Dump and Bake Casserole (EASY)
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z3.5(ZReboot3.5) recipe.
This recipe can be done with several variations. I’ll lay out the instructions with chicken, but it can also be made with ham, tuna (canned or fresh cooked) smoked chicken or even a pulled apart rotisserie chicken. The veggies can vary too. Besides the ones I mention in the recipe, think of other things you could add like peas, summer squash, and broccoli cut into bite-sized pieces. You can even vary the cheese choice. I think cheddar, pepper jack, gruyere, and Monterey jack would work great. As you read the recipe you can let your imagination run wild and decide how YOUR Dump and Bake Casserole will be created.
Servings: Serves 4. Can be doubled and baked in a 9”x13” casserole too.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of diced, cooked chicken (or other meat)
- 1 cup of halved grape tomatoes (I used multicolored ones)
- 1/2 of a small zucchini cut into bite-sized cubes
- 1 cup of uncooked pasta (penne, rigatoni, fusilli, rotini, bow ties and even spaghetti cut in half can work)
- 1/2 cup of corn (I used canned, drained)
- 1 1/2 cups of low sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups of shredded mozzarella (or other cheese)
- 1/4 cup of fresh basil cut into strips (chiffonade)
- 1 1/2 tsp of minced garlic (jar garlic will work)
- Grated sea salt to taste
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Spray the baking dish with olive oil spray.
In a bowl, mix together the chicken, tomatoes, zucchini, corn, and broth. Add half of the cheese and half of the basil. Add the garlic along with your sea salt and stir once more.
Measure your pasta and put it (uncooked) in the bottom of the baking dish. (Don’t worry. It will soak up the sauce and cook as it bakes.) Pour the contents of the bowl over the pasta.
Seal the dish with aluminum foil and put it in the oven to bake for 40 minutes. This is when you are going to take off the lid and make sure the pasta is cooked through. Just use your fork to take out a noodle and taste. If it’s not done to your liking put it back in the oven for a few minutes more.
When it’s cooked through sprinkle the rest of the cheese and basil on top. Bake uncovered for 5 – 10 minutes more.
After removing it from the oven, let it sit for five to ten minutes to cool down a bit so you don’t burn your mouth. Serve the portions in dinner bowls or on plates and sprinkle on the rest of the basil.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
It’s Been a Rough Ride
Hold onto your seat folks! You are in for a dose of some bumpy data!
A year to the day that the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the pandemic a study came out. 3000 people were surveyed. The questions were about weight gain. Before the pandemic, 93 million adults in the US were already obese according to the CDC.
42% revealed that they gained more weight than they were comfortable with during our lockdown. That’s sort of expected. That’s why everyone keeps referring to the Quarantine 15. Fifteen pounds gained would have been bad enough, but reality really bites on this one. The average American adult actually gained 29 pounds during the last year. That’s astounding and scary.
Some people lost weight from the stress of the pandemic. and others gained. The average was 29 pounds. Ten percent admitted they’d gained over 50 pounds! And if you split off the millennials, guess how much they gained on average?
41 pounds.
We worked from home. That left us close to the refrigerator. That also left us dangerously close to the snack cupboard. Snack food companies are reporting double-digit sales increases and one thing I found interesting is the size of the bag of chips people are grabbing went up too. 10oz -18oz bags saw a whopping 87% increase in sales.
As the year went on, according to bakingbusiness.com the boldness of flavor choices got stronger too. Companies came out with flavors that touted things like “flaming” or “dill pickle” and people jumped on them. The more they needed comfort food the bolder their choices became. Well, the pandemic is not over. I sure hope we can get a handle on this!
For those who want to read the entire article put out by Marketwatch, here’s the link.
Cheers,
Lobster Rolls
Plan Z Phase: This is Z3.5(ZReboot3.5) recipe.
The best lobster rolls I ever had were served by my mother-in-law, Sally, at her cottage in Maine. I never asked her for the recipe. Dumb me! I have been working to duplicate her recipe and this is the closest yet.
Servings: Serves 4.
Ingredients:
- 4 cups of cooked lobster. I used a combination of tail meat, claws, and knuckle. Sally and Jack would buy whole lobsters and cook them up. I bought tails from the fishmonger and a box of frozen pieces.
- 1/3 – 1/2 cup mayonnaise. I like my lobster rolls to be saucy. Some traditional recipes don’t even have any mayo in them, mine does.
- 1 1/2 Tbl fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 cup celery finely chopped. Use the tender inner stalks.
- Grated salt and pepper to taste
- 4 split-top hot dog buns. Whole Foods sells some brioche top split buns that are GREAT.
- 2 Tbl melted butter
Instructions:
Place the lobster meat, mayonnaise, lemon juice, celery, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Stir gently to combine. Then chill it. It can be made in the morning and then served later. I take it out of the refrigerator about 20 minutes before I serve it. I want it to be cold but not refrigerator cold.
Spread the butter onto the outer sides of each bun. Bottom and sides only. Place the buns in a pan or on a griddle over medium heat. Cook for two to three minutes per side or until golden brown.
Divide the lobster mixture among the buns. Serve immediately. The idea is to have a hot bun and cold lobster salad. You can get real messy with this or eat it with a knife and fork.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Blueberry Sauce
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z2 (ZReduction) recipe.
A delicious sauce to pair with your favorite dessert.
