We’ve cooked more than 90 healthy plates, but we’ve yet to craft a liquid lunch. Smoothies and juices are a great meal accompaniment, substitute or snack, but the stuff I mix up at home is pretty basic. For our next menu, Chef Brian has put together some crazy combinations that I’m pretty excited to try out.

We’ll reveal the combinations now, but we’ll post the amount of each ingredient as we publish each post. Here’s what we’re working with:

Juice 1: Apple, cucumber, carrot, celery, spinach, parsley, ginger, pineapple, lemon

Juice 2: Red beet, orange, carrot, fennel, spinach, mint

Juice 3: Watermelon, strawberry, peach, kale, lime, fresno chile

Juice 4: Grapefruit, strawberry, honey, ginger, kale, mint

Smoothie 1: Pomegranate, pineapple, blueberry, cherry, raspberry, kale, protein powder

Smoothie 2: Coconut water, rice milk, mango, banana, lime, protein powder

Soup is one of the best  options for a healthy lifestyle. You have to be careful of the amount of sodium in canned soups, but for a nutritional punch, soup is where it’s at, especially if it’s made at home.

For his “Souper Soups” menu, Chef Brian is using stuff you typically don’t find in a can including a bunch of fresh kale  and a heaping mound of sweet crab. Here’s the menu:

Week 31, Meal 1: Italian turkey sausage, kale, lentil and tomato soup with parmesan croutons

Week 31, Meal 2: Shellfish and tomato soup with grilled baguette

Week 32, Meal 3: Salsa verde soup with queso fresco and light sour cream

Each recipe makes about 4 servings and, other than the shellfish soup, the recipes will keep well in the fridge for a few days. Follow the link for the shopping list. Continue reading Week 31: Souper soups →

It feels good to put that headline up. I’m so glad to be back in the kitchen. When last we cooked, we were enjoying dishes from Thailand, but for Week 28, it’s back to the States for some healthy Southern fare.

It’s a cuisine familiar to Chef Brian who worked for some time at the (now closed) second coming of Commander’s Palace, a Vegas version of New Orleans joint that’s been around since 1880 (Emeril cooked there too says the Wiki machine–bam!).

“I love me some Southern food,” Chef Brian wrote when he sent over the recipes. “I probably put on about 15 pounds working at Commander’s Palace because I ate so much there.”

He said he wanted to put a healthy twist on some of his favorites. Here’s what’s cooking:

Week 28, Meal 1: Blackened chicken over black eyed peas, kale and ham hock

Week 28, Meal 2: Shrimp and grits

Week 28, Meal 3: Shrimp gumbo

Each recipe makes two servings unless otherwise specified (like with the gumbo, which makes four). To the list! Continue reading Week 28: Southern comfort →