Seafood Chowder
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z2 (ZReduction) recipe. This is not the usual, thick, gloppy chowder since you are on ZReduction, but it will pass as a fancy, flavorful meal. It’s a bit on the zippy side so if you don’t like a bit of zing, calm down the cayenne or eliminate it.
Servings: Serves 3. Each serving is 1-1/2 cups.
Ingredients:
- ½ onion, diced (yellow or white)
- 1 stalk of celery, diced
- ¼ tsp of cayenne (or less to taste)
- ½ tsp of curry powder *
- 1 quart of fish stock
- 1 Tbl of cornstarch mixed with 2 Tbl of water (put in a small bowl)
- 2 cups of green beans (frozen or fresh, cut bite sized)
- ¼ lb of crab (I used lump white. For less expense you can even use canned)
- ¼ lb of scallops (I used the sea scallops and cut them into quarters. This was only two large scallops)
- ¼ lb of shrimp (I used larger ones and cut them into bites but you can use whatever size you want)
- ½ cup of whipping cream, heated gently
Instructions:
Spray a small soup pot with olive oil spray. Add the onion and celery and cook until loosened. Add cayenne and curry powder and stir. Add the fish stock and the beans. Bring to a boil and then turn down to simmer for 10 minutes.
Add your corn starch slurry. This will help give the sauce some body. Stir. Add the seafood elements. Continue to cook on medium for another ten minutes to cook the seafood and continue to reduce the sauce a bit.
Preheat your cream and add it. Take off heat and stir. Let set for 2 minutes. Serve.
Serving size 1-1/2 cups. This will eliminate part of your veggie portion. I’d fill this out with a salad with cherry tomatoes and cucumbers and you’ll have your full meal. You can still have your breadstick portion, too.
*You can make this in different flavors if you don’t like curry. Instead of curry you can add Old Bay Seasoning. That’s the traditional, Maryland version. You can eliminate the curry and use Italian Seasoning and make an Italian version. The Italians traditionally serve seafood as a good luck gesture. They do it on Christmas Eve so if you are on ZReduction on Christmas Eve you can actually make a big batch of this and serve it to everyone. This is a great dish any time of year and is good enough for company!
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Yogurt with Fruit and Nuts
Plan Z Phase: This Z3 (ZReboot) recipe. Okay. This seems so simple. Everyone wants a fast breakfast or snack. Your kids will be giddy with this as their breakfast or their after school snack.
I ordered a yogurt/fruit bowl at a restaurant. And it inspired me. When I made this it filled me to the brim for my own breakfast. Takes one minute or less to make.
Servings: Serves 1
Ingredients:
- ½ cup of full fat Greek yogurt
- ½ tsp of vanilla (or to taste)
- ½ tsp of Truvia (or to taste)
- assorted berries and fruit pieces. Your choice and your amount. Ideas: blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, peach slices, plums slices, nectarines slices and more….
- Assorted nuts. Your choice and your amount. Ideas: pecans, almonds, peanuts, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts and more…
Ingredients:
In a bowl add your yogurt. Add the vanilla and the Truvia. Stir to blend all. The yogurt will be all nice and shiny. Toss on your fruit and your nuts.
You might think I’m a bit nuts but I LOVED the combo of raspberries and cocktail peanuts. The sweet and salty was wonderful. It reminded me of one of those Pay Day bars and so much more healthy!
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Casserole
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z3 (ZReboot) recipe. You’ll love this comfort food dish when you want to eat curled up on the sofa watching a movie. It’s also a hit with the little kids and people who don’t like spicy food. You can even leave out the garlic if you want.
Servings: Serves up to 6 with full dinner servings. On a buffet it will produce a good 12 scoops.
Ingredients:
- 3 boneless and skinless chicken breasts cut into 1” cubes
- 1 Tbl of olive oil
- 3 cups of broccoli cut into bite-sized pieces
- 3 tsp of minced garlic (jar garlic will do fine)
- ¼ cup of butter
- 18 oz of cream of mushroom soup. I use organic so there is better quality ingredients in the can.
- 1 Tbl of Italian seasoning
- ½ cup of cream
- ½ cup of grated Parmesan cheese
- 8 ounces of sliced mushrooms
- 2 cups of shredded mozzarella or cheddar cheese (or a mix)
- 6 pieces of bacon, cooked til crisp and diced
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a large sauté pan add the olive oil and the chicken chunks. Cook on medium till no pink remains. In a medium pot put in a few inches of water and bring to a boil. Put in broccoli bits and cook for just 1 minute until it’s bright green. Drain. These things can be done at the same time.
