Spring 4-Day Menu Plan

Spring is our purification season, with more fresh foods, especially greens, and more liquids. Start each Day with two glasses of purified water, one with half a fresh lemon squeezed into it, and some stretching exercises.



Day 1














Morning: one or two oranges
Breakfast: Cream of wheat or rye, plain or with some honey and oil or butter
Snack: one handful of soaked almonds
Lunch: Pasta and Garbanzo Salad
Salad of mixed lettuces and spring greens
(cilantro, watercress, miner?s lettuce, dandelion, sorrel)
and sliced red radish with Avocado Dressing
Snack: Glass of orange juice or whole wheat crackers
Dinner: Pureed Carrot Soup (with lemon, miso, and dill)
Steamed artichokes with Tofunaise
Snack: Herbal tea with honey






Day 2












Morning: Grapefruit
Breakfast: Cream of rice or puffed rice with yogurt or soymilk
Snack: Handful of raw or roasted pumpkin seeds
Lunch: Breast of chicken with Tomato-Caper Sauce
Spinach salad with Miso-Tahini Dressing
Snack: Rice cakes
Dinner: Vegetable Minestrone (with rice)
Pesto Sauce
Snack: Rice or Soy ice cream (such as Rice Dream or Ice Bean)






Day 3













Morning: one or two apples
Breakfast: Oatmeal cooked with raisins
Snack: one handful of sunflower seeds
Lunch: Broiled fresh fish (halibut, sea bass, or swordfish)
Oven roasted potatoes with rosemary
Salad of mixed greens with vinaigrette of olive oil,
balsamic vinegar, garlic, mustard, and sea salt
Snack: Carrot and celery sticks, or granola
Dinner: Couscous Salad
Snack: Baked apple with raisins






Day 4













Morning: Strawberries
Breakfast: Corn puffs or flakes with soymilk
Snack: Handful of soaked filberts (hazelnuts)
Lunch: Polenta with Tomato-Lentil Sauce
Grated parmesan cheese (optional)
Small green salad with vinaigrette
Snack: Raw carrot and celery sticks
Dinner: Watercress Bisque
Sweet and Sour Tempeh or Tofu
Snack: Strawberry-Rhubarb Pudding







Pasta and Garbanzo Salad
?Serves 6






1 1/2 cups whole wheat
spirals or bows


4 cups cooked or sprouted
garbanzo beans


1 teaspoon thyme


1 teaspoon marjoram


1 clove garlic, minced


6 Tablespoons extra virgin
olive oil or to taste


1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper


tamari to taste


1/2 Tablespoon sea salt


Cook pasta in water and salt.


Drain and combine with garbanzos, herbs, and garlic.


Season with olive oil, cayenne, tamari and/or sea salt.


Serve hot or cold.


For a whole meal, you can also add some fresh veggies and a splash of rice vinegar.








Avocado Dressing?Serves 6


2 medium avocados


1 lemon, juiced


1 teaspoon salt or
tamari to taste


1/2 cup water


1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper


1 clove garlic



Blend all ingredients well and toss with salad.








Pureed Carrot Soup?Serves 6


7 cups water


12 carrots, cut
into pieces


1/4 lemon with peel


2 Tablespoons light
miso or to taste


2 Tablespoons fresh dill



Bring water to a boil.


Add carrots and lemon.


Cover and simmer until carrots are tender, about 20 to 30
minutes.


Remove lemon and discard.


Puree in blender or food processor with miso and garnish with fresh dill.


(A pureed carrot soup using carrots, onion, garlic, and
celery with a squeeze of fresh ginger is a spicier autumn
choice. Topped with some Sesame Salt, this variation is very tasty.)








Tofunaise?Serves 6


1 block tofu (6?8 ounces)


1 Tablespoon
brown rice vinegar


1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste


1/2 teaspoon
ground coriander


1 teaspoon Dijon
mustard (optional)


1 Tablespoon olive oil



Blend all ingredients.








Tomato?Caper Sauce
?Serves 6


1 Tablespoon olive oil


1 clove garlic


1 chili pepper


1 28-ounce can peeled
tomatoes, or 1 pound
fresh, peeled tomatoes


1/4 cup of chopped
black olives


2 Tablespoons capers


sea salt to taste



Heat oil over medium flame and sauté garlic and chili
pepper until slightly golden.


Remove and add tomatoes.


Simmer with lid ajar for about 20 minutes.


Add olives and capers and simmer 5 more minutes.


Salt to taste.


Serve over baked breasts of chicken.









Miso-Tahini Dressing
?Serves 6


1 Tablespoon light miso


3 Tablespoons toasted
sesame tahini


1 Tablespoon
brown rice vinegar


1/4 teaspoon rice malt
or honey


3 Tablespoons water



Blend all ingredients well.

If a thinner consistency is desired, add more water.








Vegetable Minestrone?Serves 6


1 1/2 quarts water


1 strip kombu sea
vegetable (optional)


1/2 cup brown rice


1 Tablespoon fresh
or 1/2 Tablespoon
dried thyme


1 Tablespoon fresh
or 1/2 Tablespoon
dried marjoram


2 leeks, cut into
1/2-inch pieces


1 potato, cut into cubes


2 stalks celery, chopped


3 carrots, cut into pieces


1 cup broccoli florets


1 cup sweet peas


Sea salt to taste



Bring water, kombu, rice, and herbs (if using dried) to a
boil, and simmer for 30 minutes.

Add leeks, potato, celery, and carrots, and simmer 15 minutes longer.

Then add broccoli florets, sweet peas, and herbs (if using fresh), and
simmer another 10 minutes.

Remove kombu, salt to taste, and serve.


