'Zoodles': Detox Dinner of Champions

Detox Delight: Chunky red pepper & mushroom marinara over "zoodles" with steamed asparagus.

 Earlier this week, I wasn't sure I was going to even make it to the weekend on this detox. Though I'm battling some intense sugar cravings at the moment, that wasn't what had me feeling weak. It was general boredom with my food. Eating a salad every day was getting old quickly and no salt and no sugar even made my favorite sweet potatoes not such a favorite.

That's when I had a brainstorm. This detox doesn't have to be dreadful. With the ability to eat almost anything from the plant kingdom, my options for meals are endless. I was the one limiting my options with my limited thinking.

Enter "zoodles," spaghetti-style zucchini shreds that can be used in place of pasta for a vegetarian, grain-free entree or side dish. Making zoodles is easy. All you need is a julienne vegetable peeler (I picked mine up for $5 at the grocery store) and some washed zucchini. Use the julienne peeler to peel strips of zucchini from top to bottom, stopping when you get to the seeds. I save the middle part and slice it up to add to the dish. To prepare them, heat a skillet to medium heat and give them a quick saute just until they get flexible (the heat of your sauce will cook them further). It's much faster than making pasta.

"Zoodles" only need a quick saute in a dry pan.

I topped my zoodles with a chunky sauce made of onion, red bell pepper, mushrooms, diced tomatoes, fresh thyme, oregano and dried chile flakes for a little zing without salt. I served some spears of steamed asparagus on the side. The best part of this recipe is that it's family friendly and gave me the opportunity to eat with my family instead of sitting in the corner with my detox food glaring while they noshed on their own yummy dinner -- which is exactly what I was doing every night before. To round out the meal for Lily and Brian, I added some broiled polenta slices and fresh cherry tomatoes.

The sauce was a little spicy for Lily but that didn't stop her from asking for seconds.

Brian gave me the best possible compliment on this meal. He said it didn't feel like it was missing anything. Not only was it yummy, but it felt complete to him. He wasn't missing meat, pasta or dairy. A man of few words, Brian doesn't compliment often or effusively. I went to bed feeling pretty proud of myself.

Detox: Day 2

I've survived my first 24 hours of detox! It hasn't been easy, but I wouldn't say it's hard either. My biggest challenge was when preparing food Lily last night. I desperately wanted to chow down on the bread she was eating. But I managed to overcome the temptation.

Planning is definitely key for me. I have an hour set aside each night for me to prepare/pack my lunch and snacks for work the next day and also to prep my smoothie/juice ingredients. This saves a ton of time in the morning and prevents me from feeling like I don't have time to give my body the nutrients it needs.

Schedule

4:30 a.m. -- Wake Up
4:45 a.m. -- Warm Water with Lemon
6 a.m. -- Morning Juice: Kale, Beet, Orange, Apple, Ginger, Celery
7 a.m. -- Office
8 a.m. -- Kim Snyder GGS: Lettuce, Spinach, Celery, Apple, Pear, Banana
Noon -- Lunch: Soup & Salad
3 p.m. -- Snack:
6 p.m. -- Dinner: Baked Sweet Potato Stuffed w/ veggies; Veggie Detox Soup
8 p.m. -- Herbal Tea
9 p.m. -- Bedtime

Side Effects/Reactions

I had some minor sweats/chills while sleeping last night and woke up with a painful headache. There's also a bad taste lingering in the back of my mouth. I attribute all of this to my body starting to shed its toxins. It's also a reminder to keep increasing my fluid intake to help flush my system.

Veggie Detox Soup

I'm a soup gal. Regardless of the time of year, I favor warm, soothing soups over anything cold and crunchy. I made up this recipe based on what I had on hand.

Ingredients

1 yellow onion, diced
1 cup celery, chopped
6 cloves garlic, peeled and diced
1-inch knuckle of ginger, peeled and diced
1 med. daikon root (4-5 inches long), peeled and sliced
1 cup rutabaga, cubed
6-8 tablespoons low-sodium vegetable broth powder (I use Frontier brand)
4-6 cups water
2 tablespoons miso paste

Directions

1. Saute onion in a stock pot with just enough water to prevent sticking. Cook until onion is translucent.
2. Add celery, ginger and garlic and cook a few minutes more.
3. Add all other ingredients except for miso paste and bring to a boil.
4. Simmer for 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
5. Turn off heat, stir in miso and serve.

Recipe Redux: Roasted Winter Vegetables with Miso-Lemon Dressing

I have been a veggie-roasting fool lately. A week of eating on the go put me a little behind in using up our CSA vegetables and I've been trying to play catch-up ever since. I knew that if I was getting sick of eating roasted cauliflower for almost every meal, my family was, too. An email alert from The Kitchn saved us from veggie boredom. Roasted Winter Vegetables with Miso-Lime Dressing sounded just exotic enough to kick the winter veggie blahs.

I changed things up a bit in my version, opting to use broccoli instead of sweet potatoes, coconut oil instead of walnut oil and lemon juice instead of lime juice. The resulting dish was slightly tropical, and as you can tell by the picture, incredibly edible. So much so that Lily was snatching brussels sprouts before I even had a change to dish hers up. For the first time in weeks, there were no leftovers after dinner. I can't wait to try this dressing on other veggies. Next, I'm going to try it drizzled over roasted potatoes or maybe even as a dressing for greens and chopped avocado.

