Tuesday, January 09, 2007

Detox with some soup?

The picture is of a no-clam chowder soup that we have had recently. More about this below, But first I want to share with you some info that I found on Vegan Grandma 's blog. She has some great information on her blog about the latest GREAT AMERICAN DETOX DIET. Here is my overview of her suggested detox dietary guidelines:

No!
Sugar, Refined carbohydrates (white bread, white sugar, white rice), Coffee, Caffeine, Alcohol, Dairy, Meat, and avoid using peanut oil, canola oil, corn oil. I think I could do this except for the words in red.... that's a bit restrictive for me. I don't needs me some coffee, but I sure do like it a whole lot.

Yes!
10 to 14 glasses of filtered water a day, Whole grains: brown rice, millet, quinoa, oats, Nuts and seeds, Phytochemical rich -foods: blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, watermelon, peaches, plums, sea veggies, cabbage, tomatoes, Soy products, Beans and legumes, Acidophilus to replenish good bacteria in the intestines, use mainly extra-virgin olive oil, coconut oil, and sesame oil , focus on organic fresh foods

"The best way to ensure that your body is getting the kinds of carbs it needs to run smoothly and stay "clean" is to keep eating whole grains, beans, vegetables, and fruits that give you the extra dose of fiber needed to clean out your system. The natural foods with the highest amounts of fiber are lentils; black, kidney, and lima beans; chick peas; potatoes with the skin; peas; non-instant oatmeal; pears and apples with the skin; Brussels sprouts; and peaches."-p. 117

Here's some of our latest foods:
Chinese Hot and Sour Soup
I have been inspired by Bryanna's 20 Minutes to Dinner Cookbook. I am doing alot of cooking from this book lately. I have changed this into my version inspired by the original recipe on page 69 of the cookbook.

Instructions:
Place all ingredients except the cornstarch/ water mix into a medium pot. Bring to a boil, then turn down a simmer for about 5-10 minutes. Add the dissolved cornstarch and bring to a boil, stirring until it has thickened slightly and is clear. Serve immediately. NOTE: I have done this in the crock pot also. I just add the cornstarch at the end and turn the pot to high for 15 or so minutes.
4 C veg broth
6 oz firm tofu cut into strips
1/2 C sauerkraut
3/4 C frozen peas
1/2 C fresh sliced mushrooms (or an 8 oz can drained)
3-5 thin sliced shiitake mushrooms (I just throw them in straight form the package, but you an grind them into a powder or chop them up a bit)
1/2 C thinly sliced onion (or green onions)
2 slices fresh ginger root chopped (about 1 - 1 1/2 Tbsp)
2 Tbsp dry sherry
2 Tbsp soy sauce or tamari
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
1/2 tsp liquid hot pepper or 1-3 tsp of a chili garlic sauce, you choose level of hotness
1 Tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 1 Tbsp cold water
Thin strips of carrots (I used a veg peeler and 1/2 a medium carrot).


The picture above is a soup from the same cookbook. DH was hankering some clam chowder to eat with those cheap little white flour round crackers. This soup was satisfying to him, Bryanna 20 minute cookbook calls it New England-Style Sea Vegetable Chowder. The original recipe on page 62 calls for silken tofu, which makes a wonderfully creamy and thick soup, but I decided to make mine with soy milk and it was good. Here is my recipe.

Dori's No-Clam Chowder
1 large onion chopped
3 medium Yukon gold potatoes cubed (I leave the skin on)
8 oz mushrooms chopped coarsely
1 cup frozen corn kernels
2 Tbsp dulse flakes (I use less than Bryanna calls for, we are not fond of this flavor when it is strong because it is a bit fishy for us)
3/4 cup minced celery
1 Tbsp soy bacon bits
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp kelp powder
ground veggie pepper to taste
2 cubes Knorr vegetable bouillon, this brand has cubes that are equal to 2 cups of broth each when added to water
6 cups fresh soy milk made in the soy milk maker or 1 quart of plain soy milk combined with 2 cups of water
2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp sugar or alternate
In a medium pot saute onions until soft and add the remaining ingredients. I did this in the crock pot.
Here is a link to my homemade soy milk recipe:
SOY MILK MAKER
Hope you are all having a great week. I have showed my blog to some of my students. I hope you try all the recipes you find here and impress your family. Extra credit if you bring in a small sample of your food and share with the class about your cooking experience.

19 comments:

bazu said...

Oooh, how lucky your students are to have you as a teacher! And I can't wait to hear what creations they bring to class.

Daiku was like you- he couldn't quit coffee overnight for our detox, but he's reduced his consumption by quite a bit. (We're talking down to 2 cups a day from, like, 9!)

I realized you don't have my email address with which to answer my baking question! Here it is: bazooq (at) gmail (dot) com. Thanks!

Dori said...

Hi bazu, I got it and am responding to your baking question now.

9 cups is a bit to withdraw from. I hope daiku doesn't go through those nasty withrawal headaches.

Anonymous said...

I have been wanting clam chowder for the longest time!!! The funny thing is that I have that cookbook too. I always thought the New England Style Chowder was the red kind. I didn't even look at the ingredients because I was never fond of the red chowder. Doh!!

