4.13.9-4.19.9 Detox Week 2

Somehow I missed the boat on keeping my daily diet updated, so here is a weekly summary instead.

We started Week 2 of our detox which meant eliminating meat and grains. Basically, we are just eating beans, nuts and vegetables now. It has been interesting, but still full of adventures yummy food.

Here are some of the highlights from this week:
Breakfast have been most challenging, but we discovered the ease and glory of almond milk.
Simply soak a handful (1/2-1cup) almonds overnight or longer to sprout them, changing the water every several hours or so.
The next morning, blend them up with a couple cups of water. Strain and then blend them more if there are still chunks. This yummy milk has a much stronger almond flavor than its well-preserved counterparts and it can be sweetened by blending in a date or a drizzle of honey or maple syrup.

It makes awesome smoothies, but the almond meal "oatmeal" is also a great breakfast. Warmed up in a pan similar to oatmeal, toss in some raisins or dried fruit and then top with fresh berries and additional almond milk. Delish! And it keeps you full for the morning.

Lunches varied between elaborate and leftovers.
The first lunch I made were Falafels with Greek Salad and Tahini Sauce.
Other lunches have been more like leftovers....

Here are a few of the highlights of the dinners we made this week:
Strawberry, Roasted Asparagus, Walnut, Jicama, Arugula, Avocado Spinach Salad with Balsamic Dressing
Garam Masala Pink Lentil Soup
Slightly Spicy Red Beans with Sweet Potatoes, Jicama, Pepitas, and Guacamole
Jalapeno Butternut Squash Soup
Red Bean Chili- quick and easy!
Deconstructed Hummus Salad with Tahini Dressing

4.12.9

Easter Detox Day

We had one day left on "week 1" of our detox so we were determined to eat lots of our favorites and pig out a bit before Monday when Week 2 and more eliminations were in store.

The day was uneventful until our late lunch/early dinner aka Easter Supper. We enjoyed an Asparagus-Potato Spanish Tortilla/Frittata. Spinach Salad and Barbequed Chicken. For dessert we had an Avocado Chocolate Mousse with Strawberries. Which I highly recommend trying at some point but also keeping in mind it is made with Avocados and thus can sometimes taste like Avocados. The creamy texture though is enough to keep you wanting to keep tasting it.

4.11.9

Breakfast again was Granola with Almond Milk, Raisins, and Pecans.

Lunch came way late after swimming (way too hungry!) but it was delicious- Chocolate-Banana-Nut Smoothie and Tuscan White Bean Salad with Tuna and a little Lemon-Olive Oil drizzled on top.

For dinner, we had the most lovely guests and they said, No Chicken and No Fish- oh my. What to serve? We decided on a Sushi Party and it was a hit!

We started with Miso Soup with Tofu and Green Onions. A Seaweed-Cucumber Salad with a Sweet-Spicy Dressing- I just threw it together and it was fantastic.

We also made a huge pile of Sticky Brown Rice with a salad bar of little bowls of full of:
Carrots, Cucumbers, Green Onions, Beets, Mangos, Red & Yellow Bell Peppers, Avocado and Slices of Smoked Salmon (for the fish eaters). We used pieces of foil as our sushi rollers- very simple and easy and everyone had a great time.

Then our guests presented Dessert- which we just adored. They took slices of Banana dipped in hot-runny Honey rolled them in either Chopped Peanuts or Almonds topped them with either Blackberries or Mango chunks and then drizzled on Whipped Coconut Cream & a Sprinkle of Cinnamon. They were lovely and delicious.

4.10.9

We finally dug into the Granola I made topped with Pecans and Raisins with some Yogurt as well. We also have been drinking Flax with Juice over the last several days- not sure if I had mentioned that. It is easier to drink than it sounds.

I had the fortunate of meeting up with the Denver Tweet Girls. What a lovely group of Women- I was impressed by each one and look forward to getting to know them all better.
We went to a Hacienda and upon scanning the menu realized it would be a touch challenging to come up with a dish sans dairy (what? -no cheese & sour cream!) wheat and corn. I settled on the Spicy Tacos (just ate the filling-no tortillas) which were just lovely with a huge dollop of Guacamole on the side- definitely needed a creamy accompaniment if the sour cream was not coming with my Mexican dish. The Black Beans were there as well and I really enjoyed the soupy, earthy flavors.

