Ingredients 1 cup dry quinoa
2 medium avocados
3 oz. baby spinach
8 oz. cherry tomatoes
3 green onions

{For the dressing}
1-2 cloves garlic, minced (I use 2)
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/8 tsp. salt

Directions
Cook the quinoa according to package directions.
Meanwhile, make the dressing: in a small bowl whisk together ingredients and set aside.
Roughly chop the spinach and place in a large bowl.
Slice the green onions, halve the cherry tomatoes, and dice the avocado.
When quinoa is done cooking, add it to the large bowl with spinach and toss. The heat from the quinoa will lightly wilt the spinach.
Add the green onions, tomatoes, and dressing. Stir to combine.
Add the avocado and lightly toss.
Serve immediately or refrigerate to let flavors blend more.

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Breakfast Burritos

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Breakfast Burritos...

2 sweet potatoes diced
1 medium onion chopped
1/2 green bell pepper chopped
I can low sodium black beans (rinsed)
12 egg whites (or whole eggs for added vitamins)
Garlic powder and pepper to taste
Avacodo diced
3 tbs Extra virgin Olive Oil
12 Whole wheat tortillas


Heat oil in a skillet over medium-height heat. Sauté onions and bell pepper for 4-5 minutes. Add sweet potato and cover for 15 minutes. Stir mixture frequently to prevent sticking. Season with garlic powder and pepper to taste. When potatoes are tender add black beans and mix to combine. Next, pour in eggs and cook until scrambled. Stir avocado into egg/potatoes. Build your burritos and enjoy with salsa or a little cheese.

Photo: Bryan Gardner

Another from the defunct Whole Foods magazine that is scrumptious. Stuffed Acorn Squash.

            

•  Serves 2

Ingredients

• 1 halved and seeded acorn squash
• 3 Tbsp plus 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 diced large onion
• 1 tsp chopped fresh sage
• 1 tsp fresh thyme
• 1/3 cup cooked white beans
• 1/3 cup cooked quinoa
• 1 cup chopped kale
• 2 Tbsp chopped toasted hazelnuts, divided
• Lemon

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Brush squash with 1 tsp oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast cut side down until tender, about 30 minutes. Flip and set aside.
2. Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until tender, about 6 minutes. Add sage, thyme, beans, quinoa, and kale. Cook, stirring, until greens wilt, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Divide stuffing between squash halves and roast until golden, 15 to 20 minutes.
4. For each serving, sprinkle with 1 Tbsp hazelnuts, drizzle with 1 Tbsp oil, and squeeze with lemon

From the new three week reset program I found online and courtesy of now defunct magazine Whole Living here is my favorite from week one. I'll be eating this one a lot.

Red Lentil and Sweet Potato Stew

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• 2 Tbsp coconut or extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 Tbsp curry powder
• 1 diced large onion
• Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 minced cloves garlic
• 2 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
• 2 peeled and diced sweet potatoes
• 1 diced (stemmed, seeded) red bell pepper
• 6 cups vegetable broth
• 1 1/2 cups rinsed red lentils
• 6Chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook cumin, turmeric and curry powder until fragrant, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add onion with a few pinches salt, and cook, stirring, until tender, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, until tender, about 2 minutes. Add sweet potatoes and bell pepper and cook 1 minute.
2. Add lentils and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until lentils are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Top with cilantro before serving.

After finishing three weeks on the reset plan, and then duplicating it backwards to slowly re-introduce some foods that I had not been eating, such as cheese (the thing I craved the most) and pasta I found this recipe and having shared it successfully with my family for their reaction will now share with you too. I served it with steamed asparagus (six minutes in a steamer with lemon juice and a little olive oil in the water), though a good Bratwurst would have appropriate too.

Blue Cheese, Mustard and Beer Noodles:
(serves 4)

12 oz wide egg noodles
2 tbsp butter (I substituted extra-virgin olive oil)
1/4 cup chopped white onions
I tbsp Dijon Mustard
i tbsp minced garlic
1/2 cup beer, room temperature
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese, divided
1/2 tsp Himalayan salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper,
2 tbsp roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley

Cook noodles as the package directs.

Meanwhile, heat oil or butter in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and cook another 2 minutes. Reduce heat to a simmer and add beer and mustard.

