Day 4: Creating in the Kitchen

Following the cleanse is going well. I am being vigilant about making my shakes and packing healthy snacks for when I'm out and about. I'm worried that I'm going to get bored with the routine though. How can I spice it up? Pun intended.

Today my son and I went to our favorite farm to pick cherry tomatoes before hitting the beach. We also picked up our weekly fruit and vegetable share from the farm co-op we belong to. When I made my meal plan on Sunday, my intention was to make turkey chili with a leftover turkey tenderloin we grilled last night and I also had a lot of fantastic vegetables to now include from today's pick 'ins.

 I love to cook. I learned to cook growing up watching my grandmother. When I was in college I commuted from home. My grandmother's mobility was slowly decreasing due to bad knees and she could no longer stand up well enough in the kitchen to prep and cook. I took over preparing family meals for me, my grandmother and my mother.

Over the years my love for food and making creative dishes has just increased...along with my waistline. In the past year, I have especially been trying to make more vegetable and protein based dinners. I think the added challenge of this cleanse (no dairy, no gluten, no soy, no refined sugar, no alcohol) is going to have me being even more creative in the kitchen.

Like tonight I made my turkey chili. I did follow a recipe but altered it along the way. It is not uncommon for me to improvise in the kitchen. I have a pretty developed sense of what ingredients go together, how to select herbs and spices that compliment those ingredients, and can easily eyeball spoonfuls of seasonings. Turkey chili was made with leeks, garlic, chunks of lean turkey meat, black eyed peas, mild hot peppers, zucchini, a can of crushed tomatoes, and lots of spices and herbs. While my chili was simmering, I decided to make a soup.

In addition to my usual share, I requested a bulk order of 20 lbs of second tomatoes. I decided to roast the tomatoes to make a the soup. I also received red onions from the share,  a jalapeno pepper, garlic, tomatillos, and corn. I roasted it all together with EVOO.  I love creamy tomato soup but "creamy" is not on the cleanse at least not in usual way of making tomato soup creamy so I added the corn. I thought the corn would add that sweetness and thickness. I might even puree a bean in there for a creamier texture.

As I continue on with this blog I think I am going to add a tab of recipes that I make while I am following the cleanse. Stay tuned.