Sacred Heart Soup detox

I have tried fasting in the past, but I tend to eat too much coming off a fasting or eat too much in the evening and it doesn't really help the "detox" part of fasting. I heard about this soup from a friend whose family had great success. I am anti-diet fads, but detoxing is a great way to flush out the impurities of eating even the least bit of processed food.

This detox does take away my favorite ingredients and that is cheese, but cheese is an over-processed and fat-heavy reason I need to detox. For the most part, the detox is vegetarian and since I don't eat steak anyway I have adjusted the detox for non-meat eaters.

I have also included ingredients that I like, but you can view the entire list of acceptable ingredients at the website Sacred Heart Soup. After the first day's attempt, I needed to cut back on salt. This soup is surprisingly tasty.

Sacred Heart Soup

2 cans Hunt's roasted tomato soup (no seasoning)

1 can whole cut green beans, reduced sodium or salt-free

3 green onions, sliced

2-3 cups vegetable or beef broth (fat free and/or low sodium)

Nestle chicken noodle soup mix, extra noodles

4 stalks celery, chopped

4 carrot sticks, sliced

3 cups chopped kale or Japanese cabbage

1 tbsp soy sauce

black pepper

2 tbsp fresh Italian parsley, chopped

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Spray soup pot with a little PAM. Saute green onions, celery and carrots. Cover with two cups broth. Beef broth offers more flavor to this soup, but I like it with vegetable broth as well. Add soup mix, cover pot and let simmer until vegetables are tender - 10 minutes. Add two cans tomatoes, with juice. Drain and rinse green beans - they tend to be canned with more salt. Add to soup. Add Worcestershire and soy sauce and black pepper and stir. Taste test for saltiness.

Add more broth if needed. Stir in kale or cabbage and parsley. TMI section: if you have never detoxed, it is not a pleasant week. You will detox from every place in your body, including your pores. I don't like cabbage anyway and I fear the consequences of using it in a detox soup. Kale is more nutritious and few side effects. Kale is very cheap and available this time of year.

This will make about six bowls of soup. I eat one for lunch and two at night, which takes out the soup in a day for two people. You can incorporate other foods during the week, but the schedule is strict. I have not been completely on target with the schedule, but this is what I do.

Day One: soup and fruit salad

Fruit Salad: tropical fruits are the mos nutritious and will provide the most beneficial calories

• fresh cut pineapple
• naval oranges
• kiwi
• mango
• strawberries

Day Two: soup and vegetable salad and baked potato

Salad:

• bibb lettuce
• shredded carrot
• sliced cucumber
• sliced radishes
• chopped tomato
• one tsp olive oil and vinegar

Baked potato

• 2 russet potatoes
• 1/4 cup reduced-fat Greek yogurt
• 1 tsp dry ranch
• 1 head broccoli

Microwave potatoes for six minutes to soften. Bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes. Mix ranch and yogurt and refrigerate. Meanwhile boil broccoli for 3-5 minutes or until bright green. Once potatoes are cool, cut and remove stuffing. Mix potato with yogurt ranch. I KNOW I am cheating by adding ranch, but I am not adding any cheese and yogurt is high in protein. Use a potato masher to mix. Stir in broccoli. Bake again for 10 minutes.

Day Three: soup and salad

Day Four: soup and bananas (at least three) and skim milk

For some reason I am not good about eating bananas raw. For a "dessert" I will slice two bananas and heat them in a skillet for a few minutes until soft but not gooey. Pour into a bowl and had a pinch of coarse salt. They are goooooood.

Day Five: This is the tough day because you are supposed to eat at least three steaks. I do not like steak. If you don't eat steak, then disregard this addition. If you do eat meat, here is what I suggest: beef tips from a reputable butcher. I don't recommend ground beef unless you ground your own because you don't know is going into it. I buy organic beef from a local farmer. I add the beef tips to my soup recipe on day five as well as an additional can of tomatoes. Double the amount of tomatoes on your salad also.

