DETOX DINNER

This meal was inspired to Robin's recent detox. Especially as the weather gets warmer, it's a good idea to have a couple of go-to salads for nights when you do not want to turn the oven on. These are really light dishes, but you could always add some garbanzos or leftover chicken to make them more main course meals.

Above is a miso soup I whipped up in just a few minutes by adding some sliced carrots and asparagus to boiling vegetable stock or water. When those begin to soften, add sliced shitake mushrooms, finely shredded kale and then lower the heat to a simmer. Whisk in white miso to taste, being sure not to let the soup boil after the miso has been added.



Avocado & Onion Salad
Thinly slice a white onion and toss with lemon juice. Set aside.
In another bowl, add sundried tomatoes, sliced avocado, finely chopped fresh mint. Add the onion. Drizzle with olive oil and add more lemon juice as needed. Season with salt and pepper.




Detox Delight-
Like almost any salad, vary the ingredients based on the season and what you have in your fridge. Here, I shaved some raw asparagus, chopped some pea shoots, artichoke hearts and romaine and added some kelp noodles. The kelp noodles are crunchy, but they don't have that briney seaweedy taste that can sometimes be overpowering. Mix everything together, season with salt and pepper and toss with olive oil and ume plum vinegar. Ume plum vinegar can be found in the asian section of the supermarket, but if you can't find it substitute lemon juice.

VEG

We always hear that we should be eating at least five servings of fruits and vegetables each day, so I figured I would show you some of the ways I get fruits and veg into my diet.

Most mornings I have a variation of a green lemonade, made in the juicer from kale, lemon, ginger, celery. Even the meat and potato loving husband will drink it without complaining.

Another way that I try to get my 5 a day is by eating mostly vegetables during the day. Rarely do I eat any meat for lunch. Instead I try to stick with big salads with lots of vegetables and legumes, maybe a little cheese. It's not that I am opposed to meat, but by avoiding it during the day, it leaves more room for veg. I eat vegetable sandwiches often. I love a sandwich, I really do. They are so convenient. The picture above is a raw vegetable sandwich. I just threw some lettuce, sprouts, shredded carrots avocado and tomatoes in between two slices of sprouted grain bread. Sometimes, I grill or roast a bunch of vegetables and then they are at my disposal whenever I want them for a salad or sandwich.

Finally, I just made a batch of kale chips. It's the easiest thing to do-tear up some kale, toss in a bowl with a tiny bit of vinegar and a tablespoon or so of olive oil and bake at 350 degrees until crispy. Much better than a bag o' chips.

How do you get your five a day?