There’s been a lot of talk lately about cleansing. It may take shape as a juice fast, a junk food crackdown, a desk clutter clearout, or a friendship detox. These days, it seems we have a collective urge to purge.
Perhaps it’s because of the new school year kicking in, or the holidays looming on the horizon. In any case, September’s an ideal time to keep it simple and go lightly.
At least that’s my plan. With all the projects I have on my plate now, I need to be on my game. Anything that’s been weighing me down has to go.
That goes for my cooking, too. This month, I’m going for lean and mean. In next week’s cooking class with M Café, I’ll be demonstrating some delicious recipes from the macrobiotic world. The yin/yang approach to eating is a time-tested, sensible way to dial our diets back to what’s nourishing and pure.
The recipes — such as this super clean stir-fry — feature heaps of veggies, minimally processed foods, natural sweeteners, and sea vegetables. Kelp noodles
If you like a little extra protein, use the stir-fry sauce as a marinade for broiling salmon or tofu. Macro-ists believe this type of eating is the way to reset our systems into perfect balance.
It sounds good to me. Because we all have corners of our lives that could use some clearing out. And though it involves some effort, the beauty of a cleanse is in serving ourselves another helping of that luscious sauce — deep, flavorful, bitter and complex — that is our humanity.
4 servings
Stir-Fry Sauce (makes 1 cup)
3/4 cups organic tamari sauce tamari sauce
1/2 cup brown rice syrup
1 teaspoon toasted unrefined sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1 teaspoon (about 2 medium cloves) minced garlic
Pinch black pepper, chili powder or cayenne pepper, to taste
Stir-Fry
1 tablespoon toasted unrefined sesame oil
1 whole carrot, peeled and cut into matchsticks
1 small onion, sliced thinly
1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 small head baby bok choy, sliced
6 shiitake mushrooms, sliced thinly
1 (16-ounce) package kelp noodles
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, for garnish
1 tablespoon sliced green onions (green parts only), for garnish
1. Prepare the Stir-Fry Sauce: place the tamari sauce, brown rice syrup, sesame oil, garlic, and pepper in a glass jar and shake.
2. Over medium-high heat, heat the oil in a large sauté pan or wok. Add the carrots, onion, pepper, bok choy and mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 6 minutes.
3. Stir in the kelp noodles and cook, tossing once, for another minute. Add the Stir-fry Sauce, stir to combine, bring to boil, and cook for a few more minutes, until the liquid has reduced and the noodles are coated.
4. Transfer the noodles and vegetables to a serving platter, garnish with sesame seeds and green onions, and serve immediately.
For the complete recipe packet from my upcoming class, Reset Your Life with Macro Cooking from M Café, send me an e-mail here with your mailing address and a check for $9.99 to Beverly Hills Farmgirl/ 9950 Santa Monica Blvd/ Beverly Hills CA 90212. Upon receipt of your check, you will receive five recipes plus a handy pad of Farmgirl shopping lists.
Photo credit: FoodandMeows
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Try these handy charts we found on the CUESA (Center for Urban Education and Sustainable Agriculture) 
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