Clean Energy Snacks

We're still keeping up our clean eating but one of the biggest struggles is with finding good snacks. Dinners are easily cleaned and can make for lunch leftovers, breakfasts are incredibly easy to "clean up," but snacks are a weakness. The snacks we ate on our challenge were great but you still miss the "old" snacks like cookies and cakes; and the exciting thing about this recipe is that it has all the yumminess of a hearty cookie but with clean, fresh ingredients.

First, let me say I've struggled to name these - I adapted them from a recipe that referred to them as "balls," but when I told my dad that I ate a "clean energy ball" he said "Is that something from Candy Crush?" And let's be honest, I tutor part-time and any of my kids over the age of 7 would laugh uncontrollably if I told them I made some delicious balls; and c'mon you know you laughed at SNL's classic Baldwin Schweddy balls segment.

This snack is a no-bake recipe with fruit, nuts,  peanut butter and chocolate - all the good things that make for an easy, yet sinful, snack; so I've settled on calling them Granola Truffles. Sounds delicious, right? And they are.

The hardest part of the whole recipe was "harvesting" the fresh coconut from it's shell - that is way too much work for me. However, once I got the meat peeled away from the hair brown layer (wow, not helping the innuendo of the balls post), my Ninja blender did all the work; and it also took care of pulverizing the dates.

I can't say enough nice things about medjool dates (or my Ninja). If you enjoy sweets, dates are perfect to eat plain or slip into recipes that need a sugary boost. They are remarkably sweet, so in recipes where you mix them with more bland or savory flavors, the sugariness still comes through clearly. In this recipe, the dates are the only boldly sweet item and they tie all of the flavors together and brighten the peanut butter, which unlike "traditional" pb isn't full of corn syrup.

This recipe makes about two dozen, 70-calorie truffles which keep in the fridge for a long time without going stale or drying out. And unlike some sweet snacks, these aren't sticky or hard-to-eat. I grab two in my hand and run out the door and they don't make a mess, which is remarkable because I'm a disgusting eater. And even more remarkably, they're filling. With the oats, peanut butter and nuts, they're full of long-lasting protein, perfect for an afternoon pick-me-up or mid-morning munch.

 Granola Truffles

Ingredients:

3/4 c old fashioned oats
1/2 c natural peanut butter
1/4 c unsweetened shredded coconut, toasted
6 medjool dates, pitted
2 T raw, unsalted pistachios
2 T dark chocolate (or cacao nibs)
1 T chia seeds

Method:

In a food processor, pulse the dates until they are pulverized and form a ball.

Place dates and remaining ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and mix thoroughly with your hands.

Using a tablespoon, pack mixture level to spoon and turn out onto parchment paper.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Taste Test: Rice Cooker Pancake

You may have seen the recent trending pics of pancakes made in rice cookers; and hopefully you looked at them with the same awe we did.

The Surreal Gourmet was one of the
 earliest Food Network shows and my first venture
into non-traditional cooking and molecular gastronomy

Apparently, slacker chefs with tiny apartments lacking stoves or those Surreal Gourmet types who like to push the definition of cooking (like putting fish wrapped in foil on a car engine) have been making pancakes in their rice cookers for a while. These crazy people, for whatever reason, decided that pouring a serving of batter in the pot of a rice cooker and letting it cook through over and over was much better or cooler or ...something that just making them in a pan or a griddle.

But it seems one such crazy cook, or shall I say, mad genius, decided to dump all the batter in there at once and let it go.

And we just had to try it.

First, I will be completely honest with you and tell you that despite all of our foodie tendencies, creative skills and even professional techniques, neither J or myself can make pancakes. We use the same type of mix I've seen my parents use for eons, we've tried letting it rest before putting it on the griddle; really, we've tried everything. But we make sponges, not pancakes. One cake will absorb a whole pat of butter in seconds and soak up every drop of syrup before you have time to take a bite. And they taste like nothing. Put that same mix on a waffle iron - perfection. So something must be wrong with our p-cake technique.

So given our flapjack failures, we were willing to try anything. Plus, how cute are these little fluffy pancake-cakes?!

Lifehacker.com

And they couldn't be easier to make. You literally put all of 2 minutes' effort into this dish. Mix it, pour it, set it and forget it. If you're running around with a lot to do - other than obsess over dinner (or breakfast) - this is a helpful recipe. Throw it in the rice cooker and go do what you need to. J got a good half-hour for Skyrim and I took a relaxing bath while dinner cooked itself!

