The Fat Flush Cookbook (16 page)

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tablespoon each—chopped chives, chopped fresh dill, and chopped fresh parsley

Blanch asparagus spears in large pot of boiling water for 5 minutes or until tender but not mushy. Plunge spears in ice water to cool quickly. Then drain. Add remaining ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together for dressing. Drizzle lemon-flaxseed dressing over asparagus before serving.

Variation
:

For true parsley lovers, you may use 2 tablespoons of parsley to replace the chives and dill.

A
LL
P
HASES
; S
ERVES
4

Green beans are delightfully flavorful when enhanced with garlic, turmeric, cumin, cayenne, and jalapeños (for those who like to turn up the heat). Serve as a side dish with lamb or beef.

1 cup 1-2-3 Chicken Broth (
page 222
), divided

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

2 small jalapeño peppers, seeds removed, minced (optional)

1 teaspoon turmeric

2 teaspoons cumin

⅛ teaspoon cayenne

1 pound whole green beans, trimmed

Lemon juice for drizzling

Heat ½ cup broth in nonstick pan. Add garlic, jalapeños, turmeric, cumin, and cayenne and cook until the garlic turns golden, about 3 minutes. Add the green beans and remaining ½ cup broth and stir well. Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally for 5–6 minutes or until beans are tender. Drizzle with lemon juice and serve.

Variation
:

You can add 1 package of frozen pearl onions, thawed, to add a sophisticated flair.

A
LL
P
HASES
; S
ERVES
4

The health-enhancing oregano in this dish will increase antioxidant levels 3 to 20 times more than other herbs. And Green Beans Oregano is simple and tasty, too.

1 pound green beans, sliced

½ cup purified water

½ teaspoon dried oregano

In a heavy saucepan, place green beans with water. Add oregano and cook uncovered until beans are crisp-tender, about 12 minutes. Drain well and serve.

A
LL
P
HASES
; S
ERVES
4

A perfect partner with the Eggplant Bake (
page 70
), the sweetness of the onions also complements lean steak and hamburgers.

½ to 1 cup 1-2-3 Vegetable Broth (
page 221
)

4 large yellow onions, thinly sliced

4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

¼ teaspoon Stevia Plus

1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped

Heat ½ cup broth in nonstick pan. Add the onions and cook over medium heat for 30 minutes or until very tender. Add more broth as needed to keep from sticking. Stir in vinegar and Stevia Plus and cook for 10 more minutes or until onions are browned. Add cilantro before serving.

Variation
:

After cooking, try drizzling with flaxseed oil for a buttery taste.

A
LL
P
HASES
; S
ERVES
4

To keep the Indian theme and aromatic spices flowing, try this veggie side dish with Chicken Stir-Fry with a Touch of Turmeric (
page 75
). This recipe is courtesy of Kari Wheaton—the mashed cauliflower creator.

1 tablespoon 1-2-3 Chicken Broth (p. 222)

3 teaspoons Fat Flush Curry Seasoning (
page 204
)

1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced

1 garlic clove, minced

1 stalk celery, minced

1 head cauliflower, broken into florets

1 cup purified water

1½ cups apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon Stevia Plus

½ teaspoon dried dill

Cook the curry seasoning, ginger, garlic, and celery in broth in a nonstick pan over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the cauliflower florets to the pan and toss to coat. Cook the cauliflower for 5 minutes or until slightly tender. In a large glass container, combine the water, vinegar, Stevia Plus, and dill. Place the spiced cauliflower into the container with the other ingredients. Store in the refrigerator for 1 week to allow flavors to develop before eating.

A
LL
P
HASES
; S
ERVES
4

This simple dish cannot go wrong when paired with poultry, beef, or veal.

1 cup 1-2-3 Chicken Broth (
page 222
)

4 leeks, washed and cut in half lengthwise, then into 1/4-inch strips at a diagonal

1 garlic clove, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

½ teaspoon dried mustard

Bring broth to a boil in a nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add leeks and garlic to the broth, cover, and simmer until leeks are tender, about 10–12 minutes. Remove from heat, drain, transfer to large bowl, and stir in parsley, vinegar, and dried mustard. Ready to serve.

Variation
:

Try this dish tossed with chopped hard-boiled eggs for a quick starter to a lunch or dinner.

A
LL
P
HASES
; S
ERVES
4

This warming veggie dish goes well with salmon—especially Salmon Cakes (
page 87
).

1 pound asparagus spears, washed and dried

2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons fresh parsley, chopped

¼ cup 1-2-3 Chicken Broth (
page 222
)

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon flaxseed oil (optional)

In a medium-sized bowl, toss the asparagus with ginger, garlic, and parsley and let stand for 20 minutes or longer. Bring broth to a quick boil in a nonstick skillet. Add asparagus and herbs to the broth, lower heat, and sauté for 12 minutes, turning the asparagus occasionally until the spears are just tender. Remove onto a serving dish and drizzle with lemon juice and flaxseed oil.

Variation
:

For phases 2 and 3:
add 1 teaspoon dried mint to the seasonings.

A
LL
P
HASES
; S
ERVES
4

Carrots and snow peas team up with basil to provide an interesting flavor twist with Spiced Beef over Spaghetti Squash (
page 115
).

