Week 4 - Day 4

(May 4, 2011)

Did you know that when food goes undigested, the particles create toxic byproducts that irritate the intestinal wall?  The toxins can then cross the mucosal lining, where they enter into the bloodstream.  In addition, the undigested food particles produce fermentation, which fuels fungal overgrowth and the proliferation of bacteria and parasites. - The Candida Cure, Ann Boroch

I never really thought about digestion before.  I really take the human body for granted.  It's this machine with all these intricate parts that rely on one another to keep you healthy.  I just ate what I wanted, did care what it was and let my body do the rest.  Little did I realize, the food that goes into my body, makes a HUGE difference.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not sitting back and eating hamburgers, steaks and pasta all the time.  I do put some healthy fruits and vegetables into my system.  I do it because I know those are good for me.  But I'm so much more aware of why those fruits and vegetables are so good for my body.  When I read about how the body digests the food and what those foods do to the body, really puts things into perspective for me.  It makes me want my family to eat better and start taking better care of ourselves.

Breakfast was brown rice cereal.  She's taking this liquid multi-vitamin and she's supposed to drink 8 oz of water afterwards.  It's so hard to get her to drink the water.  She's so pokey in the morning as it is, this just adds to it.  She's still taking the vitamin C tablets, but I'm now finding them in random places.  I'll hand them to her to take and she'll lay them down on the coffee table, on her car seat in the car, in the bathroom lying on the sink.  I gather she isn't liking these to much.  Maybe she's getting tired of the flavor.

For lunch today I packed 2 rice cakes with soy nut butter, some carob chips in case she wanted to sprinkle them on top, strawberries, and chocolate coconut milk.  For snack she had dried apples and another rice cake.  I'm just excited that I can add strawberries back into her diet.  While she was at school, I made another batch of the Chebe cinnamon rolls.  I also made another batch of the homemade crackers but this time I used cinnamon and truvia instead of the salt.  When she got home, she tried the crackers.  She said she liked them alright, but didn't want anymore than the one she ate. Hmmm!  She instead had a yogurt with her probiotic in it.

Tonight for dinner I made a recipe from Sheryl Crow's new cookbook.  It's Pecan-crusted trout with edamame succotash (recipe below).  I didn't have trout, so I used tilapia and it worked just fine.  I also switched the all-purpose flour and used brown rice flour.  Instead of the milk, I used soy milk.  Instead of canola oil, I used olive oil.  We made a salad with lettuce picked from our garden.  I love fresh lettuce. It's so much better than store bought.  The kids tried the salad, but again, they didn't like it.  Both kids tried the fish too.  My son said he didn't like it and politely excused himself from the table.  Jeannette tried it and was sort of wishy washy about it.  She said the fish was good, but she only liked the pieces that had all the breading on it.

I still had brownies that I made from awhile ago and told her that I was going to throw them away.  I told her that I would make her a new batch.  She said she wanted to try one more before I threw them away.  I said that she had to finish her fish if she wanted the brownie.  She said that she would eat 7 bites because that's how old she is.  Sounded fair to me.  While she was finishing her 5th bite, I asked if she liked it.  She gave me a thumbs up and said she like it.  I was so excited I could hardly stand it.  Then I asked her again, do you really like it, or are you just saying that."  She said, "I don't really like it.  I jsut said I liked it so I could eat my brownie."  Well at least she's honest.  It couldn't have been all that bad if she ate all those pieces.  She did get her brownie which made her happy.  I still threw the rest away.  She finished up by having her supplement shake.

Pecan-crusted trout with edamame succotash - Sheryl Crow

For the trout:
1/4 C unbleached all-purpose flour (used brown rice flour)
1/2 t garlic powder
1 large egg
1 1/2 T milk (used soy milk)
1 C chopped pecans
4  4-5oz. skin-on trout fillets
2 T canola oil, preferably expeller-pressed

For the edamame succotash:
2 t canola oil, preferably expeller-pressed
1/4 C diced red bell pepper
1/4 C diced red onion
2 t chopped garlic
1 C roasted corn
1 C frozen shelled edamame
2 T cooked, chopped nitrate-free smart bacon or organic bacon
1/4 C dry white wine
1/4 C seeded and diced fresh Roma tomatoes
1 T soy butter or unsalted butter (used non-dairy butter - Earth's balance)
1 T chopped flat-leaf parsley
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 375 F

For the trout:
In a shallow dish, whisk together the flour, seasoning, and garlic powder.  In a second dish, whisk together the egg and milk.  Put the pecans in a third dish or plate.

Coat the side of a fillet without the skin with the flour and then with the egg wash.  Press it gently into the pecans to coat thoroughly.  Repeat with the remaining trout fillets, so that all 4 are coated on the side without skin.

In a large skillet, heat the canola oil over medium-high heat and when hot, sear the trout, skin side up, for 2 minutes.  Turn the fish fillets gently with a spatula and sear the skin side for 2 minutes onger.  Transfer the fillets to a lightly oiled baking sheet or shallow pan and bake for 8-10 minutes or until cooked through.

For the edamame succotash:

In a large saute pan, heat the canola oil over medium-high heat.  When hot, saute the bell pepper, onion, and garlic until softened, 3-4 minutes.  stir in the corn, edamame, and bacon and cook for 2-3 minutes longer.

Pour the wine into the pan and stir with a wooden spoon, scraping the bottom to loosen any sticking vegetables.  Add the tomatoes and cook until warmed through.  Add the butter and let it melt.  Stir in the parsley, season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serves 4


Expeller pressed canola oil is oil that has been pressed mechanically. According to amazingfoodcompany.com, expeller pressed oil is pressed from the seed using a combination of heat and friction. This is an ideal alternative to using chemical solvents to extract oil. It allows for a healthier result with no solvent remaining in the finished product.