Tonight we are treating ourselves and serving this over vanilla ice cream sll be a Z3 dessero it wit for us! Here’s the most important part. I try to keep my desserts to 15 grams of carbs or less. I find if I do that I don’t gain. That mostly involves portion control. For the ice cream (ZReboot only), I serve one-third of a cup of vanilla ice cream. I don’t eat cow ice cream anymore. The brand So Delicious is made with coconut milk and is divine. There are other brands coming out too. Read labels and do the math before you dive in. This small dessert fills the craving and I am satisfied. I’ll hope it will be the same for you, too.
Servings: Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups of blueberries
- 3/4 cup of water
- 1/4 - 1/3 cup of sweetener. I use ZSweet or Swerve (buy online).
- 1 Tbl of corn starch dissolved in 2 Tbl of water
- 2 tsp of vanilla
Instructions:
In a medium saucepan add all the ingredients. Cook on medium-high until the berries bubble and some begin to break. Stir often. I sort of poke at some of the berries with my wooden spoon to encourage them to open up. When the sauce turns the deep blueberry purple color turn it down to medium-low and continue cooking until it thickens up to your liking. This will likely be two to five minutes. Take off the heat and let sit to thicken more and cool down.
Hints
- I make this while I am making the rest of dinner. This ensures that I hang around the pan to stir often. After dinner, the sauce is still a bit warm and tastes lovely over the ice cream.
- Be sure to dissolve your corn starch in the water. If you put it in straight, you’ll likely have aggravating white lumps in your sauce.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Pecan Crusted Fish Fillets with Lemon Sauce
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z3.5(ZReboot3.5) recipe.
I made my version of this with salmon because it’s my husband’s favorite. I can see this being done with any thick fish fillet. For example, the photo above is of salmon fillets. You can also try cod, halibut, swordfish, or even tuna steak. The sauce makes enough for 4 people so if you want you can add two more fish fillets and a bit more of the breading recipe.
Servings: Serves 2 (can be doubled easily)
Ingredients:
- 2 fish fillets
For the Pecan Crust
- 1/4 cup of Pecan halves
- 1/4 cup of panko bread crumbs. You can use regular but these are crispier.
- Grated sea salt and pepper to taste
For the Sauce
- 2 Tbl of butter
- 1/4 cup of honey. I use Whole Earth 50. It has 50% less sweetness and carbohydrates.
- 1 Tbl of tamari, coconut aminos, or Bragg’s aminos. These are healthier soy sauce options.
- 1 Tbl of brown sugar substitute. I use Swerve or ZSweet brown.
- 1 Tbl of minced ginger
- 1 tsp of garlic powder
- Juice of one lemon
- 1 tsp of cornstarch
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
To make the crust combine the pecans and bread crumbs in a small food processor or Bullet blender. Pulse until mixture resembles crumbs. I made mine in my blender and they did not get completely chopped up. I just poured it on my cutting board and finished the chopping with a knife. Season with salt and pepper. Dredge your fish fillets in the coating (if you are using salmon or another fish option that has skin on one side you can skip dredging that side).
Melt the butter in a large oven-proof skillet (I use cast iron). Heat on medium-high. Add your fish fillets and cook both sides until golden brown. About two minutes per side. Don’t mess with them. If you leave it alone it will get a better crust. Just watch for browning signs. You want them golden.
Place the fish in the oven and bake until the fish flakes easily with a fork. 10 – 12 minutes. How long this will take will depend on which fish fillet you choose to use.
Make the sauce while the fish is in the oven. Combine the honey, tamari, brown sugar sub, ginger, garlic powder, and lemon juice with the cornstarch in a small saucepan. Heat over medium. Then bring to a gentle boil and reduce heat to simmer. When it starts to thicken it’s done, stir often. If it gets too thick you can add a couple of teaspoons of water to thin it out. As it sits waiting for the fish it might continue to thicken but that’s easy to fix.
When the fish fillets are done you can drizzle on the sauce.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
A New Lease on Life
Dieter Jay is an educator from Franklin, Tennessee, and a father of a teenage son. He started Plan Z two months into the pandemic weighing in at 373 pounds. He knew that being overweight could have disastrous implications if he were to contract COVID-19. So he ditched the drive-thrus and made the leap to Plan Z. Jay lost 120 pounds and has a goal to lose even more. Beyond the numerous health benefits he experienced from his incredible weight loss, Jay gained a shift in perspective. He learned that cooking can be fun and that it wasn't as terribly inconvenient as he had once thought. During his interview he told Chris, "I found a new relationship with food: cooking, experimenting, and playing."
Pictured above is Dieter Jay during his Zoom interview with our VP of Anger Management, Chris Lytle.
After losing what Jay jokes was the weight of his son off his back, he's seeing the impact his choices have on his role as a father and mentor. Jay's commitment to his health brought about a sense of accomplishment and liberation. This might be one of our favorite interviews. It is heartfelt and poignant. Jay reminds us that truly taking care of ourselves requires prioritizing prevention. Before Plan Z, Dieter Jay was heading in the wrong direction fast. Now at 253 pounds, he is feeling better both physically and emotionally and has experienced a lasting shift in his mindset. Plan Z may have provided him with the tools, but it was Jay's dedication and motivation that steered this journey towards success. Jay shared with us his keys to success when he said,
"The marriage of the behavior and the education and the support is what really made the difference for me. You guys saved my life so, thank you."
