I had a hard time keeping focused today because it was so incredibly beautiful outside. I finally broke away from my desk went out to run “errands”. That turned into a long and luxurious drive along Lake Michigan’s north shore coast. The sun was shining brightly on the stunning fall colors making them glow in what seemed like impossibly unnatural hues of gold, orange and red. I just had to keep driving to soak it all in.
By the time I finally got a grip on myself and actually did run my intended errands, it was getting a bit late for dinner. I had to photograph the dish in the light of the setting sun, which isn’t good for food photography. Let me assure you that this dinner was fabulous, even if the photo doesn’t show off its true potential. The recipe for this Asian Orange Broccoli, Tofu & Shitake Mushroom Stir Fry Over Brown Rice/Quinoa Pasta is detailed below.
Today’s Hits & Misses
Overall, I had a really good day. I had plenty of energy, but today was the first day where I was hungry between meals. What caused this was that I ate breakfast a bit early (around 7:30 a.m.) which made it tough to get through until lunch. I normally eat lunch around 1 p.m., but today I couldn’t wait that long so I had lunch at 11:30. I knew this would throw off the rest of the day in that I wouldn’t be able to make it through until dinner without a snack. I had a decent-sized snack at 3, and that held me until dinner which was at 6. So I ended up eating 4 times instead of 3. But that’s really no big deal since everything I ate was on the program.
The bigger problem I had was that I didn’t plan out my meals properly. On the Eat To Live plan, Dr. Fuhrman recommends only 1 serving of starchy grains/vegetables per day. For breakfast I had amaranth, which was fine, but then for dinner, I ended up having pasta. That’s a big no-no to have 2 starches in one day on the weight loss plan.
Initially I planned to finish off the big pot of soup and curried lentils for dinner, but my husband wanted something more substantial. So I made the pasta, completely forgetting about what I had for lunch. Given how quickly and vigorously my body loves to hold onto carbs, this could end up setting me back a bit. I’ll have to eat really clean tomorrow to try to undo any damage.
Grocery Store Run
As mentioned in this post, I usually make a mid-week run to the store to make sure I have plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. I actually didn’t think I’d need to do it this week because my husband was supposed to be out of town and I bought plenty of food for myself. But his early return meant that my food stash disappeared faster than anticipated. Here’s what I picked up today:
frozen raspberries, 1-pound bag of carrots, sunflower seeds, celery, 2 avocados, red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, orange bell pepper, bananas, cherry tomatoes
Today’s Helpful Hints
Helpful Hint #1: As I learned today, before you make a meal, check back to see what you’ve already eaten. Especially check the quantities of “limited” foods you’ve already consumed to ensure that you don’t over-indulge.
Helpful Hint #2: In an effort keep hunger at bay throughout the day and avoid snacking, I keep a pint of washed and drained cherry tomatoes in a dish next to the kitchen sink. Every time I fill up a glass of water, I pop a few in my mouth. You can have an unlimited amount of tomatoes on the diet, so there’s no need to feel guilty about this. Think of it as eating more disease- and cancer-fighting anti-oxidants every day! It usually takes me 2 to 3 days to eat the entire pint. Since my husband finished off my second pint, I picked up more today.
Helpful Hint #3: Powdered onion and garlic are going to become your new best friends. Add them liberally to soups, savory dishes, salad dressings and anything you can think of. They add a huge amount of flavor and severely cut back on your desire to heavily salt your food.
Today’s Recipes
Breakfast: Hot Amaranth Cereal with Raspberries Bananas & Walnuts
This was such a tasty breakfast that I made a separate post for it. Click here to get the recipe.
Lunch: Mixed Herb & Lettuce Salad with Black Beans, Avocado & Pepitas
The salad I pre-made last Sunday was on its last legs, so I had to finish it today. To it I added 1 cup of baby arugula, 1 cup of baby spinach, ½ can of black beans (rinsed and drained), ¼ of an avocado (diced), and 2 tablespoons raw pepitas (pumpkin seeds).
For the dressing, I mixed ¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice with a few liberal shakes of onion powder and garlic powder, plus a small pinch of salt.
Snack: Curried Lentils with Onions & Carrots
You think I probably forgot about this side dish that I made on Sunday, but I haven’t. My husband has been eating it and there was only 1 cup left. I ate this in the mid-afternoon to hold me over until dinner, and it worked!
Dinner: Asian Orange Broccoli, Tofu & Shitake Mushroom Stir Fry Over Brown Rice/Quinoa Pasta
This recipe is so good you’ll think you’re cheating on this weight loss program. And it’s actually a “steam” fry – not a stir fry as no oil is involved. Just make sure you cook this on a day when you haven’t had any other starches! This makes 2 very large portions. Normally, a package of tofu is supposed to be 5 servings, but my husband and I can make easy work of a package between the two of us. And since Dr. Fuhrman says you can have an unlimited amount of tofu, I’m not feeling guilty in the least.
Ingredients (serves 2)
1 14-ounce package extra firm tofu (drained and cut into 1-inch cubes)
4 ounces shitake mushrooms (stems removed and cut into strips)
6 ounces broccoli florets
4 green onions (cut diagonally)
4 ounces uncooked soba noodles or pasta (I used Trader Joe’s Brown Rice & Quinoa Pasta which cooks up about 2 cups of pasta)
1 teaspoon Bragg’s Amino Acids (or low sodium soy sauce)
sesame seeds for garnish
Sauce Ingredients
1 teaspoon garlic paste (I used a microplane to grate it into a paste)
1½ teaspoons grated ginger (use a microplane)
½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice (including pulp – use a juicing orange which has few seeds)
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Bragg’s Amino Acids
1 teaspoon arrow root powder
2 dates (roughly chopped and soaked in water for about 15 minutes)
½ – 1 thai chili pepper (seeds & stems removed, depending on amount of heat desired)
Directions
1. Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook pasta per package instructions. Time it so the pasta is finished cooking when the broccoli is cooked.
2. Place all sauce ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until completely smooth. Place sauce in a small pan and bring to a boil. Cook for 1 – 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until it starts to thicken. Then remove from heat and set aside for later use.
3. Place the tofu and mushrooms in a large non-stick wok. Add 1 teaspoon Bragg’s to ½ cup of water, the pour this over the mushrooms and tofu. Bring to a boil and stir to make sure everything is covered in the liquid. Let boil on medium-high for about 5 minutes. This helps flavor the tofu and mushrooms. Most of the water should have cooked out, leaving enough to prevent sticking or burning.
4. Spread the broccoli evenly over the tofu and mushrooms, reduce heat to medium, cover and let cook approximately 3 – 4 minutes until the broccoli is bright green and cooked, but not mushy. If you need to add a small of water to prevent burning, add it a small amount at a time, as you want as little water remaining as possible once everything is cooked.
5. Turn the heat off and add in the pasta and sauce. Mix thoroughly until everything is coated. Stir in the green onions.
6. Place on a serving dish and garnish with sesame seeds. Serve hot immediately.
That’s my report for today. Check back here tomorrow night for another recap, or follow me on my Facebook page for updates throughout the day.
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