy to double and freezes well. You could easily put in a whole pound of sausage, but I'm trying to lose some weight so I kept it minimal. The original recipe called for escarole, which I'm sure would be delicious, but I had a head of cabbage so I used that instead. The flavor was really good, the vinegar adds a nice tang. Overall just really tasty, very comfort food and chock full of veggies which is nice. You could even add some canned diced or crushed tomatoes if you want a little more zing. 

It is not the prettiest soup though, so no pictures this time!

Ingredients
1 2/3 cups lentils (11 ounces), rinsed well
5 cups water
3 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 bay leaf
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped, divided
1 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
.5 pound spicy Italian sausage links, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 medium carrots, finely chopped
2 celery ribs, finely chopped
2-3 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 pound escarole or 1/2 Medium head of cabbage, chopped (4 cups packed)
1 to 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar


1. In a 5-6 quart pot brown sausages in olive oil, about 7 minutes. It does not need to be cooked through as long as casings are evenly brown. Transfer sausage with a slotted spoon to a bowl.
2. Reduce heat to medium and cook onion, carrots, celery, garlic, bay leaf, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. 

3. Add lentils, broth and water. Simmer, uncovered, until lentils are tender.
4. Stir in escarole/cabbage and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. 

5. Add sausages and cook until cooked through.

6. Stir in vinegar to taste and season with salt and pepper. Discard bay leaf.