Day 11: Quick Miso Soup

It may not be snowing outside, but it's definitely winter. I woke up in the dark to spend 3 hours in an unheated building getting cold to the bone. The only option was soup. I had to hold back from climbing into the bowl. Luckily it only took about 7 minutes from keys in the door to sitting at the table.  A quick dinner saves plenty of time for a hot bath and long nights sleep.

This might not be textbook miso soup but it's everything you want it to be. 

Quick Miso Soup

(single serving)

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup water

1 teaspoon white miso paste

1 ounce silken tofu, cubed

1/2 cup shiitake mushrooms, diced

1 small head bok choy, quartered 

shredded carrots

1 green onion, sliced

dash soy sauce

red pepper flakes

drizzle toasted sesame oil

sprinkle sesame seeds

In a medium size pot, heat water and broth over medium heat. Stir in miso paste and add tofu and vegetables. Cover and cook for 3-4 minutes until broth is just under boiling and vegetables are tender. Stir in soy sauce and red pepper flakes. Serve and drizzle sesame oil and sesame seeds. 

Day 10: Tropical Green Smoothie

It's been a busy and it's not over yet. But at least it started right. A glass of the green stuff and almonds (duh). It was all cheerful and tropical until I walked out of the door and got dumped on by El Niño. Sometimes you gotta make your own sunshine.

Tropical Green Smoothie

1 ripe banana, peeled

1 handful spinach

1 cup frozen pineapple

1 cup almond milk

1/4 teaspoon vanilla 

1 teaspoon chia seeds

shredded coconut

Put all ingredients except the chia seeds and coconut into the blender. Blend until smooth and stir in chia seeds and coconut. 

Day 9: The Real Detox Drink

I really wasn't going to blog tonight. It was not a cute food day, and dinner was a re-run. I mean, srsly:

But now I'm kinda hooked on over-sharing. 

Pro-tip #3: Avoid bland chicken by a semi-homemade quick fix. Find a sauce or dip that would be amazing on a cracker and dump it in a pan with some chicken and a little stock. Sauce should be oil based. My fav right now is artichoke lemon pesto. 

- Breakfast: Overnight oats with 2 dried apricots, mixed berries and cinnamon

- Lunch: Mixt Greens steak salad and chicken and apple salad sandwich 

- Snacks: Orange slices mixed into 1/2 cup Greek yogurt, BBQ Kettal chips (trapped in a 3 hour meeting, sue me)

- Dinner: Leftover chicken in artichoke lemon pesto, sweet potatoes and avocado over spinach salad 

- Dessert: Spicy orange hazelnut bark, frozen berries

As you can tell from the above, today wasn't *exactly* on-cleanse, so I made a cup of my go-to detox drink to make up the difference. It sounds more like a salad dressing than a warm bedtime drink, but it does a body good. 

Turmeric Lemon "Tea"

1 teaspoon turmeric

1/4 lemon juice

dash cayenne

1 cup hot water

(optional) honey 

Put first three ingredients in the cup and pour in hot water. Stir in honey, if needed. 

Day 8: Scrambled Eggs with Caramelized Onions & Chèvre

If there is a right time to make caramelized onions, it's Sunday morning. I woke up at my own pace, sipped coffee while doing work on my laptop, standing at the stove for ...mmm... 45 minutes stirring onions into their sweetest state. It's the labor of love, and I could (probably should) have put 10 more minutes into it to get the full blown caramel color. But a girl's gotta eat.
I chose this recipe to share because a couple added ingredients really dress these onions up. The leftover onions are going to be good on just about everything. Recipe at the end of the post.

- Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with caramelized onions and chèvre

- Lunch: Banana, spinach and mixed berry smoothie with almond milk. I added a tablespoon of almond butter and dashes of cinnamon to the blender. Topped it with dried coconut.

- Snack: Decaf almond milk cappuccino, almonds (I'm literally turning into an almond), a pickle and a pear with cinnamon. 

