Sometimes in life, we need to press the reset button. Picture this: you've let yourself get too busy. Desperate for fuel, you begin treating yourself to an endless parade of sweets. Before you know it, this approach has extended to your meals. Cheese on everything! Extra bread! Another round of soda! Attempting to curb your enthusiasm (and perhaps save some precious time), you do away with dinner altogether, but wind up eating bags of chips on the run and calling that a meal. Vegetables become a distant memory; you can't imagine why you ever wanted them. Then one day you realize that you feel tired all the time and you have to strain to zip up your beloved Little Black Dress. You all know how it goes.
Here's the thing: I happen to have a strategy for times like this. And I'd like to share it with you. When I find my eating out of balance, I face facts, muster up all of my determination, set aside a few days – free from social obligations – and commit to reseting my palate. Sometimes I limit myself to fruits, vegetables, chicken and fish. Other times, I eat vegan. In the winter, I go on a vegetable soup kick. In the summer, it's all about salads. The point is to cut out all of the junk and learn to enjoy real food again.
My current M.O. is the brown rice bowl. As far as I'm concerned, it's pure genius. Clean food – and so satisfying. The key is to make it really simple for yourself. At the beginning of the week, I make a giant pot of rice, grate some beets and buy a bag of grated carrots and cabbage from Whole Foods. I have green onions on hand, and avocados and a little lemon to squeeze on top. I make the sauce (which sounds ultra-complicated, but actually isn't once you've made the herb blend) and viola: dinner for days. I'm back to feeling like myself again in no time flat. You will be too.
Back to basics brown rice bowl
Inspired by the latest cookbook from Fresh restaurant
Serves one
1/2 cup of cooked brown rice
grated beets
grated carrots
grated white cabbage
grated purple cabbage
avocado, chopped
package of extra firm tofu, cubed
green onions, thinly sliced
squeeze of lemon
drizzle of sauce, to taste
Place warm or room temperature rice on a plate. Pile on the beets, carrots, cabbage and avocado and tofu. Sprinkle with green onions and drizzle with lemon. Pour sauce on top.
Sauce
Adapted from the latest cookbook from Fresh restaurant
Makes about 1/2 cup
Whisk together:
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons tamari
scant 1 teaspoon mixed herbs
Mixed herbs
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried marjoram
1 tablespoon dried dill
1 tablespoon dried dill
1/2 tablespoon dried rosemary
1/2 tablespoon dried tarragon
