Time for something new!

Something(s) old, something new. As I continue down the path with these ingredients, I will say it makes shopping a whole lot simpler - I know exactly what I need to get! The trouble sometimes is not getting enough to fill up on. Also, one thing I'm struggling with mentally is the whole idea of rotation and the research saying intolerances often develop when we eat something too often or in too large of quantities. Although not required, I'm trying to rotate the few ingredients I have in a two-day schedule, but that means I end up eating very large quantities of each item on that day in order to get enough to eat. I'm still pondering this balance...which I hope will be remedied once I've got a wider range of foods.

Peas. Do you like them? I've usually been meh about peas. I would eat them if they were served to me, but I wouldn't order them. Since they are now one of my main vegetables, I'm learning to appreciate them. I found a crispy roasted peas recipe and tried it for the first few days. It's decent and adds a little bit of texture, but even after cooking for 45-50 minutes, I never really got *crispy* peas. At this point, I've decided to save the cooking time (and electricity) and just steam them on the stovetop with a little salt. They're fine (there's that word again!).

Ground lamb with basil nestled into crispy roasted peas with turmeric and salt.

Strawberries! I'm so glad they are on my green list. Just before I started the ImmunoCalm protocol, I discovered a great recipe for homemade strawberry vinaigrette (I'd been struggling to find a good GF salad dressing that wasn't $$$ and figured I should try to make some on my own). For this diet, I did have to substitute white vinegar for the balsamic vinegar and maple syrup for the small amount of honey, AND I had to leave out the black pepper, BUT it is yummy and makes eating salad a very good option!

Spinach salad with shredded chicken, homemade strawberry vinaigrette, and lemon juice.

Brussels sprouts, anyone? Over the past year and a half or so, I've come to tolerate and then really like brussels sprouts - the frozen ones, specifically. I still haven't found great success with fresh ones, but thawing frozen ones and then sauteing in olive oil with salt until caramelized or roasting in the oven works great!

Steamed tilapia with caramelized brussels sprouts and lemon juice.

NEW INGREDIENT! Can I just say how much I adore roasted carrots? I have my friend Michele to thank for my now two-year obsession with these sweet orange delights. When roasted until soft and juicy, they seriously become vegetable candy. I have to be really careful with these, though. They came in middle of the road in my green foods list, and I do NOT want them to turn into yellows, so I'm making sure to not have them every day. Oh, but the days I do have them...are just delightful.

Hang in there with me to see what ingredients come up next!