Drain noodles and add the saucepan; stir to coat. Add 1/4 cup blue cheese, stirring gently to combine, add salt and pepper. Sprinkle 1/4 cup blue cheese and the parsley on top to serve.


Here is a second dish that can be served vegetarian-style or with steak. We ate the surplus beans for lunch the second day. It was something I had tried before the reset program and so had never really gone vegetarian for more than an occasional meal so I enjoyed the beef. The recipe I followed called for skirt steak but certainly flank steak would have sufficed in its place.

Ancho-Marinated Skirt Steak with Warm Black Bean Salad:
(serves 6)

1/2 cup Syrah dry red wine
1/2 cup red wine vinegar, divided
6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 tbsp minced garlic, divided
1 tbsp pepper
2 tsp Himalayan salt
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
1 tbsp ground ancho chiles or chili powder
11/2 pounds steak
2 fresh poblano chiles
1 large sweet onion chopped
3 cans black beans (15oz), drained and rinsed
1 large red pepper cut in to 1/2 inch chunks
11/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
3 green onions, sliced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Combine wine, 1/4 cup each vinegar and oil, 1 tbsp each garlic and pepper, I tsp each salt and cumin, the oregano and ground chiles in a large, resealable plastic food bag. Cut steak in half crosswise, rinse, add to bag, seal and turn to coat. Chill at least 4 hours or as much as 24 hours.

Preheat broiler. Halve, stem and seed the poblanos. Lay skin side up on a baking sheet and broil 4 inches from heat until well charred, about 7 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes, then peel and coarsely chop.

Heat grill to high. In a large frying pan over medium heat, saute onion and remaining 1 tbsp garlic in 2 tbsp oil until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in beans and remaining 1/4 cup vinegar and 1 tsp each pepper, salt and cumin, turn heat to low.

Oil cooking grate well. Lift steak from marinade (discard marinade) and grill, turning once, until browned on both sides but still pink in the center, 7-10 minutes total. Transfer to cutting board and let sit 5 minutes.

Meanwhile add poblanos, red pepper, tomatoes, 3 green onions and cilantro to bean mixture, and stir occasionally until warm. Slice steak on the diagonal across the grain and serve on the warm bean salad. Garnish with green onion if you like.

I found this recipe on the back of a box of quinoa. I had just finished the three weeks of my reset plan and this dish used many of ingredients so I didn't feel like I was cheating to far from the line, but the appeal of a little bit of Mozzella after no cheese for the whole 3-week plan would not let me pass it by. It was scrumptious.

Quinoa Stuffed Peppers:
(serves 4)
1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
4 large green peppers
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 lb fresh mushrooms, sliced (I used oyster mushrooms)
2 tbsp butter (I substituted extra-virgin olive oil)
1 - 28 oz can tomatoes, coarsely diced (reserve juice)
2 garlic gloves, crushed
1 -12oz jar salsa
2 tbsp dry sherry
10 oz Mozzarella cheese, shredded

Pre-heat oven to 325. Prepare quinoa (see prior instructions in this blog - or on the box) Steam peppers until soft but not limp - this helps remove the stems and seeds when you cut the tops off. In a large skillet, saute onion and mushrooms with butter or oil. Add the diced tomatoes (reserve the juice). Add the crushed garlic and salsa. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. Add the sherry and simmer 10 more minutes. Fold in quinoa. Place peppers in baking dish and fill with mixture. This will take about half the mixture. This the rest with the tomato juice and pour around the peppers. Sprinkle shredded Mozzarella over peppers and bake at 325 for 30-35 minutes.

On the reset plan breakfasts where predominately bowls of fruit: berries, kiwi, honey-dew melon and often lower-glycemic fruits such as apples and pears. Alternatives where oatmeal with fruit. One that I ate because the plan called for it - it certainly was not something I would ever have tried if it had not been on the plan I paid for - is a faux-oatmeal dish with chickpeas, or as they are predominately sold and marketed as garbonzo beans. There will be those that are now thinking hummus, and it is one of the ingredients so texturewise is something similar. I include it here as a suggestion as it was actually rather good once you got used to the idea.

