day 5. detox. lunch.

Spinach, roasted beets, onion slices & chopped walnuts with detox house dressing. 

happy eatings & cheers!

day 1. detox.

chicory salad with jasmine tea

Okay, so here's the deal. Back at the beginning of the year I did a detox/ cleanse, but honestly, I half-a**ed it. I did great with the food part, but not so much with the wine part, and that kind of defeats the purpose of a detox right? Plus I only did it for 14 days, whereas this time I will do the 21 day detox like I did back in the fall (which was amazing).

So anyway, I am half way through my final semester of my undergraduates program, I am exhausted, and feel not-so great. I am ready to be committed, so that I can push through until the end of the semester without completely losing my mind.

I will update you everyday, even if it is just a quick pic. The recipes, snack options & meals I share will be delicious, even if you are not detoxing.

lunch. chicory salad.
serves 2

1/2 head of leafy chicory, leaves torn
1/2 avocado, diced
1 small cucumber, diced
1 small carrot, peeled & then peeled into ribbons
1/4 of an apple, peeled into ribbons
1 TBL sunflower seeds, toasted
1 TBL of detox house dressing for each person

1. Toss all ingredients together in a serving bowl.

detox house dressing:
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 TBL raw honey
1 tsp Dijon mustard
a pinch of sea salt & cracked pepper

1. Put ingredients in a mason jar with a tight fitting lid & shake vigorously. 

happy eatings & cheers!

sweet sesame broccoli salad.

January flew by. I can't believe we are already venturing into the short month of February. It will be spring before I know it (yay! asparagus!).

While I am in classes, I like to have salads like this, & bean dips, packed in the refrigerator for a quick bite. This is a twist on my usual broccoli salad. It is a bit lighter, & the dressing is awesome. It would be perfect on some greens with grilled chicken.

sweet sesame broccoli salad.
serves 4

2 crowns broccoli, cut up into bite sized pieces
1/2 cup apple, diced
1/2 cup onion, diced
1 TBL toasted sesame seeds

1. Toss broccoli, apple, onion & sesame seeds in a large bowl. Toss with dressing.

dressing:
4 tsp. tamari
4 tsp. rice vinegar
4 tsp. raw honey
2 tsp. chili-sesame oil
cracked pepper

1. Add ingredients into a mason jar & shake vigorously. 

happy eatings & cheers!

a winter salad with orange-date dressing.

Technically while detoxing, you are not supposed to eat oranges, but right now they are in season & so delicious. It is hard to pass up fruits that are in season, so I went a head with this salad & AMAZING dressing. This salad reminds a bit of a salad my mum used to make when we were growing up. It has mandarin oranges & almonds...so I guess this is my interpretation. This was great as a light lunch, but would be great next to maple mustard salmon or roasted chicken.

The weather in the Western Maine mountains has been so lovely this week, sunny & brisk. It has been really nice to get back into a routine of walking with the dogs through the woods & along the river.

a winter salad with orange-date dressing. 
serves 4 for a side or light lunch

4 cups of greens (baby romaine, spinach, kale, etc.), roughly chopped
1/2 cup sweet onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup sunflower seeds, toasted
2 oranges, peeled & segmented (preserving the juice for the dressing)
sea salt & cracked pepper
orange-date dressing*

1. Toss greens, onions, seeds, orange & seasoning in a serving bowl.
2. Add half of the dressing & toss together. Serve on individual plates & serve with a side of the dressing.

orange-date dressing.*
makes about 1 cup

juice of 2 oranges
juice of 1 lemon
1 TBL rice vinegar
5-6 dates, pitted & halved
1/3 cup grapeseed oil
sea salt & cracked pepper

1. Add juices, vinegar, dates & seasoning into a food processor or blender. Blitz until the dates are finely chopped, & with the motor running slowly add olive oil (unless your using a blender, turn it off, add the oil & turn back on).
2. Pour into a jar, bowl or individual small cups for serving.

happy eatings & cheers!

a winter side salad.

Such a simple little dish to brighten up any meal. I made a roasted chicken with herbs de Provence & lemon, & served this on the side. Perfect.

a winter sides salad.
serves 4

4 cups red cabbage, thinly sliced
1 carrot, peeled & peeled into ribbons
4 scallions, sliced on a bias

1. Toss in a bowl with about 1/2 of the dressing. Toss again, taste it & see if you need more. A little goes a long way here. 

poppy seed dressing:

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 TBL apple cider vinegar
1 TBL honey or maple syrup
1 tsp spicy mustard (like Coleman's) or a Dijon mustard
a good pinch of poppy seeds
sea salt & cracked pepper

1. Put in a jam jar & shake it up. 

happy eatings & cheers!

my first poached egg. {grain-free & vegetarian}

19 September 2012

I am officially a poached egg convert. It is actually pretty easy, though seemingly intimidating. I watched a video that simply broke it it down & the cooking directions were perfect. I served my egg on top of leftover roasted veg from Sunday brunch with a drizzle of the creamy roasted pepper sauce. yum. You will be seeing a lot more poached eggs in the future!

happy eatings & cheers!