Restrictions: Spicy Food, Red Meat, Pork, Fried Food, Greasy Food

For the next two weeks I will be on a restricted diet. No spicy food, no red meat, no pork (no problem!), no fried food and no greasy food. It's going to be quite a challenge to find tasty foods for both James and I that meet those restrictions, especially considering James' love of any food involving meat. My GI doctor also recommended that if I eat dairy, I take lactaid, which helps digest the lactose found in dairy products. 

For lunch I decided to try to make something tasty that met those restrictions and was still flavourful. I looked around the pantry, wanting to use stuff we already had. I came up with my friend Ashley's egg drop soup, which I modified to make it heartier and a bit more flavourful. I emptied a can of chicken broth into a pot and started to bring it to a boil. I added a splash of lemon juice and more than a splash of soy sauce, then added some ground garlic, onion and ginger. 

Once the chicken broth was boiling I added one egg (beaten), which automatically cooks and become fluffy (this is very fun to play with!) and a handful of soba noodles, as well as 5 mini chicken-cilantro wontons. Once the soba noodles were mostly cooked, I added some pieces of pre-cooked chicken and allowed everything to cook for a while.

It ended up being so much yummier than the original egg drop soup recipe I'd been using (chicken broth, soy sauce and egg) and a lot more filling too. It made two bowls of soup, which filled me up nicely. It only took about 15 minutes to make, which meant that as a late lunch, I didn't have to wait too long to eat. 

Tonight comes the real challenge: making a meal that James will enjoy while still abiding by those rules. We're going to try a risotto with edamame recipe I found in Real Simple and add some chicken to it for protein. I'll be trying to change my snacking habits to something healthier than potato chips (it's pomegranate season!) and pay more attention to what I'm eating.

Damn, I'm craving salsa...