Does your metabolism slow with age?
Dieter Clara from Price, Utah, is a cherished mother, grandmother, and wife. Her commitment to her family shines through her voice during her interview. Along the path of raising her six children, Clara maintained her petite figure. She hadn't need to pay much attention to how or what she ate. When her youngest son reached his teenage years, Clara's free ride on the thin-waist train had come to an end. She started to slowly gain weight. The typical outlook in this situation is that Clara's metabolism had slowed with age. She should just accept that there isn't much she can do to change her weight; it was out of her control. With Plan Z, she learned that growing older in years doesn't have to mean growing larger in size.
Clara lost 27 pounds with Plan Z. She loved that Plan Z wasn't a temporary fix. This program provides an education that lasts a lifetime. She found Plan Z to be a versatile program that can fit many different lifestyles and routines. She recounts numerous resources that helped her along the way, a comprehensive index in the manual, little hints that come in the form of daily emails, and support from Zola and the ZTeam whenever she needed it. Now Clara has the know-how to maintain her weight and still enjoy her favorite homemade peanut butter fudge.
Below is a copy of the testimonial she emailed to the ZTeam. Thanks for sharing your story, Clara!
I had a slight heart attack when I was 70 years old. My family has a history of heart trouble. This was a concern to me and I knew I needed to lose some weight. My son-in-law is a Physician’s Assistant by trade. He looks after my health. One day as we were discussing how I was coming along with the improvement of my health, I told him that I was having a hard time losing any weight. He informed me that I really could not do anything about it, short of cutting back on calories and exercising. He said that my metabolism was set. I asked about anything I might be able to do to correct this at my age. He told me that it would be too risky. Many of the things I could do have a tendency to cause cancer. He did not give me much hope.
When I heard Zola advertise her weight loss program, I heard the words “This will change your metabolism.” These words caught my attention! That sounded like what I was looking for and needed in my situation.
Signing up for the Plan Z diet has been the best thing I have ever done for myself. The program was easy to follow. I loved the structure of it. I started the program and studied the manual that came with the program. It gave me confidence that I could really do this for a life time. Other programs have discouraged me when I think of some of my favorite treats or meals. The thought of never being able to eat any of this again was overwhelming.
The best thing to me about the program is the training that I received. This has been invaluable. I knew many of the things about sugar, starches, carbs, and so forth. I loved the articles I was able to read. The little tricks were great for pasta and potatoes and etc. These have given me the confidence that I can still enjoy life and keep the weight off. We do many family get togethers. I am able to prepare some of these recipes and share without feeling like I am eating my own menu in the corner, so to speak.
On my first Zreduction, I was attending a three day family reunion. I planned ahead and took my own food. Others were assigned the food to bring and not all of it fit into my requirements. As I pulled out my food to eat, my son-in-law (Physician’s Assistant), said to me,”My that looks healthy.” Then he commented later on that I was very dedicated. I was. I wanted to lose the weight. The thing that kept me going at the beginning was the fact that I had spent a lot of money to try this out. I knew I had to stay with it and give it an honest try. Zola kept saying, “Don’t cheat!” That kept ringing in my ears. I wanted to follow the plan exactly as it was set out.
My son-in-law recently visited me. He was very impressed with the weight that I had lost. He told me that whatever I was doing was proof that it definitely worked. He knew the main idea of the program. He checked out the spray. This definely impressed him.
My husband has been my biggest fan. He loves the fact that his skinny wife is back again!
Thanks so much for all of the work you have put into this program, Zola! It has been such a blessing to me and my family. They want me around for a few more years. I plan to be here. My mother lived to be 90 years old. That is my goal. With your help I can do that.
-- Dieter Clara
Irish Champ
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z3.5(ZReboot3.5) recipe.
The British have some funny names for their food. Things like Boxty and Bubble and Squeak. This is just another one. Champ. Popular with the northern Irish this is a lovely, easy mashed potato dish. Part of my father’s family is from Northern Ireland, just over the border. The other side of my father’s family is from Ireland, just south of the border. They really lived quite close to each other as you might expect in the mid-1800s. They just had an eventual border in between them. By tradition, this dish is served with sausages. My idea was to heat up bits of spicy Italian (not at all Irish) sausage and eat it with that.
In the picture, you’ll see one of my prized possessions. That’s my father’s potato masher. It’s probably over 100+ years old by now.
Servings: Serves 6.
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds of russet potatoes, peeled
- 1 cup of heavy cream
- 1 bunch of green onions, thoroughly washed
- 1/2 tsp of grated sea salt (or to taste)
- 1/4 cup of butter plus more for serving (Use the good stuff. I even try to find Irish butter)
- 1 large pinch of grated pepper. The Irish would use white pepper. I just used black. I don’t keep white pepper in my cupboard anymore.
Instructions:
Cut the potatoes into one-inch cubes. Put them in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Put on the stove to boil. When it comes up to a boil set your timer for 12 minutes. Turn the heat down a tad so they don’t boil over. Then check them at 12 minutes to see if they are soft and ready to drain. If not, cook a bit more. Drain in your colander and set aside to let a bit more of the moisture release.*
While the potatoes are cooking you can slice off the root end of the green onions. Then chop the white parts and up about an inch or two of the green parts and set them aside.
