A Cleansing Diet

My daughter and I have been on a "cleansing" diet for the past 9 days; I still have 5 days to go.  Basically, the following foods are taboo:

• coffee
• alcohol
• wheat/gluten
• dairy
• red meat and pork
• citrus fruits
• peanut butter
• soy
• sugar and processed foods
• corn

That's the gist of it, although there's more to it.  The goal is to reduce the "bad" foods to see how each food group affects you.  After 14 days, you slowly reintroduce each food group to see how you feel.  I was looking to just generally feel better.  My daughter likes to eat healthy, so she jumped on the band-wagon immediately.  On day 5 & 6, I felt amazing!  More like my old self again - high energy, clearer thinking, just generally feeling better in all ways.

I know you're thinking, "shoot me now" when you read through the list of things not to have, but so far it's not been that bad.  I thought it would be really difficult and that I would succumb to some of my worst vices, but so far I've done pretty well.  I did not give up coffee, although I did cut back.  I went into the 14 days, knowing I would stick to having one cup in the morning.

The key for me was to plan ahead - if you have nothing in the fridge or pantry, it would be challenging to find foods to eat.  So I spent a better part of the first day (it was a Sunday) prepping foods which I then froze for lunches and dinners.

Here's a partial list of foods which I prepped ahead of time to eat:

• Tuscan soup (with beans, tomatoes, rice pasta)
• Roasted Red Pepper and Sweet Potatoe Soup (click here for link)
• Pad Thai (rice noodles)
• Roasted Chicken and Peppers
• Turkey Chili, with navy beans
• And of course, lots of salads (chickpeas, chicken, beans, etc.)

The hardest part for me was that I always have a muffin for a mid-morning snack and often cookies in the afternoon.  The muffins and cookies are home-made and healthy, made with oatmeal, fruits, whole wheat flour, flax seeds, etc.  But I couldn't eat them as they're made with flour, peanut butter, and sometimes dairy.  So I had to get inventive.  I made muffins made with Quinoa flour and boy we're they awful.  They were so bad, that I had to throw them out, which I hate doing. So I came up with gluten and dairy free muffins and cookies chocked full of goodness which are actually tasty as well.  I should have written down how I made them but unfortunately I didn't.  I took two regular recipes and "massaged" them using the following:

Cookies:  gluten free flour, xanthem gum (which you need with the gluten free flour), baking soda/powder, oatmeal, pepitas (roasted pumpkin seeds), dried cherries (dried cranberries would work well too), raisins.

Muffins:  gluten free flour, xanthem gum, baking soda/powder, oatmeal, mashed bananas, diced banana, applesauce

Here are some other ideas for snacks:

• almonds
• fruits
• cut up vegetables
• oatmeal cereal (e.g. Cheerios, etc.)
• almond butter & rice crackers (or apples, celery)
• roasted chickpeas

We're fortunate to have a local restaurant serving gluten-free, dairy-free, and organic food - http://www.kindfood.com/.  I can't wait to work my way through their menu.  For now, I've had their "World Peace" cookies and their "Happy Buddha" bowl.  The Happy Buddha bowl, also called Buddha's Feast, is amazing!!  I scarfed it down like I hadn't eaten in days, it was sooooo good!  A very strange combination of foods which I would have never thought to put together (e.g. brown rice, tomatoes, sweet potato, pepitas, almonds, cilantro, red onion, sesame seeds, avocado, etc.), but it works.

For now, happy, healthy eating!  Check back to see how I'm doing......  

Peanut Butter Cookies

A new twist on an old favourite!  This cookie combines the best of both worlds - a moist, chewy peanut butter cookie wrapped around a smooth, creamy peanut butter centre.

Ingredients:

- 1 package Betty Crocker Peanut Butter mix (Yeah, I cheat!) 

- 24 peanut butter cups

Make the Peanut Butter cookies according to the directions on the package.  Shape into 1 inch balls and place in a mini muffin tin, which has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.

