28 Day Diet Challenge - Day 19

(Sponsored by Whole Foods Market)

Since fish is generally low in saturated fat and high in beneficial omega-3 fats (EPA and DHA,), it is an essential part of any healthy diet, and especially the Mediterranean diet that this website is mostly concerned with. However, you still have to be careful eating certain kinds of fish, because it is becoming one of the polluted food sources that we eat. In addition to industrial and fossil fuel pollution, nearly all fish and shellfish contain some degree of mercury. Larger fish that have lived longer have the highest levels of mercury because they've had more time to accumulate it. They also build up mercury from all the smaller fish they have eaten, similar to the way we store mercury in our tissues from the fish we eat.

When we eat fish we have to choose the species that are cleaner and have less mercury, preferably farm raised or domestically caught fresh or canned fish (i.e. tuna)


Your Action Plan: While fish is healthy, too much can be moderately un-healthy. Therefore, don't have fish more than three times a week.

• If you do have fish, choose from the lower-fat, lowest mercury types, such as flounder, haddock, salmon, sardines, scallops, sole, tilapia and trout.
• Avoid high mercury fish, such as bluefish, mackerel, marlin, sea bass, shark, swordfish, tilefish and tuna.
• Be aware of the place where it was caught and what type of fish it is. I would never accept recreationally caught fish from ANY waters and never eat high-mercury-content fish. It simply isn't worth the risk.

Breakfast

• Sprouted grain bread with raw peanut butter
• Banana, alone or sliced on top of the bread
• Juice

Lunch

• Asparagus with Blackberry Vinaigrette
• Super Soup (Leftover from Day 18 dinner!)
• Blueberries

Asparagus with Almonds and Blackberry Vinaigrette

 Serves: 4 — Prep Time: 20 minutes 

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup Blackberry infused vinegar (or Balsamic vinegar with blackberry preserves, see below)*
• 1 tablespoon Mrs. Dash
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh marjoram or 1 teaspoon dried
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 small red onion, sliced thin
• 1 tablespoon finely crushed almond
• 1 tablespoon low-sodium ketchup
• 2 pounds asparagus, tough ends trimmed then cut on the bias (diagonal) into 2-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup almonds, toasted and chopped**

*If using any vinegar other than Blackberry infused vinegar: Boil 1-2 tablespoons of blackberry preserves with the 1/3 cup of whatever vinegar, for 3 minutes, cool to room temperature and serve.

Directions

1. Boil vinegar (or vinegar and blackberry preserves) in heavy small saucepan over medium heat until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Pour vinegar into large bowl.
2. Combine water with no salt seasoning. Whisk into vinegar, along with mustard, marjoram, garlic, almond butter and ketchup. Set dressing aside.
3. Sauté asparagus in small amount of water, not covering the asparagus, stirring over high heat for 3 minutes, then cover and steam for 1-2 minutes. Remove to a bowl.
4. In same pan, sauté bell peppers in a small amount of water for 2 minutes.
5. Add asparagus and bell peppers to dressing; toss to blend well.
6. Sprinkle with pecans.

**Lightly toast almonds in a 200 degree oven for 3 minutes. 

Super Soup

 Leftover from Day 18 Dinner, found HERE!

Dinner

• Tossed green salad (Your choice)
• Balsamic Vinaigrette
• Fresh Baked Fish 
• Eggplant Roulades
• "Banerry" Pie

Balsamic Vinaigrette

 Serves: 5 — Prep Time: 8 minutes 

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup water
• 6 tablespoons roasted garlic infused vinegar
• 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil (or less)
• 4 tablespoons raisins
• 4 cloves garlic, pressed
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Directions

1. Blend or whisk all ingredients together.

Yields: 1 1/3 cups 

Baked Tilapia

 
Ingredients (For 4)

• 1 carrot, julienned
• 1 Onion, sliced thin
• 4 fresh tilapia fillets
• 2 lemons, 1 quartered, 1 halved
• Italian herb mix

Directions

1. Season fish with Italian herbs and juice of 1 of the lemons
2. Bake fish in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes
3. Sauté onion and carrot in water until tender.
4. Garnish fish with carrot and onion and serve!

Eggplant Roulades

 Serves: 6 — Prep Time: 25 minutes 

Ingredients

• 2 large eggplants, peeled and sliced 1/2" thick lengthwise
• 2 medium red bell peppers, coarsely chopped
• 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup coarsely chopped carrots
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 8 ounces spinach
• 1 tablespoon Mrs. Dash
• 2 cups pasta sauce, no or low salt
• 6 ounces low-fat mozzarella cheese, shredded

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using a paper towel moistened with olive oil, lightly oil a non-stick baking pan. Arrange eggplant in a single layer.
2. Bake about 20 minutes or until the eggplant is flexible enough to easily roll. Set aside.
3. In 1/8 cup water, sauté the bell peppers, onions, carrots, celery, and garlic until just tender, adding more water if needed. Add spinach and Mrs. Dash. Transfer to a mixing bowl. Mix in 2 to 3 tablespoons of pasta sauce and shredded soy cheese.
4. In a baking pan, spread about 1/4 cup tomato sauce. Place some of the vegetable mixture on each eggplant slice, roll and place in baking pan on top of sauce.
5. Pour remaining tomato sauce over eggplant rolls. Bake 20 to 30 minutes or until heated through.

“Banerry” Pie 

 Serves: 8 — Prep Time: 20 minutes 

Ingredients - Crust

• 4 dates
• 1 1/2 muesli cereal
• 2 tablespoons coconut

Ingredients - Filling

• 10 ounces frozen strawberries
• 10 pitted dates, chopped
• 5 bananas
• 1/2 Haas avocado
• 1 teaspoon unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1 tablespoon natural brown sugar
• 6-8 fresh strawberries, for garnish (optional)

Directions 

For crust:

In a bowl, thoroughly blend the dates, coconut and muesli. Transfer mixture to pie plate, pressing down to make pie crust.

For filling:

1. Blend all filling ingredients, except for coconut and fresh strawberries, until smooth.
2. Pour into the pie crust. Sprinkle with coconut.
3. Cover and freeze for at least 3 hours before serving.
4. Top the pie with slice fresh strawberries and serve