Fall is in the air and that means one thing... FIGS are in season! Figs are a power packed little fruit, containing fiber, calcium & iron, Vitamins A, E & K and antioxidants and they also help lower blood sugar. Today's Meat Free Monday recipe was inspired and adapted from the cookbook The Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau. We paired her Braised Figs with Arugula salad with some simple portabello mushroom caps. 

Braised Figs with Arugula salad

1 Tbsp non-dairy butter (such as Earth Balance)
1 tsp granulated sugar
10-12 figs, halved, stems removed
4-5 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 bunch baby arugula (we actually each get our own container!)
1 Tbsp olive oil
juice from 1 lemon
salt & pepper

In large saute pan, melt butter and sugar. Place figs face down in pan and cook for 3-5 min. over med-high heat. Remove from heat and pace figs on plate, face up. (Depending on your dietary concerns, the non-dairy butter and sugar could be omitted,)

In the same skillet, heat balsamic vinegar until bubbly, then reduce heat and simmer 4-5 min. until vinegar is reduced by half. Remove from heat.

In a bowl, toss arugula with olive oil and lemon juice to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heap arugula on plate, arrange figs over top and drizzle with the balsamic reduction.

Portabello Mushroom Caps

6 small or 3 large portabello mushroom caps
Brags liquid amino acids
onion powder
garlic powder

Remove stems and underside of mushrooms. Cook all ingredients in a skillet over med-high heat about 6-10 min, flipping the mushroom caps half way through cooking. Large mushroom caps can be left whole, or sliced before cooking. 

If you try this recipe be sure to comment below and let us know what you thought! 

Chances are you've heard of both quinoa and tabbouleh before, but aren't really sure what either one is. Quinoa has gained popularity over the years, and was even featured in a recent NFL beer commercial. It's a complete protein and is a good source of fiber, phosphorus, magnesium and iron. It's also gluten-free. Tabbouleh is a middle eastern salad typically made with bulgur wheat. By using quinoa in this tabbouleh instead of bulgur, it's suitable for people who are eating gluten-free. 

1 cup dry quinoa, cooked according to package directions
1 cucumber, diced
3 roma tomatoes, diced
green onions, chopped
1 bunch parsley, chopped
handful fresh mint, chopped
juice from one lemon
sea salt

Cook quinoa according to package directions. Let cool, mix in all other ingredients. Variations: garlic, cinnamon, shredded carrots, olives

Serve in lettuce wraps. Makes 4 servings.  

Per serving:
Calories: 209
Total Fat: 2.8 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Total Carbs: 36.1 g
Dietary Fiber: 1.8 g
Protein: 8 g

Q: Are you eating real food?
A: Yes! This is not a cleanse where you are only drinking cayenne pepper and maple syrup and it's not a juice fast. You will be eating a whole-food, mostly plant-based, clean eating diet. The recipes in the Ultimate Reset are simple, yet delicious! Don't believe me? Just check out these actual pictures I took of the food I ate when I did the Reset!

Q: Will I be hungry while doing the Reset?
A: The portions are surprisingly larger than than you would expect for a cleanse, but you are not leaving each meal feeling full or stuffed. This may be a new feeling to you if you're used to eating to maximum capacity. For me, it made me realize what true hunger felt like. It also made me realize how often I eat without thought and how much I ate when I was bored, tired and "just because". I physically had enough food, but mentally it took some getting used to. 

Q: Is the food expensive?
A: Yes and No. The first week a good portion of the shopping list is made up of staples; olive, sesame and coconut oils, Bragg's liquid amino acids, miso, three different vinegars, quinoa, millet, rice cereal, spices, nuts, seeds, etc. These are things that you need for the Reset, but that will also last you much longer than the 21 days and become staples in your cupboard. I was fortunate enough to have a few of them on hand already, but if you don't have any to start they can quickly add up. After the first week, the shopping lists are mostly fresh fruit and vegetables, so it's not as bad. Don't forget, during the Reset you're also not going to be going out to dinner, picking up fast food for lunch, stopping for happy hour drinks, or buying your usual coffee or latte in the mornings. Those are things that add up quickly so you may find you are actually saving money doing the Reset. But seriously, even if it is more expensive, it's for your HEALTH so it's TOTALLY worth it!

Q: What kind of results can I expect?
A: Everyone's results are going to be different, but common results of the Ultimate Reset are weight loss, increased energy, decreased cholesterol and blood pressure, decrease in cellulite, better digestion, improved sleep patterns, improved allergies, clearer skin, better mental clarity, more stable blood sugar levels, stronger immune system and decreased inflammation and arthritis. The Ultimate Reset will soon be cited in a peer-reviewed medical journal for it's efficacy in addressing cholesterol and Type 2 diabetes. Here are my personal results from the Ultimate Reset. 