Unwrap the peanut butter cups, if wrapped.

Bake at 350 degrees for approx. 7-8 minutes.  Do not overcook!  The cookies should be puffed out and just beginning to brown on the edges when they come out.

Immediately insert a peanut butter cup into each cookie centre. 

Let cool slightly, then carefully remove each cookie and place on a cooking rack.  I use a knife and carefully run it around the outside edges to gently pry each cookie out of the tin.

Peach Crisp

While peach season is still here, enjoy a wonderful peach crisp.  Makes a great dessert for company or for a Sunday night dinner.

Ingredients:

10-12 ripe peaches

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup butter

1 1/2 cups large flake oats

Skin and slice the peaches, tossing with lemon juice to keep the peaches from discolouring.  To skin the peaches, place in a simmering pot of water for a minute or two.  The skin will easily peel off.

Place the peaches in a casserole or baking dish.

Combine the rest of the ingredients until blended together.  Sprinkle over the peaches, gently patting down. 

Bake at 375 degrees for 40-45 minutes until hot and bubbling.

Notes:
- I place the baking dish on top of a foil-lined cookie tray to catch until spillover.
- Substitute some of the peaches for raspberries, blueberries, or blackberries.

Banana French Toast

There's nothing quite like starting the weekend off with a great breakfast!  I love nothing more than enjoying a freshly brewed cup of coffee while contemplating what to make for breakfast.  Now mind you, my husband is usually the one on breakfast duty, but I contribute with the ideas.

Here's an easy breakfast with a little twist - Banana French Toast.

Ingredients:
- thickly sliced bread (day old bread works best as it doesn't break up as easily)
- 1 over-ripe banana, mashed
- 1% milk (about 2/3 cup)
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1 heaping tsp brown sugar
- pinch of cinnamon

Note:  the measurements may be slightly off as I don't measure anything, I just eye-ball it.

In a pan, slightly beat the eggs until combined.  Add the milk, vanilla, brown sugar and cinnamon and combine well.  Add the mashed banana and stir until combined.

Soak the bread on both sides until soaked through.

Fry the french toast slices in a frying pan on each side until golden brown.

Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Blondies

Back on to my peanut butter kick again!  Needed my fix.  I saw this recipe in a magazine (and I can't remember which one!).  They looked so good that I had to try them.  And we were not disappointed.  These babies kick!

 

When they come out of the oven, they're gooey and melty and yummy.  It's hard to wait for them to cool down.  These bars are really moist and have great peanut butter flavour.

Ingredients:
1 ¼ cup all purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup peanut butter  
¼ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
¼  cup chocolate chips (I added more)
10 mini peanut butter cups, quartered (or 4 regular sized, coarsely chopped)

Look how smooth and yummy the batter looks!

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 9x9 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together peanut butter, butter, milk, vanilla, and eggs until smooth. Add peanut butter mixture to flour mixture and stir until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

4. Pour batter into 9" inch baking pan that has been sprayed lightly with cooking spray. Spread evenly to the sides and smooth top. Arrange chopped peanut butter cups over the top of the batter.

Bake for 19 minutes or until golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs clinging. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Once cooled, cut into squares.

Roasted Cauliflower

I've read about roasting cauliflower florets in the oven, but I admit I was skeptical.  I've always steamed my cauliflower and served it with cheese sauce - right?

Well, I'm a convert!  Roasting the cauliflower brings out a natural sweetness to this rather bland vegetable.  So next time you pick up a lovely, white head of cauliflower, try roasting it, rather than boiling or steaming it.  You won't be disappointed.


I think the cauliflower should be a
little more evenly browned than my looks....


Directions:

Set oven to 425 degrees.

Break cauliflower into florets and place in a bowl.  Add a generous amount of olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and ground pepper.

Spread on a baking sheet.  Bake in the oven for approximately 30 minutes or until caramelized, shaking the pan every 10 minutes, so the cauliflower browns evenly.