Dining out on a detox

 

The picture above is a 100% accurate portrayal of how the past week has felt. I have become a 1950s housewife, chained to the kitchen, looking like a young Elizabeth Taylor in a funky retro top, while Jarod shines up his car. I have no regrets about all the work I put into cooking yummy meals, but I need a night off!

A detox definitely limits your abilities to eat out, but after a while, the smell of grease emanating from fish and chip shops isn't all that appetising. Jarod and I managed to get out of the house on Sunday and get down to the Queen Victoria Market for some tasty food from Invita Cafe...

Tofu & beetroot burger with salad

Corn cakes with guacamole, salsa and salad

Some people may think that this food is going to be bland, because its healthy, and healthy food has no taste, right? Wrong! If you take junk food out of your life, your taste buds will thank you by making real food taste amazing, and giving you nutrients at the same time. Culinary spices like turmeric, coriander, rosemary, pepper, ginger, garlic and chilli add life to food so try adding them to a meal instead of salt.

So its one week down in the detox and I can report only minor bad effects. The past few days I have felt very foggy in the brain, very forgetful (I was halfway through a mandarin and left it in the kitchen, only to see it sitting there 20 minutes later wondering where I went!). Today the fog has cleared and I'm feeling back to my normal self again. As far as good effects go, Jarod has already lost 1kg (without exercising much) and I feel like I have lost weight around my abdomen (not game enough to look at the scales yet!).

To finish up this post, heres a recipe for an easy salad we made Friday night:

Rocket & quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) salad 

• 3/4 cup of washed, uncooked quinoa (cook in a rice cooker in a ratio of 2:1 water:quinoa, or boil in water for 15 minutes, or until quinoa is soft)
• 150g of washed rocket leaves
• 1 can of corn (drained and washed)
• 1 capsicum, grated
• 1/2 zucchini, grated
• 1 carrot, grated
• 1/2 red onion, grated
• handful of sundried tomatoes

Combine, with a squeeze of 1/2 a lemon or lime, and a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Season with cracked pepper.

Makes a bowl big enough to serve 4, and will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.

The salad, pictured with grilled turkey breasts in a thai marinade