If you've been watching "The Next Food Network Star," you'd know that each contestant on this 10-week reality competition has a culinary point of view. For me, it's Neo-Zen cuisine—yet another essentialized tagline I coined. Neo-Zen is all about flavor, simplicity, low calories, and nutrition.
During the summer months, my meals are streamlined, simple, inexpensive affairs. However, this doesn’t mean that I lose out on taste. Many of the fresh ingredients are sourced from my own garden, leaving a burst of pure flavor in my mouth. The other day, I spent 2 hours cooking 4 dishes that I have apportioned to eat over 3 days (my husband, being a carnivore, prefers to eat red meat and processed foods).
I've banned red meat, sugar, dairy, white flour, rice, soda, and alcohol. In addition, I’m up at dawn, and my exercise regimen includes cycling and cardio for at least 90 minutes a day.
For Neo-Zen dining at its finest, here’s the tasting menu, approx. 181 calories, at a cost of $2.11, for my 5-course meal:
Gulf Oyster on the Half Shell - cost 63₵ per oyster
huge, pristine oyster served with home-made cocktail sauce of ketchup, grated horseradish, and lemon juice
Broiled Norwegian Salmon – cost 63₵ per serving
fresh salmon seasoned with a splash of liquid hickory smoke, a drizzle of olive oil, soy sauce, lemon juice, and a Pacific Northwest Potlatch rub made of kosher salt, paprika, crushed red pepper, chili pepper, oregano, basil, coriander, and safflower oil
Eggplant Hummus – cost 22₵ per serving
oven roasted eggplant pureed with cannelloni, fresh parsley, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and my own sea salt and pink peppercorn blend
Herb Stuffed Mushrooms - 41₵ per serving
fresh mushrooms stuffed with a chopped mint and parsley mixture, minced garlic, grated parmesan, bread crumbs, sea salt, and olive oil
Italian Gazpacho - cost 22₵ per serving
tomatoes, basil, bay leaf, onions, garlic, parsnip, celery, and salt and pepper blend simmered for 90 minutes, then pureed
Desserts are fresh fruit, and beverages are filtered water, kombucha, green and herbal teas, and mojito tonic.
Recipe for low-calorie Mojito Tonic:
I pick mint leaves from my garden to make this refreshing and delicious virgin mojito. It's a tonic that's also good for you, 75 calories.
Take a large handful of mint leaves, juice from 1 fresh lime, and a tablespoon or two of agave nectar (I use this sweetener instead of honey) and pulse a few times with a couple of ice cubes in a blender. To your individual taste, combine in a glass with lots of ice and 16 ounces of kombucha. Swirl to blend.
This recipe is adapted from a vegan restaurant.
Kombucha is fermented tea that is slightly carbonated. It is purportedly high in antioxidants and is regarded as a "fountain of youth elixir."
