In January I resume the diet. In January I kick the junk food habit. No more sugar in January. My new year’s resolutions have a lot of the word January in them, but here we are one day away from February and I’m still picking up crumpled gianduiotti wrappers from my desk. Are you lagging behind on your 30-day cleanses and finding it hard to be disciplined?
Every year, weighed down by massive amounts of panettone and other holiday bingeing, we ambitiously promise ourselves healthier habits and eating regimen. Before hurling yourself head-first in dieting and diabolical fasting, do consider a detox period to prepare your bodies for the famine to come. This will give our overstimulated organisms enough time to leach out stocked toxins and find respite after the holiday bender. Cavolo nero, fennel, cauliflower and other seasonal foods are precious allies in the cleansing prep. We’ve collected xx recipes to make and enjoy to make and enjoy while cleansing and detoxing our bodies.
These are our suggested 14 detox recipes to tackle in the beginning of 2017 for a complete cleansing reboot
Vegetarian Rosemary White Bean Soup – A fantastic comfort food soup made with cannellini beans, slow simmered vegetable stock and plenty of purifying herbs. Hearty, warm and filling (and even better the next day!)
Pasta e Fagioli, Pasta & Beans – Legumes are a fantastic superfood that should always be part of everyone’s eating routine, not just when dieting. This soup is made by simmering the beans down to almost a puree and cooking the pasta directly in the soup.
Bean-Potato Stew from Ma’s Kitchen – Memory plays as big a part as ingredient foraging in the healing process. When making a family staple that combines beans, potatoes, olive oil and plenty of oregano, water and simmering until cooked, the cleanse is complete.
Minestrone – This chunky vegetable soup changes according to season. This version is a fall-winter mix of cabbage, borlotti beans, squash, onion, carrot, leek, celery and other bits of odd vegetables.
Pasta e Ceci, pasta and chickpea soup – Chickpeas are a Mediterranean staple. Poached and partly pureed they are added to broken bits of pasta and rosemary to become a velvety, rich and comforting complete meal dish.
Pasta e Zucca, pumpkin and pasta soup – Neapolitan winter staple made with sweet squash or flavorful pumpkins. It is – aside from comforting and delicious – also a healthy, easy and very quickly prepared dish.
Ribollita – Tuscan kale and white bean soup is boiled twice (hence the name ri-bollita) and thickened with day old bread. This can be made in large batches and provide healthy sustenance for days on end.
Risi e Bisi, rice and peas – Venetians make this delightful sweetpea and rice soup by simmering the rice in a delicate broth made by boiling down the pea pods. The result is a creamy, rib-sticking dish.
Pollo Arrosto al Limone, lemon roasted chicken – This easy and failsafe recipe will guarantee a perfect bird, crisp on the outside, with under it succulent, tender meat.
15-minute fish – Nervous about cooking fish? You shouldn’t be, it’s actually easier than cooking meat! Follow this failsafe non-recipe and you’ll see what we mean.
Ricciola al Marsala, amberjack in marsala sauce – Deglazing with Marsala wine lends meats and fish a beautifully complex, sweet and delicate structure, extracting juices and hidden flavors. Try it!
Stocco e Patane, cod and potatoes – This poorman’s dish is actually both an ode to simplicity and a well-balanced mix of protein and starch. Make this for the whole family at lunchtime on the weekend paired with steamed asparagus, or roast Brussel sprouts.
Cardi al Forno, oven-roasted cardoons – Cardoons are so underappreciated! If you love the zing of artichokes and save the stems for last, you’ll adore cardoons, which posess that same earthy, iron-rich flavor.
Fave e Cicoria, fava bean puree with wilted chickory – This recipe hailing from the splendid region of Puglia, features the pairing of bitter cicoria leaves and delicate fava bean purée into a healthy, fiber-rich vegetarian Linus blanket.
In addition to these healthy recipes, you should also consider brewing herbal teas and infusions made with fresh herbs and natural pices. Check out all the medicinal uses mentioned in The Spice Cabinet and The Herb Garden posts.
What’s your detox routine?