2 garlic cloves, minced

4 carrots, cut into thin strips

2 tablespoons 1-2-3 Chicken Broth (
page 222
)

¼ pound snow peas, strings removed from both sides

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

Sauté garlic and carrots in broth in a nonstick skillet for 7–10 minutes. Add snow peas and cook for about 2 minutes or until crisp-tender. Remove from heat. Stir in parsley and serve.

Variation
:

For phases 2 and 3:
1 tablespoon of fresh basil may replace the fresh parsley.

A
LL
P
HASES
; S
ERVES
4

Vegetable purées are a great way to add color-packed antioxidants to the plate. They are easy to make, and your guests will be impressed. This basic purée recipe can be used for any vegetable, but the ones that work the best are Brussels sprouts, asparagus, eggplant, and red pepper for phase 1, rutabagas, yams, and butternut squash for phase 2, and chestnuts for phase 3. I like this dish with Roast Turkey with Lemon, Garlic, and Fennel (
page 103
).

2 small sweet potatoes, skinned, baked, and mashed

½ cup 1-2-3 Chicken Broth (
page 222
)

⅛ teaspoon ground cumin

Fresh parsley sprigs for garnish

Purée the sweet potatoes, broth, and cumin in a blender. Garnish with parsley sprigs.

Variation
:

For phase 3:
a dash of nutmeg would be divine.

P
HASES
2 A
ND
3; S
ERVES
2

This cabbage dish can be served hot or cold with the Artichoke Frittata (
page 69
).

¼ cup 1-2-3 Chicken Broth (p. 222)

2 tablespoons onion, diced

4 cups red cabbage, shredded

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

Pinch of turmeric

12 chestnuts, roasted and peeled, or reconstituted from dried

Sauté onions in broth over medium heat in a nonstick skillet. Add cabbage, vinegar, and turmeric, and mix gently. Cover, lower heat, and simmer until cabbage is tender, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Blend in chestnuts, cook through another 5 minutes. Serve hot or cold.

P
HASE
3; S
ERVES
4

This dish can be combined with a couple of eggs for breakfast.

2 cups zucchini, thinly sliced

4 ounces Swiss cheese, cubed

2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated

2 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

1 tablespoon chives, chopped

½ cup Fat Flush Bread Crumbs (
page 203
)

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a nonstick baking dish, in layers, spread ⅓ of the zucchini, Swiss and Parmesan cheese, parsley, and chives. Repeat process twice and top with bread crumbs. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes; the bread crumbs should be golden brown, and not burnt.

Variation
:

No zucchini? Summer squash, broccoli, and asparagus will work quite well, too.

P
HASE
3; S
ERVES
4

This Indian-style veggie dish is perfect for lacto-ovo vegetarians and combines well with any tempeh or tofu dish.

1 cauliflower, cut into florets

1 cup peas, thawed

¼ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon ground coriander

Dash of ground nutmeg

1 tablespoon lemon juice

3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

1 cup plain whole milk yogurt

Salt to taste (optional)

Steam cauliflower for 10 minutes, until tender. Place in a serving bowl. Steam peas for 5 minutes until cooked. Add to cauliflower, with the remaining ingredients. Mix well and chill before serving.

P
HASE
3; S
ERVES
4

An excellent source of the antioxidant beta-carotene, pumpkins are very versa-tile—their seeds and pulp are Fat Flush–friendly. The fiery cayenne in this recipe is complimented by the gingery flavor of Stuffed Cabbage (
page 112
).

1 pound pumpkin, peeled, deseeded, and cut into ½-inch-wide lengths

2 tablespoons olive oil

½ teaspoon cayenne

½ teaspoon lemon zest

2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped

Cook pumpkin in boiling water for 3–5 minutes (or alternatively steam pumpkin for 5 minutes) until just soft. Drain and put the pumpkin on a serving plate. In a small bowl, mix together the oil, cayenne, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Pour mixture over the pumpkin. Garnish with basil before serving.

P
HASE
3; S
ERVES
4

This is easy and deceptively rich. It goes great with turkey.

4 small sweet potatoes, baked

⅓ cup unsweetened pineapple juice

1 egg, beaten

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350°F. Peel sweet potatoes (or leave skin on if you prefer). Mash and blend in pineapple juice. Add in egg and spices and beat until foamy. Pour into a casserole dish sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for about 35 minutes.

Variations
:

• Top with shredded coconut.

• Top with toasted, ground flaxseeds.

P
HASE
3 S
PECIAL
O
CCASION
; S
ERVES
4

Snacks are not just an afterthought. On Fat Flush they are as important as regular meals because they keep blood sugar levels steady. In fact, as many of you already know from
The Fat Flush Plan,
you must eat about every 3 hours to keep blood sugar levels steady, which avoids the overproduction of the fat-promoting hormone insulin at the next meal. This section provides a nice selection of pâtés and spreads which make perfect snacks that can be prepared ahead of time and kept in the fridge. Many of these, by the way, can be used as appetizers or hors d—oeuvres.

In addition to the fresh Fat Flush fruits for each phase and the snack recipes that follow, consider trying these easy snack ideas to satisfy the between meal munchies:

• Precut veggies such as zucchini, broccoli and cauliflower florets, string beans, radishes, baby asparagus spears, and carrots in apple cider vinegar/flaxseed oil marinade

• 1 steamed artichoke dipped in Homemade Salsa (
page 207
)

• Jícama rounds sprinkled with fresh lime juice and a dash of cayenne

• Celery sticks and red pepper slices

• Chicken broth with chopped spinach or escarole sprinkled with ground or milled flaxseeds