Roasted Winter Vegetables with Miso-Lemon Dressing

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

• 8 ounces brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved lengthwise
• 1 medium head of cauliflower, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 large head of broccoli (or two broccoli crowns), cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoon white miso paste
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• Black pepper

Directions

• Preheat oven to 400. Place veggies on individual baking sheets, drizzle with oil, sprinkle with salt and toss to thoroughly coat (if you don't want to use oil, cover the veggies with foil). Bake, turning every 10-15 minutes until browned and soft. The broccoli and brussels sprouts will be done in about 15 minutes; the cauliflower will take about 25 minutes.
• Meanwhile, whisk together the lemon juice and miso paste until smooth. Slowly drizzle warmed coconut oil (barely melted), whisking constantly, until thoroughly combined.
• Place roasted veggies into a large bowl with dressing and toss to coat. Season with pepper and serve.

Fun with Pickles: Watermelon Radish, Daikon, Cabbage

A salad of kim chi and pickled watermelon radishes.

I've been feeling adventurous lately and have been experiencing with refrigerator pickles. It all started with watermelon radishes in our CSA box. I didn't know what they were or what to do with them so I looked online and found various food blogs suggesting they be pickled. We've also had an abundance of Napa cabbage and daikon. Growing weary of stir fry and soups, I decided to try making my own kim chi, a spicy version of pickled and fermented cabbage. The kim chi didn't meet my expectations, but the watermelon radish pickles, on the other hand, were the perfect balance of sweet and sour. Mixed together (top picture), they made for a tasty salad.

Green on the outside with a bright purple-pink starburst center, watermelon radishes have beautiful color that intensifies when pickled, making for a striking snack. Refrigerator pickle recipes suggest a wait time of 24 hours to 2 weeks for maximum flavor. After three tries, I can tell you that shorter soaking times net a milder pickle. So if you want a pickle that bites you back, wait at least three or four days before trying yours. If you don't, then start snacking the day after preparing them.

Watermelon Radish Pickles

Radishes in brine.

INGREDIENTS

• 3 large watermelon radishes (about 3 cups chopped)
• 1 cup rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Directions

• Peel the radishes and cut into disks or sticks (or a combo of the two) about a quarter-inch thick.
• In a separate bowl, combine the rice vinegar, salt and sugar until dissolved.
• Fill pint-size jars (or resealable plastic bags) with the radishes. Pour the liquid over the radishes, cover with lids and shake to ensure even mixing.
• Refrigerate at least 24 hours before enjoying. The pickles will last about a month in the fridge.
• Variations: Combine the radishes with green or sweet onions for variety; add a dash of crushed red pepper for a little kick.

CSAs Rock

I have some serious goals this year. In addition to wanting to end the year with more days of eating plants vs. eating animals, I want to fill my body with nutrient-rich whole foods, exercise daily and experiment with growing my own food. And I want to support others with similar goals.

That is why we have become members of a community-supported agriculture operation (CSA).  When you join a CSA, you become a partner with equal rights to its products. Depending on your farm's policies, you pay a regular fee in exchange for a share in the farm's produce. Simply put, you're supporting the farm's efforts, and you share in its bounty. Some CSAs offer home delivery, others require you to pick up your share at the farm. We're fortunate to have a pick-up location at my place of employment so I can just pick up my box when I leave the office.

We are members of Rancho Piccolo Farms, and receive a full share of vegetables every week. There are three CSAs that currently serve our area, but I chose Rancho Piccolo for two reasons: their farm is the closest to our home (making it the most local) and they offer vegetable shares separate from fruit shares. Given that my husband is allergic to most fruits, this ensures that we can fully utilize all that we receive. It also helps me live out my goal of working more vegetables into our daily diets.

What I love most about CSAs is what others dislike: the element of surprise. You never know what you're going to get each week, and that makes for a culinary adventure. Last week, we received red cabbage, Swiss chard, diakon, lettuce, beets, rutabaga, fennel, beets and spaghetti squash. The week before, we got carrots, watermelon radishes, lettuce, rainbow chard, cauliflower, Napa cabbage and kale.

Each week, I've been challenged to try new things. Some great; others not so much. Some winners have been roasted cauliflower with garlic, spaghetti squash with chickpeas and Brussels sprouts, pickled watermelon radishes, fennel-endive salad with navel oranges, and fried beet and carrot salad. The biggest loser was colcannon with curly endive (the bitterness was overpowering).

If you want the benefit of fresh, organic produce, joining a CSA is probably the most affordable option next to growing your own. Visit localharvest.org for a list of CSAs in your area. Some offer additional benefits to members, such as tours, farm-to-table dinners, and you-pick harvest events. It's also a great opportunity to try unfamiliar fruits and vegetables. Before my introduction to CSAs, I had never tried fennel, swiss chard, rutabaga, turnip, or even fresh beets. Now, those vegetables are familiar and favored. Not only do I benefit from the experience, but so does my daughter who is being raised with the daily habit of trying new things.

Unpacking our produce box has become one of her favorite weekly activities. She loves to name each vegetable as we pull it out. When she doesn't recognize one, I tell her what it is, let her touch it and talk about what we can make with it. Sometimes she gets so excited that she sneaks a bite on the spot (my poor rainbow chard stems were her latest victim).

To me, this is the epitome of a healthy lifestyle. Raising a daughter who recognizes and values fresh, whole foods is my answer to ending the cycle of obesity in my family, and also our society's general apathy about the food we eat and where it comes from.