Undercover Detox Dinner

As I was doing my 21-day Whole Detox with Dr. Deanna Minich, I had a special event happening at my house. It was a dinner for friends, but not just any friends. Two of the guests are John and Robin, the leaders of our local Portland Chapter of American Pilgrims on the Camino. And one was Laura, a star in The Pilgrim Project video I had just completed, who came along with her husband, Sam.

I was so excited to share with them one year’s worth of work I’ve been doing to capture eleven local pilgrims before and after their Camino experience. So I really wanted this dinner to be special…well the whole evening to be special really! And, I was on my detox. So I decided to prepare the best recipes from the Whole Detox, but just not advertise that part. I reached out to the Whole Detox Facebook group to ask for their input on favorite recipes and it wasn’t long before I had my menu.

Unsweetened Spearmint Sun Tea

Arugula, Fennel, Citrus Salad

Creamy Carrot Coconut Curry Soup

Tandoori Chickpeas With Kale & Red Peppers on Brown Rice

Berry & Nut Cobbler

So on to the recipes…

 

SPEARMINT SUN TEA

1 large clear jar

3 TB of dried spearmint

Put dried spearmint into a tea ball or wrap in a thin cotton napkin and tie it up in a knot or with a rubber band. Don’t bundle it tight…yes, I learned this by doing it wrong the first time. Tea needs space for the water to penetrate and brew. Sit in the sun for a few hours. Chill in the refrigerator, then serve over ice. I also served ice water, and asked any guests who wanted wine, to bring some.

 

ARUGULA-CITRUS-FENNEL SALAD

2 handfuls of arugula (about 4 cups)

1/2 fennel bulb (shaved)

1 orange (peeled, sectioned, then chopped in bite-size pieces)

3 green onions (chopped)

1/2 cup almonds (chopped)

1/2 avocado (diced)

Combine above salad items in a large bowl. I love to take my time, put a lot of love into the prep and to arrange the colors into their own unique mandala. I often use pansies, nasturtiums or borage to add beauty and color. I usually wait until guests arrive to stir in the Simple Dressing (below), toss and enjoy!

 

SIMPLE DRESSING (this is my own recipe)

2 TB flax oil

2 TB apple cider vinegar

1/2 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients above in a jar, shake well.

 

CREAMY CARROT COCONUT CURRY SOUP

2 tsps coconut oil

1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped

8 large carrots, scrubbed and cut into 1/2 inch rounds

2 tsps curry powder

1/4 tsp ginger powder

1 cup purified water

2 cups organic vegetable broth

3 TB almond butter

1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk (canned)

Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

I also added 1 nub of fresh ginger, minced and then topped the soup with fresh chopped mint and lavender.

In a large soup pot over medium heat, melt coconut oil. Add onion and saute for 5 minutes or until softens. Add the carrots, curry, ginger and water, and let the mixture cook, stirring it constantly for 1 min. Add broth, raise heat to high, bring soup to a boil. Once at boil, reduce heat to low and partially cover the pot. Simmer the soup for 15 minutes, until the carrots soften. Add almond butter and coconut milk, stirring for 1 minute. Blend with wand mixer or blender. Season with salt and pepper. I topped it with chopped mint and lavender. Serve.

 

 

TANDOORI CHICKPEAS WITH KALE & RED PEPPERS

1.5 cups of chickpeas

1 TB coconut oil

1 TB tandoori seasoning

Dash of ground black pepper

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 garlic clove, minced

2 TB diced red onion

3/4 cup unsweetened, full-fat coconut milk (canned)

4 large leaves roughly chopped kale

1/2 large orange or red bell pepper, chopped

Juice of 1 lemon

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

Melt coconut oil in frying pan over medium heat. Add tandoori seasoning, pepper, and salt, and stir the spices for a few seconds, before adding the onion and garlic. Continue to stir the mixture until the onion becomes soft and translucent. Add the coconut milk, and mix it in well before stirring in the chickpeas. Cover the pan and let the mixture simmer on medium for 7-10 minutes. Add the kale and bell peppers. Add the lemon juice. Serve over brown rice.

 

 

BERRY AND NUT COBBLER

1 tsp plus 2 TB coconut oil

1 cup each of blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries (fresh or frozen)

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup gluten-free oats

1 TB flaxseed meal

1 TB maple syrup

Grease 9 x 9 inch pan with 1 tsp coconut oil. In medium bowl combine berries. In another bowl combine all other ingredients – nuts, flax, honey and 2 TB coconut oil.  (I used microwave to heat up coconut oil and honey). Spread berries evenly in the greased baking dish. Sprinkle nuts and oats mixture on top. Bake the cobbler for 20-25 minutes, or until the berries are gently bubbling. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Spoon into serving dishes. This is 4 servings.

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All recipes from the book Whole Detox by Dr. Deanna Minich and used with permission of the author. These recipes are very representative of all the recipes in her marvelous book. She also offers a group detox twice a year, in spring and fall, with her next group detox happening on October 1st. There is an early-bird special of this amazing, very supportive group, along with 12 webinars for just $77 until June 15th.

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It ends up our evening was fantastic! My guests loved the meal and were asking for recipes as each course was served. So by the second course, I spilled the beans and let them know it was detox recipes. Which if you think about it, are just whole, fresh, real live foods worthy of sharing with the best of friends!

Another little trick is…when you find something that works, repeat it! So two nights later, I had my daughter and her family, friends, and my Airbnb guests over for a repeat of this lovely meal and a screening of The Pilgrim Project.