If using leftover cooked rice, simmer vegetables in
same order and add 1 1/2 cups of rice at the end. Cooking
time is approximately 25?30 minutes.

Serve with “Pesto Sauce”.

This soup is also very good served cold with a sprinkling of olive oil.









Pesto Sauce
?Makes about 1 cup


1 bunch fresh basil or
spinach, clean and
with stems removed


1 Tablespoon light miso


1 clove garlic


1/2 cup pine nuts
and/or walnuts


4 Tablespoons olive oil
parsley (optional)



Puree all ingredients well in a blender or food processor.

Some fresh parsley can be added to blender to enhance the
green. If too thick, dilute with a little water. Pass at the
table and add to “Vegetable Minestrone”.

Of course, this dairyless pesto can be used for pastas or
grain vegetables dishes if you so desire. A more traditional
(and fattening) pesto sauce will use grated Romano cheese
and olive oil.








Couscous Salad?Serves 6


2 cups whole wheat
couscous


3 cups boiling water


1/4 cup chopped
black olives


1/4 cup capers


1 red bell pepper, cut
into small pieces


1 stalk celery, cut
into small pieces


2 green onions,
sliced thinly


1 cup parsley, minced
1/4 cup olive oil


2 teaspoons ume vinegar
(or 1 Tablespoon lemon
juice with 1/2 teaspoon
sea salt), or to taste


1/4 teaspoon
cayenne pepper


lettuce leaves


cherry tomatoes



Place couscous in a bowl and pour boiling water over it.


Cover and let sit for 10 minutes. Fluff with fork.


Add olives, capers, vegetables, and parsley and toss with olive
oil, ume vinegar, and cayenne.


Serve over a bed of lettuce garnished with cherry tomatoes.









Polenta?Serves 6


9 cups water


1 teaspoon sea salt


3 cups polenta (corn grits)



Polenta is excellent the Day after. It can be baked, broiled, or grilled.

Bring water and salt to a boil.

Slowly add polenta while stirring constantly with a whisk until well mixed.

Lower flame to minimum, cover pot, and simmer until polenta has thickened, about 40
minutes.

Stir occasionally to avoid burning the bottom.

Transfer the polenta to a glass loaf pan, and let set for 5 minutes.

Cut into squares and serve with “Tomato?Lentil sauce”









Tomato?Lentil Sauce
?Serves 6


1/2 onion, chopped finely


1 carrot, chopped finely


1 stalk celery,
chopped finely


1 clove garlic, minced


2 Tablespoons olive oil


16 ounces fresh
peeled tomatoes
or 2 8-ounce cans


1 cup mushrooms,
coarsely sliced


sea salt and pepper
to taste


Parmesan cheese
(optional)



Sauté onion, carrot, celery, and garlic in oil until onions are limp and transparent.


Add tomatoes and lentils and simmer 30 to 40 minutes with lid ajar.


Add mushrooms, cook 5 minutes longer and season to
taste with salt and pepper.


Serve “Polenta”. Excellent also over pasta or whole grains.


If desired, sprinkle Parmesan cheese over sauce.









Watercress Bisque?Serves 6


1 onion, chopped finely


1 carrot, chopped finely


8 cups water


2 bunches watercress
(about 8 cups),

chopped coarsely,
including stems


2 Tablespoons
light miso or
to taste


lemon wedges
to garnish



Water-sauté onion and carrot until onion is limp and transparent.


Add water and chopped watercress, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.


Puree in blender or food processor with miso.


Serve garnished with a lemon wedge.







Sweet and Sour Tempeh or Tofu
?Serves 6






1/4 cup water


1/4 cup tamari


1/2 teaspoon ground
coriander seed


1 clove garlic, minced


2 packages tempeh (1 pound)
or 3 blocks tofu (about 1 pound),
cut into 1-inch squares


1/4 cup arrowroot flour


peanut or rice bran
oil for deep frying



Mix water, tamari, coriander, and garlic together.


Dip tempeh or tofu cubes in mix and coat with arrowroot flour.


Heat oil in a wok or skillet, and deep fry tempeh or tofu
until golden.


Drain well on paper towel.


For low-fat recipe, avoid frying by omitting arrowroot and oil; marinate tofu
or tempeh and bake at 350° for 15?20 minutes.


Serve with “Sweet and Sour Sauce”.









Sweet and Sour Sauce
?Serves 6


1 1/2 cups water


1 cup rice syrup


4 teaspoons tamari


2 Tablespoons
rice vinegar


1 Tablespoon tahini


1/2 teaspoon grated
fresh ginger


1 Tablespoon kuzu,
diluted in 1 Tablespoon cold water


2 green onions, chopped finely



Combine water, rice syrup, tamari, vinegar, tahini, and
ginger and bring to a boil.

Add diluted kuzu and stir
until sauce thickens.

Add green onions.

One use for this sauce is to pour over

“Sweet and Sour Tempeh or Tofu”.







Strawberry?Rhubarb Pudding
?Serves 6




5 cups strawberries, sliced


2 cups rhubarb, diced


3 Tablespoons maple
syrup or to taste


1 teaspoon grate
lemon rind


2 Tablespoons
agar-agar flakes


1 Tablespoon kuzu,
diluted
in 2 Tablespoonscold water



Bring strawberries, rhubarb, maple syrup, and lemon rind
to a boil and sprinkle in agar-agar flakes.


Simmer until all flakes are dissolved (about 10 minutes).


Add dissolved kuzu and stir until mixture thickens.


Transfer to a bowl or individual cups and refrigerate until set.


Garnish with strawberry slices and a sprig of mint.

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Written by Elson M. Haas MD