Here goes:

Lightly butter/spray your rice cooker pot (just in case). Using the required ingredients, mix up your favorite pancake mix, according to the serving you want and the size of your rice cooker. We figured normally we'd each eat 4-5 pancakes, so we used the box's ratios for 8-10 pancakes. Make sure you have room in the pot for it to puff up; probably no more than 3/4 full. Pour it into the rice cooker, close lid and click on. Let cook until the rice setting finishes. We checked ours with a toothpick and it was done by the 30 minute cycle mark.

You could do this with plain pancake mix or add fruit or chocolate chips etc. and layer with all kinds of toppings! We were rather traditional and went with a pat of butter and some syrup, served for dinner with scrambled eggs and sausage links.

This was the best tasting pancake that's ever come out of our kitchen! It was fluffy, not super dense like I'd feared. The inside was light and crumbly and it had browned nicely on the top (bottom in the pot). It didn't guzzle syrup and the flavor was delicious. I can't wait to use a blueberry mix or add fresh berries. If you do add mix ins (candy chips, fruit nuts), I'd say you'll probably want to use the same tip for "chunks" that you do with cakes. Toss them in a tablespoon or so of flour (or extra dry pancake mix) before you stir them into the batter; that way they'll "float" in the cake and not sink to the bottom.

I'm normally very opposed to having unitasking tools/appliances in our house, but I've always turned a blind eye to the rice cooker. Now, I can relax knowing that it's valuable beyond it's original purpose and we can continue to use it in multiple ways (in my "research" I also found 20 other things - from cakes to macaroni and cheese - that you can make in a rice cooker and I can't wait to try them, too!)

Itsy Bitsy Stuffed Peppers

Let me start by saying that I am awful at naming dishes, much to J's disgust. My mom makes a delicious tomato-Velveeta pasta dish that I've called "barf' since I was old enough to be so openly sassy; and for as long as I can remember, I've always called stuffed peppers "monkey brains." And that was totally normal in our house.

However, since the first time I pulled a vacuum-sealed bag out of the freezer and told J we were having "monkey brains," I haven't heard the end of it. Yeah, yeah, I know, it sounds awful and since it's visually quite similar, that makes it even more unsettling and disgusting. But, I won him over with the delicious bell peppers stuffed to the brim with a mixture of ground beef, rice, tomatoes, onions and spices. We even made our own last week using leftover golubtsi filling!

And after last week's recipe book re-do (more on that another time) we decided to try a recipe for itsy bitsy monkey brains.. er, um... stuffed baby bell peppers.

This recipe was pretty simple, although somewhat time consuming, and generally good for you. Unlike most stuffed pepper recipes, this one didn't call for any carb-y fillers like bread crumbs, rice or oats - it was clean eating at it's finest, just meat, vegetables, and spices with limited amount of cheese. We did use a pre-seasoned sausage (Johnsonville hot Italian links, casings removed), so that is more processed than if you went to a butcher shop and had sausage ground up for you. But we trust and enjoy this brand (and had it on hand) so we decided to use it. If you aren't using a pre-flavored sausage you will want to add more dried spices and fresh peppers (see note below) to get fully robust flavor.

I grabbed the first pack of sausage I found in our freezer and it turned out to be hot, which paired with the chipotle chile powder made for a very spicy bite. But it wasn't overly spicy and paired really well with a dollop of plain, non-fat Greek yogurt. The spiciness is well-rounded, not just a burn-your-mouth heat, but a smoky flavor that compliments the innate heat and sweetness of the peppers. The muenster melts beautifully and adds a buttery consistency and flavor to the heat. And the final squeeze of lime juice adds a tartness that cuts through the heat and brightens the flavor of the pepper. I loved that each component of this recipe - the filling and the blistered peppers - tasted great on their own and paired together. To make successful dishes, you have to use individual delicious components.

This recipe makes quite a portion - around 24 peppers - which we served for dinner with grilled corn and will use the leftovers in an eggy hash tomorrow morning. But I can see this making for the most beautiful cocktail appetizer. They are quickly eaten in two bites without utensils and would be a vibrant canape for any party! I will suggest that if you choose to serve them in that way, you should blot the pepper skins after their quick "fry" and drain the sausage after sauteing. The peppers are naturally juicy and with the added oils, they can be somewhat slippery and leave a bit of a trail of juice, which works if you're eating off of a plate but not so much on a cocktail napkin.

Also, like most stuffed pepper recipes, this has make-ahead and freezer-friendly potential. You can pre-blister and stuff the peppers up to 4 hours in advance and then bake off when you're ready. And you can also pre-stuff and then freeze them to bake later. This would be particularly economical since you only need 1/2 lb. of sausage, which usually comes in 1 lb. packages. If you're freezing to bake later, I'd suggest not blotting the grease, just to make sure they don't get overly dry. I'd put them in the fridge the night before you plan to serve them and bake until heated through. They won't be as pretty; the pepper skins will probably be a bit softer, but they will still taste delicious.

