 | Autumn 4-Day s Menu Plan |
Autumn gives us richer and denser foods that require more heat to prepare; these include whole grains, dried legumes, and hard squashes. Thus, there are more cooked foods, more calories, fats, and protein, less liquids, and often a few added pounds. Regular exercise, including stretching to maintain or improve flexibility, is also important during this more contractive time. The italicized food selections in the menu plans will have a specific recipe following the four-Day menus.
Day 1
| Fruit: |
Apple |
| Breakfast: |
Oatmeal with yogurt, raisins, and maple syrup |
| Lunch: |
Fillet of Sole Florentine, baked or steamed carrot |
| and beet mélange served over steamed beet tops |
| with a splash of olive oil, lemon juice, and sea salt |
| Snack: |
Granola |
| Dinner: |
Lasagna; salad greens with vinaigrette |
| Snack: |
Baked apple |
Day 2
| Fruit: |
Grapes |
| Breakfast: |
Twice-cooked rice with Prune and Apricot Compote |
| Snack: |
Pumpkin seeds |
| Lunch: |
Baked potato with Avo-Miso-Tofu Topping; |
| grated carrots, red and green cabbage salad with |
| vinaigrette sprinkled with toasted sunflower seeds |
| or sliced hard-boiled egg |
| Snack: |
Soaked prunes |
| Dinner: |
Brown rice with aduki beans; steamed broccoli |
| and cauliflower with Walnut-Miso Sauce |
| Snack: |
Carob-Tofu Mousse |
Day 3
Day 4
|
Fillet of Sole Florentine ?Serves 6
6 sole fillets
1 Tablespoon
fresh oregano
sea salt to taste
6 teaspoons lemon juice
6 Tablespoons dry
white wine (optional)
3 cups fresh
spinach, chopped
1/4 teaspoon
grated nutmeg
lemon wedges
|
Preheat oven to 350°.
Place fillets in baking dish and sprinkle with oregano,
salt, lemon juice, and wine.
Bake for 5 minutes.
Remove from oven and add spinach and grated nutmeg.
Return to oven and bake an additional 3?4 minutes, or until spinach
is wilted.
Serve with wedge of lemon.
|
|
Lasagna?Serves 6
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 cup minced shallots
1 bunch spinach, chopped
1 teaspoon nutmeg
12 lasagna noodle
strips, cooked al dente
(slightly undercooked)
and drained
6 cups tomato sauce
2 cups leftover,
cooked beans
1 cup ricotta cheese, or
1 cup tofu mashed
together with
1 Tablespoon
light miso
sea salt to taste
freshly ground black
pepper to taste
|
Preheat oven to 350°.
Heat oil in skillet and sauté shallots until transparent.
Combine with spinach and nutmeg.
In a large baking dish, layer lasagna strips, tomato sauce,
beanes, spinach mixture, and ricotta, until lasagna is used up.
Season with salt and pepper.
Finish with a layer of tomato sauce and top with ricotta cheese.
Cover and bake at 350° for 20?30 minutes.
|
Prune and Apricot Compote?Serves 6
|
12 cups water
pinch of salt
3 cups prunes, pitted
3 cups dried,
unsulfured apricots
1 Tablespoon grated
lemon rind
|
Bring water and salt to a boil.
Add prunes, apricots, and lemon rind, cover, and simmer for 1 hour adding more water if necessary.
Serve fruits with their juice.
|
Avo?Miso?Tofu Topping
?Makes 2 cups
|
1 large, ripe avocado,
seeded and peeled
1/2 cup tofu, crumbled
1 Tablespoon light miso
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco
|
Blend all ingredients together until smooth and creamy.
|
|
Walnut-Miso Sauce
?Makes 2 cups
1 cup roasted (or raw)
walnut pieces
1 Tablespoon
light miso or to taste
1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
1/2 Tablespoon
4 Tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon
maple syrup or honey
|
Blend all ingredients together until smooth.
|
Carob-Tofu Mousse?Serves 6
|
2 blocks firm tofu
(about one pound)
2 Tablespoons
almond butter
3 Tablespoons maple syrup
1 Tablespoon vanilla
1/4 cup water
3 Tablespoons grain coffee
(Peru, Postum, Cafix)
6 Tablespoons toasted
carob powder
|
Blend tofu with almond butter, maple syrup, and vanilla
until creamy.
Bring water to a boil and dissolve grain coffee and carob
powder in it.
Mixture should have the consistency of a cream.
Add to tofu mixture and blend again until very smooth.
Serve in individual parfait glasses.
|
Millet Breakfast Cake with Orange Sauce
?Serves 6
|
1 Tablespoon corn oil
1 cup dry millet
3 cups apple juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup shredded coconut
1 Tablespoon vanilla
1/2 cup raisins
|
Preheat oven to 350°.
Oil a 2-quart casserole. Combine millet, juice, and salt
in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and
blend coconut with some of the millet and juice. Return to
heat and add remaining ingredients. Simmer a few minutes,
pour into casserole and bake for 45?60 minutes, or until
firm. Allow to cool before cutting, or serve in Pyrex dish
Serve with "Orange Sauce".
|
|
Orange Sauce?Makes 2 cups
2 cups orange juice
1/2 teaspoon grated
orange rind
1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
pinch of salt
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 1/2 Tablespoons
kuzu dissolved in
2 Tablespoons cold water
|
Bring orange juice, orange rind, ginger, salt, and maple
syrup to a boil.
