OHI Raw Food Detox Program - Days 3-7

                      




Detox Day 7 ---- 13 pounds down so far.


We did a 3 day juice fast the first week. There were two basic juices


1. the hypoglycemic "hypo" juice: cucumber, celery, zucchini, chard, green cabbage, bok choy, mixed sprouts, parsley, basil, kale, ginger, fennel, kelp and dulse.


2. regular juice: the same as the hypo plus beets and carrots are added.


Breakfast is always some type of fruit, such as watermelon (my favorite), cantaloupe soup (super yum), orange and grapefruit wedges or whole fruit applesauce. Most other meals consist of sprouts, mixed salad, a vegan seed cheese - which are basically seeds which are soaked, ground, fermented and seasoned, and some side dish. Past side dishes have included raw crackers, guacamole, half an avocado, radish salad, sauerkraut, seaweed salad, baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, bell pepper spears or cucumbers. Although I do love the avocado and guac., they do slow down the detox for people who don't want to lose a lot of weight.


One of these days I'll take pics of what they serve. Cheers!


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Optimum Health Institute (OHI) Days 1-2

                       


So today is actually my fourth day at the holistic health, body, mind detox center (OHI) and I'm feeling exhausted but fantastic. All the food is raw but not gourmet at all, but I really don't mind. I'm having a great time. Part of the detox is also detaching from phones, tv, and internet as much as possible..so I'm only going to upload a video every few days. I will be documenting as much as I can about the program though for people who are interested in coming to OHI themselves or would like to do something similar on their own.

The vid. below is just an introduction to the program and my first couple of days here. Peace and greens! - Toya

Eritrean Fiery Potato Stew (D'Nish Zigni) - Recipe

I made this recipe in honor of "Africa Day" designated for May 25th, 2010. I was inspired to put this post together by Casey Angelova over at "Eating, Gardening & Living in Bulgaria" who encouraged other foodies and bloggers to help recognize the diverse and often under-appreciated cuisine from the African Continent. At first I had no idea what to make because I don't have a lot of experience with African cuisine. The more I thought about it though, I knew I wanted to try and re-create an awesome potato dish I had at my Eritrean friend's house several months ago. So, I did a search for some recipes online and found something that sounded like what I remembered eating. Although it doesn't compare to the authentic Eritrean spicy potatoes my friend's mom made that day, it is pretty darn close.  

When I originally tried to recreate this a few months ago, it didn't come out quite right--but that's because it was missing one key ingredient: Berbere. Berbere is a staple in Eritrean cuisine. It is a complex blend of chilis, peppercorns and lots of other spices that I don't normally use, such as fenugreek, cardamom, cloves and coriander ---I would liken it to a super hot Indian curry spice - but African style. It also includes the more familiar cinnamon and allspice. You can get the complete recipe for Eritrean Berbere here.

Other than mixing and roasting the spices for the Berbere, the recipe itself was pretty easy (Note: If you do decide to make your own berbere, make sure you open a window! The aroma from roasting and stirring a bunch of chilis caused lots of whooping and coughing in my house! :). Overall, I was really pleased with how this came out. The dish is so simple, yet the flavors are so complex. Served along with some pita and yogurt (I used Turkish pide), this makes a great lunch entree or dinner side dish. I hope you'll give it a try.


D'Nish Zigni (Fiery Potato Stew) 
(Recipe taken from recipeisland.com - which was adapted from Olivia Warren's "Taste of Eritrea.")

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Medium Onion — Chopped
4 Teaspoons Berbere — Or Hot Sauce
6 Medium Potato — Cubed ( I peeled before cutting)
1 Can Tomato Paste
1 Teaspoon Salt
4 Cups Chicken Stock (I used vegetable broth)
 
Directions: Saute onion in oil for 5 minutes. Add berbere, and potatoes, saute for 5 minutes. Add broth and simmer for 10 minutes. Add tomato paste and salt, simmer for 10 more minutes (I simmered 25 minutes instead of 10). Serve with injera or pita bread.


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