Simple is Sustainable…and that is exactly what Day 4 was for me. It was all about leftovers and a simple dinner with no cooking involved. It was Saturday and my husband was currently out of town. So, it was just me, Lily and Mylo (my feline friends) and my best cuddle buddy, Oscar, my little shitzu. Pretty good company, for sure.

I woke up yesterday morning feeling so refreshed and truly surprised that I had just completed three full days without meat and truly wasn’t craving it. My husband, Jeff was gone for just one more day and I thought it was a perfect day to show that this could be a successful eating plan without even turning on the stove!

If you have been following along with me so far, you probably already know how I started my day, coffee and my Mean Green Juice. Note: I will have to change it up tomorrow because I’m out of the juice!

Lunch is usually my favorite meal of the day because it’s usually leftovers. Some people don’t care for eating the same thing two days in a row, but it’s right up my alley.

I had some Ikarian Winter Potato Salad from last night so I set the potatoes removed them from the fridge and let out so they could come to room temperature. Next, I tossed my salad with the leftover dressing. I mixed it all together about 20 minutes later.

Then, I warmed up a cup of Progresso Lentil Soup to go along with it…this probably wasn’t the best choice because of the salt content and it is considered highly processed but, I am trying to eat some of the foods I already have in my pantry and did need the protein. Again, this is a journey and this was way better of a choice than I would have made a week ago. Baby steps…

My snacks included carrots and hummus, a serving of pistachios, and some Bare Apple Chips.

Finally, it was time for dinner and I wanted to stay with my super simple day so I thought a poke bowl might be the ticket. The term “poke” is a Hawaiian term for cutting or slicing and is usually associated with raw fish. I had some sashimi grade Tuna, Mung bean sprouts, and a little leftover steamed brown rice. This is what I came up with…

Tuna and Bean Sprout Poke Bowl – 1 serving

Ingredients

• 2 oz mung bean sprouts
• 2 tbsp sliced scallions, chopped at an angle
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 4 oz sashimi grade tuna
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 tsp sriracha (omit this if you don’t like spicy heat)
• 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1 tsp fresh grated ginger
• 1 tbsp roasted sesame seeds
• 1 cup cooked brown rice

Directions

• In a small bow, mix the sprouts, scallions, and lemon juice; let stand at room temperature for one hour
• In medium bowl, mix the tuna, soy sauce, sriracha, lime, juice, ginger, and sesame seeds
• Toss the sprout mixture and tuna mixture together
• To serve, put the rice in a small bowl and top with the sprout/tuna mixture

I really loved the fresh flavors of this simple dish but, in hindsight, this would have been way better with some avocado and maybe some fresh mango.  Oh, well…next time.

Bottom Line:  Simple is best on days like today when you just don’t feel like getting in the kitchen. I spend quite a bit of my relaxing time menu-planning for the week to come so stay with me because tonight I’m going to try tofu tacos!  Talk to you tomorrow!