Add dissolved kuzu and stir over low flame
until thickened.
|
|
Turkey Breast?Serves 6
3 Tablespoons olive oil
herb salt to taste
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon majoram
6 turkey breast fillets
1 medium onion,
finely chopped
1 celery stalk,
finely chopped
3 cups mushrooms, sliced
3 Tablespoons dry
white wine (optional)
freshly ground pepper
|
Heat oven to 350°.
Combine olive oil, salt, and herbs.
Place turkey breasts in a roasting pan and baste with oil/herb mixture.
Bake at 350° for 10 minutes, basting when necessary.
Remove turkey from oven, turn over and repeat procedure for
another 10 minutes or until done, depending on thickness
of fillets.
In a skillet, sauté onion and celery over medium heat
until onion is limp and transparent.
Add mushrooms, stir and sauté for a few minutes, add wine and cook for
5 minutes longer.
Top each turkey fillet with the mushroom mixture.
|
|
Wilted Spinach Salad?Serves 6
3 bunches spinach
(about 12 cups),
coarsely chopped
1 red onion,
sliced into rings
1 red bell pepper, chopped
6 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons
balsamic vinegar
sea salt to taste
1 cup feta cheese,
crumbled (optional)
1/2 cup roasted walnut
pieces (optional)
|
Place spinach in a pot or skillet over medium flame and
stir until just limp; it should be bright green.
Combine with onion rings and pepper, and toss with oil, vinegar,
and salt to taste.
Sprinkle feta and walnut pieces on top and serve warm.
|
|
Millet Croquettes?Serves 6
3 cups cooked millet
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 small onion, grated
2 carrots, grated
1/2 cup parsley, minced
2 egg whites, beaten
|
Combine all ingredients and mash together well.
Form into flat 2-inch patties and bake for 5 minutes.
Remove from oven and using a spatula, turn patties over and bake for
another 5 minutes or until golden.
|
|
Brazilian Feijoada ?Serves 6
1?2 Tablespoons
olive or canola oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, mince
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
4 cups black beans, cooked
1 large tomato,
seeded and chopped
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon
ground coriander
1 cup red wine
(optional)
1 cup soup stock
tamari to taste
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
|
In a heavy-bottomed pot, heat oil and sauté onion, garlic,
celery, and carrots over medium flame, stirring constantly
until onion is transparent and limp.
Add beans, tomato, bay leaf, coriander, and wine.
Cook uncovered for a few minutes.
Add stock, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, or until liquid is almost absorbed.
Remove 1 cup of beans, blend or mash, and return to pot.
Season cooked with tamari and cayenne.
|
Grilled Swordfish with Pineapple Mustard
?Serves 6
|
1 Tablespoon tamari
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 Tablespoon grated,
fresh ginger
6 swordfish steaks
1 cup pineapple chunks
1 Tablespoon whole grain
(stone-ground) mustard
|
Combine tamari and lemon juice in a bowl.
Squeeze the juice from the grated fresh ginger through a cheesecloth or
garlic press into the bowl.
Dribble mixture over fish steaks and broil for 5 minutes.
Turn fish over, dribble sauce over other side, and broil another 5 minutes or more depending on thickness of steaks.
In a blender or food processor puree the pineapple with the mustard.
When fish is done, remove from the oven and spread a Tablespoon of the pineapple mixture on top of each steak.
|
Warm Red Cabbage Salad
?Serves 4?6
|
1 head red cabbage
1 small onion, sliced
1/2 cup sweet peas
5 Tablespoons olive oil
3 Tablespoons
rice vinegar
1 Tablespoon
ume vinegar or
sea salt to taste
1/2 cup roasted walnuts (optional)
|
Cut cabbage lengthwise into 4 pieces, then slice into 1/4-inch strips. Steam until soft, about 3?5 minutes.
Sauté onion until limp and transparent and add to cabbage together with peas.
Combine olive oil, rice vinegar, and ume vinegar or sea salt and toss with cabbage.
Sprinkle roasted walnuts on top and serve warm.
|
|
Pasta alla Boscaiola
?Serves 6
1/8 pound dried cepes or shiitake mushrooms
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 pound mushrooms
1 1/2 pounds tomatoes, peeled, seeded,
and chopped
sea salt to taste
1 1/2 pounds whole wheat pasta spirals
3 Tablespoons olive oil
3 Tablespoons parsley, chopped
|
Soak dried mushrooms in water for 30 minutes.
Drain and chop.
In a skillet sauté onion and garlic over medium flame, stirring constantly until onion is transparent.
Add fresh mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes.
Add soaked mushrooms and tomatoes.
Season with salt and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes, or until cooking water has evaporated.
Cook pasta in water and salt.
Strain, add mushroom sauce, olive oil, and parsley, and mix.
|
Pears in Black Cherry Juice
?Serves 6
|
6 firm pears
8 cups black cherry juice
1/4 cup fresh ginger,
peeled and cut into matchsticks
or grate
1 Tablespoon ginger
and press out into
cherry juice
6 Tablespoons kuzu
diluted in 6 Tablespoons cold water
6 sprigs mint
|
Place pears, juice, and ginger in heavy-bottomed pot and pour juice over them. The juice should half cover them.
Cover and simmer until pears are soft but not mushy.
Pierce with a toothpick to see if they are done.
Remove pears from pot and place on a serving platter or on individual plates.
Add dissolved kuzu to simmering juice and stir until thickened.
Pour 1 cup of the sauce over each pear and garnish with a mint sprig.
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