Enjoy!

Stuffed Baby Bell Peppers

Adapted from Food Network Magazine

Ingredients:

3 T extra-virgin olive oil

1 lb assorted baby bell peppers (approx. 24)

1 small onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 t. ground cumin

1/2 t. ground oregano

1 t. chipotle chile powder

kosher salt

1/2 lb. hot ground sausage*

3 oz. muenster cheese, diced (about 3/4 c.)

lime wedges, for serving

*If using plain ground pork or plain pork sausage, add 1 poblano chile, seeded and diced; 1/2 t. ancho chile powder

Method:

Preheat oven to 425. 

Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick pan over medium heat. Add the baby bell peppers in a single layer and cook, turning, until the skin blisters and they begin to brown. About 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate. 

Add the onion, garlic cumin, oregano, chile powder(s), optional poblano and 1 t. salt to the skillet. Cook, stirring until the onions are softened. 

Increase heat to medium high and add sausage; breaking up with a wooden spoon and cooking until pork is no longer pink. Remove from heat and cool. After cooling briefly (or until room temp. -- depend on how much time you have), crumble sausage into fine pieces and stir in cheese. 

Make a slit in each pepper with a paring knife, cutting from stem to tip.Stuff 2-3 tsp. of meat mixture into each pepper. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. 

Bake until peppers are hot and cheese has melted, around 10 minutes. 

Season with salt and serve with lime wedges.

Easy & Delicious Overnight Oats

Breakfast and I are frenemies.

I love the idea of starting the day off with a beautiful meal that energizes me and keeps me going until lunchtime. On days when I don't eat breakfast, I'm dragging through the morning at work and usually overeat the rest of the day.

However, I don't like the idea of getting up earlier to cook or eating so early that I'm starving by 10:00 a.m.

The best breakfasts for me are ones that I can prep ahead of time, require little or no effort in the morning and are portable so that I can eat them at my desk on my own schedule.

For about a year-and-a-half, I was keeping Special K cereal and soy milk at work and eating a tiny bowl each morning; in the last few months, I was trying to make powder/almond milk meal replacement drinks. But what I've realized is that if my morning meal isn't something worthwhile, or homemade instead of out of a box or a can, I make it less of a priority and am more likely to not make time to eat, much less enjoy it.

So I've been thrilled by the breakfasts we started making with our clean eating detox. These meals were homemade but not difficult or time consuming. The dishes that required a.m. cooking were still quick, like omelets or fried egg hashes, but more times than not they were prepped and/or cooked ahead of time for great grab-and-go breakfasts. One of my favorites was the strawberry overnight oats and I've started experimenting with the recipe to include other flavor profiles and textures.

This week, I stumbled across a great recipe for cinnamon overnight oats with bananas, peanut butter, pecans and maple syrup - and it was stellar!

Overnight oats are made the night before (at least 8 hours) with a variety of oats and/or seeds with some liquid or dairy products - milk (dairy, almond or soy) or yogurt (we've only tried Greek) - and some seasonings and occasionally, mix ins like fruit or nuts. It looks like a watery mess when you make it, but the liquid is absorbed so fully and the oats plump up beautifully and the seeds soften, too. In the morning, your jar is filled with something that actually looks like traditional oatmeal, not the goop you left there last night.

You can eat the oats straight from the fridge, like a parfait, or you can microwave it for 30+ seconds to get it warm. I'll admit it feels very strange to eat oatmeal that isn't piping hot and warming you all the way through, but it's actually delicious, especially in the summer when it's hot all day and every day. This recipe was a great blend of both - the oats stay cold, but you heat up the toppings and swirl them into the oatmeal. And that requires hardly any effort - I packed all the components in separate containers and only had to stir them together when I got to work.

When I looked at the recipe I worried that it could be sickeningly sweet - with bananas, peanut butter AND maple syrup? I just knew I'd be choking down the diabetes-in-a-jar. However, the way you mix the ingredients, the oats are actually very simply flavored. They aren't sweet at all and the dominant flavor is the spiciness of the cinnamon. The toppings - which are portioned perfectly - add just the right amount of sweetness and nuttiness and a great mixture of textures (and temperatures). Swirling everything together makes for perfect bites with crunch, the mouthfeel of oats, creamy bananas and peanut butter and a sticky, silky maple syrup.

And one of the best, and most surprising, things about this breakfast is just how filling it is. The portion is almost too much, and having double proteins the fullness lasts for hours.