My mom came over to the city to join me for dinner (yay!) so I not only made us dinner, but a Bon Appétit cleanse approved dessert treat. 

- Dinner: Lemon and rosemary baked chicken with broccolini and balsamic roasted sweet potatoes. Balanced, hearty, healthy. We lost a baking dish in the process - cracked mid-bake - but we recovered.

- Dessert: Spicy orange dark chocolate bark with roasted hazelnuts and sea salt. 

This bark is quick and easy. In a nutshell: melt 8 ounces dark chocolate over double boiler (or metal bowl over pot of boiling water). Remove from heat and stir in 1 teaspoon orange zest, most of 1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts (reserve some for the top), and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper. Spread out on parchment or tin foil and sprinkle remaining hazelnuts and flaked sea salt over top. Chill in refrigerator for 20-30 minutes before breaking into pieces.

Scrambled Eggs with Caramelized Onions and Chèvre 

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 eggs

2 tablespoons caramelized onions (recipe below)

1 tablespoon goat cheese, crumbled

smoked paprika

salt and pepper

red pepper flakes

Caramelized onions:

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 yellow onions, thinly sliced

salt

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped

1/2 cup white wine

In a heavy bottomed dish heat olive oil. Add onions, salt and pepper, stirring occasionally until onions begin to soften, 5-7 minutes. Stir in garlic and thyme and continue to cook for 20 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup white wine and continue to cook until wine evaporates. Once evaporated, add the remaining 1/4 cup white wine until liquid evaporates and onions start to turn brown color. Season with salt and pepper

Whisk eggs together with a splash of water until frothy. Stir in half of the goat cheese. Over medium-low heat, heat olive oil and add egg mixture. Stir occasionally until curds form, about 2 minutes. Serve with dusting of smoked paprika, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes if desired. Top with onions and remaining goat cheese. 

Day 7: Drawing within the Lines at Park Tavern

I think today gets an A for effort. I made two meals at home, went to yoga and at dinner all of the bartenders knew I was on a cleanse. Park Tavern feels like the bar in Cheers "...where everybody knows your name." It's our go-to. Alanna is friends with all of the bar tenders and general manager, we get special treatment, the food and drinks are solid. Even when we try to branch out, we often end up here.
Long story aside, we ended up there tonight.

- Breakfast: oatmeal with mixed berries and almond butter with dash of cinnamon

- Lunch: Spinach salad with roasted sweet potato strips and brussels sprouts, goat cheese, cucumber, avocado and pistachios topped with a balsamic, olive oil and sriracha

- Snack: Banana, pickle, and at least one serving size of Safeway's Ginger Zinger trail mix

- Dinner: Jalapeño and bacon deviled egg, 1/2 serving of pumpkin soup with creme fraiche, pepitas and spouts, 1/2 serving of the beat salad (not pictured), and 1/2 serving of the short rib with potatoes mousseline, roasted carrots and sherry glazed cipollini onion (to die for). Rye manhattan.

My self-inflicted limitations were bread, sugar and dairy (disregard baby amount of creme fraiche). Looking back on it, I easily would have polished off the complimentary Acme bread with butter, and some sort of dessert. I didn't need it and I'm glad I didn't have it, but it took restraint to draw the line. Note to self for the next time...

Day 6: Salmon with Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce, Carrot Salad & Garlicky Bok Choy

Thank G it's Friday. This week made me work for it: getting yelled at by a client in a large meeting, late night stress dreams, limited glasses of wine, rain. But I made it to Friday night and I'm going to savor each moment of this weekend. I kicked off Freedomday with a new hip hop yoga class with my friend Alanna. The instructor wasn't our favorite (since when have mountain climbers been a yoga pose?) but she played some great 5th grade rap that would cheer anyone up. The intention she set for the class (which is also a Drake quote) was "Everybody dies, but not everybody lives" Can you do more of what makes you feel alive this year? Personally, there are few things that connect me as much with the present moment as preparing a great meal. I'd say I'm off to a good start.
- Breakfast: Chia pudding made of 2 tablespoons chia seeds, 1 cup almond milk, 1 teaspoon maple syrup, frozen pineapple, 2 chopped up dried apricots and a sprinkle of flaked coconut. (Stir everything except for the coconut together in a jar and leave in the refrigerator overnight)

- Lunch: Confetti lentils with spinach, drizzle balsamic vinegar, sunflower seeds and raisins all reheated together. (I really liked these additions!)

