Adventures in Cabbage Soup Dieting

You know that feeling that you get after the holidays when your clothes are quite snug and you're sure you've probably put on a few pounds but you haven't stepped on a scale so it isn't real? Yeah, me too. And doesn't it totally suck when you actually do get on that scale and it's worse news that you'd thought?  Yikes. Then it's time for drastic measures. Enter The Cabbage Soup Diet. Seven days of weird eating strategies supplemented by non-hearty bowls of...you guessed it...cabbage soup. 

Day 1 was easy enough, only fruit and your soup. Day 2, however, was harder on me - only veggies and soup, no fruit - which meant that my sweet tooth was killing me. An allowed baked potato saved the day. Here it is along with some curried veggies:

Curried Roasted Vegetables

• 3-4 cups of cubed vegetables - I used onion, garlic, red pepper, carrot, broccoli, eggplant, zapallito, and about a quarter of a calabaza
• Drizzle of olive oil
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard powder
• 1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger
• salt and pepper

Toss all ingredients in a bowl until veggies are coated with spices. Spread out veggies in one layer on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Roast in a hot oven (400F, 205C) for 15 minutes covered with tinfoil and an additional 15 minutes without foil, or until cooked to your preference. Turn every 10 minutes for evenness and to prevent sticking. 

Day 3 was a piece of cake - fruits, veggies, and soup. And I should note that we didn't make the cabbage soup recipe, we actually made our own version. It included cabbage but not really any seasonings - just veggies simmered with nothing but water, salt, and pepper for about half an hour.

Day 4, however, was not. Bananas and skim milk day. Oh, the humanity. But we made a feast of it. First, banana milkshakes: Combine a banana with about a cup of cold skim milk and a few ice cubes in a food processor until well blended. Add a few drops of vanilla or almond extract for great flavor.

 

Banana "Ice Cream"

• Bananas
• Lemon juice

That's it! That's all of the ingredients. Slice the bananas, brush with or dip in lemon juice. Freeze the slices in one layer for a couple of hours. Blend in a food processor, scraping the sides as needed, until the slices get creamy...like ice cream! Add a touch of skim milk if you're having trouble blending. 

I'll make this "ice cream" again along with a dollop of peanut butter of dulce de leche blended in. It's amazing how close the texture is to actual ice cream.

Days 5 and 6 permitted the eating of beef or chicken. And for me that meant tofu. I experimented with 2 cooking styles. Both began by cutting a block of tofu into 1cm thick slices and pressing between two dish towels for 30 minutes - I stacked a couple of Harry Potter books on top of a cutting board covering the towels. This process is to soak up the water so that the tofu will hold onto a marinade.

The first method called for dry frying the tofu before marinading.

Tofu Marinade (for half of a block of tofu)

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 big clove of garlic, chopped
• 2 T. soy sauce
• shake of tamarind sauce
• 1 T. lemon juice
• pinch of red pepper flakes
• pinch of dry mustard powder
• pinch of ginger powder
• pinch of cayenne pepper
• pinch of vegetable powder

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, add dry fried tofu, add enough water to cover the tofu. Marinade for 2 hours or overnight in the refrigerator. 

Saute tofu in the marinade until most of the liquid evaporates. Add any additional vegetables if you like. I added tomatoes (added for the last 5 minutes of sauteing) for day 5...

...and carrots and broccoli for day 6. I also added black and white sesame seeds, though these weren't part of the diet plan. (I also ate vegan chocolate on a few of the days...a girl's gotta break some rules.)

 

The second tofu-cooking method I tried was for baked tofu. This goes into the marinade right after pressing. I tried a lighter, curry powder based marinade with mint but the flavor either wasn't as strong as the soy sauce based marinade or I didn't let it sit long enough. So, that recipe is going to take some experimenting.

After marinading, bake the tofu (flipping every 20 minutes) on a lightly oiled baking sheet for 45 minutes to an hour at 180C, 350F. This gave it a great texture but because the flavor was so subtle, I went ahead and sauteed the baked tofu in the marinade and added a tomato.

Day 7 - the home stretch - incorporated vegetables and brown rice. I had been reluctant to eat an avocado all week due to it's high (good) fat content but tossed one with a couple of tomatoes, a drizzle of olive oil and lemon juice, and a sprinkle of sesame seeds for a salad on the last day.