If you're looking for a way to simplify your mornings and improve your first meal of the day, give this a try; I'm confident you won't be disappointed.

Cinnamon Overnight Oats with Bananas, Peanut Butter, Pecans and Maple Syrup

Adapted from Radiant Rachels

Makes 1 serving

Ingredients:

1/4 c oats
1 T chia seeds
1/2 t cinnamon
3/4 c almond milk (I used unsweetened vanilla)
a splash of vanilla extract
1/2 ripe banana, sliced
1 T natural peanut butter
1 t maple syrup
2 T pecans, toasted

Method:

In a small bowl, combine oats, seeds, cinnamon, milk and vanilla. Stir until cinnamon is mixed in well.

Pour into a pint-sized mason jar or other airtight container and refrigerate overnight (for at least 8 hours).

Before serving, microwave banana slices and peanut butter in small microwave safe container for 30 seconds, or until p.butter is warm and almost runny. Pour over oats. Top with pecans and drizzle maple syrup over top.

Product Review: Shirataki Noodles

Still trying to clean eat, we are looking for healthier alternatives to our favorite foods. Part our clean eating detox focused on low-carb options; so we are trying to eat as few carbs as possible, and those we do eat, we try to make whole grain products. Which made last night the perfect time to try the shirataki noodles I've been eyeing in the grocery store for years.

I've mentioned before that I really enjoy Hungry Girl brand cookbooks and endorsed products, so I was excited to see that these are HG approved! HG gave me my favorite "diet" muffin recipe so I felt confident these could be a great find!

Traditional Japanese shirataki noodles are made from yams, but the commercial package we tried were made by House Foods, out of tofu. They are low carb, gluten free, "clean" (almost all natural ingredients), and only 10 calories/serving (2 servings/bag).

We thoroughly enjoy tofu in a variety of preparations so weren't particularly concerned about the idea of this faux pasta. Looking at them, however, we were nervous. They do look a little...unpleasant. The noodles come prepackaged in a clear baggie filled with water and what looks like pre-cooked Ramen. We weren't sure that half a bag would be filling, so while planning for dinner with a friend we bought each of us a bag (only $1.98/bag).

During our detox, we made a meal of homemade tomato sauce, turkey meatballs and instead of high carb pasta, steamed collard greens. The collards were weird, but edible, filling and fairly enjoyable. We thought this time, we'd swap our the green leafies for the experimental noodles.

It was weird.

The noodles are easy to cook; you only have to rinse, drain, microwave for 1 minute and pat dry. But they smell strangely like shrimp and they're really anemic-looking.

Yet, we trudged onward, although hesitantly, and filled our bowls with "noodles," sauce and meatballs (made with chicken this time). They have absolutely no flavor, and unfortunately, sauce doesn't stick to them at all. The hearty sauce slipped off of them like they'd were made of teflon. We made the spaghetti variety - they have several other types - and thought maybe that was part of the problem. If we used a wider noodle, it might hold sauce better. With some research on Pinterest, we found other folks had the same problem but found that thick alfredo sauces adhere pretty well. But, that kinda defeats the point -- eating 10 calorie noodles covered in 300 calorie gooey, cheesey sauce.

The texture kind of felt like really, really overcooked pasta. But the longer you cook pasta, the mushier it gets and sticks together - so that isn't quite right. This "pasta" still had a "bite" to it; not a crunch like you'd get with a potato chip but more like with a crisp sausage casing snapping on the first bite.

And then, I came up with the perfect analogy and texture analysis that officially ruined dinner.

Have you ever bitten someone really hard? And there's a softness to the skin and the flesh, but still a chewiness to it? Yeah. The noodles taste like how I'd imagine flesh to be. The words had scarecely escaped my lips and J was pushing his bowl away and proclaiming he was "done."

Our friend and I continued to pick at it a little, but over "Walking Dead" puns and bad jokes, we decided to cut our losses, pick out the meatballs and call it a day.

I might be willing to try these again with a different sauce, but I know it's a dish I'd be eating alone. J has no interest in these whatsoever, and may not trust Hungry Girl (or my harebrained ideas) ever again.

Clean Eating Challenge: Completed!

For those of you "just joining us," the hubs and I have just recently completed a  two-week clean eating challenge!! For the daily posts, click here or use the "Clean Eats" label to the far right.

Each day of the challenge we receive breakfast, lunch, a daytime snack, dinner and a nighttime snack.We did it hoping to feel better and by the end we did; we both also lost weight and have become committed to incorporating clean eating into our lifestyle. 