When ready to serve heat the cream along with the onion bits. As the cream heats the onion flavor will permeate the cream and eventually the potatoes.
Reheat your potatoes if necessary. Mash your potatoes using your favorite method. Mash them halfway and then add the cream/onion mixture and finish them up so they are the consistency you like. Add the salt and pepper. Mix a bit more and taste test. (If you think there might be more cream than you like just hold a bit of it back before you finish mashing just in case. You can always add more.)
The potatoes are ready to serve. In Irish tradition, you’ll melt even more butter and serve it on the side. That way each diner can drizzle melted butter on their potatoes so it runs down the sides. BIG YUM.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
*If you want these potatoes to be “resistant carb” – meaning a lower blood sugar spike – less carby – you’ll put them in the refrigerator overnight to thoroughly chill. Or at least chill them for the day. Then proceed with the rest of the recipe. If they are totally chilled and then reheated, they will digest lower in your digestive tract and you’ll be less likely to gain weight from eating them. Keep your portion under control though. I try to stop at a half cup.
The Best of the Pandemic
365 days ago, our town went into lockdown. Restaurants closed. Pubs that served food closed. Heck, everything closed.
I haven’t been to a restaurant since. It’s super sad. One time we ordered a pizza for a weekend lunch and my husband picked it up. Another time we ordered a batch of burgers so our staff could have lunch on the day we moved into our new offices. We did curbside pick-up for that one. That’s it.
I went into cooking mode. I’m a foodie and it’s a good thing, I can cook.
I like to cook but it can get old when you’re feeling forced, or pressured into cooking.
Every holiday since the lockdown has been celebrated with dinner for two. I even cooked my own birthday dinner. I got real smart on that one. I wanted to make it so simple that I didn’t feel like I was cooking. The menu? Prime rib and baked potatoes. All I had to do was pick up the prime rib at the butcher. Season it and toss it in the oven. Toss in the baked potatoes too. I put my husband in charge of all the bits you can use to top your baked potato. He set out sour cream, butter, chopped green onions, and grated cheddar. We customized our potatoes to our liking. I almost felt like I was at a steakhouse. The red wine didn’t hurt either.
Because I'm cooking a lot, I designed dozens of Plan Z recipes in the last year, so that's a plus. Then, something happened a few days ago that really rocked me.
My husband and I were eating and watching a movie in our den. He reached out his hand and took the remote. He paused the movie.
Then he said something I’ll never forget.
He talked about how he’s eaten like a king over the last year. He always enjoys my cooking. He’s very good at telling me that he’s enjoying his meal. This time though he said he’d eaten the three best meals of the pandemic all in the last week.
My jaw dropped.
I’ve made 365 dinners over the year and he thought the three best were all stacked together in a 7-day period.
What’s up with that!
I just laughed.
I’m still laughing, but today I’m going to share all three recipes with you.
The first one was my Asian salmon. Now, this one is a stand-by oldie but goodie. It has been on my website for a few years, but I guess my execution was better than ever.
All I did differently is I roasted the salmon instead of grilling it.
The next two I am just sharing now. They have been recently posted.
Chicken Scallopini was up next. Traditional Italian made a little easier than the one an Italian grandma would make.
And lastly, the one that prompted the comment, and the pausing of the movie was Cajun Butter Steak.
I can always “get” my husband with a steak. I just jazzed up a butter sauce from an inspiration recipe I found online. It was so super simple. If it works, it works.
It’s been a long year; a long year with lots of cooking. I don’t see this behavior of cooking at home ending any time soon. I signed up for the Plan Your Vaccine website and at my age, they say I should expect to qualify for a vaccine mid-summer.
That leaves me with all kinds of time to design more recipes. Stand by.
Cheers,
Chicken Scallopini
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z3 (ZReboot) recipe.
A traditional Italian meal made the Plan Z way. My husband declared this one of his favorite meals of the year.
Servings: Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or one package of chicken tenders
- 1 tsp of grated sea salt
- 1 tsp of grated black pepper
- 2-3 Tbl of flour
- 3 Tbl of olive oil
- 4 Tbl of butter
- 8 oz of fresh mushrooms, trimmed and sliced. Use cremini, shitake, or even button.
- ½ cup of diced shallots
- 1/3 cup of dry white wine
- ½ cup of heavy cream
- ½ tsp of grated lemon zest (dried zest/peel will work)
Instructions:
If using chicken breasts, place the breasts on the cutting board and carefully take your chef knife and slice the breasts horizontally to make two breast pieces. If using chicken tenders be sure to trim off the white membrane.
Get out a large ziplock bag. Place the chicken pieces in the bag one at a time and flatten the breast pieces with a meat mallet to pound down to about 1/3” thick. If using chicken tenders just pound down any that are fatter.
Use the same ziplock bag and put in the flour. Toss the chicken pieces in the flour to coat them. I did two breasts at a time. You just want to get them coated. You probably won’t even use all the flour in the bag. I also take the breasts one by one and pat them over the sink to knock off any excess flour. If using tenders just toss them and knock off the excess.
Light sprinkle on some of the salt and pepper. Save the rest for the sauce.
Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan. Medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering add the chicken pieces. Don’t crowd them. Cook until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Turn the chicken over and cook until the chicken is cooked through. Should be about 2 more minutes. Make sure no pink remains in the chicken.
