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.