Here's our big picture synopsis of the experience:

Take Away Lessons

• Eating less processed food does in no way mean it's less flavorful. These salads with just 2 T of all-natural vinaigrette are more flavorful than the most processed foods ever will be. 
• We, as Americans,really overdo it with meat. Vegetables can be incredibly flavorful, vitamin-rich foods that actually fill you up! Four ounces (or six for men) of meat is more than enough and paired with hearty vegetables like cauliflower, or the ONLY whole protein plant, quinoa, you'll get full and stay full. 
• We, as a couple, really overdo it with snacks. At night, we are really bad to graze - a handful of nuts, a bowl of potato chips, a few pieces of Easter candy, some hummus before bed. And that adds up, and more times than not, it's totally unnecessary. We were able to get full on two dates and two almonds; crazy right? 
• This is do-able. It takes planning, it does take effort and when you do this challenge it is expensive. But as you find your way with recipes/ingredients you enjoy, become more comfortable with the techniques and adapt it to fit your lifestyle, it is within reach. 

Advice

• If you choose to do the "challenge," take the time to read through the recipes and add up your ingredient quantities yourself; there are a lot of errors. Also, check the online version (in addition to the printed PDF) for additional instructions; there are a lot of errors there too. 
• Try new things and be open, but be honest about your palate. If you notice there's too much basil in something, but the next recipe calls for the same amount, customize it to your preferences. Given the amount of typos and loose ends in the recipes, they are not tried and true, perfected recipes like you'd find on America's Test Kitchen or within the pages of Taste of Home - so don't feel like your hands are tied. 
• With that being said, be honest when you don't like something but don't cheat! Accidents don't happen on a diet, you don't trip and land face first in a pizza. When you're making a commitment like this (not a lifestyle by the way), don't plan to have certain bad dishes just because, or reward yourself with a treat - you're not a dog. If you don't like the fennel, make a clean swap in your salad, use cabbage. Keep it clean -- you can do this!
• They do feature an equipment list, and they aren't lying about some of them. You WILL need: a lot of plastic storage bags, airtight containers (we like Lock and Lock or mason jars), good knives (some of the best are the commercial use sets from Sam's Club - you don't need a snazzy, celebrity-endorsed product, these are good enough for restaurants, they're good enough for your home kitchen) and cutting boards, a good blender (we love our Ninja), lots of measuring cups/spoons, and a kitchen scale. Check out our day-to-day must have kitchen tools list for other helpful items. 

Top Five Best (and Worst) Recipes 

The Standouts - Rated 1 (worst) to 10 (best) (Jordan, Amanda)

Scallion omelet (9, 9) - this is so good we've made it several times since!

Pear and almond butter snack (9, 10) - actually almond butter with any fruit was great. 

Black bean chili with paprika yogurt and zucchini ribbons (10, 9) - I can't wait to eat this again, especially on cold winter days. 

Cauliflower steaks with lentils (10, 9) - It's what's for dinner tomorrow!

Tamari shrimp in lettuce cups (9, 10) - My mom is already begging for us to make this for her.

Honorable mention: I must admit, dark chocolate did get 10s from both of us, but it isn't really a "dish" all we did was weigh it and then savor it slowly.

The Dregs - Rated 1 (worst) to 10 (best) (Jordan, Amanda)

First, it goes without saying that the three fennel heavy dishes sucked (incl. kale, chickpea and fennel salad; chickpea, fennel and blueberry salad; and roasted chicken with roasted fennel and spinach). Ick. 

Snap pea salad with feta, radishes and hard boiled eggs (0, 3) - J got pretty hangry from this dish. It also lead us to reinvent the lunch that was supposed to be made from leftovers. 

Red pepper strips with hummus (n/a, 1) - Just ick. Didn't even bother to take my own picture. 

Original Buzzfeed photo

Overnight oats with blueberries and chia seeds (1, 2) - The strawberry version of this is wonderful. I love it. But with blueberries, it was too bitter to be enjoyable. 

Blackberry yogurt parfait (2, 2) - Again, tart berries and tangy yogurt.

Blackberries with yogurt (3, 1) - Are you seeing a theme here with the yogurt? 

Original Buzzfeed photo

Moral of the story being, Greek yogurt will ruin your life. 

Clean Eating Detox: FINAL DAY! (14)

We  have successfully completed our two-week clean eating challenge!! For info on days 0-13, click here or use the "Clean Eats" label to the far right.

Each day of the challenge we receive breakfast, lunch, a daytime snack, dinner and a nighttime snack.The last day of the plan included:

Scallion and feta omelet. This was a winner when we first ate it and was just as good today. I think we will regularly incorporate this into our breakfast repertoire. I have realized though, that I think eggs and I aren't BFFs - they are far too filling and just wear me out. After this is over, I'll probably only eat egg-y breakfasts once or twice a week, certainly not this 15 eggs per week nonsense.