Put the chicken pieces in a bowl or plate and cover them to keep warm.
Now you’ll make your sauce.
Melt the butter in the same saute pan over medium. Add the mushrooms, shallots, and the remaining salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often until the mushrooms brown up. It should take about 5 – 6 minutes. Add wine and cream. Cook for a few minutes until reduced to a creamy consistency. Stir in the lemon zest and serve the chicken with the sauce.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Cajun Butter Steak
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z3 (ZReboot) recipe.
My version of this steak is done by searing and roasting the meat. You can also choose to do this on the grill. Choose your favorite steak cut. It was a special occasion at our place, so I used beef tenderloin.
Servings: Serves 2 – 4 depending on how much sauce each person will receive
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup of tamari, coconut aminos or Bragg’s aminos
- 1/3 cup of olive oil
- ¼ cup of Swerve brown sugar substitute. You can order this online.
- ¼ cup of bourbon
- 2 Tbl of good mustard. I used Grey Poupon.
- 2 tsp of Cajun seasoning
- 2 tsp of minced garlic (jar garlic will work)
- 2 Tbl of butter cut into bits
- 8 – 16 oz of your steak choice. 4 small filets will work, or you can use a larger steak like tri-tip or sirloin and serve slices
Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
In a bowl whisk together the tamari (or other) along with the olive oil, brown sugar substitute, bourbon, mustard, Cajun seasoning, and garlic.
Pour out about half of the sauce into another container to save it to make the sauce later.
Add your steak to the bowl and let it marinate for at least 20 minutes or up to 4 hours. If you are marinating it for more than 30 minutes, cover it and refrigerate.
Remove the steak from the marinade and season it with grated sea salt and pepper to your liking. Spray an oven-proof pan (like cast iron) with olive oil spray. Heat on medium-high and sear the steak on one side for a full three minutes. Don’t mess with it. Let it get a nice crusty surface. Turn it over.
Then transfer it to your oven to roast. Most steak cuts will take about 12 minutes to get to 130 degrees or just past medium-rare. Keep an eye on it because I don’t know what steak choice you made. Remove from the oven and let it rest on the cutting board for 5 – 8 minutes before serving.
While the steak is resting you can finish your sauce. All you need to do is heat the sauce in a small saucepan. Bring it to a boil and then turn it down and let it reduce a bit. Stir in the butter and let it melt. You are ready to serve. Drizzle the sauce over the steak.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
COVID 1 Year Later
People ask me all the time how we are coping with the pandemic. It has its positives and negatives for sure. Now that we are one year into this, I thought I’d give you some insight into our world.
Our New Offices are Open
For the first 7 months of the pandemic, our shipping department operated out of our garage. We had to leave our temporary offices behind and set up shop remotely. Our brave and dedicated staff put up with working on folding tables. They made it through the summer months with the help of a portable air conditioner. Of course, the dress code was relaxed completely. Casual doesn’t begin to describe it when you come to work in shorts and a tank top.
The building of our new offices was over a year behind, but they finally completed the project in October. Depending on the circumstances some folks are working part of the time remotely and others are in the office. I “accidentally” designed a socially distanced office. Everyone has plenty of room to stay away from each other and we wear our masks if we are going to be closer. The building is mostly vacated at the moment with other companies working from home, so we feel pretty safe. And it’s a lot nicer than working out of a garage!
We Got a New Kitty!
On the personal side, many of you know that our 20-year-old cat, Tattoo, died in July. By the end of August, I was ready for new life in the house to join our other cat Titan. We went to the rescue society and picked out Chooey. We named him after the Chattanooga Choo Choo, the historic old railway terminal, which is now a hotel and entertainment complex covering 30 acres. We live right behind the complex.
Chooey has been a COVID dream. He’s a perfect distraction from the frustrating parts of a pandemic on a daily basis. He came to us at 2.5 pounds. Now he’s up to 7 pounds of boundless energy. He and Titan have become best buddies. They sleep together, groom, and play. Titan has lost weight just because Chooey is around to keep him moving.
Chooey has decided he needs to help in the kitchen. He will sit on the door of the dishwasher as you load it and see if maybe there’s a spoon he can lick in the silverware tray. That’s not so bad but we have had a challenge in teaching him how to stay off the kitchen counter. I’ve raised cats for decades so I know eventually, he will comply.
My Mask
Early on in the pandemic, I wrote a column complaining about my mask. I had a hard time with the mask riding up into my eyes. If I looked down my mask would literally get in my eyes. On more than one occasion it scratched my contact lens and I’d have to replace it. Frustrating. You would think I’d do something about it.
I had heard that the surgical masks I had were the best short of a KN95 and those were not available then. I figured I had to muddle through. We ordered them very early on and in those days, you had to order 250-- minimum. I figured I had masks that would last me a lot longer than the pandemic.
Then I got smarter. Only took me 9 months but I finally got on-line and typed in “masks for people with small faces.” And voila! Took me a few orders to find one that fits but it’s way worth the $14 it cost me. I ordered some KN95 masks too; now that you can get them. They are too big for me, so my husband is wearing those.
TV
People all over the country have become extraordinary couch potatoes. We are no different, but we don’t really have that many hours of the day to watch TV. We start off our evening catching up on the news. I watch more of that than necessary. With all the cable news networks you can get lost in all the politics 24/7.