Eat fruit to fight off dessert cravings. Cherries are also a great way to detox this week.

Day Six: soup, salad and beef

Day Seven: add wild rice to soup mix or add cooked vegetables to brown or wild rice.

I lost four pounds, which isn't bad, even for Biggest Loser standards. It's not a noticeable difference for other people, but it taught me a good lesson - I don't need nearly as much food as I think I do. Other people I know have done this diet with great success. You can lose 10-17 pounds in one week depending on how strict you are to the schedule and how much you have to lose in the first place.

Shop of the perimeter of the grocery store. Travel down the aisles only for canned vegetables, juice and spices. The fewer processed foods you consume, the easier your body can handle them. I gulp down my food and don't pay attention to when I get full. I have since been more conscious of when I am full and stop eating immediately. It is just as wasteful to eat food your body doesn't need than it is to throw out food you don't eat.

Good luck and please post success stories if you have them. You will get tired of the soup by day five but if you can make it to day seven you will feel a great sense of accomplishment.

The Wonderful World of Frittata

Frittata is a wonderful trick for vegetarians looking to increase their protein intake and also a great way to use vegetables fast.

You can literally include anything you want into a frittata. Although typically served for breakfast this go-to dish is an easy mid-week meal and satisfying enough for dinner.

I usually saute most of my vegetables, but that can sometimes strip vegetables of their nutrients and added oil can jack up calorie count. Steaming and boiling are much better alternatives.

Broccoli, Potato, Tomato Frittata

One crown or more broccoli florets

2 medium, ripe tomatoes

4 new or red potatoes

1 tbsp olive oil

6 eggs

1/2 cup low-fat sour cream

1/2 cup gruyere or other white cheese

salt/pepper

garlic powder

onion powder

crushed red pepper

shredded parm (for garnish)

Preheat oven at 350. Set a pot of water to boil. For more flavor add a few tablespoons of vegetable broth. Boil potatoes for 4 minutes. Add broccoli, boil four more minutes. Drain and let cool. Meanwhile chop tomato, discarding seeds and white ribs. Stir in seasonings and oil.

I have found a wonderful little place called Midtown Olive Press in Raleigh. They serve infused vinegars and olive oils and one of my favorite is a butter-infused olive oil. It is still an unsaturated fat but carries a distinctive taste of butter. It is great for any potato recipe and adding flavor. Stir in one tablespoon olive oil but if you can, find an infused flavor that works for you.

Fill the bottom of a greased deep-dish or pie dish with seasoned vegetables.

Beat shredded cheese and sour cream into six eggs. Season with salt and pepper. Pour egg mixture over vegetables and stir until covered. Bake 45 minutes or until eggs are set.

Serve with shredded parm, tomato sauce or hot sauce. A frittata will make eight slices. If you want to use more egg, do not use more than eight eggs so you can keep up with your cholesterol count. Do not exceed more than two eggs, or slices, a day.

Broccoli side

This photo has nothing to do with my recipe, but it's so cute. I want to enjoy my broccoli as much as this little hamster.

I went to a friend's pot luck party a few weeks ago and someone had sautéed broccoli that was out of this world! Since my CSA is now distributing broccoli, I went to look for a recipe. I didn't find much that didn't have some kind of cheese sauce, so I experimented with this idea.

Sautéed Broccoli

1 tbsp oil

1 tbsp minced garlic

chili powder

crushed red pepper

grill seasoning, such as GrillMate

1 head broccoli

Steam broccoli first with either a steam basket over boiling water or in the microwave. After water starts to boil I let broccoli steam about 5 minutes or until broccoli is bright green and tender.

