Better the Next Day

After a very long sleep, I did finally wake up feeling better and not so sluggish. To recoup lost ground, I started the day with some nova salmon with capers, pepper and lemon with a side of 1 cup of cold, sauteed ruby chard leftovers. It was delicious.

For lunch I enjoyed 2 cups of spring onions, mushrooms, red bell peppers, and collard greens quickly sauteed over a cup of rice noodles.

Dinner was amazing -- I was inspired by this recipe: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/oxtail_stew/print/, but I was confused about the roasting of some of the veggies, so I just put them all into the crock pot after their initial saute. The stew was delicious and rich, but I bet the separate roasted veggies would have made it even better because of the high fat content of the meat. Once I realized my mistake, I recovered by inventing a recipe of my own which filled the place of the veggies I didn't roast. Here it is:

Mashed Cauliflower with Sauteed Shallots
1 head organic cauliflower, cut into large chunks
2 shallots, chopped
2 Tbsp. olive oil
3 Tbsp. Earth Balance
4 Tbsp. unsweetened coconut milk coffee creamer
garlic salt to taste -- I used about 3/4 teaspoon

Boil the cauliflower for 15 minutes, making sure all parts of the florets are submerged. Meanwhile, saute the shallots in the olive oil over medium-low heat, until translucent. In a large bowl, put the Earth balance. Drain the cauliflower and pour it on top of the Earth Balance so it melts. Begin mashing the cauliflower into the "butter" with a pastry cutter or ricer, or a large sturdy fork. Add the shallots and olive oil and mash more. When the texture is becoming homogeneous (some small lumps are fine) incorporate the coconut coffee creamer. Finally, season with garlic salt. 

{You Wahls Protocol afficianados will notice an error in my invention. After I created this recipe I learned about the carageenan that is in the coffee creamer - YIKES - I've since ordered a case of the good coconut milk and will use it next time -- I'm still learning!}

The mashed cauliflower was so delicious and creamy, yet light enough to offset the rich stew. This bowlful gave me a cup and a half of cauliflower and a cup of stew veggies. On the side, we also had this:

It's Alicia Silverstone's recipe from The Kind Diet: Steamed Baby Bok Choy with Ume Plum Vinaigrette. It's self-explanatory, except I didn't even make a vinaigrette. I just put a drop of Ume vinegar on each piece and drizzled a little olive oil over all. I only steamed these lovelies for four minutes. I ate a cup's worth, which brings my Wednesday tally to . . .  6 and a half cups! It's not 9, but it's getting better.