Ground Nut Soup and Salad

Occasionally I feel the need to realign my diet. 

I know the foods that work best for me. 

More so I know the foods that don't work well for me. 

Namely white flour, white sugar, alcohol.

You know, all the good stuff :(

A few years ago, a year after my second child was born I started an eating regime with my mom called the Perricone Promise. 

Dr. Perricone is a dermatologist who came up with an eating plan for a younger appearance which had the side effect (on us at least) weight loss. It is a 28 day program and we committed to doing it together. He also wrote The Perricone Weight-Loss Diet book which I don't like as well but I enjoy some of the recipes.

It has become my go to eating re-align-er.  

Yes, I should eat by it's guidelines all the time. I feel better, I look better, and I keep my weight in check.

The reality is that I like having a beer with my husband and a pizza night now and again.

And slowly the now and again becomes all the time and my jeans get tight. 

The wonderful thing about having this is that I always know I can go back to it and that it works for me. I believe in balance but when you swing too far one way the pendulum must swing the other way for a while so you can get back to a happy center. 

Strawberry Salad

3 cups Baby Spinach
5 Strawberries, chopped
3 mini Cucumbers
1 Tablespoons Sesame Seeds 
2 Tablespoons Nutritional Yeast
3 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinaigrette (Make your own, it's olive oil and vinegar, add salt, garlic, and mustard if you want to get fancy but for goodness sake don't spend money on products that give you a bunch of stuff you don't want.)

 

 African Groundnut Soup
adapted from The Perricone Weight-Loss Diet which adapted the recipe from Stop the Clock cooking.

Olive Oil
1 red onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 Tablespoon curry powder
2 Tablespoons fresh ginger, pealed and minced
1 jar of tomato sauce (preferably one you canned after the harvest last year ;)
1 bay leaf (my family is still arguing the effect of the bay leaf but I throw in anyway, sorry Uncle Ted.)
4 cups chicken broth (you know, from last night's whole crock pot chicken dinner)
3 tablespoons almond butter 
1 1/2 cooked soy beans (edamame works as well)
1 lb. cooked chicken
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 pound spinach (or kale, chard, or other dark leafy green)
Salt and Pepper and hot sauce to taste

• Saute onion, pepper, celery in olive oil for about 5 minutes.
• Stir in garlic, ginger, curry powder.
• Add tomato sauce and bay leaf and cook about 3 minutes.
• Add broth, bring to boil, reduce to low, whisk in almond butter until blended.
• Add beans and chicken and cook until heated through.
• Stir in cilantro and spinach.
• Season with salt, pepper and hot sauce if desired.