Here are a few things I’m loving this week!
1. These “chalkboard” labels.
They were on sale at Williams Sonoma, and I think they make the shelves in my kitchen look much more organized. Plus, I love how easy it is to wipe off the writing and change the contents in each jar!
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2. Cabbage “spaghetti.”
Since the weather is getting a bit too chilly for traditional coleslaw, I’ve been cooking mine in marinara sauce for an easy grain-free, spaghetti-like dish! No need to spiralize noodles, or prepare a separate pot of boiling pasta. It really doesn’t get much easier than that! (Especially with pre-made marinara sauce– I’m loving Whole Food’s 365 brand Organic Pasta Sauce. It has no added oil or sugar!)
I cook the noodles in marinara sauce for 8-10 minutes, until tender, then top with goat cheese or nutritional yeast, for a comforting, warm meal. I’ve eaten this almost every night this week!
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3. Shredded vegetable salads.
If you’re bored with your usual salads, add some texture using shredded veggies! My favorites right now are shredded carrots and zucchini. The carrots add sweetness and crunch, and the zucchini is neutral enough to blend with any flavors, while adding extra bulk to the meal.
I’ve been shredding big batches each weekend, using my Salad Shooter, and storing them in separate containers in the fridge for quick salad prep during the week!
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4. Sarah Wilson’s recent post on “Which Fats Should I Be Eating?”
We’ve already discussed how eating fat doesn’t make you fat, but I think it’s a message worth repeating! Of course, eating the right kind of fat is key– as well as avoiding processed foods and sugars.
Sarah Wilson’s article goes into great detail about WHY certain fats are better than others, but it shouldn’t come as a surprise that two of my favorite fats also rank as the “safest” fats: grass-fed butter and coconut oil! Not only are they the most stable fats, they are also the only fats I will use for cooking. Olive oil also falls into the safe category, but stick to using it over your salads, rather for any high-heat cooking.
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This book was recommended to me last week, so I started reading it on my flight this past weekend. I can’t put it down! Based on 20 years of clinical results, this approach to health and well-being is unlike most books I’ve read on the subject– and it’s very against dieting! In fact, according to the author, and the World Health Organization, “starvation” actually begins at eating less than 2100 calories a day (2500 calories are recommended for women, 2800 for men). I wonder how many American women must be starving?!
I have a feeling this book will inspire a few more discussions in the future, but in the meantime, I’d definitely recommend it if you’re looking for an informative read!
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Reader Feedback: What are your favorite things this week? Any good reads?
I really want to pick up that book now! You are making my reading list grow so much and I love it! Can’t wait to check this one out now too! Thanks for the suggestion!
I just checked to see if my local library has that book, and it does, score! I’m totally reading it!
yum! i should do this with my broc slaw! i totally agree about warmer salads now that the weather is getting chilly. i have been loving sauteed romaine in coconut oil and lots of steamed chard. coconut flour and flax ramekin cups and avocado as always
The broccoli slaw is delicious as noodles, too! I’ve been alternating my “slaws” a lot lately.
I’ve never sauteed romaine before– perhaps I’ll have to give that a try in the future.
I love the cabbage pasta idea, I’ll definitely be trying that! Do you shred your own cabbage or get pre-shredded? I also read The Diet Cure recently and was able to take some things from it, I would also recommend it to someone eating more mainstream who wasn’t interested in an extreme detox approach.
I usually buy the pre-shredded from Trader Joe’s, since I think it’s so difficult to wash a head of cabbage! I really need to invest in a salad spinner…
Those chalkboard labels are adorable! I’d recommend this book…http://www.amazon.com/Excitotoxins-Taste-Russell-L-Blaylock/dp/0929173252….it’s written by a neurosurgeon, and he writes about various things that affect the brain, such as MSG and its many pseudonyms.
Dr. Blaylock also has a monthly newsletter that is very informative – I have learned a lot about excitotoxins and now avoid them as much as I can. I also found out about “Just Like Sugar” – an interesting product I have been trying out.
I’ll stick with nuts, olive and coconut oil…she can keep the lard and the schmaltz!
No lard for me, either! Blech.
The Diet Cure, and other similar information, always stimulates an interesting thought process for me! On the one hand, when the body feels it is starving, it can create an endless spiral of eating to compensate. On the other…systematic undereating (detox lifestyle) can hold the key for health and longevity! So, which is right? I toy with these two ideas all the time, and I may be finally realizing that both approaches are right, but must be applied appropriately. Hmmmmmm…I wish it was much simpler to intuit what was best for ourselves at every moment
I know, right? I feel like I must be open-minded to all of these concepts, until I’ve at least tried them myself and come to my own conclusions. It really does seem like both approaches are “right” if followed correctly. (i.e. a high-fat diet is safest in the absence of starchy carbohydrates… so you can’t have it both ways!)
And, sometimes one approach may be appropriate for a certain time in one’s life, and another may be appropriate another time! The discussion could really be endless.
Your cabbage spaghetti works really well with zucchini, also!
take your veggie peeler and peel the zucc until you come down to the seeds (save the seeded core for another meal) – this will make long spaghetti-like (albeit flat and thin) strands.
So good too!!
i am going to get those labels! thanks for the heads up on the sale
also i loveee cooked cabbage, its so easy and you wouldn’t think its all that great but i love it so much !
have you tried kelp noodles? thoughts? someone suggested I give them a go as a grain pasta alternative but I’ve been a bit weary
Yes, I mentioned them here: http://detoxinista.com/2012/07/avocado-pesto-sauce-nut-free-vegan/
I find that if you let them marinate in an acidic sauce (one with lemon juice, tomato or vinegar) they will soften after 20-30 minutes.
cabage pasta what a lovely idea great for diet
i bought 4 heads of cabbage tonight so i can make cabbage cigars w/ the outer leaves. now i know what i will do with the inside. tfs.
I made this and love it! It was delicious, quick and easy. I bought a cabbage from the Farmer’s Market and I already had the same sauce you use. I topped it with parmesean cheese. I think my husband would like this, too. Thank you very much!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!