There are other things we are watching. One thing I was determined to do is watch documentaries so I would learn something. The first one we watched was Ken Burn’s long explanation of the Civil War. Since we moved to the South, I thought it would do me good to learn about the battlefields surrounding our area – and more. That took weeks to watch.
We have watched several more documentaries on different topics. One highlight for me was one on the history of the Bee Gees. I’m not ALL news and weather.
We turned Friday nights into Stand-Up Comedy Night. We curl up in the den with our dinner and watch a new stand-up performer each Friday. I have discovered new comics I never knew existed! And some good ones! When I want something short on a different day, I am hooked on Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. I’m even something of a car nut so that’s attractive to me. And you can’t beat Seinfeld for funny.
Cooking
I’ve done 365 days of cooking. The Plan Z website has been a beneficiary of that. I have posted quite a few new recipes. I’ve shared them with our ArcaMax newsletter readers too. Haven’t been to a restaurant since March 15, 2020. I miss that a lot but I read that you increase your chances of getting COVID by 50% when you eat out. I’ve done curbside pick-up a few times but I’ve never been a fan of food in a bag. Never tastes as good as when it’s served in the restaurant. Lots of folks in Tennessee don’t seem to be taking the mask-wearing thing very seriously, either. Unless it’s mandated you see only about 50% wearing masks. And don’t get me started on the local dog park. No one wears a mask at that place. I’m glad I don’t own a dog.
Travel
We have only taken a couple of day drives on the weekends. It’s a nice way to get out of the house but we only go maybe an hour in one direction, drive around some town, and then drive home. My husband has not been on a plane since last March. He used to travel up to 225 days a year. His new nickname is Velcro because he’s always with me. It’s nice that we get along so well. A trip to Target is a trip for us right now. In business, Zoom meetings dominate the activity.
Change
We were talking the other day about how our lives have changed since the beginning of the pandemic. Our associate Jessica talked about how much she has appreciated slowing down, and taking stock in what’s important.
Take time to smell the flowers. The daffodils are popping up here in Tennessee. Spring can’t be far off.
Cheers,
French Onion Soup Dish
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z3.5 (ZReboot3.5) recipe.
I don’t know exactly how to describe this dish but if you like French Onion Soup you are going to love this. You might consider it a side dish. It would be great with a steak. We just ate it as is and did a meatless dinner. The dish is sloppy, so we ate it from a dinner bowl but it should be fine on a plate, too.
Serves: Serves 6.
Ingredients:
- 3 Tbl of olive oil
- 3 medium Vidalia onions sliced thinly
- 1/2 tsp grated sea salt
- A dusting of black pepper or to taste
- 1/4 tsp of dried thyme
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 9 slices French baguette
- 2 Tbl flour
- 1.5 cups beef broth (I use low sodium)
- 1/3 cup sherry (that’s the magic in French onion soup)
- 2 cups of shredded gruyere cheese
Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
You are going to roast your onions to caramelize them. That’s the easy way. Take out a large cookie sheet with raised sides. Spray the surface with olive oil spray. Scatter your onion rings across the cookie sheet surface. It will look like a huge amount. Don’t be alarmed. They will shrink down while they roast. Sprinkle on your grated sea salt, pepper, thyme, and garlic powder. Cover the cookie sheet with aluminum foil and put it in the oven to roast. You are going to cook them for 45 minutes. Stir every 15 minutes. For the last 15 minutes, take off the aluminum foil.
While that’s happening, you can toast your baguette slices. Put them on a cookie sheet and spray them with olive oil spray. Bake in the same oven for approximately eight minutes until they are crispy and beginning to brown. Take them out of the oven and set them aside.
When the onions are done, you’ll transfer them to a medium-sized saucepan. Add the flour and stir to combine. Cook for approximately two minutes and then add the beef broth, sherry, and one cup of the grated gruyere. Cook on a low boil for five more minutes so it has a chance to reduce and thicken up a bit.
Now take out a nine by nine-inch oven-proof casserole. Pour the onion mixture in and top with the baguette slices. Sprinkle on the rest of the grated gruyere. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes at 375 degrees. Remove foil. Increase the oven to broil. Broil for just a couple of minutes to brown up the cheese a bit. Maybe two or three minutes. Then let cool down a few minutes before you serve.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Outlaw Chili Verde
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z2 (ZReduction) recipe.
This award-winning chili recipe won best Verde Chili by the International Chili Society in 2018. "Texas Chuck," the creator of this awesome recipe, made this chili using Mild Bills Spices (in case you're trying to get his authentic flavor). You can view more award-winning chili recipes here.
We've tweaked his original recipe to be ZReduction friendly.
Servings: Serves 6
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs of pork tenderloin or pork loin roast, cubed
- 2 cans (14 oz each) of Swanson chicken broth, divided
- 1 can (28 oz) Hatch whole green chilies, seeded & chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 5 jalapenos, seeds removed & chopped small - this will make your chili spicy. If you want less heat, use less jalapenos. If you want more heat, don't remove the seeds!
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 8 oz green enchilada sauce (get one with no sugar)
Spice Mix:
- 3 Tbl Mild Bill’s cumin
- 3 Tbl Mild Bill’s hatch green chili powder
- 1 Tbl salt
- 1/4 TSP Mild Bill’s oregano
Instructions:
Cook the cubed pork in one can of the chicken broth until it turns grey in color; set it aside.