Add oil to skillet and turn stove to medium heat. Make sure oil is hot before adding broccoli or the florets will absorb too much of the oil. Sauté garlic first until golden and add broccoli. Season with chili powder, red pepper and grill seasoning. I used a grill seasoning intended for steaks, but it doesn't have any animal product so it is still vegetarian. The grill seasoning adds a lot of flavor without added oils or ingredients. Sauté broccoli until starts to brown.

I served this dish inside a vegetarian burrito and fish tacos, but you can have it on it's own. I also served it over rice pilaf for a very light dinner. This is my new favorite side dish! Plain vegetable sides are difficult for me because I want massive flavor and, of course, I want to add cheese to everything. This side dish is good because it is so flavorful and works stand-alone.

If you have other ideas for this broccoli side please post! I would love to hear ideas from you too!

Homemade Ravioli

This was a Martha Stewart "Quick Ravioli" recipe that is not so quick. It is faster than making the pasta sheets yourself but not a 30 minute meal either. This recipe is still somewhat time-consuming, but worth the effort. It makes dozens so it is perfect for a nice dinner for hosting a small group or a special occasion for a significant other. It also works great for leftover won tons or egg roll wrappers that you struggle to use before they go dry.

My mother and I have since revamped Martha's recipe to include more goody fillings and some variations on sauces. A friend reminded me of these raviolis when I realized I don't have a big variety of vegetables in my recipes, especially broccoli. When it occurred to me that my ravioli recipe is vegetarian, I was so excited to post it.

Homemade Ravioli

1/2 pint of ricotta cheese

Italian herbs (basil, oregano, rosemary, parsley, etc)

1 pint mushrooms, preferably baby bellos

1 tbsp minced garlic

1 head broccoli, steamed

garlic salt/pepper

Parmesan cheese (optional)

1 pack of egg roll sheets (available in the vegetarian section)

2 chicken or vegetable bullion cubes

1/2 cup walnuts, toasted

fresh basil

1/4 cup olive oil

Steam broccoli by snipping broccoli florets from the stem and laying them in a single layer in a steam basket over a shallow pot of boiling water. Cover and check on after 5 minutes. When broccoli is bright green and tender it is done. If you do not have a steam basket you can put broccoli in a Ziplock bag with some water (1 inch) and microwave for one minute. This is not preferred since cooking plastic can put toxins in your food, but there are great alternatives that are now on the market.

Preheat oven 400 degrees and toast walnuts until fragrant, no more than 10 minutes. Sauté mushrooms in a little bit of olive oil and minced garlic over medium heat. Season with garlic salt and pepper. I love garlic but if you think fresh, minced and garlic seasoning are too much, just use coarse salt and pepper to season. Chop broccoli florets and mushrooms and add to 1/2 cup ricotta cheese. Mix well, adding Italian seasoning or fresh Italian herbs, if available. If you want to use some grated parm to add a little more taste, do a few tablespoons in the ricotta mix.

Martha uses won ton wrappers for her ravioli, which I did for the longest time, but find that they are much more time-consuming. I take one egg roll wrapper and cut in half with a pizza cutter, or any straight cutter, and fill one side of the half-wrapper with one tablespoon mix. I wet a square around the mix and fold over. The won ton wrappers are not square and are more likely to break when boiling. Do not use more than 1 tbsp of the mix or the ravioli will bust from the moisture of the ricotta. Since this is the most time-consuming part of the meal you will allow plenty of time for the wrappers to stick together before you boil them.

Start a pot of boiling water and add a bullion cube. The chicken adds the most flavor but if you are a strict vegetarian the vegetable bullion also adds flavor. Boil no more than three raviolis at at time or they will get too crowded or you might lose them. Time the raviolis for 2-3 minutes. It will not take long for them to boil and over boiling will cause them to break. These are very delicate raviolis so be careful and don't get frustrated. Pile the raviolis on top of one another on a rimmed plate to keep them moist while you boil the rest. Do not put down a paper towel because they will stick.