The evening we spent at a coffee shop dilegently getting work done on our computers with a Big Hot Cup of Rooibos. We also brought a few Cocoa-Energy Balls in my purse that we nibbled on.

By the end we were famished and we stopped by Whole Foods for a lovely piece of Salmon that Xerxes grilled up with the Red Rocks Rub from the Savory Spice Shop. I sauteed and pressure cooked some Beets, Onions, and Collard Greens. We topped the Salmon with finely chopped Mango- which was so ripe and delicious it needed no assistance.

4.9.9

This morning started with Xerxes at 5:55 saying loudly "I cannot sleep". Turns out that was the time he woke up. Surprisingly enough I was wide eyed and ready to be awake as well. We eventually made our way to the gym where I swam another satisfying mile. Which basically meant I was starving upon coming home. I sauteed up leftover vegetables Roasted Brussel Sprouts, Potatoes, and Broccoli. Add a touch of Nutritional Yeast and then dump a few beaten Eggs on top for a lovely Scramble. Xerxes made another Smoothie with Strawberries, Hemp Protein powder, and more. We are planning to explore some new smoothie flavors. We'll see how tomorrow goes.

I was full enough that I didn't require lunch well past cooking for my clients. I had a great time putting together there meals:

Pistachio Crusted Chicken with Strawberry Salsa
Filet Mignon with Leek-Cabernet Sauce and Smashed Red Potatoes with Broccolini
Citrus-Soy Glazed Salmon with Edamame-Noodle Saute

Wish I could have tasted the Filet- It smelled so good... fortunately, most of the rest was okay for me to taste.

I came home and tossed together a Tuscan White Bean Salad which is just lovely full of red bell peppers, kalamatas, toasted pine nuts, artichokes, and more. I found a small piece of leftover chicken and it completed my lunch.

After an appointment I came back ready to eat more and determined to make Energy Bars. Instead I came up with something more like Energy Balls rolled in cocoa powder. They are so amazing and we will be eating them in the days to come. We are either completely sugar deprived or I just created a new staple recipe. Xerxes came home and seeing them seemed less than impressed upon tasting one he was ecstatic. A hit!

Dinner was lovely too. I did Pistachio Crusted Chicken with Strawberry Salad and a dollop of the Tuscan White Bean Salad on the side. We both adore the Pistachio Chicken and the pairing with Strawberries is just perfect.

4.8.9

Continuing our detox... I must say physically I am feeling wonderful. Xerxes is still working to get the caffeine out of his system. Which is quite an intense detox within itself as we are discovering!

At my early morning meeting I had a pile of fruit, pineapple, grapes, melon, etc. and a mini pile of sauteed potatoes things.

For lunch, Xerxes came home and I cooked up some white beans in my Pressure cooker. Sauteed some Rainbow Chard with Onions. On top of those I served some fresh chopped tomatoes and an egg. Drizzled Balsamic and the leftover Orange-Mint Sauce on top. It was lovely and satisfying.

For dinner, I made this Salmon with Avocado Remoulade. It was amazing. I roasted up potatoes and my favorite Brussel Sprouts to go along side. We were stuffed, full and totally satisfied.

4.7.9

Determined to do a bit better with our detox, we started our day at 6:30am where I swam 1 mile. Whoa! I was so ready for a nap afterwards but instead Xerxes made us a Banana-Flax-Walnut Smoothie and I headed out the door with a Cocoa Mole Lara Bar in my pocket which I ate promptly.

I had a lovely client who I cooked for and made:
Creamy Mushroom Roasted Chicken with Artichoke-Mushroom Risotto
Chipotle-Tortilla Soup
Balsamic Chicken Salad with Walnuts, Cranberries and Blue Cheese
Blackened Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa and Chipotle Cream Sauce
Sun-Dried Tomato Turkey Meatloaf with Scalloped Potatoes

For dinner I made a sauce with Tomatoes, Broccoli, Spicy Chicken Sausage, Kale, and Celery that we had over Brown Rice sprinkled with Almonds.