A round up of what I have learned in yet another week of dietary constraints revolving around my delight -- as described last week -- in listening to my doctor pointing out that the Grim Reaper was perhaps a bit closer than I was anticipating unless I made some immediate changes. So...what have I learned so far?
That there are substitutions or replacements for most recipe ingredients, but not for butter. That I will not know if this has process has actually made a difference for another five weeks, but that several other minor health issues have cleared right up already by my eliminating saturated fats, refined grains and sugar and reducing portion sized while increasing fiber to a heretofore unknown near hourly quantity. That I actually do not miss much that I have set aside, not really, except for whole milk which I miss a lot. That this has actually been quite an easy transformation to implement and follow, except when L. brought warm Krispy Kremes into the house and I had a bit of a battle with my powers of will, which I eventually won. That I really do loathe organized exercise. That if a recipe calls for a tablespoon or two of olive oil, you can dial the amount way, way down and, in some cases, such as starting off onion or garlic for a dish, replace the oil with a splash of water. That my crankiness is genetic and inherent to my character and in no way affected by dietary restrictions...
And so, the healthy options menu continues this week, based on the produce from this week's CSA box, which contained:
Herbs: mint, Italian parsley and tarragon
Greens: a head of Romaine, two bunches of kale, a baggie of mixed microgreens
Alliums: garlic, shallots and white onions
Vegetables: a green cabbage, a large rutabaga, three carrots, three parsnips, six turnips, one celery root, three red beets, a couple of watermelon radishes, four each of a couple of kinds of potato, two winter squash, two Jerusalem artichokes
Fruit: 6 red apples
Remainders: ½ red cabbage, a green cabbage, a handful of mixed leaves
So, with the addition of the above remainders and some grapefruit and avocado (minus whatever I use for lunch and one head of my many cabbages and the rutabaga which I hung on a random neighbor's doorknob and happily bid adieu to) these items will be transformed into:
Sunday “Pantry Roulette”; fridge, freezer, and pantry item dinner]
Green Salad with Grapefruit and Avocado, Citrus Vinaigrette
Grilled Miso Yellowtail Collar for L. / Grilled Miso Eggplant for me
Watermelon Radish “Oroshi” Style
Rice for L.
Kaniwa for me
Monday [Wildcard; a more complex or fiddly dish than usual to test my culinary skills]
Tuesday [Pasta]
Wednesday [L.'s choice]
Mixed Salad
Pan Seared Pork Tenderloin with Tarragon
Creamy Mashed Turnips with a Twist
Thursday [Fish]
Steelhead Salmon with Mint-Mustard Sauce
Baked Potatoes (with fixings for the kid, plain for me)
Friday [Veggie-centric]
Romaine Lettuce Salad with Tahini Vinaigrette
Rice for L.
Saturday ["Picnic"; something that is easy to assemble and easy to eat in front of a movie]
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