Cleaning Out the Chimney

The world around us can contain more pollutants than we think. The air we breathe in is full of chemicals produced by factories and spread through its currents, into our lungs. Second hand smoke is also another concern to our health and I know because I've been there. My mother used to be an avid smoker and I would constantly be taking in that unfiltered lung contaminating smog. It is unhealthy; just as unhealthy as it is breathing in the fumes from trailers and automobiles. Not only are toxics a concern damaging our lungs, but we can also be hurt by the food we eat. As smoke is to damage our lungs, fat and grease can damage our bodies and disrupt our digestive systems. Those with allergens are at an even greater risk of having their regular body functions thrown into chaos.

I recall a while back, before I became a vegetarian, I went through a good colon cleanse to 'prep' my body into becoming liberated from the weight of meat and its effects to the digestive system. After all was said and done, I felt weightless. Ask someone else alike, and they will tell you the same thing. Going vegetarian can give you the sensation of weighing less. It's a peculiar sensation to describe and the odd thing about it all is that only vegetarians/vegans can understand it. I'm sure going raw can cause an even greater effect, but, unfortunately I went that route for a while and I can't adhere to it. I eat a lot of raw vegetables and such, but, going the whole nine yards doesn't work for me and that's fine because a diet is what we feel comfortable with that does our body good.

Back to colon cleansing, the big question is: do we really need it? It's an argumentum subject. In my opinion, I think it is a necessary procedure. Constipation leads to colon disease. Well, frequent constipation and when I mean frequent, I mean going once or twice a week and hard to pass. A no-no diet, one that is high in fat and low in fiber causes chronic constipation. If you have this, that puts you at a high risk of getting diseases and worst case scenario, cancer; but, that's not saying other individuals with a perfect system are free of getting cancer. Who knows why?

There are several methods of colon cleansing, but, not all of them are gentle on the system - trust me. I've tried a few that literally make everything worse! The bloating, the cramps - it plain sucks. I might as well wait it out prior to going for a cleanse. Now, I did find a few that are pretty good and thorough instead of popping a pill every so often. I dislike the powders because I just can't take anything like that. I can't even take liquid cold medicine because it makes me gag, so, imagine drinking sludge. Yeah, uh, not buying it. I've tried Garden of Life and their products, which weren't too bad if I skipped the liquid gunk. I think I tried Renew Life too, can't remember. Normally I take psyllium husk fiber caps as my fiber source and I'm good because I know the rest of my fruits and vegetables compensate for the remainder of the requirements.

So, I've been contacted by a representative from DrNatura to try out their colon cleanse and, frankly, it's about time I do another one. I usually do one every four months or so, unless I feel I need one more urgently. I'll give everyone a heads up on how it goes once I'm through with the product.

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Tastes jus' like Chick'n! - Eh..

Tell you what. When they said, "Alligator tastes just like chicken," they weren't lying. It really does and it became a huge turn off to me. I mean, the concept of what I made was fantastic. I loved the flavor and since the gator absorbed most of the flavor, it was palatable for me; however, the harsh protein and mouth feel of the gator itself just didn't sit well.

Grillades is a form of Creole cubed steak and is traditionally served over grits in a trinity sauce (FYI trinity is celery, onions, and pepper for NOLA cuisine). It's very straight forward and easy which is why many refer to this as comfort food. It is typically served for breakfast or brunch in NOLA. Next time, I'd use tempeh or some other form of protein since the gator was too tough for me to tolerate. Gator, itself is supposed to be pretty good for you. This is what I take from wisegeek:

"Alligator meat is considered to be healthier than domestic chicken, especially when it comes to cholesterol and fat content. The most common alligator meat product sold in stores is the tail section. Alligator tail meat is very similar toveal in texture, but is said to taste like chicken, rabbit, fish or frog's legs. Some also compare the tail meat to the white portions of pork. There is also a tenderloin portion of alligator meat, located in a tubular section of the tail.

While the tail portion may be considered the best section of alligator meat, there is also some consumer demand for the darker, slightly tougher midsection meat. The taste of the midsection alligator meat is said to be closer to a pork shoulder, with sinewy grains and a stronger natural flavor than the tail section. Some alligator meat enthusiasts also enjoy the meat found in an alligator's feet, often called the alligator's wings. The flavor and texture reportedly resembles frog's legs."