Portobello mushroom caps with feta, shallots and tomato (we nixed the mint). J was very skeptical of this dish. We enjoy mushrooms and he has some great portobello recipes - including a yummy sandwich with goat cheese - but this felt a little odd to him. However, it was delicious. The recipe calls for minimal cooking of the caps, but we sauteed them a little longer because that raw mushroom texture is awful! And having the tomatoes warmed in the pan and layered with the salty feta made for a great combination. I will say though, that eating the components separately was a little off, but when you make those "perfect bites" with a little bit of everything they were impeccable. Portobellos are incredibly meaty and are surprisingly filling. We were actually supposed to have three apiece but thanks to the error-riddled shopping list, I only bought 4 (which left us short for dinner too. Thanks, Buzzfeed; you will be getting comments on that); but three would have been entirely too much food. 

Apple with almond butter. We are converted almond butter/ natural "nut butter" lovers now. On today's shopping trip we scoured the peanut butter aisle and are trying a new type. We haven't opened the jar yet, but I will give a shout out that Trader Joe's natural almond butter was delicious, comparatively priced and only had one ingredient: almonds. That's clean eating at its finest. 

Chicken, mushroom and snap pea stir fry. This was pretty simple and delicious. We made our own marinade for the chicken early this morning and it soaked up the great flavors of lime juice, tamari, honey and olive oil beautifully. Too often when we make "Chinese food" at home, we soak everything in sauce and you just don't need it. We used less than 3 T of sauce and it was still full of flavor. My only complaint was that there was too much red pepper for my taste but I could work around that. This is also a quick dish and would be really easy to prep ahead of time and throw together after work. 

One ounce of dark chocolate. Ending on a sweet note! 

Day 14 synopsis (a complete overview is coming tomorrow): I am so proud of us. We have challenged ourselves in other ways before and only put forth a half-assed effort. But we finished! We didn't cheat, we didn't quit mid-way, we finished it! That may be because we spent an arm and a leg up front on groceries, but I think it's because we knew we could do it, and more importantly, that we should do it. 

We thought this was just going to make us feel good (see our inspirational GIF below), but it's done that and more. Both of us have felt satisfied, have felt more natural energy (coffee-free), relaxed better at night and lost weight! J has lost around 15 pounds and I've lost around 6 - men, sigh. 

This challenge has changed the way we look at food, cooking and eating (more descriptive lessons tomorrow). And we enjoyed these changes; so much so that today's grocery shopping trip and menu planning was based on clean eating principles. We have picked some challenge recipes we want to eat again, some new ones we'd like to try and are re-inventing some of our favorite dishes into clean reincarnations. While shopping we looked for ingredients that had 6 or less ingredients, all of which we could pronounce and knew what they were. We've also decided that it's unrealistic to think we can clean eat 24/7, especially right away; so we're doing a 2-day cheat plan that will allow us to go out with friends, try new recipes (for Fat Kid Friday?) and not feel deprived of our favorite things. 

Thanks for sticking with us! 

And yes, we're doing this dance through the house tonight, but won't subject you to that video. 

Clean Eating Detox: Day 13

We are one day away from completing our two-week clean eating challenge! For info on days 0-12, click here or use the "Clean Eats" label to the far right.

Each day of the challenge we receive breakfast, lunch, a daytime snack, dinner and a nighttime snack.Our final Friday menu included:

Overnight oats with strawberries and chia seeds. Now remember, dear readers, we tried this overnight oats recipe on Day 2 and as we would come to find out with most of our Greek yogurt dishes, it was bitter. We liked the texture, how filling it was and the concept, but the flavor was just a little too tart and while the blueberries were a burst of flavor, they too, were bitter. This go-round with strawberries was wonderful! Admittedly, I added around an extra tsp. of honey to each of our jars, but the results were amazing. This is a great breakfast that kept me full well into the day even with high activity and it's so easy to throw together at night and then eat on the go or take in my lunchbox to work. I've found a webpage with 19 overnight oat recipes that look pretty darn good - I'll keep you updated. P.S. sorry for the less-than-artful photo; I remembered to take a picture after I'd already started chowing down and had settled in on the porch with Love in the Time of Cholera. 

For lunch we were supposed to have a snap pea and radish salad with quinoa and arugula. Considering how unsuccessful the first incarnation of this dish was on Wednesday, J decided to create his own salad at work and I tried to rebuild it from the ground up (nix the arugula in choice of kale, nix the balsamic and just use olive oil), but it sucked. If you like the dinner on Wednesday, you'll enjoy this. If you didn't, try something else clean.

