TOASTED BAGUETTE WITH HERBED CASHEW RICOTTA, OLIVES AND CHERRY TOMATOES + SIDE NOTE ON DETOXING
Happy Friday!
It is pure torture to write about my favorite foods today like toasted baguette with herbed cashew ricotta, olives and cherry tomatoes… I am doing (or attempting to do) a juice cleanse this week and trying very very hard not to think about solid food. Sometimes our bodies need a break to do the wonderful work they were designed to do.
a bit about detoxing
I have experimented with different methods of detoxing over the years. A detox is a great way to give your body a rest from the day to day stresses it endures like unhealthy food, caffeine, alcohol, worry, anxiety, lack of sleep and insufficient quiet time. No one is perfect in their healthy routine (I hope not, that would be terribly boring) and a detox helps us get back into balance and optimal health. Some believe that detoxes, also called fasts or cleanses, can actually cure or alleviate chronic illnesses.
There are thousands of cleanses out there. I will share a couple I’ve tried recently.
Dr. Otto Buchinger created the Buchinger Therapeutic Fasting method. He opened a clinic in 1920 in Witzenhausen, Germany to offer this holistic method of cleansing the body and healing disease to the public. The clinic is still run by the Buchinger family. I tried this fast a few months ago with the guidance of my fabulous Swiss-German friend who has done this method of fasting for many years. It was easy to follow and consists of mostly homemade organic vegetable broth plus lots of water and small amounts of juice. You get plenty of vitamins and minerals on this cleanse. You also dry brush and are encouraged to take short walks, reflect and have quiet time. I really loved the holistic element of the Buchinger method. Oh, you also do enemas. Holy $shit, I wasn’t prepared for that but it was all for the good. My friend had more willpower than me and I succeeded in doing half the amount of required days before I caved and ate solid food, albeit healthy solid food. At least my body had a 2.5 day rest so I was still proud of me. I slept great during this time and felt kind of fierce in a good way.
I am currently doing a juice cleanse. Friends discovered this particular cleanse on a recent trip to Costa Rica at a wellness center. It’s very easy to follow if you have a juicer as the juices are the same everyday and you can make a large batch that will last you the entire day. I slept fantastic the first night and a nasty pimple on my face, which had appeared pre-detox, was flattened by day two. I am currently on day four and following the program about 90% of the time. Doin’ my 90/10 philosophy proud. Last night after juicing all day I realized I had cheese left over from today’s recipe and was literally running to my fridge. So a little bread, a little cheese, a little olives… the rest is history. In the words of renowned chef and author, Annemarie Colbin, there are no mistakes, only research.
What’s the verdict? Cleansing is a good method of removing toxins especially if you consume the Standard American Diet (SAD) and/or suffer from an illness. Whether or not you decide to try a cleanse or make it part of your yearly routine, consider moving towards a 90/10 lifestyle for optimal health. If you eat organic fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, nuts and seeds, limit your intake of caffeine an alcohol and live balanced lifestyle 90% of the time, you should have less toxins to cleanse. I will continue to follow the program for a few more days and even try to have one perfect day. Maybe that day will be today. The cheese is gone.
Out of all the recipes I have posted over the past year, I think toasted baguette with herbed cashew ricotta, olives and cherry tomatoes is my favorite. I could eat it EVERY . SINGLE . DAY. I love the combination of flavors, textures and colors. And…it’s incredibly quick and easy to make. Here’s the recipe. Enjoy!
TOASTED BAGUETTE WITH HERBED CASHEW RICOTTA, OLIVES AND CHERRY TOMATOES - gluten-free option
Ingredients
- fresh baguette sliced in half and then cut into 4-inch pieces - if you have Celiac, substitute gluten-free bread or crackers for the baguette
- pitted kalamata olives sliced in half - note: gluten-free brands exist
- cherry tomatoes sliced in half
- olive oil for drizzling
- 1 cup raw cashews soaked in spring water for 30 minutes to 2 hours
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1.5 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1/2 - 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- optional: 1/2 - 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast (Bragg's is gluten-free).
- 1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1/2 tablespoon dried basil
- 1/4 cup of spring water
- fresh ground pepper to taste
- Nota bene: Organic ingredients are always recommended.
Instructions
- Place cashews in a glass measuring cup or other container and add enough spring water to cover by 1/2 inch. Let sit for 30 minutes to 2 hours. The longer you soak them, the creamer your cheese.
- Once the cashews have soaked for at least 30 minutes, drain and place in a food processor with the apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, salt and 1/4 cup of spring water. Blend on low until you get a ricotta-like consistency. Want it creamer? Keep going! For this recipe, I preferred it a little chunky but this is your creation so you just do your thing.
- Pulse in the herbs at the end until well blended and season to taste.
- Toast baguettes and then drizzle with a little olive oil then spread a generous layer of your cheese.
- Place the olives and tomatoes on top and give a final tiny drizzle of olive oil if you like. Olive oil contains good fats your body needs and helps to keep your skin smooth and supple. Do not be shy with your drizzle! Enjoy.
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The cleansing has been powerful: so many revelations have come to the surface, all kind of information from the physical and the emotional body.
Eating, like so many other things we do, can be another way to supress our emotions. During a cleanse you may realize that you actually don’t need as much food as you normally have. Besides that, you can also get a new feedback from your body about the food that it may actually benefit you and discard the one that doesn’t.
In other words, cleansing can be a way to have an honest conversation with yourself.
Thank you for bringing this topic to discussion 🙂
Thanks Pelican. Well said.