ArcaMax

We were all taught the same thing. Calories in. Calories out. It’s all about the calories.

When I was a young teenager, I bought one of those pocket-sized calorie counting books they sold at the grocery store. They were prominently displayed by the check out. I took it home and it didn’t take me long to memorize it. I was obsessed with wanting to lose weight and look like a waif. Twiggy was the “model of the moment” in those days. She was the most famous waif on the planet. I wasn’t really fat. I just thought I was. And the way to lose weight was to cut back on calories consumed. Everyone knew that.

Well, what everyone knew to be true was wrong...

Read the full column at PlanZDiet.com

Celery Apple Salad

The inspiration for this recipe came from a new one offered up by Bon Appetit. I must give them some of the credit. I changed it enough to make it my own, but the original is in a cookbook by Molly Baz called Cook this Book.

Servings: Serves four as a side dish. With the addition of a protein, this could easily serve two as an entrée. Consider things like cold-cooked shrimp, shredded cooked chicken, or even cold sliced steak. Perfect for a warm day.

Ingredients:

4 cups of celery bits. Wash and trim the celery. Slice it on a diagonal so you get elongated pieces. You can even include the delicate celery leaves. BIG YUM!
1 Granny Smith apple cored and cut into thin slices.
1 small shallot peeled and cut into thin slices.
2 Tbl of minced fresh mint
1 cup of roasted and salted peanuts. Buy the best quality you can find. Take the majority of them and mince them up. Don’t make peanut butter in a blender. Just mince them so you can see and taste the crunch. The rest of them will just be whole and added later.
8 Medjool dates chopped without pits. Or use 3/4 cup of raisins

Dressing: 3 Tbl of rice vinegar
1 tsp of honey. I use Whole Earth 50 which has less sugar or use good honey and splurge.
1/8 tsp of cracked red pepper. This will give it zing without heat. You can always add more to meet your firey taste.
3 Tbl of olive oil
Grated sea salt to taste

Instructions:

Make the dressing. I use my Bullet Blender but if you don’t have one you can just use a whisk and a medium bowl. Put in all of the ingredients and run the blender for five to ten seconds or whip with your whisk. Taste and season with grated sea salt. Set aside.

Put all the salad ingredients in a medium bowl. Mix them up so they are evenly distributed. Pour on the dressing and toss so everything gets covered. Add the final whole peanuts if you have not yet. Let the salad sit for about 15 minutes to meld the flavors. If you don’t have time, it’s okay to just dig in!

If you are making this as an entrée, the protein can be scattered on top or tossed in, your choice. Season with grated sea salt and pepper to taste to give a bit more oomph to the protein. Enjoy!

Enjoy!
Cheers,
Zola