Friday, February 5, 2010

Friday again!

This was a very good week for me. Good choices. Positive attitude. Didn't beat myself up over food.

I am really happy about the way I approached everything. So for next week, I am just building on my new way of thinking, and approaching each meal as a learning experience. This afternoon, I am going to sit down, plan all our meals for next week, and then head to the market to shop. I am going to read labels, and if anything has more than five ingredients listed, it is not coming home with me.

Last October, I picked up a terrific magazine, Clean Eating, which I read from cover to cover on a trip to Charlotte, NC. I then put it in my suitcase, and promptly forgot all about it, although I thought the editorial content was just what I needed, the recipes down-to-earth. But last weekend, when I was cleaning out my files, I came across the magazine, and ordered myself a subscription.

The magazine also lists 13 ways we can all try to live cleaner. Each week I will share one of the tips, and determine how I will incorporate it into my life. So next week my goal is to drink at least two liters of water a day, preferably from a reusable canteen that is not plastic.

I have been consuming so much tea recently, that drinking water has become an issue for me. So water it is, starting today. What I am going to do is fill my portable water bottle -- and yes it is not plastic -- with water when I make my morning coffee. I measured it out, and I have to drink three containers to reach 2 liters. So I will finish one container before noon; another between noon and 3 p.m.; and the last between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. If I take it with me and sip throughout the day, I should have no problem finishing the water each day.

Below, a Clean Eating magazine recipe that I'm making tonight for dinner. It sounds really yummy.

CARAMELIZED FENNEL WITH BROCCOLINI, CARROTS & CHILE SOY DRIZZLE
1 large fennel bulb
1 Tblsp. plus 2 tsp. olive oil, divided
1 lb. broccolini (about 1 bunch), tough ends trimmed
2 medium carrots, skin peeled, then peeled into thick ribbons with a vegetable peeler
2 cloves garlic, sliced thin, plus 1 clove garlic, minced, divided
1 medium shallot, minced
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp. sesame oil
2 tsp. low-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp. raw organic honey
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  • Cut stems, root end and core from fennel and slice bulb very thin. Coat bottom of a large straight-sided saute pan over medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon olive oil. When oil is hot, add fennel and saute for 5 minutes, until it begins to brown.
  • Add 1/2 cup water, broccolini, carrots and sliced garlic to fennel and cover pan. Reduce heart to medium and let vegetables steam for 20 minutes, until broccolini is tender, Remove lid, increase heat to medium-high and continue to cook until nearly all liquid at the bottom of the pan has evaporated/
  • While the vegetables cook, make Chile Soy Drizzle. Add remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil to a small sauce pot over medium heat. Add minded garlic and shallot and sweat them for 2 minutes. Stir in pepper flakes, sesame oil, soy sauce, honey and vinegar. Simmer for 10 minutes.
  • Transfer vegetables to a serving platter, pour drizzle over top and serve. Makes 4 servings. Per 4-ounce serving: 160 calories; 6g fat; 1g saturated fat; 21g carbohydrates; 4g fiber; 7g sugar; 6g protein; 190g sodium; 0mg cholesterol


4 comments:

  1. Great way to make drinking water more interesting - add a drop or two of essential oil to your bottle of water for a hint of flavor. I tote around a small bottle of lemon essential oil (bought in the beauty aisle of Whole Foods) in my purse to add to water and it definitely gets me to drink more!

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  2. Okay Val. You know I am also always trying to shed pounds and eat healthy. I am also in the food "biz" and know a lot about ingredients. So tell me, how do I get over balking about any recipe that has the word soy in it?? Good thing I read all the ingredients and see it is soy sauce, not some kind of white shaky thing that reminds me of junket.

    This recipe actually sounds yummy and I am interested in how it tasted. But I do need your advice on the whole soy issue.

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  3. I do what I can to keep my diet simple but when I start making smoothies it usually ends up with about ten ingredients though the one I had this morning was fairly simple and tasted delicious. Since I making this comment I may as well let you know what I put in it that is on the assumption that you are interested and want to know so here it is:

    1 punnet of cherries
    2 TBSP of organic freeze dried acai powder
    1 TBSP of raw honey
    10 cashews
    1/2 avacado
    1 tsp of madre labs camu blend
    1 TBSP of bee pollen
    add water for desired consistency!

    I like mine thick and creamy so it gets as little water as possible. This tastes amazing and would be even better raw cacao liquor or powder. I also recommend raw honey - if up until now you have deprived your poor taste buds thereof!! I get it from pyrenneshoney.com - and the rest I get from iherb.

    ps I know what its like to beat yourself up about food - don't worry about it!

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  4. Ronnie, tomorrow I'll give some soy tips, although Jack would have to agree with everything you said. Kim is trying to incorporate more soy into her diet, so as we experiment, I'll pass on our the suggestions. And Tuesday, I am going to post the smoothie recipe from Admirality, because I too think it sounds yummy. In fact, Tuesday, I am going to call the post "Recipe Exchange." Memories!

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