Swimsuit season is upon us. Pick your poison – what’s the diet of the year? Is it Atkins? Oh no, that’s right, that guy died of a heart attack. Not a good indicator for my bacon and ranch meal plans.
The cabbage soup diet? It seems I may have struck gold for this one. Kimchi pots swarm beneath my window sill. It would take nothing more than a covert night mission, a large pot, water, and I could be simmering away to abundance! Tempting, yes, but I’ll admit I’m a little scared. And not of getting caught by my landlord. The combination of cabbage, spice and fermentation sounds dangerous, and I’m nervous about what it might do to my intestinal tract. It can’t be good.
They say it takes 28 days in sequence for something to actually make a lasting change. It’s a shame we didn’t face the music 27 days ago. We may have been able to actually reduce the amount of fat on our body. Since we didn’t, it’s all about pretending and making ourselves feel thinner.
My go-to is the Swimming Departure-Day(S. D-Day) method. It’s really quite simple. Just refuse all sustentence on day of set swimming escapade. Around 2 pm, while lying in the hot sun, you MAY feel a little lightheaded. No worries! Dehydration is the perfect scapegoat for your delirium. We also all know you weren’t actually going to walk around. Your stomach looks a hundred times flatter kicked back.
Alright, alright. I’m not entirely serious. I may have embraced this method at one point, I may still draw upon it on occasion, but I’ve come of age. After trials and tribulations, I’ve come full circle back to seventh grade health class. The only thing effective for healthy weight loss is the combination of a balanced diet and regular exercise. Spontaneous fat-burning ab-belt, why couldn’t you have worked!?
[May cause static cling]
Begruddgingly facing the facts, I embrace “everything in moderation.” I consider dieting a balancing act. I load up as much as possible on a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins. I’m not one to turn down chocolate cake, however, and this is where the balancing comes in. If I happen to (on occasion) consume, say, three or more (ten) cookie packages intended for individual consumption, I make up for it the next day. I’m extra strict with the calories, or I ratchet up my work out. It’s just not practical to deprive yourself of chocolate. BBC, you’re SO in my corner. Check it out: Chocolate ‘may help keep people slim’
With summer impending, I figure it’s about time to get on that wagon. Day 1 of 28, here goes nothing. I had some chick peas from a recent trip to Suwon, and it seemed a good time for some crisp veggies and hummus (hello, protein!). This recipe comes to me from my father, by way of The Mediterranean Cookbook by Betty Wason. It starts with tahini, which you then combine with chickpeas to make hummus. Your biggest challenge is going to be figuring out how best to mash your chick peas. I’ll go ahead and give you my blessing. Use a fork, eat an extra cookie, and we’ll call it even as “cardio.”
Tahini Sauce
Makes about 2 cups
1 cup sesame oil (I substituted soybean oil)
6 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup water
1-3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt (to taste)
1/2 cup parsley, coarsely chopped
“The easiest way to make the sauce is with a blender. Place the oil in the blender first; add, with blender in motion, water and lemon juice alternatively until the mixture is the consistency of thick cream. Crush the garlic separately in a mortar or bowl and work in the salt. Add the garlic-salt mixture to the Tahini. Do not overbeat.”
Or, chuck everything in the blender and give it a whirl. That’s what I did. Emulsion, schemulsion.
Appears smooth and creamy to me!
Hummus
Makes about 2 cups
Guilt-free
100 grams dried chick peas OR 1 large can chick peas
1/2 cup Tahini Sauce
lemon juice
salt, to taste
Since dried chick peas seem to be the most readily available to those of us in the land of kimchi, I’ll start there. Place the chick peas in a medium-sized bowl and cover with plenty of water. Allow to soak at room temperature overnight.
They plump while you sleep
After soaking, transfer chick peas to a saucepan. Cover with water and simmer, partially covered, over medium heat about 25-30 minutes, or until chick peas easily smash between the fingers. Drain and cool.
If using canned, ensure the chick peas are drained. Now, choose method of mashing. I happened to be equipped with a potato masher which worked just fine. Otherwise, use food mill, blender (make sure Tahini is poured in to provide some lubrication), or a fork. Mix Tahini Sauce with mashed chick peas, and add lemon and salt to taste.
Thai Curry in Korea 