Back to the chicken. When it’s cooked, pour it into a 9" x 13" casserole. When the broccoli is done you can pour that in with the chicken and let them sit.
Use the same sauté pan and add the butter and garlic. Then add the soup, the Italian seasoning, the cream and the Parmesan cheese. Heat until it’s all well mixed and hot. Add the mushrooms and stir. Pour this mixture over the chicken and broccoli. Spread the cheese on top and then sprinkle on the bacon bits.
Bake in your oven for 20-30 minutes til it’s hot, bubbly and beginning to brown on top. Serve in bowls.
This makes a great buffet dish at your local pot luck too!
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Chicken Pot Pie and Biscuits
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z3 (ZReboot) recipe. I found a recipe for chicken pot pie on the internet and put some twists on it so it can be low carb and good for you. I hope you like it. Comfort food!
Servings: Serves 4
For the Chicken/Veggie Mixture
Ingredients:
- 3 or 4 skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1” cubes
- olive oil
- ½ stick of butter
- ½ cup of minced onion or minced shallot
- ½ cup of chopped red bell pepper
- ½ tsp of black pepper
- ½ tsp of grated sea salt (or to taste)
- 3 Tbl of flour
- 2 cups of cut green beans (1” pieces). I used hericot verts but you can use regular green beans too
- 2/3 cups of whole milk
- 1/3 cup of heavy cream
- ½ cup of chicken broth
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large sauté pan add a tablespoon of olive oil and put in the chicken chunks. Cook on medium high until chicken is cooked through. Set aside. Add the butter to the pan and melt it. Add the onions, and the red pepper. Cook for a couple of minutes to begin to soften them. Add the flour and salt and pepper. Stir to mix.
Now add the green beans and the liquids. Cook on medium high at a bubble so the mixture thickens. Stir often. While this is cooking you can mix your biscuits. This mixture should be done in about the same time it takes to mix the biscuits and let them set.
When the biscuits have set for the five minutes you are ready to assemble your casserole. I used my 8" x 10" pan for this dish but you can put it in a 9" x 9" pan or even a larger one too.
Pour the chicken mixture into the pan. Top with blobs of biscuit dough.
Bake for 10 minutes or until biscuits are golden.
Serve in bowls.
Biscuits
These won’t taste quite like your grandma’s recipe but because they are low carb, I bet you can get used to them!
Ingredients:
- 2-1/4 cups of super fine ground almond flour
- 3 Tbl of coconut oil (make sure it’s room temp and solid white – not melted)
- 1-1/2 tsp of baking powder
- ½ cup of powdered egg whites (find them by the baking mixes)
- ¼ tsp of grated sea salt
- ½ cup of heavy cream
- ½ cup of whole milk (or buttermilk)
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Put the almond flour and the coconut oil in a bowl. Mix it til it forms a crumbly mix. I use a fork to do this. You can also do it with a pastry cutter. Sprinkle the baking powder across the top and mix it in well. Add the egg whites and mix again. Grate in the sea salt and add the liquids. Mix. Now the magic happens. Let this batter sit for five minutes.
These are not roll and cut biscuits. These are drop biscuits.
If you are making the chicken pot pie you’ll drop blobs on top of the chicken mixture. You’ll have a little extra so you can make a few individual biscuits too.
If you are making them on their own be sure to cover a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and put the blobs on the foil. Then bake 10 minutes or until golden brown
Makes about 8 biscuits.
Enjoy!
Cheers
Chicken and Caramelized Onion Casserole
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z3.5 (ZReboot 3.5) recipe. I had a hankering last night for a homey casserole. It had been raining all day and the temperature dropped, so this hit the spot. You can do this casserole with no pasta in the bottom to make it less carb-laden. Serve with a vegetable and/or a salad.
Ingredients:
- 4 tsp of olive oil (divided)
- 1 large vidalia (sweet) onion, sliced thinly
- 4 skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1”cubes
- 4 cloves of garlic, sliced thinly
- 1 tsp of dried Italian seasoning
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- ¼ cup of white wine
- 1/3 cup of chicken broth
- 12 oz of Alouette soft cheese. I used the garlic and herb flavored one. (This is 1-1/2 packages. Save the rest for eating with celery sticks as a snack)
- sea salt and pepper to taste
- ¾ cup of grated parmesan cheese
- 1 cup of pasta, cooked (optional)
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Pull out two large sauté pans or do this portion of the cooking in two batches. In one pan put in 2 tsp of olive oil. Heat the pan and add the sliced onion. Cook on medium low 15 minutes or longer. Stir often and watch for the onion to become lightly browned and gooey. This is the caramelization process and it will make the onion taste on the sweet side.