Original Buzzfeed photo (of what we should have eaten)

Carrots and hummus - again, yum! 

Spicy tamari shrimp lettuce cups. PF Changs makes a phenomenal chicken (or tofu) lettuce wrap dish that is phenomenal. This recipe leaves those pitiful wraps in the dust. I was thinking on the way home from work that Chinese food would be so good tonight, and this fulfilled my craving in a healthy way! It was amazing and full of flavor! The tamari sauce created this deep, earthy, umami flavor that resonated through the dish. The textures were fabulous and unlike some of our other non-bread wraps, the lettuce cups were the perfect vessel. They added a bright, freshness and crunch. I loved it! I told J that I'd be hesitant to make some of these dishes when we had company over - who knows how someone will react to a cauliflower steak - but I would make these for any dinner party!

An apple drizzled with 1 tsp. honey. I worried this would be cloyingly sweet and sticky but this pairing actually worked. We used granny smith apples which contributed tart crunch and were so juicy that the honey dissolved a little and made more of a sauce than a sticky drizzle. I bet this dish would taste so different using different varieties of apples and honey. If you haven't done a honey taste test before, give it a shot. Honeys from different areas and made from different plants have such varied flavors; check out a local farmers market to find some great honey options.

Original Buzzfeed photo - gmail crashed!

Day 13 synopsis: We talked tonight about things that we're surprised we haven't missed since we started clean eating. We were both surprised to realize that we haven't eaten bread or pasta in over two weeks and hardly even noticed it; which is quite wild for us given that I could eat pasts 3 times a day and J works at a deli. It goes to show you that your body has amazing skills for adaptation. If you're planning on making a change in your life, give it two weeks. It may not be enough to completely cure or change you, but you'd be surprised at how quickly you adapt to not eating bread, enjoying "natural" sweets not artificial ones, smaller portions and more. Gradual "ten percent" changes over time will result in you completely turning around your habits!

Clean Eating Detox: Day 12

We are nearing the end of our two-week clean eating challenge! For info on days 0-11, click here or use the "Clean Eats" label to the far right.

Each day of the challenge we receive breakfast, lunch, a daytime snack, dinner and a nighttime snack. Thursday's menu included: (p.s. we got lazy with pictures today, most dishes were repeats, anyway)

Blackberry yogurt parfait breakfast...again. Ughh...I think this is the last heaping serving of Greek yogurt, though.

Black bean chili with carrots. This chili is left over from from Friday's dinner, and again, was delicious. This will become a common meal in our household. 

Original Buzzfeed Photo

A pear with 2 T raw, unsalted peanuts at lunch. I have been eating peanuts my entire life - all types, in all sorts of dishes (and drinks!) and by the handful; I even went to the ER when I was two because I'd stuck a peanut up my nose. But, I've never really eaten plain, unsalted ones. And they weren't half bad. I don't think I could eat these with the same compulsive inability to stop shoveling them into my mouth the way I can with salted, dry or honey roasted nuts; but maybe that's a good thing. I ate my pear and peanuts separately in two mini-snacks, but J ate them together and said they paired together really well. I will say though, that something was up with my pear - the skin made my teeth almost feel furry, it was really bitter and had a crazy texture. 

Original Buzzfeed photo

Asian-style cod in parchment with bok choy. This meal was interesting, and probably flawed. First, it is supposed to contain six (!!) baby bok choy in each parchment packet. But we couldn't find baby bok choy at any local grocery store, so we tried using regular bok choy. That may have contributed to the weirdness in texture and that it wasn't incredibly filling. The flavor from the "spicy tamari dipping sauce" were great and worked really well with the chopped peanuts. However, even with the very flavorful sauce and peanuts, the fish didn't really absorb much flavor. We don't cook fish often, so this may just be a "cod thing" we aren't aware or or a taste preference we haven't developed, but the fish tasted more like fish than any seasonings; almost bland. It was juicy and tender and cooked with perfect technique, but the flavor was off. With some tweaking, this could be a really good dish. 

"Hot cocoa" was listed as our evening snack. But, as we learned on Day 3, this doesn't make for the dreamiest hot cocoa. So instead, we drank our milk and savored our chocolate separately. Since I don't normally eat dark chocolate and my tastebuds are aching for sugar, I can't be a real expert on this, but I must say that the chocolate bars we bought are delicious. I don't know if they are any better or different than your standard 70% cocoa bar, but I have thoroughly enjoyed our choice. We got them at Harris Teeter and they are a fair trade product called Divine, 70% Dark Chocolate Intensely Rich. At Harris Teeter, a favorite grocer from college, they were on sale for less than $2.50 apiece and worth every penny. I highly suggest looking them up if you're seeking a clean choco fix. 

