A Wonderful Meal

The larder is getting empty and I've not had time for grocery shopping, so I got creative.  I have a couple of Vital Choice halibut filets left, a small handful of kale, the dregs of a box of arugula and a dry package of quinoa.  I seared the filets in cast iron, then served them with a tangy homemade chimichurri (parsley, lemon, garlic, onion, extra virgin olive oil and vinegar -- use vinegar sparingly to taste)  I treated the kale to a lemon and oil massage, and then added arugula, pomegranate seeds (frozen) and pumpkin seeds.  I prepared the quinoa with organic veggie broth and then stirred in some chopped raisins.  This was all FABULOUS!  It turned out I had plenty on hand to make a wonderful dinner.  When the fridge looks empty, look deeper.

Double Wahls

Both of these recipes are from The Wahls' Protocol:  Liver and Onions and Algerian Chicken (in this case Algerian Vegetarian, which is an option in the book).  Since dairy is not a part of the Wahls Protocol, anything in her book she deems "vegetarian" is actually also vegan.

I've made Dr. Wahls' liver recipe many, many times, and often I'm the only one eating it, which is fine with me.  As such, I've found I love it cold from the 'fridge as well as I do hot out of the pan -- for breakfast, lunch or dinner.  This was the last little bit of the liver which overlapped with my next foray into the Protocol:  Algerian Vegetarian.  The flavors of this dish are lovely and deep, and I was surprised I liked the mixture of these two strongly flavored dishes together, but I did.  You may not, so if you make these, consider serving them one at a time, maybe with some Quinoa and Red Peppers, also from The Wahls' Protocol.  I will say that whatever I've made from the book, I've loved.

After Traveling

Fellow health aficionados have probably noticed how difficult it is to maintain diet and exercise standards when out of our carefully crafted bubbles.  Highway food is notoriously atrocious and even good food is unfamiliar and thus potentially problematic in a strange place.

I've just returned from a quick three day trip during which I consumed no green vegetables!  Since I normally lead with leafy greens, this was different, to say the least.  Finding myself on an airplane at lunchtime without a chance to have eaten because of long security lines at the Atlanta airport, I made do with a Bloody Mary.  Hey, I was hungry and needed the calories.  At my destination, I didn't get a car of my own, since I really wanted to spend all my time with extended family members, so I had some good food here and there, but since salads involved cheese wherever I was, I opted for other veggies.  For the flight back home I arrived in plenty of time to choose lunch at the Richmond, VA airport, but had no luck.  All the food I could find was prepackaged with plenty of cheese and other unsavories.  I did find a bag of chips with a short ingredient list that contained kale and no dairy.  I bought it and a large bottle of water.  The chips were truly awful so I stopped after about 10 of them and opted instead for another Bloody Mary on the plane.  Arriving home at dinnertime I was too tired to go shopping, so I perused my larder.  Craving greens, I only found a few remnants of spinach and arugula, but, I also found some asparagus and broccoli, and lots of garlic, along with some spicy marinara sauce.  I defrosted an excellent Copper River salmon fillet and whipped up a quick pasta dish with my gleaned veggies.  I know -- gluten.  My husband wanted more than fish and veggies, and I was too tired to make two different meals, so I threw it all in there.  Trust me -- this pasta dish is a huge step up from most of what I'd been eating the past three days.  After a rest, I shopped for the food I need on a regular basis and am back on the health wagon again.

Veering off course happens sometimes, especially when our priorities temporarily change.  My wonderful trip to meet up with dear extended family members was for an excellent occasion -- my grandmother's 100th Birthday Party!  This trip was not about me, it was about her, and about family.  I was glad to fold into the happy melee for a little while.

Isn't she lovely?  It was so good to be with her and with my father and brother and nephew and niece from the other side of the world, and with aunts and uncles and cousins and more cousins and friends, old and new.  You don't turn 100 years old every day, so I'm so glad I was there along with everyone else to celebrate her!

Back home again now, I've got my eye on a bunch of rainbow chard!