Mix together cumin, green chili powder, salt, and oregano – this is the Spice Mix; set it aside.
Chop or blend jalapenos and mix them into the green enchilada sauce with the can of green chilis. Divide the jalapeno-enchilada sauce mixture into 3 equal parts; set that aside, too.
Combine the other can of chicken broth, onion, and garlic in your cooking pot and heat until onion is translucent.
Add 1/3 blended jalapeno-enchilada mixture, pork, and 1-1/2 Tbl Spice Mix. Cook on medium heat for an hour.
Add another 1/3 blended jalapeno-enchilada mixture, 1-1/2 Tbl Spice Mix. Continue cooking for an hour. Then add the last 1/3 of blended jalapeno-enchilada mixture and the remaining Spice Mix. Cook for 30 min.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Your Support
Your support means the world to me.
As I look back over the past year I have so much to be thankful for.
A year ago this week I was battling COVID. The doctors didn’t know I had it at the time because it was so early in the pandemic. They gave me antibiotics and steroids for the horrible respiratory infection they thought I had. COVID didn’t even occur to them. And there were no tests for COVID in the entire state! I had no sense of smell or taste and at the time they didn’t even know that was a symptom. That’s not fun for a food writer!
I’m thankful for not ending up in the hospital. Over a two-week period, I had my finger on my phone to dial 911 twice. It was a tough decision and a close call, but I made it through it all. It took me a full two months to recover. My ZTeam supported me and we got past that.
While I was recovering our clients stepped up, too, and for that I’m thankful.
As you can imagine I was really worried about our business. Would we survive the lockdown? At first, our business dropped 30% and I thought we might be on the way out.
But then clients stepped up and began ordering Plan Z in record numbers. I don't know if it was from successful dieters sharing their stories and encouraging their friends to get healthier. I don’t know if the stimulus checks gave people an extra incentive to get on board. I don’t know if it was because the country was on lock-down and folks figured since they could not go out, they might as well go on a diet.
In any case, I am grateful. If you were one of those people, THANK YOU.
If you were one of the people who joined ZClub recently or ordered ZR50 Crave Control spray, I thank you for that, too!
We received so many beautiful success stories this year it's amazing. It has been my honor to read them and interview some of our incredible dieters who tell us Plan Z changed their lives. They are never going back to their old eating habits.
Our shipping department is no longer in my garage. We are all grateful to be working in new offices. We are socially distanced and we wear our masks. Everything is good.
We are here for you. Anytime you need to ask a question or place an order we will be here to help. You can order online or call us and tell us how things are going for you. We love to hear your stories and support you in any way we can.
Thank you for being the most wonderful clients we could ask for.
Tuna-Salad-Salad
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z2 (ZReduction) recipe.
Tuna salad on top of a salad? Let's do it! This recipe was inspired by dieter Sarah who suggested eating tuna salad on top of salad greens to increase the size of her meal. Great idea, Sarah!
Servings: Serves 2
Ingredients:
- 1 large can (9 oz) of drained Albacore tuna or Sarah's tuna salad
- salad greens (the more the merrier)
- 1 tomato, sliced
- sliced cucumber
- thinly sliced red onion
- 1 boiled egg (optional)
- sea salt & pepper
- 2-4 Tbl of your favorite vinaigrette (less is more)
Instructions:
Wash your salad greens and chop them up into salad-size pieces. Toss the greens in a large bowl and lightly drizzle your vinaigrette on the greens and toss with a fork so that the salad greens are covered in dressing, but not soggy. Divide the salad greens into 2 bowls. Add 1 scoop of tuna into each bowl, then add the tomato, cucumber, red onion, and egg. Sprinkle with salt & pepper.
If you are in ZReduction, make sure to keep your veggie portion within the 1-cup allotment, and watch your protein portion. If you like lots of tuna and egg in your salad, just make sure your individual portion does not exceed 8 oz (1 egg counts as 4 oz of protein btw). Your leafy greens are unlimited, huzzah!
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Tuna Salad
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z2 (ZReduction) recipe.
As far as ZReduction proteins go, tuna is light, delicious, and filling. It is dieter Sarah's go-to protein. She enjoys it plain, or as a "tuna salad-salad." Thanks for sharing this recipe, Sarah!
Servings: Serves 2
Ingredients:
- 1 large can (9 oz) of Albacore tuna
- 3-5 stalks of celery chopped very fine
- ½ of a medium white or red onion chopped very fine
- 2-3 pinches of sea salt
- 2-3 pinches of pepper
- 2 Tbl Hellman’s mayo or your favorite kind. This includes your salad dressing portion for the meal so if you are having an additional salad with this, cut back on your dressing.
- 1/2 cup finely chopped dill pickles (optional)
Instructions:
Open the can of Albacore tuna and drain it. In a colander rinse off all of the extra juices and pick apart the less attractive spots. Then you will want to chop up the tuna to the size you like and place it in a medium or large bowl. Add the celery and the onions. Then add your sea salt and pepper. Then you will want to add your 2-3 tbsp. of mayo. Mix well. Taste and adjust to your liking. Sometimes in order to get a dill taste, I will add about a ½ cup of very finely chopped dill pickles. You may want to add a little water or pickle juice if you notice the mixture is too dry.
