Day 1, take two.

Having kicked the cold to the curb, it was now (really) time to begin.

Day 1 - Breakfast

Superfruit smoothie
Organic yogurt, sprinkled with toasted wheat germ
Green tea, sweetened with honey

Lunch

2 grilled mushroom, red pepper, & onion skewers
4oz grilled tilapia with pineapple & black bean salsa
24oz water with lemon


Snack

1 cup edamame sprinkled with sea salt

Dinner

4oz grilled chicken parmigiana (with organic red sauce) paired a cup of steamy, garlicy broccoli
24 ounces of water with lemon



By the end of the day I was convinced that I was on to something. For the first time in a while, I didn't feel the need to snack after dinner. I was satisfied.

Superfruit Smoothie

1/2 cup frozen blackberries
1/4 cup frozen raspberries
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
3oz acai juice, 3oz pomegranate juice

Take it for a whirl (on low) in your blender for 4 minutes. Voila.

A note on acai: There are countless companies out there touting acai as a weight loss miracle. I don't buy it. However, fruit from the acai palm has more antioxidants than oranges or cranberries, which is why I chose its juice for this smoothie. As a general rule of thumb, the darker the fruit, the better it is for you.


Organic Tomato Sauce

olive oil
(2) 28 ounce cans of organic tomatoes (crushed, diced, whole... whatever).
5 cloves of garlic, minced
1 medium white onion, diced
1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
salt & pepper
2 tablespoons organic ketchup <--- secret ingredient!


In a dutch oven, drizzle 2 tbsp olive oil & warm over medium heat. Add the onions, season with salt & pepper, and cook until they're translucent (about 5-7 minutes). Add in the garlic & cook for 30 seconds. Pour in the tomatoes, sprinkle in thyme, oregano, more salt & pepper, and on medium-low heat let it bubble away for 30 minutes. I find it useful to use a splatter screen rather than a lid, so excess water can vaporize instead of drip back into the sauce. Squeeze in the ketchup (for sweetness) and add the fresh herbs. Cook on low heat for another half hour, stirring frequently.

If I happen to have an open bottle of dry wine, this is when I will throw in a splash.

At this point I use my immersion blender to smooth out the sauce. You can also use a blender or food processor. This sauce is so easy to make, and you can double or triple this recipe to make it in bulk. The finished product is exponentially better than anything you could buy in a jar (and exponentially better for you). I hope to get extra credit for growing my own herbs next spring!