Original Buzzfeed photo

Day 12 synopsis: Now, I don't know what this says about me, or J for that matter, but on Day 1 he started to feel the urges and cravings for cookie cake and coffee, but for the most part, I've been pretty satisfied. Other than my Sunday musings about how good a family dinner would be, I've willingly done without our "old food." Maybe it's because yesterday's meals weren't filling, we had to eat more shitty yogurt and I watched my mother eat from Taco Bell in front of me (Cinnabon puffs... *drools*), but I wanted to junk food. We are two days away from completion and this part of me was screaming "FORGET IT! BUY DORITOS!!" I don't know if that means that I have a really strong will and I've been able to hold out for so long, if junk food isn't incredibly dear to me or if that I'm just PMS'ing, but man, I can't wait until Sunday. Actually, J thinks that the challenge ends when we eat our last snack Saturday and the page says "Congratulations!," ergo, we can immediately go to the casino and drink and eat donuts. I'm not so sure; but Sunday will be a junk food fest. 

Quoteth Buzzfeed: "Two More Days! TWO MORE DAYS!"

Clean Eating Detox: Day 11

We are nearing the end of our two-week clean eating challenge! For info on days 0-10, click here or use the "Clean Eats" label to the far right.

Each day of the challenge we receive breakfast, lunch, a daytime snack, dinner and a nighttime snack. Today we ate:

A kale and banana smoothie. In the Buzzfeed article this has a vibrant green color and what looks to be the consistency of juice. I tried to blend this for a super long time and make it more like their product... it didn't work. But luckily, we're both quite happy with the way this turns out every time.

Tuna salad in romaine cups. This was delicious! The big draw of this tuna salad is that there isn't any mayo in it. Instead you add just celery, boiled eggs and a dash of olive oil; and honestly you don't miss the mayo. I will say though, that despite this tasting great, it wasn't very filling. I thoroughly enjoyed the flavors but I was hungry within a few hours (which is part of clean eating - you should eat every 2-3 hours) but then we followed it up with a not-so-filling snack and a useless dinner. I'd make this again but pair it with more filling meals later in the day.

Banana avocado pudding. Again, Buzzfeed takes some creative license here with calling this a "pudding." Have you ever watched cooking shows like "Chopped" where some panicked contestant introduces their dish with some fancy name and the judges just shoot them down? "This isn't a pomegranate gastrique! It's just juice!" Yeah, this is nowhere near a pudding. The only similarities between this and a pudding is that you could eat both with a spoon. But honestly this has the consistency of a smoothie, so I drank mine through a straw; while I was hoping for a fluffy, creamy mousse. Despite my aggravation with their word choice (ahem false advertising ahem), the flavor was great. I think of bananas as fairly mild - seeing how you can swap them in recipes in place of eggs and 1. never realize the eggs are missing and 2. never taste the banana; but, mixing them in all of these breakfast dishes, I'm seeing just how flavorful bananas are. They really hold their own and contribute a wonderful flavor to everything they're paired with.

Pea salad with feta, radishes and boiled eggs. So, let's be real about this salad. It's not awful and as a lunch salad, in a smaller portion I could probably enjoy it. However, this really left dinner lacking and here it is 2 hours later and I'm starving. The pairings of ingredients in this salad were weird, like most salads thus far, but they didn't quite work here. You had peppery, spicy arugula with a bunch - no not "whoa that's a bunch of cookies" but the literal grouping they grow in, meaning 5+ radishes - of spicy, peppery radishes. And then you add tangy dressing with tangy feta. Everything was over-the-top which made the first few bites (to me, not J) okay but it got old fast. And lucky us, we get leftovers of this for lunch Friday. Woot.

1 ounce of dark chocolate was on the menu - but because we're famished we are pseudo cheating. We had an oz. of chocolate and also 1 T raw pistachios and 1 T raw almonds. We are only cheating in that we are eating "more" (technically not since 50+% of our salads went to waste) than prescribed, but we're not cheating because everything we added in, is clean.

Day 11 synopsis: I'm hungry. This is the first day I've been even slightly annoyed about being hungry. And if that's the worst of it, so be it. I think we've done really well so far and I've been impressed with the recipes and the detox. In our hangry fits tonight I've had to remind myself that we are only three days away from completion and have a very successful run! This minor bump in the road (or rumbling in my belly) won't deter me from continuing to eat clean.

Rest assured, this Buzzfeed is highly inaccurate. I'm not feeling that funky and/or awkward.