Q: Can I have caffeine or smoke while doing the Ultimate Reset?
A: No. The point of the Reset is to rid your body of toxins, so ingesting toxins while doing the Reset would be counterproductive. During the Reset you are aiming to bring your body back to an alkaline state and coffee is very acidic. You may experience a headache for the first few days if you are used to drinking coffee, but by the end of the 21 days you will find that you no longer need the caffeine boost and that your energy levels are actually higher without it.

Q: Can I workout while on the Reset?
A: No. While on the Reset you want to give your body a break to let it rest and repair itself from the inside out. Exercise causes a break down of muscles and a build up of lactic acid. If you workout while on the Reset your body will be spending it's time repairing tissue and flushing out lactic acid instead of healing and repairing itself.

Q: I'm already vegan, but I see the first week of the Reset has meat and dairy. Can I make substitutions? 
A: Yes! Once you purchase the Ultimate Reset you can log on to www.ultimatereset.com and there you will find the vegan meal plan for week 1 of the Reset. Weeks 2 and 3 are already vegan so there is no need to adjust either of those weeks. Click here for the updated vegan shopping list for week 1. I was vegan prior to doing the Reset so I can personally help you make the necessary adjustments during the first week.

Q: Can I make my meals in advance?
A: Yes. I made most of my meals the night before. That way when I woke up in the morning I just had to grab my food and head to work. This planning ahead was the key to my success with the Ultimate Reset. 

Q: What are in the supplements?
A: During the Reset you will be taking 6 supplements; Mineralize, Oxygenize, Optimize, Alkalinize, Detox and Revitalize. Some you will be taking for the entire 21 days, some for just one phase of the Reset.

• Mineralize is pure crystal salt and contains up to 84 natural minerals and elements. It is added to your drinking water every day during the Reset.
  
• Oxygenize is a source of supplemental oxygen. It comes in a dropper bottle and is taken 3 times a day before meals for the entire cleanse. 
  
• Optimize is a blend of enzymes that you take 3 times a day before meals for every phase of the Reset.
  
• Alkalinize is a greens powder that helps bring your body back to a healthy pH. It is mixed with water and drank once a day every day of the Reset.
  
• Detox is a mix of fiber-rich seeds, herbs and bentonite clay which is used to draw toxins out of the colon. It is mixed with water and taken three times daily during Phase 2.
  
• Revitalize is a probiotic and prebiotic which is taken 3 times daily before meals during the last phase of the Reset.
  

Q: Do I continue taking supplements after the Reset?
A: Whether you decide to continue with the supplements after the Reset is up to you. You may decide to continue taking just one supplement, all six, or any combo of them. Each supplement has dosage instructions for both during the Reset and for maintenance. 

Q: Does the Ultimate Reset come with support?
A: Yes! I will be there to guide you along the way and answer any questions. I will also add you to a facebook group with other people who are also doing the Reset. You will not be doing this alone! 

Q: What do I do before and after the Reset?
A: Before the Reset you should start cutting back on your use of coffee, alcohol and processed foods. This will make the transition into the Reset easier. After the Reset you will want to slowly start reintroducing foods back into your diet over the course of the next few weeks, starting with grains the first week, beans the second week, and animal products the third and fourth weeks, if you decide to add them back in at all.

Q: Can I drink Shakeology while on the Reset?
A: Only vegan Shakeology can be used while on the Reset and only using these approved recipes. 

• Phase 1: 1 scoop in place of breakfast
  
• Phase 2: 1/2 scoop in place of breakfast
  
• Phase 3: 1/2 scoop in place of snack

Personally, I didn't use Shakeology during the Reset. While Shakeology is minimally processed and considered a raw food, I wanted to eat as many whole foods as possible during the cleanse. I added vegan Shakeology back into my diet the first day post-Reset. Whether you chose to use Shakeology during your Reset or not is your personal choice.

Q: It's Day 12 and I just ate the Mediterranean Roasted Beets. Is my pee supposed to be this color?
A: Yes! I grew up eating canned beets, but I remember the first time I ever ate them fresh. The first thing I did was run to the computer and Google "beet pee". And just wait till Day 14. Beet poo.

Goals during and after the Ultimate Reset:

• Eat as many raw, fresh, chemical-free, unprocessed foods as possible
• Breathe as much fresh air as you can
• Drink plenty of good-quality water
• Chew your food thoroughly
• Remove or reduce stress from all the areas of your life that you can
• Get out into nature
• Make healthy choices a habit
• Find time to do what you love
• Laugh more
• Give thanks

If you're like me you've probably never heard of jicama before, or if you have, you've probably walked past it in the grocery store thinking, "what is that?", "who eats that?" and "what do they do with it?" When it turned up on the Ultimate Reset shopping list for not one, not two, but all three weeks I knew I was about to find out!

