Day 2 full steam ahead!
Today I was at a photo studio art directing package photography for a client. The photographer and food stylist are great and they photograph a lot of food but the studio could easily be the pitfall of any eating plan – there is always something delicious lingering there. To arm myself, I showed up with my breakfast (I’m not an early morning eater. I prefer to eat around 10:00) and my lunch in tow and begged them to keep all the really good stuff out of my site. I couldn’t eat all my lunch salad I was so full and so far I feel great although when I was at the gym this afternoon I have to admit that I was feeling pretty lightheaded at one point. I’m sure it’s just my body a bit confused by the changes.
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.
• No snack on the list today but I added a glass of coconut water when I got home from the gym.
• Drink wise, also continuing to have my usual latté made with almond milk each morning.
• This breakfast recipe was much more exciting that it sounds!
• On this cleanse, it’s recommended that you not have more that 4 cocktails/beer/wine a week. This may prove to be a struggle as I’m used to at least one glass of wine, often 2, a night. And to add more temptation, we have a birthday party to go to tonight!
See you tomorrow for day #3!
BREAKFAST
- 3-4 thin rye crackers
- ⅓ avocado, thinly sliced
- 1 oz smoked salmon
- Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper
- Lemon wedges (for serving)
- Top rye crackers with avocado and salmon. Season with salt and pepper and serve with lemon wedges.
LUNCH
- 1 cup leftover Roasted Beets, Carrots, and Jerusalem Artichokes with Lemon
- ½ cup leftover Quinoa with Walnuts and Shallots
- 4 cups tender salad greens such as spinach, arugula, or baby kale
- 2 Tbsp Whole Grain Mustard Dressing
- Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper
- Toss roasted vegetables, quinoa, and greens with mustard dressing in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
DINNER
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2½ lb.)
- Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1 small garlic clove, grated
- ½ cup Red Pepper–Walnut Spread
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in an ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Place chicken skin side down in skillet and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Turn chicken over and brown other side. Add thyme and garlic to pan and place in oven. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of breast registers 165°, 15–20 minutes.
- To serve, slice chicken reserving 4 oz. for Chicken, Cabbage, and Tangerine Salad. Serve pan-roasted chicken with red pepper spread.
- 1 15-oz. can cannellini (white kidney) beans, rinsed (or 1¾ cups cooked beans)
- ⅓ cup pomegranate seeds
- Zest from lemon
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup thinly sliced scallions, whites and pale greens only, cut on a diagonal
- 2 Tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
- ½ tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- Toss beans, pomegranate seeds, lemon zest and juice, oil, scallions, parsley, and ½ tsp. salt together in a medium bowl; season with salt and pepper.
- 8 oz bittersweet chocolate (at least 70% cacao), chopped
- ¼ cup unsweetened flaked organic coconut*
- 1 Tbsp chopped roasted pistachios
- 2 Tbsp chopped roasted hazelnuts
- 1½ Tbsp cacao nibs
- Pinch of flaky sea salt
- *INGREDIENT INFO: Unsweetened flaked organic coconut is available at natural foods and specialty foods stores.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread out coconut on a rimmed baking sheet and toast, stirring occasionally, until most flakes are straw-colored, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
- Meanwhile, line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in 30-second intervals in a microwave, stirring between each interval. Spread melted chocolate on baking mat in an even layer about ⅛″ thick. Scatter toasted coconut, nuts, and cacao nibs evenly over chocolate. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Let chocolate cool completely, then break into pieces. Bark will keep for about a week stored in a cool place in an airtight container between layers of parchment.