Seasoned Mashed Chickpeas:
(makes 1 serving)

1/2 cup cooked or canned chickpeas, drained
1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/8 of an avocado

Mash chickpeas (they are more compliant if you hit them with a 30-second stint in the microwave) with the oil, and combine with garlic and lemon juice. Although the meal plan called for the avocado on the side I mashed it into beans and preferred it that way.

I am going to finish up the meals I would eat again from the reset plan with four that made my favorite list. The first is a simple stir-fry that can be done in a wok or large pan on the stove. I'm including this as it is a slight variation on the meal I might have made before being introduced to the reset program. The second is another easy to make traditional beans and rice dinner with a flair; these are not your Momma's beans, then there is  another quinoa entrant and finally my absolute favorite, not just in taste but in name - succotash. I just love saying that word! According to the dictionary it means "A dish of corn and lima beans cooked together" so again this is a variation. Tasty and colorful.

Hope you enjoy these from the diet plan and next week I will get to some of my favorite healthy meals that I am incorporating in my quest for the next fifteen pound loss. I always thought it would be impossibe to remove all meat from my diet but for 3 weeks I did just that (dairy,coffee and alcohol too - I know!) and since they have kept it up probably 90% of the time. Cheese was what I missed th emost and now try to just add crumbles of feta or blue-cheese to salads.  I have a craving for beef, when previously I preferred chicken, and will have an occasional steak or Kobe burger.

Stir-Fried Veggies:
(makes 1 serving)

1 1/2 tsp coconut oil
1 tsp sesame oil
1/2 medium carrot, cut into thin diagonal slices
1/4 cup broccoli florets
1/4 red bell pepper, diced
1/4 medium zucchini, sliced lengthwise
1 1/2 tsp Bragg liquid amino

Heat coconut and sesame oils in large skillet or wok over medium-high. Add carrot, cook 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add broccoli, cook 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add bell pepper and zucchini, cooking for 2-3 minutes until tender-crisp. Turn off heat. Add Bragg liquid aminos and mix well.

You can have either brown rice or quinoa on the side.

Quinoa-Lentil Pilaf:
(makes 1 serving)

1 1/2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 medium carrot, diced
1/2 stalk celery, diced
1/4 medium onion, diced
1/4 red bell pepper, diced
1/4 tsp paprika
dash cumin
1/4 tsp turmeric
3/4 cup cooked quinoa
1/4 cup cooked lentils
1 1/2 tsp grated lemon peel
1 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parley

Heat oil in saucepan over medium-high heat. Add carrot, celery, onion, bell pepper, paprika, cumin and turmeric; cook, stirring frequently for 5 minutes, or until they appear tender. Add quinoa, lentils, lemon products and parsley to the cooked vegetables; heat 2-3 minutes at medium temperature. Fluff with a fork and serve.


Pinto Beans and Rice:
(makes 1 serving)

1/2 cup canned pinto beans, with liquid
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp paprika
dash cumin
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp Bragg liquid aminos
dash Himalayan salt

heat beans in saucepan over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Drain. Add oil, paprika, cumin, coriander, Bragg liquid aminos and salt, mix well. Gently fold beans into warm cooked brown rice.


Edamame and Roasted Corn Succotash:
(makes 1 serving)

1/2 cup fresh corn kernels
1 cup water
1/4 cup shelled edamame
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 shallot, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/4 medium red onion, diced
1 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
dash Himalayan salt
finely chopped basil and dill

Preheat oven to 400. Arrange corn in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, or until caramelized and begging to brown, but before kernels harden.While corn bakes, bring water to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add edamame; cook for 5-7 minutes. Remove corn from oven, let it cool.

Drain Edamame. Set aside. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add shallot, bell pepper and onion, cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until soft. Add corn and edamame; cook for another 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Add vinegar, lime juice, cilantro, salt and seasonings. Mix well.

Well out of the 21 days of meals those are the ones that I wanted to share with you as options I will continue to eat now the six weeks (I did the diet plan in reverse one the initial plan was up in order to gradually re-introduce some of the regular foods I had left behind) are over. I will be looking for new and improved meal plans, or slimming tasty recipes,  so if you have any you would like to share e-mail me and I'll include them too.

I researched on the web and found a superb magazine, Whole Living, that unfortunately stopped printing in February but has a similar 3-week reset plan that I think I will start up April 1 after taking a week off of nothing but salads. Try it for yourselves.