Sara Dickerman is the creator of the 2014 Food Lover’s Cleanse and there was a chat/Q&A session with her yesterday on Bon Appétit’s Facebook page. There were a lot of good questions and comments, but one that I hadn’t really thought about was that it’s been nice having all my meals planned out for two whole weeks. And not just planned out – but healthy choices made. Shopping lists provided. And while I like combing the pages of magazines or cookbooks for recipes, after the hectic holiday season, it is really nice to have this task done for me so that I can just enjoy the cooking… and the eating, of course!
Notes from today:
• To see original recipes from Bon Appétit, click on the link for the recipe in the titles below. Any changes I’ve made are reflected in the recipes below.
• I’m always leery that a smoothie will satiate me for breakfast. I like to chew and frankly it just doesn’t seem substantial enough but I have to say this one was delicious and held me well over until lunch time.
• There’s no lunch recipe from me today because I ate out for the first time on the cleanse. I’ve been avoiding it but when one of my favorite clients wants to go out, who am I to say no? Luckily we went to a restaurant, Lucky Fins, that has lots of seafood and fresh options so I could make a choice that was still in line with the philosophy of the cleanse. I’ve included the photo below – and yes, it tasted as good as it looks!
• After a ho-hum dinner last night I was afraid that the menu was starting to fizzle but WHAM! The flavor was all back tonight! Bring on week #2!
BREAKFAST
- 1 frozen peeled banana, broken into 3–4 chunks
- 1 cup almond milk
- 1 Tbsp almond butter
- ⅛ tsp almond extract (optional)
- Combine banana, almond milk, almond butter, and almond extract, if using, in a blender and puree until smooth.
LUNCH
Out at a restaurant today. I chose the seared ahi salad and it was de-lish! For the salad that was on the cleanse menu, go here.
DINNER
- 2 tsp olive oil, divided, plus more for pan
- 1½ lbs fresh mahi-mahi, albacore tuna, or ono, cut into 1½” chunks
- 2 Tbsp The Greenest Tahini Sauce
- 1 Tbsp sesame seeds
- Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper
- 8 cups spinach, torn into bite-size pieces
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- Chopped fresh parsley, mint, or dill (for serving; optional)
- Lemon wedges (for serving)
- Special Equipment: Presoaked bamboo skewers
- Heat broiler to high. Lightly oil a rimmed baking sheet.
- Gently toss fish with tahini sauce, sesame seeds, and 1 tsp. oil; season with salt and pepper. Thread onto skewers. Set skewers on baking sheet and broil, turning once, until fish is just barely pink in the center, 6–8 minutes (longer for well-done tuna).
- Heat remaining 1 tsp. olive oil in a sauté pan over medium high heat. Add spinach and lemon juice and sauté just until it starts to wilt; season with salt and pepper. Serve tuna skewers on spinach, topped with herbs, if using. Serve with lemon wedges.
- 1½ lbs carrots, sliced on a diagonal ¼” thick
- Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper
- 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- ¼ tsp ground cumin
- 2 Tbsp cilantro, chopped
- 2 Tbsp Spiced Pepita and Cashew Crunch
- Crushed red pepper flakes
- Cook carrots in a large pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes.
- Toss carrots with oil, lemon zest and juice, turmeric, cayenne, and cumin; season with salt and pepper. Top with cilantro, Spiced Pepita and Cashew Crunch, and crushed red pepper flakes. Reserve 1 cup carrots for Carrot, Watercress, and Chickpea Salad.
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