Clean Cuisine Anti- Inflammatory Diet Diary

As Andy and I gear up for the release of our Clean Cuisine book (Penguin-Berkley, Feb. 2013) the most frequent question we get asked is, “What is a typical day of Clean Cuisine eating?” Our book is filled to the brim with research and science on why our Clean Cuisine anti-inflammatory diet can help you reverse symptoms of inflammatory conditions, prevent disease, lose weight, fight aging and boost energy, but at the end of the day what people really want to know is what to eat and how to make Clean Cuisine part of their lifestyle.

Instead of writing out a boring diet diary I thought I would video tape exactly what I ate on a typical day. Keep in mind that I eat an extremely varied diet and so no two days are exactly the same for me. It may take more than one anti-inflammatory diet diary video for you to get the hang of how to create your own anti-inflammatory diet menu, but hopefully the video will give you some good ideas! P.S. I’ve included four of the recipes featured in the video at the bottom of the page.

Clean Cuisine Anti-Inflammatory Diet Recipe #1

Breakfast Banana Chia Custard

Serves: 2

• 1 banana
• ¼ cup raw cashews
• ½ cup water
• ¼ cup yellow raisins
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ inch knob ginger
• Pinch of unrefined sea salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ¼ cup chia seeds (such as Barlean’s Organic Chia Seeds)

Place all ingredients except for the chia seeds in a high-speed blender (such as a Vitamix); process for about one-minute, or until mixture is smooth and creamy. Pour mixture into a medium sized bowl and stir in the chia seeds. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or until the mixture becomes custard-like. Serve cold with fresh fruit.

Clean Cuisine Anti-Inflammatory Diet Recipe #2

Lunchtime Very Veggie Soup

Serves: 6

Note: This recipe calls for miso paste, a probiotic-rich and fermented whole soy food. Look for miso paste in the refrigerated section of your natural foods store. If you can’t locate miso paste you can substitute 5 cups of organic vegetable broth.

• 2 pints grape tomatoes
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
• Unrefined sea salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 large Spanish onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 4 carrots, chopped
• 3 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 fresh bay leaf
• ¼ cup tomato paste
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• ½ cup miso paste (such as Miso Master), dissolved in 5 cups water OR 5 cups organic vegetable broth
• 1 package (16 ounces) frozen cauliflower florets, thawed
• ½ pound baby spinach leaves

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the tomatoes in 1 tablespoon of the oil. Sprinkle on the thyme and salt and pepper to taste. Roast the tomatoes for 15 minutes, or until they burst.

While the tomatoes are roasting, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, carrots, celery and bay leaf; season with salt and pepper and sauté to soften vegetables, 8 to 10 minutes.

Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, or until the paste smells sweet. Add the lemon juice, cook for one minute, then stir in the miso mixture (or vegetable broth.)

Remove the tomatoes from the oven and add them to the saucepan along with the cauliflower and baby spinach leaves. Simmer soup for 10 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat and use a handheld stick blender to process until smooth and creamy.

Clean Cuisine Anti-Inflammatory Diet Recipe #3

Hemp Seed Vinaigrette

Serves: 8-10

Note: This vinaigrette can be stored in the refrigerator in a covered container for up to 5 days.

• 1 medium-sized shallot, chopped
• 5 cloves garlic
• ½ teaspoon anchovy paste (found in supermarket near canned anchovies)
• 3 tablespoons good-quality balsamic vinegar
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons hemp seeds
• 1 ½ teaspoon raw honey
• Unrefined sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place all ingredients in a mini food processor and process for about 20 seconds, until mixture is well blended but shallots are still somewhat chunky.

Clean Cuisine Anti-Inflammatory Diet Recipe #4

Brown Rice Pad Thai with Zucchini Strips & Beef

Serves: 6

• 1 box brown rice Pad Thai noodles (such as Annie Chun’s)
• 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
• 6 tablespoons tahini
• 2 tablespoons raw almond butter
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup water
• 3 tablespoons Namu Shoyu (unpasteurized soy sauce) or regular, high quality soy sauce
• 8 pitted dates
• 5 tablespoons water
• 1/4 –inch fresh ginger
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 4 large zucchini
• Unrefined sea salt, to taste
• 2 organic, grass fed beef strip loins (about ¾ pound total), trimmed of all visible fat

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain, rinse noodles and set aside.

In a high speed blender (such as a Vita Mix), add 1 tablespoon of the oil, tahini, almond butter, lemon juice, water, Namu Shoyu (or soy sauce), dates, water, ginger and crushed red pepper. Process on high until mixture is smooth and creamy. Set sauce aside.

Use a mandolin to cut zucchini into uniform medium-sized thin strips. Place zucchini on a rimmed baking sheet and toss with 1 teaspoon oil. Season with salt and roast for 15 minutes, or until zucchini is tender but not mushy. Remove zucchini from oven and set aside, but keep the oven turned on.

Lightly oil the bottom of a large, heavy oven-proof skillet with the remaining teaspoon of oil. Place the skillet on the stovetop and heat over medium-high heat. Season the beef on all sides with salt. Add the beef to the hot skillet and sear for about 1 ½ minutes each side. Transfer beef to the oven and cook 3 to 8 minutes, depending on desired doneness. Remove beef from oven and slice into very thin strips. Set beef strips aside.

Pour the sauce into the skillet used to cook the beef and add the cooked noodles. Heat over medium for 2 to 3 minutes, or until noodles are warm. Fold in the zucchini and beef strips. Remove skillet from heat and serve at once.