Roasted Cilantro Chicken Breast with Avocado, Mango and Papaya Relish

Please don’t judge the color of my avocados. I live in the mountains, there is not an avocado tree in sight…

Okay kids….it’s cleanse time!  Tomorrow, I embark on my 21 day “are you insane” cleanse.  No caffeine, soy, dairy, wheat, sugar and anything else one would eat during the course of a day.  I drink my breakfast, eat a “clean” lunch and drink my dinner.  I am allowed to snack on organic apples and almond butter or maybe that awesome lentil hummus with organic carrot sticks.  Herbal teas are okay!  Green tea is as well, which is my saving grace during these 3 weeks as that is the only caffeine I am allowed.  This the Clean cleanse by Alejandro Junger, M.D.

There are a trillion of cleanses out there and at first I was totally overwhelmed with not only how to begin a cleanse but which cleanse to choose.  An acquaintance nonchalantly mentioned this cleanse and for some reason (although I am pretty sure the Universe had something to do with it) I bought the book without needing to hear another word about it.  From the first chapter, this book resonated with me so completely I knew that I needed to look no further.  There are lots of added supplements that they suggest you buy for this cleanse but I don’t.  I am able to do this cleanse quite cheaply by adding the other supplements they suggest in the book such as milk thistle, oregano oil, maca, Super Seed by Garden of Life and multi-vitamins.  So, my blender is in position on the counter, my hummus is made, my quinoa salad is made and I am looking forward to that balsamic chicken.

I have done this twice prior and both times I have felt so completely alive and “clean” and with such an abundance of energy, it is hard to explain.  I know this is going to be hard because of my sugar addiction and my love of food but then again, I need this.  My brain feels clouded, I feel slow, my body feels heavy and I feel tired most every day, all day long.  I want that clarity back in my brain, the quickness and alertness I am use to.  What makes this time a lot more thrilling, is that my best friend will be doing it as well.  Although she lives in California, technology comes in handy.  So if one or the other gets frustrated, or hungry or scared about coming off the cleanse too early, the other is prepared to support and lend suggestions and encouragement to remain and complete the 21 days.  So here I am.  I have decided to venture out and try some other “clean” recipes, such as this one I am posting.  I feel like I need that.  Yet, for the days that I am either too busy to prepare an extraordinary lunch or don’t feel like it, I have some organic chicken breasts I’ll just grill with some olive oil, fresh cracked pepper and sea salt.

This makes 2 portions.  Happy cleansing peeps.

Ingredients

Relish

1/2 mango, diced

1/2 papaya, seeded and diced

1/2 avocado, cut into 1/2-inch chunks

2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 teaspoon sesame oil

pinch of salt

pinch of cayenne

Chicken

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

pinch of cayenne

2 organic chicken breasts, boneless and skinless

Preparation

1. Mix all relish ingredients and let sit for at least one hour in the refrigerator.
2. In a bowl combine olive oil, lime juice, cilantro and cayenne.  Coat chicken and marinate it for one hour.
3. Turn oven to 350 degrees.  Place chicken with marinade on top and bake for approximately 45-50 minutes.  Turn occasionally until ready.
4. Serve chicken and place relish on top.

High Altitude Adjustment

• Decrease oven temperature to 325 degrees.
• Increase cooking time to 50-60 minutes.

Compost

• Mango pit and skin
• Papaya seeds and skin
• Avocado seed and skin
• Ginger, lime and cilantro trimmings

Recycle

• Any used spice container

Reuse

• Prepare relish by doubling recipe so as to use the whole amount of the mango, papaya and avocado and save for the following day.
• Plastic bags vegetables and fruit came in.

Green Lentil Hummus-Let’s Get Clean

I just went on a 3 day trip from Colorado to Arizona.  Friday, we drove the whole duration, Saturday we stayed and visited with family and Sunday we made the trek back.  It was long and at times seemed never-ending.  Especially with my 2 year and 4-year-old who just wanted to get out and use their legs!  In fact, Aiden, my 4-year-old asked at one time if he could get out and run on the side as we drove…..oh my goodness how awful.  Sad but hilarious.  Anyways, with road trips comes gross “road” food.  I am actually proud because not once did we have fast food!  So that was a plus.  But we did have Denny’s two mornings in a row and our beloved In-N-Out one night which we do not consider fast food as it is too good to be fast food.  And we don’t get it here in Colorado so that is allowed at anytime when traveling.  We were lucky enough to eat amazing Mexican food (I had the best shrimp fajitas of my life in Albuquerque New Mexico at a Seafood eatery called Marisco’s Vallarta, amazing food and amazing service!  One of the best shrimp cocktails I have ever had, authentic).  Truly, I don’t remember the last fresh vegetable I ate (no, the sautéed peppers and onions in my fajita do not count).  So I have decided to cleanse and detoxify my body of all the yuckies I have put into it this weekend and do a 9 day cleanse called Clean by Alejandro Junger, M.D.  I had done this cleanse last January, but I did it for 21 days.  It was intense but I had never felt better in my whole life and since then I have lost weight and felt happier and had more energy.

I am having my first shake this morning and have taken out ALL of my detox supplements and have swallowed more pills of oregano oil, milk thistle, etc. than anyone should.  But ultimately I will feel better.  It will be very difficult but so necessary.  Here is a recipe from that cleanse.  I am going to bring it to a party this Saturday and hope people will like it.  This is one of the “approved” snacks I can eat while on this cleanse.  And I love it.  I also love my organic apple and almond butter snack…

Happy Clean cooking!

Ingredients

3 cups vegetable or organic chicken stock/broth
1 cup green lentils
1 bay leaf
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup tahini (sesame seed paste)
juice of one lemon
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
sea salt to taste
vegetable and apple slices for dipping (I prefer organic baby carrots)

Preparation

1. In a medium saucepan, combine chicken stock, green lentils, and bay leaf, bring to a boil and then cover and let simmer until lentils are tender, roughly 40 minutes and then boil uncovered until most liquid is gone, take out the bay leaf and let it cool a bit.
2. Transfer to food processor and blend with garlic, tahini, lemon juice until smooth, adding sea salt and other spices (cumin and paprika) to taste.
3. Serve warm or at room temperature with the vegetables or you can make and store in the fridge to use as needed throughout the week.

High Altitude Adjustment

• Increase stock/broth to 3 1/2 cups
• Cooking time may take longer

Compost

• Lemon and garlic trimmings

Recycle

• Green lentil bag, tahini jar, spice containers (if you have used the end of)

Reuse

• Eat hummus throughout the week