Ah, yes, best laid plans and all that . . .
Remember when I wrote a couple of days ago about our massive grocery shopping trip and how we had stocked up on ingredients for the week? Well, not all those ingredients made it intact to Day 5. 🙁
Emma and I were so excited about today’s lunch – Super Food Power Salad – chock full of pomegranate seeds, avocado, and almonds. Alas, our pomegranate seeds got moldy and our avocado turned brown and sad. Thankfully, I’m doing this Challenge alongside Queen of the Kitchen, and she definitely came to our rescue this afternoon!
So, instead of the original salad, Emma created something equally delicious using kale and her yummy sauteed chickpeas (one can of chickpeas rinsed and seasoned with crushed red pepper, turmeric, cumin, paprika, chili powder, & pink salt). Not only did it taste good, but it was super filling, fueling us for our afternoon yoga class (and Emma and Matthew’s cardio session).
We also decided to doctor up Chef V’s lamb recipe a bit, using lamb chops instead of a whole rack and omitting the cilantro from the quinoa (it just didn’t sound good to us). Check out the Queen of the Kitchen Instagram tonight – I know she’ll have a picture posted of the final dish!
After dinner last night, we were all craving something sweet. The Queen whipped up a batch of sweet potato wedges seasoned with a light coating of coconut oil, a heavy sprinkle of cinnamon, and a pinch of pink salt then roasted at 400 for 20 minutes, turning halfway through. They came out of the oven hot and creamy and crispy around the edges – completely satisfying!
Day 5 Menu
Pre-Breakfast: 8-12 ounces of water plus 8-12 ounces of Green Juice
Breakfast: Smoothie (for my husband: gluten-free toast spread with fresh almond butter & sliced apple)
Mid-morning snack: Jicama sticks
Pre-Lunch: 4-6 ounces of Green Juice
Lunch: Super Food Power Salad
Afternoon snack: Apple slices with almond butter
Pre-Dinner: 4-6 ounces of Green Juice
Dinner: Grilled French Rack of Lamb and Organic Farmers Market Baby Carrots with Tricolor Quinoa
Chef V’s Super Food Power Salad (serves 2-4)
Ingredients:
4 cups cut organic green kale
1 lemon
1 avocado
½ cup pomegranate seeds
Slivered raw almonds
Directions:
Squeeze lemon juice onto kale to wilt. Mash avocado into kale mix. Top with pomegranate seeds and raw almonds.
Grilled French Rack of Lamb and Organic Farmers Market Baby Carrots with Tricolor Quinoa (Serves 2)
Ingredients:
½ French rack of lamb (4 bones) – we decided to use lamb chops instead
2 tbsp. cold pressed organic olive oil
2 tbsp. minced garlic
¼ cup chopped mint
1 tbsp. fresh rosemary
1 bunch of organic baby carrots (not packaged baby carrots)(split in half)
1 cup Organic Tricolored Quinoa
1 tsp. cumin spice
½ tsp. ground mustard spice
¼ cup chopped organic cilantro (we’re leaving out the cilantro)
¼ cup chopped raw pecans (optional)
1 cup water
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 F. In a small bowl mix 1 tbsp. oil, garlic, mint, and rosemary. Dip or rub the outside of rack of lamb. Let the lamb rest to room temperature in the marinade. Toss carrots in 1 tbsp. of oil and ½ tbsp. garlic. Roast in oven at 350 for 15-20 minutes in a jelly roll pan. Cook Quinoa as directed in a rice cooker or on the stove top with water. (I like the rice cooker because it does it perfectly every time, just press white rice setting). Add cumin and mustard with a dash of sea salt when cooked. Before serving, add chopped cilantro and raw pecans. While the carrots and quinoa are cooking, cook the lamb. Cover the lamb again with the marinade before grilling. Cover the bones in foil to resist charring and grill for 7- 10 minutes on each side over medium low until desired doneness. Let the Rack rest for 5 minutes before slicing, Slice earlier for more rare and let rest longer for medium or medium well. Slice delicately into four pieces serving two per person Over Quinoa and Carrots. Enjoy this simply good meal of lamb and carrots together for a delightful pre or post cleanse meal. Bon Appetit!
My TRX workout & amazing instructor, Erin
Helpful Links
Click here for Chef V’s website
Click here for the Queen of the Kitchen website
Click here for a Google list of Green Juice recipes
Workout of the Day
TRX at FitWit
C1 at Core Power Yoga
Elliptical machine for some added cardio