I guess it does, too, remind me of pork which is also why I can't stomach it. I mean, there isn't a real flavor to it but the toughness of the meat itself just doesn't go down easy. I do, however, recommend for everyone to try it. As classification goes, it really varies. Some classify it as seafood while other classify it as meat. I say since I got it from a fish monger, it's considered seafood to me even though the texture is like meat. Then again, tuna also has a very chicken-y texture too on some occasions, so, it really depends on your mindset I suppose. Meh. Whatever. Just go with it.

Gator Grillades

1 stalk celery, diced

1/2 small green bell pepper, diced

1/2 small white onion, diced

1/2 cup crushed tomatoes

2-3 pieces of alligator meat

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tbsp Braggs Amino acids

1/3 cup water

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 tbsp Creole seasoning

Crystal hot sauce to taste

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 tbsp nondairy margarine
Green onions (optional, for garnish - I didn't have any)

1/2 cup buttermilk or coconut milk plus 1 tbsp vinegar or lemon juice

Chop the gator meat in small fingernail pieces and marinade the gator meat in the milk overnight. This is to tenderize it, so swears the fish monger.

Next day, sauté the trinity in a pan until soft. Add the tomatoes and a bit of water to deglaze. Stir in the garlic, vinegar, Braggs, and 1 tbsp of seasoning. Salt and pepper as you go. Bring this down to a simmer. Drain the meat and add it to the pan. Place a lid on the pan and on a medium simmer, simmer for about 10 to 12 minutes. The meat will turn white when it is done. After this immediately turn off the heat.

Add the crystals sauce, last tablespoon of seasoning, and stir in the margarine.

Some suggest to thicken the sauce with cornstarch, but I didn't and it came perfect to me because I didn't add a significant amount of water. You can do so if you wish, but, I figure it was perfect to be absorbed by the grits. You can also serve this with rice instead or bread - which is why I find thickening it unnecessary.

You can totally interchange the protein as well. Try, mm, tempeh or tofu or chickpeas or chickpea dumplings, which, I think would be awesome.

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Menu Swap - August 23rd

It's been a long time and, boy, have I missed the menu swap. A lot has been going on in my life, where, I haven't had time to blog as much as I would have liked. It has been a killer - trust me. I'm now back! I've mentioned in a few posts before that I was going through some stuff, but, I'll reiterate the details. I've gotten a divorce, which wasn't pretty but better in the long run because I didn't realize how unhappy I was until I was happy - if that makes sense. So I moved to Florida with my father and am going to finally go to the school I need to get my proper degree. Who knows what may happen after this.

Speaking of, I've been trying the gluten challenge again..and I haven't really had any symptoms whatsoever. Granted, I'm not eating a ton of gluten all the time, but, here and there I've been testing myself. I still have acid reflux but I've had that even when I was GF and DF. That didn't change much. I also find now that I'm on the anti-anxiety medicine, that, my stomach is at ease and I don't feel that knot buried way down there anymore. I can sleep in peace and not have to worry about anything. That's a good feeling. No, that's a great feeling.

My recipe concept changes a bit, but, not extravagantly. I'm going to be allergin friendly since, as I said, I'm going gluten free on most days. I'm just right now relishing in the concept of not being paranoid eating out anymore. Oh and I know for sure it is now IBS. I just have to revamp everything when I get the chance..maybe this afternoon or something.

I've been skeptical in posting a menu because I'm not sure how dedicated I'm going to be in posting up the recipes due to my uncertainty of my activities this week. I'm starting a new job and I don't know why schedule yet, but, I know I'll be eating at some point in time. So, here's a few recipes that I intend to make this week.

Cheryl chose summer fruits and vegetables for the ingredient and I have a few of those tossed here and there in my menu.

Menu Swap for Week August 23rd

Alligator Grillades - Alligator is considered seafood. I'M SURE.

Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Avocado and Corn Cream

Nyama na Irio (African mashed vegetables with 'meat' gravy)

Brazilian-style Cobb Salad

It's tiny but mighty. I might throw in some extra stuff too.

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