Surprisingly, it was easy to find and available at both of my local grocery stores so someone out there must be eating it!

So what is jicama? First off, it's pronounced HEE-kah-mah... but I didn't find this out until after I was calling it Ji-kah-mah, so now the real pronunciation sounds funny to me. It's also called a "yam bean" or "Mexican turnip". Originating from Mexico and South America, jicama is a root vegetable with a papery brown cover and a crisp, white inside like a potato or apple. It is from the legume family and grows on vines that can reach up to 20' in length. Only the root should be eaten as the rest of the plant is very poisonous, and they must be peeled before eating.

Jicama is made up of 85-90% water, is high in carbohydrates and dietary fiber, and has only trace amounts of fat and protein. It's rich in vitamins A, C and B, calcium and phosphorus. One cup of cubed jicama contains only 45 calories. It has a mellow, sweet flavor and is usually eaten raw and paired with lemon or lime juice, chili powder, cilantro, ginger or red onion. It is also common in Asian dishes. It gets it's sweet flavor from a prebiotic called oligofructose inulin. 

Jicama can be stored dry for 1-2 months at 53°- 60°F and will last for a few days in the refrigerator after being peeled. When choosing jicama, select roots that are roughly 3-4 lbs as larger roots can be woody.

During the Ultimate Reset, jicama turned up in almost all of the salad recipes as a diced vegetable, and also in one of my favorite recipes, the Jicama Avocado Salad from Day 20's lunch. However you decide to pronounce it, I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I did!

Jicama Avocado Salad

1/2 tsp Himalayan salt
1 Tbsp agave nectar
juice of 1 lime
1 1/2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 avocado, ripe but firm, cut into chunks
1/2 medium jicama root, peeled and sliced into thin matchsticks (I cubed it instead)
2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

Mix all ingredients and let marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Serve over 3 cups of salad greens.
Serves 1.

Everyone's heard of the Master Cleanse where you drink nothing but water with cayenne pepper and maple syrup, or the Cabbage Soup Diet or the juice fast or all the others on the market so it's not surprising that the #1 question I was getting asked while doing the Ultimate Reset was, "So what are you eating?" Well, here's the answer!

You know the song. 'Domo Arigato Mr. Roboto. Domo domo. Domo domo.' Yeah, that one. I've been singing it in my head for DAYS and I couldn't figure out why... until today. Turns out 'Domo Arigato' is how I pronounce 'Nori Gomasio' in my head. So what's Nori Gomasio? Well, according to the Beachbody Ultimate Reset Program & Nutrition Guide it is "a delicious simple Japanese condiment to use on rice or veggies", and delicious it is! We first made it on Day 3 with the Nori Rolls and have used it to season other recipes since. It's super simple and nothing I ever would have thought of making on my own, but we're both in agreement that we love it and it will forever have a spot on our dinner table, and only three ingredients to boot! Sesame seeds, Himalayan salt and nori seaweed. Since I've now got you singing the Mr. Roboto song in your head, too, I figured the least I could do was give you the recipe for this salty seaweed goodness. And I'll throw in tonight's  Sweet Potato & Roasted Red Pepper Bisque recipe, too, just because I like you. :)  And if you don't have the song stuck in your head yet... maybe this will help:

Nori Gomasio

1/4 cup sesame seeds (any color)
1/2 tsp Himalayan salt
1 sheet nori seaweed

Place sesame seeds in a clean, dry frying pan over low heat and toast, stirring often, until they turn golden. (Try to pull them off the heat before they pop.) Allow to cool for about 10 min. Place in a coffee grinder or blender with salt and nori and pulse a few times until most of the seeds are cracked open. Be careful not to grind to a flour-like consistency; you want some of the texture of the seeds to remain. Store in an airtight container. Makes 4 servings. 

Sweet Potato & Roasted Red Pepper Bisque

1 sweet potato
1/4 red bell pepper
1 cup vegetable broth or water
1 tsp finely grated ginger root
1 1/2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp miso paste, diluted in 1 tsp hot water

Peel and cube sweet potatoes. Steam until tender. Set aside. Meanwhile, roast red bell pepper on gas stovetop or grill turning frequently until evenly charred on the outside OR in the oven at 400° for 15-20 min. turning every 10 min. or until skin is charred. 

Put pepper in bowl and cover with towel for 10 min. to steam. Clean off skin by running under cool water. 

Place all ingredients in blender. (If you want chunky soup, set aside some chunks of pepper.) Blend thouroughly, adding more liquid to achieve desired soup consistency. 

Serves 1