Day 5 of 21: Salmon and Some Recap

The last couple days on the diet have been a little up and down.  This diet sure is testing me.  My headache, although still present, is starting to fade away.  

Eating Out

I went out to Chipotle's yesterday for lunch with co-workers.  I chose the following ingredients in the salad bowl:  lettuce, brown rice, black beans, chicken, avocado, and no dressing.  It was filling and I am pretty sure everything was okay on the diet.  Although I'm not sure what oil the chicken was cooked in.  It's hard to eat out on this diet. 

Tea

I've discovered the most delicious tea that tastes great without any addition:  The Republic of Tea - Green Honey Ginseng Tea.  I never really drank tea before, but right now it's a staple in my diet.  Most of the teas I've tried are quite bitter.

Snacks

Right now I am loving almonds, dried seaweed, carrot/beet juice, and dried mango.

Cheating

Yesterday I had 4 hard candies and 2 Stella Artois.

Smoothies

I discovered a great new smoothie combination this morning.   This smoothie is a great combination of sweet, healthy, and a little bit of protein.  

Mango Almond Smoothie

Blend together almond milk, frozen mango chunks, 1-2 Tbsp ground flax seed, 1 Tbsp almond butter, and 1 date.

Last night for dinner I made some of the salmon I caught this past summer with my Dad. 

Salmon with Lentils and Pepita Pesto

Serves 2

Ingredients

One Carrot Diced

2 Shallots sliced

1 Cup French Green Lentils

2 Cups Free Range Chicken Broth

2 Cups Basil

Lemon Juice

1 Garlic Clove

Pepitas

2 Salmon Steaks (I used King Salmon)

Olive Oil

Salt 

Pepper

Directions

Lentils:

Saute one carrot diced and 2 shallots sliced with 1 Tbsp of olive oil for 3 minutes over medium-high heat in a medium saucepan.  Add 1 cup French green lentils, 2 cups free-range chicken broth.  Bring to a boil.  Cover and reduce heat.  Simmer for about 20 minutes until most of the liquid is absorbed and the lentils are tender but still have a bite.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Pesto:  

Puree 2 cups basil, 1/3 cup olive oil, juice from 1 lemon, 1 garlic clove, 1/4 cup pepitas, 1 Tbsp water, until smooth.

Salmon:

Rub olive oil, salt, pepper on salmon.   Sear over medium high heat in a saute pan.  About 3 minutes per side.

Serve: 

Put a little pesto on the plate, top with lentils then salmon.  Garnish with a little more pesto and pepitas.

Happy Weekend :)