Refrigerate and let the flavors meld. Tuna salad tastes better when it is eaten several hours later.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
"I wish I didn't wait so long."
Dieter Gina is a charming and cheerful mother from Henderson, Tennessee. She has done a lot of diets and she calls Plan Z “the diet to end all diets.” After losing 25 pounds in just 50 days, Gina feels more positive. She has less joint pain and she feels better in her clothes. She was amazed by “how fast and easily the weight came off.” During her interview in August 2020, she told us, “I’m in love. This is it!”
Gina loved the recipes, the daily coaching emails, and the results. Plan Z provides a steady drip of education backed by science. Once she got the education, she realized she’d been “doing it wrong [her] whole life!” Plan Z has more than 900 recipes and for Gina, they were the key to her success. The recipes were her favorite part of the diet. She loved them enough to fill a three-inch binder! She didn’t have to cook a different meal for the rest of the family. They could have larger portions. She said, “My husband loves them and my son is trying new things and that is incredible.” Gina made the switch from processed foods to cooking real food. And her food budget didn’t budge.
The cost of Plan Z gets your attention. It may even deter you at first. Here's Gina's thought on the topic, “The cost may have been the thing that hindered my decision at first. Looking back, I wish I didn’t wait so long. Just do it because it is life-changing.”
Listening to her interview is sure to put a smile on your face. ? We sure enjoyed interviewing this tenacious woman!
Lemon Brownies
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z3 (ZReboot) recipe.
These are amazing – even if I do say so myself! I found a classic Southern Living recipe and took out the sugar. I did a couple of other little things to get the texture I wanted, and it was good to go.
Servings: Makes 9 large brownies. I ate mine on a plate with a fork to feel fancy. These are good enough to serve to company at a dinner party!
Ingredients:
For the Brownies
- 1/2 cup of Swerve or ZSweet sugar substitute
- 1/2 cup of salted butter, softened. If you are pressed for time 15 sec on the microwave will soften it.
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp of lemon zest
- 2 Tbl of lemon juice from a fresh lemon
- 2 ounces of white chocolate chips, melted. I do 15 sec in the microwave and then stir. Do about 10 more seconds and stir. Cook too long and you will scorch your chocolate.
- 1 cup of regular white flour. I splurged on this. You can take out even more carbs if you do half almond flour but the brownies will be denser.
- 1/2 tsp of baking powder
For the Frosting
- 4 ounces of cream cheese softened. If pressed for time 15 sec in the microwave will soften it. Be sure it’s out of the package.
- 1 cup of powdered Swerve or ZSweet
- 2 tsp of lemon juice from a fresh lemon
- 1 Tbl of whole milk or cream.
Instructions:
For the Brownies:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Line a 9” square baking pan with parchment paper and lightly spray with oil. I used coconut oil spray. If you are using a denser flour (like almond flour) you might want to use a slightly larger pan so your brownie will not be as dense.
In your mixer, add the sugar substitute and butter. Mix on medium for one to two minutes. Stop it halfway and scrape down the sides. Then start it back up. You want it a bit fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time. Beat to fully incorporate the first egg and then add the next one. Beat in the lemon zest, and juice. Beat in the white chocolate. Add the flour. Dust the baking powder over the top. Mix once again to finish up the batter.
Pour the batter into the pan. Take your spatula to spread it to the corners. The batter will be fairly thick. Bake for 22 – 25 minutes. Mine were done at 22. Test with a toothpick. If the pick comes out clean, they are done. Let them cool most of the way in the pan. Then lift them out holding the parchment paper on both sides. Let them completely cool off on the counter. When they are fully cooled you can gently lift off the brownie block and put it on a nice platter.
While the brownies are cooling you can prepare your frosting. Just don’t try to frost the brownies until they are fully cooled or your frosting will melt.
For the Frosting:
Beat the cream cheese for about a minute in your mixer until fluffy. Add the powdered sugar sub. Turn your mixer on low until you get the powdered sugar sub incorporated so it doesn’t fly all over. Add the lemon juice and the milk or cream. Mix until smooth, won’t take but a minute.
Spread the frosting over the cooled brownies.
Cut into squares of your preferred size when ready to serve. These will work well on a buffet cut into cubes too.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Oven Roasted Okra
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z2 (ZReduction) recipe.
Okra: you either love 'em or hate 'em. The southern summers sure love 'em because this vegetable is prolific in most gardens during the heat of the summer. If you're buying okra outside of their growing season look for bright colored pods in the grocery store. For the best texture, avoid pods that are bruised, soft, or over four inches in length.
This delicious recipe was submitted by dieter Nicole. She served it with pork chops and roasted tomatoes. Thanks, Nicole for the inspired dish!
Servings: Serves 4.
Ingredients:
- 18 fresh okra pods, sliced 1/3 inch thick
- 1 Tbl olive oil
- 2 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
- 2 tsp black pepper, or to taste
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika or paprika (optional)
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Slice each okra pod in half. Place the okra in a medium bowl and mix with olive oil, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper.
Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Place the pods face-down on the baking sheet in an even layer. Roast for about 15 minutes until tender and lightly crisped at the edges. Serve immediately. These are best eaten right out of the oven, but you can refrigerate leftovers if desired.
Enjoy!
Cheers,