Of course, I took some liberties with the diet foods (it's not like there are cooking instructions) and I still had a small cup of coffee with milk and sugar for breakfast each day to keep my sanity. In the end I lost nearly 2 kilos but, most importantly, I found new and different ways to eat healthy foods. I will say that this diet can screw with your system, so watch out for weirdness and be careful. The great thing is that I'm satisfied with smaller portions and I don't have crazy cravings now. It's kind of like someone hit my reset button and I can appreciate food and drinks in moderation again. Also, my jeans don't muffin-top me so much. Awesome.

Argentine Gifts - Drink Edition

I'm running out of time but wanted to mention a few other uniquely Argentine gifts. If you've ever been to Argentina you probably recognize the bottle of Fernet Branca above. This tiny version was found at a wine store and will be much easier to lug home than a full bottle but it still gives the recipient the full Argentine experience. Read more about Fernet here. 

If you want to give a mate to someone who won't actually drink it, how about a keychain from Raices instead?

And finally, I've mentioned Inti Zen tea before, but it's worth a reminder. The variety box gives you 8 blends including yerba mate and dulce de leche. Happy Holidays from Argentina!

The Passion of The Soap

Before you rush home for Christmas/New Year/Whatnot you'll have to pick up some souvenirs from your beloved Argentina. Dulce de leche and Malbec are soooo overdone. I thought I would dedicate a few posts to Argentine souvenirs. 

I really love the soap from La Pasionaria (and no, they're not paying me to say so...though they should since I buy so much of it). And, they have several Argentine-themed soaps - perfect souvenirs!

Here's one from the Patriotic Scents line (which includes the three flowers considered in the contest for the national flower). The orange one (pictured below) is not the winner but is my favorite and is actually la passionaria.

And instead of taking home a tub of dulce de leche (which you can actually buy in the states), you can take an easy-to-pack bar of dulce de leche scented soap, which is oh so much easier for packing.

And in case you want to pass along Argentina's signature drink but don't want to have to smuggle all the gear and a package of yerba home, here's Yerba Mate soap! (Look - it even explains what it is in English on the package).

Wow, it seems that I have confessed my love for this exclusively Argentine brand but I couldn't help but get carried away - the soaps were just so photogenic. The shops are in various locations around the country and there are several in Rosario including a kiosk in both malls. Most soaps are sold in sets of three in addition in individual bars. There's a three-pack of red wine scents too. ¡Salud!

Permanent Residency Obtained

(FYI-You need a copy of the signed page in this book to apply for residency based on marriage)

We celebrated our one year wedding anniversary last week. Weeee! And yet, I still hadn't gotten notice from the immigration office regarding my residency. As a reminder, I've had to renew my temporary version of permanent residency every three months since we submitted all required information to immigration right after our wedding.

As a heads up to anyone who has to go to the immigration office in Rosario - they've decided that they will just give out a finite amount of numbers each day so you can't just go during open hours and expect to be helped. They were out of numbers before 11am yesterday.

So, here's something that they don't tell you: You can check the status of your residency application here - click Consulte Su Trámite de Residencia. This is how we learned that my permanent residency had come through and my papers were ready to be picked up as of November 1. However, the immigration office had told us to wait for a notice to come in the mail. Don't do that. It's December 1 and I haven't received a notice. Just go get your stuff. So, now I have some more papers (that don't even have my photo stapled to them this time), which allow me to apply for a DNI.

So, previously I had thought that a DNI was required for me to apply for an American residency visa on behalf of my spouse. However, after communication with the US embassy in Buenos Aires, it seems that an established residency (so, Residencia Precaria in my case) is sufficient. Then what could possibly be the benefit of applying for a DNI at this point? Well, I suppose that I'll be able to get a credit card from the grocery store now. Hmmmm. Question: is having a DNI overrated???

Scenes from el Circuito

I suppose if I'm gonna eat like a champ, I need to exercise like one too. Luckily, the city of Rosario has come up with a brilliant initiative for recreation: Cambiá el aire! Calle Recerativa.

On Sundays from 8am to 1pm 13km of streets are closed to traffic so that bikers, skaters, runners and walkers can enjoy without fear of getting run down by cars. Yay! I don't have to be afraid anymore :)

Peas 'n Carrots Masala

I will not pretend that I know anything about Indian food, aside from the fact that I like it and cannot buy it here. I also didn't know the difference between curry powder and garam masala but I decided that I wanted to try a masala recipe so I watched this video and made my own.

