CLEANSING: DAY 11 - 21

welcome back- did you read all about my favorite recipes from days 1-10 of the cleanse yesterday?
today i am going to share my favorite recipes with you for days 11- 21, which is when you get to add lean protein into the mix!

i had marinaded chicken the first night (day 11) and it tasted like heaven... maybe it was just that good, or maybe after 10 days of no meat, it just made it taste that much better!!

it was so yummy, i was too distracted from even taking any pictures... 

but here are some of my other favorite 'meat recipes' i really enjoyed: 

p a r c h m e n t p a p e r    s a l m o n

i found this recipe and made it with a little twist...

1 ear of corn

8-10 cherry tomatoes

or 1 roma tomato diced 

1 tbsp thinly sliced red onion

or yellow onion, it works too!

4-6 once filet of salmon

1 tbsp organo

1 tbsp parsley flakes

2 tsp evoo

1-2 tbsp dijon mustard

salt and pepper to taste

h o w   t o :

preheat oven 375 degrees. prepare parchment paper and fold it in half.

cut the corn off the ear and place in the bottom half of the parchment paper.

add the tomatoes, red onion and drizzle with evoo and the seasonings.

place the salmon filet on the vegetables. drizzle salmon with remaining evoo and seasonings and spread the mustard over the top.

fold the parchment paper over and pinch the edges to seal.

bake for 14-20 minutes, depending on your oven, then unwrap and serve!

 

c h i l i   r u b b e d  s a l m o n   w i t h   s w e e t   s a l s a 

i found this recipe and it was a hit!

the spicy crust is cooled down with the pineapple/peach salsa and makes for a delicious dinner.

1/3 cup pineapple, diced

1 peach, diced

1/4 cup red onion, diced

2 tbps. parsley, chopped

4 4oz salmon filets

salt for seasoning

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp chili powder

h o w   t o :

-preheat oven to 450 degrees

-in a small bowl combine pineapple, peach, red onion, parsley. mix and set aside.

-place filets on a nonstick pan coated with cooking spray or evoo so the skin does not stick.

-season the top of the filet with salt. in a bowl combine the cayenne and chili powder. sprinkle the powder mic generously over the top of the filets and rub it down so it is well coated.

-cook in the oven for 12-14 minutes.

-remove and top with a few spoonfuls of the salsa

m u s t a r d   m a r r i n a t e d   c h i c k e n 

evoo

1/4 onion - diced

3 garlic cloves - minced

2-3 tbsp dijon mustard 

salt and pepper

organic chicken tenders or breast

in a plastic bag add:
evoo
salt and pepper
dijon mustard
chicken

mix together, make sure the chicken is covered in the mix 

let sit for 4 hour- or up to 2 days

(you can marinate and freeze some if you want too)

h o w   t o :

- heat pan to medium 

- add onion and garlic and sauté until tender

-lower heat and add chicken, slow cooking is better

-cook until chicken is done

serve on bed of salad of over your favorite vegetables

this time around i served the chicken on a bed of arugula and tomatoes and sautéed spaghetti squash and zucchini - it was delicious! 

if you like more sauce, make a simple dressing:

1 tbsp dijon mustard 

salt and pepper

evoo

balsamic 

mix to the consistency, bitterness and texture you like 

drizzle over salad and chicken if needed

here are a few other tips and things i learned from the cleanse:

pineapple was my lifesaver for all things sugar-cravings. trader joe's sells the sweetest and ripest i ever did taste! 

the cleanse and sticking to the cleanse is not easy. it is very temping to give in, especially when you dine out with friends, which i do not recommend unless you have an organic, mediterranean restaurant around that serves vegan options and where not everything is marinaded and/or smothered in butter!

end results. i lots a lot of water weight quickly, but then lost the 7lbs i wanted to drop and reached my goal weight in the 21 days! i stuck with my 4-5 days a week vinyasa yoga routine, added a 5 mile walk once a week and even snuck in a pilates class or two. needless to say working out (maybe not a 5 hour bike ride) on this cleanse was totally safe. i never once felt faint or weak. 

2 of my favorite results that have come from this experience. 

i sleep like a rock, much more solid and deeper sleep than before

i am aware of what goes in my body and what my body needs for nutrients now

if you decide to do the cleanse- ill be happy to share more tips and recipes that helped me make it and stay strong for the 21 days!