Celine said...

dear dori!
i never know how that comment thing works on blogger, so i'm responding to your comment on my blog, re: the crispi square from vive: it is way softer than a "normal" rice crispie treat would be, but not bendy. really delicious and easy to devour! it makes me smile when Dreena says there's enough for 16 servings. she obviously doesn't know me! ;p
i hope you are well!

Celine said...

ps: i was about to ask if you could make do without coffee, and i'm almost relieved to see i am not the only one who'd have a hard time being coffee-less! if you're interested: i drink a coffee substitute to replace the many cups of coffee i used to go through a day. decided to only have one cup of "normal" coffee per day, and have caffeine-free beverages after that. here's a link to what i get, if you're interested:
rocamojo coffee sub...
it doesn't take that long to get used to the taste that is somewhat different from coffee. the best thing to do is to not think about it as a coffee replacer, but as beverage in its own right. delicious, once you get used to it! :]

Celine said...

and thank YOU for the various links and info re: the nut milk book and roastaroma herbal tea, I will definitely check all of this out asap.
you're a pearl!

urban vegan said...

All my buddies are detoxing. SUch good influences.

I have been eyeing a soymilk maker. Even though I only pay $1.19 a carton, I realize I probably could save some franklins. Thanks for the recipe and info.

Mikaela said...

Dori! My girlfriend just bought that book to take into consideration when we do our detox (via 43 things: http://www.43things.com/person/mikaeladanielle). How perfectly wonderful that you've shared your voice on the matter :)

I hope you and all your lovelies are doing great this year. Happy 2007, lady!

Love,
m.

aTxVegn said...

Thanks for the summary of the detox diet. I can't quit my morning coffee yet, and working in an office I'm just thankful I can cut myself off at 10 a.m.

I have a foodie cousin who quit her job as an English professor to open a restaurant (which is very successful!), but when she taught, she often assigned cooking and sharing food for graded projects. Your students will love you!

Harmonia said...

Detox...always looking to learn more! Thanks!

Oh! That Hearty Sprouted Lentil Soup is up on my blog!

laura k said...

Dori, I know what you mean about coffee--I really love it. I only drink perhaps an average of less than one cup a day, but I love that one cup so much and it would be very hard to say goodbye to it. Other than that, I think the detox is a very good idea and would not be too difficult to follow!

Thanks for providing your soy milk recipe. I checked out the web site for the soy milk maker... I would really like to get one, and my goal is to make my own soy milk someday soon. I wish I could afford to buy a soy milk maker now! Every time I buy Silk soy milk at $3 for a half gallon, it makes me cringe--but I don't have much choice, really.

meesh said...

Hi Dori,

I wish I was taking a class where I got extra credit for cooking. :) What lucky students you have!

I'm hearing a lot about this detoxing thing lately. It sounds very interesting and your post has shed some light on it for me. I'd love to give it a try sometime. Have you found that you feel better during/after you've done this?

Carrie™ said...

I would really be interested in doing a detox. Isn't that Great American Detox Diet by Chef Alex Jamieson (gf of Super Size Me fame)? Sounds like a reasonable diet. My naturopath has me on acidophilus caps twice a day. She says it's all about the exits! HA!
When I was on the anti-inflammatory diet, I wasn't allowed coffee, even decaf. It was a bit tough, but I managed with herbal teas even though I'm not a tea drinker. Once I finished the required 2 weeks of that diet, the first thing I had was coffee!
Soups are spectacular! I love soup in the wintertime. Dulse, not too keen on. I grew up on the East Coast and my family buys bags of the stuff and eats it as snacks while watching TV. EWWWWW!! I'd rather very unhealthy chips or better yet, popcorn!
Great post as always Dori!

laura k said...

Hi Dori! Forget about the last half of my previous comment--Bob came home and said that we should DEFINITELY order a soy milk maker... so we did. It will pay off, I'm sure. I'll probably try your soy milk recipe!

erica said...

I quit caffeine last summer when I went on the infamous rotation diet, it was a little tough but I don't even miss it (and when I'm tired, I don't even think of caffeine anymore. I'm just tired.)

My guy is another story ;P

Webly said...

Thanks for finding my blog and posting such a nice comment. I am so glad to see your blog - looks very interesting. I just might try that fake clam chowder soup!
Thanks!

Teresa said...

Thanks for the info on the detox diet. I dont' consume any caffeine, but luckily I never had that much so it wasn't hard to give up (although I was having 1 cup of coffee a day at one point). One question I have- why no canola oil? I thought that it was a good oil, with a good balance of omegas. Have I been terribly misinformed?
Thanks!
Teresa

Dori said...

Hi Teresa, you asked about canola oil on my bloig detox entry. Although canola oil is lowest in saturated fats which are tought to be bad, it is a highly processed oil and the lowest in nutrients like vitamin E, etc.

Glad you visited webly.

andrew123 said...

Thanks for finding my blog and posting such a nice comment. I am so glad to see your blog - looks very interesting. I just might try that fake clam chowder soup!
Thanks....
===================================
Andrew William

http://www.detox24.com