Garam Masala

• 2 T. cumin seed (semillas de comino)
• 2 T. coriander seed (semillas de cilantro)
• 2 T. black peppercorns (grandos de pimienta negra)
• 1 T. cardamom pods (cardamomo)
• 1 cinnamon stick (canela en rama)
• 4 bay leaves (hoja de laurel)
• 1 t. whole cloves (clavos)

Toast all spices except bay leaves in a pan over medium heat - tossing continuously -  for about 3 minutes. Let cool. Grind all ingredients together (including bay leaves).

My notes: All ingredients are available at dieteticas in Rosario, but I used already ground cinnamon (1/2 teaspoon). I didn't want to aromatize my coffee grinder so I used an emulsion blender with good enough results - I had to sift out some seed shells that wouldn't grind. The scent of garam masala is way different than curry powder (which is available at Safyta and other spots around town).

Forrest and Jenny's Masala
adapted from En Samayal Pakkam

• 2 1/2 cups fresh shelled peas and carrots, diced
• 1 small or medium onion
• 1" ginger (jengibre)
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 t. fennel seeds (hinojo)
• 1/2 t. cumin (comino)
• 1/4 t. coriander seeds (cilantro)
• handful of fresh cilantro leaves (I didn't have any)
• 2 or 3 mint leaves
• 1 green chili (or substitute cayenne pepper to taste - I used 1/4 teaspoon)
• 2 T. oil (I used sunflower)
• 1 big tomato, finely chopped 
• 1/2 t. turmeric (cúrcuma)
• 1/4 t. chili powder
• 1/2 t. garam masala
• salt to taste
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup heavy cream or plain yogurt

Steam peas and carrots with some salt until soft - to your desired tenderness (5 minutes for me), set aside. Blend together everything from onion to green chili into a paste - I used an emersion blender but it left some chunks so I would suggest a food processor. Fry paste in oil 'until the raw smell goes away' - about 5 minutes. The recipe didn't list amount or type of oil so I used 2 T. sunflower oil.

 

Then add chopped tomatoes and turmeric, chili powder and garam masala. Saute for 5 minutes until the tomatoes are mushed up and oil spots appear on top.

Add water (more if needed) and bring to a boil. Add vegetables and bring to a boil. Taste for seasoning, add salt and other spices to taste. Give the gravy a minute to cook down a bit, then remove from heat and stir in cream.

I served over white rice. Yes, that's my impatient shadow looming over this dish. Clearly, I was very hungry. Between the ginger, pepper, cayenne, and chili powder it's a spicy dish but the level of heat can be easily dialed up or down according to your tastes.

Quinoa Is Good For You!

Being a superfood, quinoa is totally good for you. The tricky part is getting it clean - I have to pick it over for rocks and other random debris, then soak it for a few minutes (skimming off any floaters), and rinse in a wire mesh colander. I also give it a bit of a scrub between my hands while soaking to get rid of any clinging saponin.

Double Broccoli Quinoa

adapted from 101 Cookbooks

• 3/4 cup quinoa, cleaned
• 3 cups broccoli, cut into small florets and steamed
• 1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup parmesan
• salt
• juice of half a lemon
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream

After cleaning quinoa, bring to a boil with 1 1/2 cups water and a big pinch of salt, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes - it's done when you can see the curlicues. To make the broccoli pesto, puree 1 1/2 cups steamed broccoli with nuts, parmesan, salt, and lemon juice in a food processor. Drizzle in the olive oil and cream and pulse until smooth. Toss pesto and quinoa with the remaining florets. Add extra salt, lemon juice, or parmesan, as you prefer. I added a few dashes of Al Wok seasoning (brand is Indo Deli), which includes garlic, coriander, ginger, onion, and basil.

Quinoa with Black Beans

adapted from All Recipes

• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• splash of olive oil
• 1/2 cup quinoa, cleaned
• 1 cup vegetable stock
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• dash of cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3/4 cup corn kernels
• 1 1/2-2 cups cooked black beans
• handful of chopped fresh cilantro or parsley

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in onion and garlic and saute until lightly browned - about 6 minutes. Add quinoa and cover with stock. Season with cumin, cayenne, and a big pinch of salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in corn (if using frozen, simmer until heated through), beans and herb. Then, pat yourself on the back for making such a healthy meal and reward yourself with dessert.