Serve raviolis with 1/2 tbsp olive oil, toasted walnuts and julienne-cut basil or some more parm if you prefer. For a lighter sauce use 1/4 cup pasta water with 1-2 tbsp of pesto.

Bowties and Spicy Broccoli Rabe with Crunchy Crumbs Recipe - Rachael Ray modification

Bowties and Spicy Broccoli Rabe with Crunchy Crumbs Recipe - Every Day with Rachael Ray

On a shoe-string budget? Vegetarian meals can help. This recipe was a pleasant surprise to me. It is amazing what a difference the crunchy crumbs make to the taste of this meal. I seasoned the crumbs with garlic salt and pepper but be wary of too much salt. I also substituted red pepper for red pepper flakes. You still get the extra kick, but I am more likely to have flakes in the house than a leftover red pepper.

Bowties with Spicy Broccoli

1 head/flower garlic
1-2 bunch broccoli rabe (I like to use two for more nutrition)
1/2 lb. bowtie pasta
course salt/pepper
1 red chili, chopped OR crushed red pepper
1 slice wheat bread or roll
8 oz ricotta cheese

In large sauce pan boil garlic, sleeves on, for 3 minutes. Fish our garlic with a slotted spoon and let cool. Once cool enough to handle, peal the garlic and cut cloves in half. Add broccoli rabe to water and boil for 5 minutes. Drain and rinse broccoli. If you want to use fewer pots, I put a steamer over the pot and cover for my broccoli while my garlic is boiling. This way I can use the same pot of water to boil my pasta. Be sure to reserve 1 cup pasta water before draining.

At first I was skeptical of boiling garlic, but it makes the garlic more palatable. One more thing you will learn about me is that I am never afraid of garlic. Garlic is God's gift to the Earth, and I use it. Garlic is very good for you at fighting cancers and keeping down cholesterol and blood pressure. And nothing smells like a kitchen more than garlic roasted in oil. Whole garlic is not as overwhelming as it sounds. Garlic powder is in fact dehydrated and more concentrated. I am more likely to use fresh garlic than powder to get a softer seasoning.

If you have a broccoli head you are needing to use, I would say go ahead and use it. However, I much prefer using rabe for this recipe. Broccoli rabe, also referred to as broccolini, is a more tender broccoli flower. I will cut and steam most of the stem to get more for my money. The stem is not as bitter as regular broccoli.

Heat 1 tbsp oil on medium. Wait until the oil is hot before adding the broccoli and garlic halves. Add chili or crushed red pepper, and course salt and pepper. Saute until the broccoli is tender and garlic is brown.

Another healthy tip is do not use all the recommended olive oil in recipes. As silly as it sounds, make sure to measure how much oil you use. A teaspoon is about all you need for most sautes. I am as guilty as anyone to just pour and move on, but olive oil calories build up fast. Keep a teaspoon measure next to your olive oil to keep yourself in check. One teaspoon is actually enough if you buy a good non-stick pan and make sure your pan is hot before adding vegetables. Olive oil is also great for your veins. Be sure to always use extra virgin and I actually prefer Trader Joes unfiltered = less processed. And the color is fabulous.

You will not need to use a whole pint of ricotta. I used Trader Joes ricotta, which is much smoother than other store-bought versions and acts more like an alfredo sauce. Unfortunately Trader Joes does not offer a reduced fat version. For a lighter ricotta, I highly suggest Sorrentos. Mix 8 oz of ricotta cheese with the reserved pasta water.

Add another tbsp oil to heated pan. Use a food processor to make bread crumbs from your leftover bread. I do not recommend store-bought bread crumbs because you won't get the same texture. Add crumbs to pan and heat until oil is absorbed and crumbs are crunchy.

Mix pasta, vegetables and ricotta mix together. Serve immediately with crumb topping.

Trader Joes checklist: pasta ($1), broccoli rabe ($6 for two), ricotta ($4 or use leftover) and head of garlic ($0.50) = dinner for two for around $10!