- Snack: pear, almonds, Pop Chips with hummus

- Dinner: Salmon with cucumber-yogurt sauce, carrot salad and garlicky bok choy... and 1 glass of Honig Sauvignon Blanc
- Dessert: dark chocolate chips and a dried fig (I'm loving these figs)

Salmon with Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce, Carrot Salad

Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

1 small garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/2 English cucumber, thinly sliced

sea salt and black pepper

Carrot Salad

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon ground tumeric

1 cup carrot sticks, thinly cut lengthwise

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon lemon juice

sea salt and black pepper

2 salmon filets, wild caught, skin on

fine sea salt, ground pepper

1 tablespoon neutral oil (I used olive)

Combine cucumber sauce ingredients in one bowl and toss carrot salad ingredients together in another. Chill while salmon is cooking. Pat salmon dry and season with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat oil and place filets skin side down. Leave undisturbed for 3-4 minutes until skin is browned and crisp. Turn salmon over and cook until salmon is just opaque in center, 1-2 more minutes. Divide filets on plates and serve with sauces and additional sea salt. 

Garlicky Bok Choy

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 garlic cloves

1 shallot, chopped

1 pound baby bok choy, rinsed, cut into quarters with core intact

1 tablespoon soy sauce

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and shallot and cook until fragrant - about 30 seconds. Add bok choy, soy sauce and 2 tablespoons water and cover immediately. Cook 1 minute. Uncover and toss. Cook until boy choy is tender, about 3 more minutes. 

Day 5: Confetti Lentils with a Fried Egg & Braised Leeks

I haven't exactly been "by the book" on this cleanse, and tonight was no exception. The protein paired with the confetti lentils was lamb shank, which would have been delicious, but I've decided to forfeit red meat during this process. Bonus - I love fried eggs in strange places. Somehow a leek ended up in my grocery basket last weekend, so I googled "braised leeks" and found a simple recipe from Epicurious.

I learned two things today. One, my new blender is awesome - powerful, quiet, easy to clean. Two, lentils take a lot longer to cook than I thought they did. The recipe said 20-30, but it took at least 40 minutes. Have a snack on hand.
- Breakfast: Banana almond smoothie made from 1 frozen banana, 1 cup almond milk, 1 tablespoon almond butter, 2 dashes cinnamon

- Lunch: Spinach salad topped with canned tuna, blood orange slices, cucumber slices, pistachios and pepitas with drizzle of olive oil and whole grain mustard

- Snacks: Pickle, carrot sticks, almonds, apple

- Dinner: Confetti lentils with a fried egg and braised leek (just the one leek)
- Dessert: 7 dark chocolate chips, a few frozen berries and a dried fig

Confetti Lentils

1 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup baby carrots, diced

1/2 medium celery root (I left this off)

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 onion, diced

1 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 cup French green lentils

In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add vegetables to the pan and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in lentils and add 3 cups of boiling water to the pot. Return to a boil then cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes. Lentils should be tender but keep their shape. Add salt and pepper if desired. *Do not strain liquid. Store leftover lentils in cooking liquid to keep them tender. Serve using slotted spoon. Top with fried egg to make a meal!

Braised Leeks with Lemon 
4 leeks, tough exterior removed and trimmed to be 7" long, cut into quarters lengthwise
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup chicken stock
1 teaspoon lemon zest

Soak or rinse leek thoroughly to remove grit. In heavy pan, heat olive oil and add leeks. Cook leeks for 5 minutes, then add chicken broth. Continue to cook until leeks are very tender, around 5-7 minutes. Top with lemon zest and serve immediately.