In the other pan put in 2 tsp of olive oil. Heat the pan and put in the chicken chunks. Cook them on medium high until about half cooked. Maybe five minutes. Then add the garlic, the Italian seasoning, the wine and the chicken broth. Continue to cook on medium high until the chicken is cooked through. Then add the bell pepper and the creamy cheese. Stir on medium low until it’s all melted. Then transfer the onions from the other pan into the sauce and stir. Season with salt and pepper.
(While all this is happening you can be cooking your optional pasta)
To assemble the casserole.
Take out a 9" x 13" casserole. Spray the bottom. Put your cooked pasta on the bottom. I make just enough noodles to cover the bottom. Sort of “essence of pasta” rather than a pile of it.
Pour the chicken mixture on top. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove it from the oven and turn on the broiler. Spread the Parmesan across the top and put under the broiler just until the cheese is crusty.
Serve in bowls or on a plate with a veggie on the side.
This casserole will be a hit at the potluck buffet, too.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z3.5 (ZReboot 3.5) recipe. It’s here! My first attempt at chocolate chip cookies that are low carb. They aren’t Toll House, but they are close enough to satisfy the craving.
Try these and let me know what you think.
Serving Size: Makes 12 – 15 cookies. I suggest you make small batches so you don’t have a couple extra dozen lying around. One cookie is all you need.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of super fine ground almond flour
- ½ tsp of baking soda
- ¼ tsp of grated sea salt
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup of butter or coconut oil, melted
- 3 Tbl of sour cream
- 2 tsp of organic vanilla
- 1 tsp of liquid stevia
- 4 oz of chocolate cut into bits (1 bar). I use 85% cacao. This makes for a richer chunk and the higher the cacao number the less sugar is in there. Don’t use the regular chips. They are chockfull of sugar. Don’t use 100% cacao either. That’s way too bitter.
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line the cookie sheet with parchment paper or use a silpat. This is different than regular cookies but because of the almond flour you’ll need to do this or your cookies will fall apart.
In a bowl mix together the almond flour, baking soda, and sea salt. In another bowl whisk the other ingredients and then stir them into the flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chunks.
Drop dough by heaping teaspoons on the cookie sheet. Use a spoon or glass to flatten them out a bit (this is different than regular cookies too. These won’t flatten as readily as the traditional recipe).
Bake until the edges begin to brown. This will take about 20 – 23 minutes. Keep an eye on them depending on how hot your oven is calibrated. These cookies are about 2” in diameter. Each cookie will be 4 – 6 grams of carbs so be careful with them. They are not free reign if you want to keep weight steady.
Cheers,
Enjoy!
Green Bean and Red Pepper Medley
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z2 (ZReduction) recipe. Simple, straightforward cooking is just what you need some nights. This comes together in a flash.
Serving Size: Serves 2
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of green beans trimmed (they can be fresh or frozen)
- 1 cup of red bell pepper strips. (be sure to cut away the white membrane parts. They taste awful)
- olive oil spray
- grated sea salt
Instructions:
Spray a 9" x 9" Pyrex pan or other oven proof pan with olive oil spray. Put in the beans and peppers. Lightly spray again and dust with grated sea salt.
Pop them in the oven at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes. They will be cooked through with just a teeny bit of crunch left to them to give them texture in your mouth.
Serve with any dish as your side.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Open Face BLT
Plan Z Phase: This is Z3.5 (ZReboot 3.5) recipe. I’ve had a hankering lately for a BLT. I decide to ‘give in to the urge’ but I managed to make it very low carb. My mother used to make BLT’s when it was really hot outside. That way she didn’t have to turn on the oven. So every end of summer I seem to have to have my BLT.
Servings: Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 16 pieces of bacon, cooked. I like mine cooked til crisp. My husband is the wizard of bacon cooking.
- 1 large tomatoes, sliced into ¼” thick slices
- lettuce leaves (I used regular iceberg lettuce)
- 2 avocados, peeled and sliced
- 4 pieces of low carb bread (mine has just 9 grams of carbs per slice. Julian brand)
- mayo
- butter
Instructions:
To assemble: Toast your low carb bread. Spread one side with melted butter.
On top of the buttered side, add your lettuce. Then layer on the bacon and the avocado. Top with the slices of sliced tomato. Spread a tablespoon of mayo across the top. Then grate on optional sea salt and pepper. Eat with a knife and fork. You’ll hardly notice the top piece of bread is missing.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Shrimp “Rolls”
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z3.5 (ZReboot 3.5) recipe. Familiar with lobster rolls? These are very similar in taste and texture, except you are using shrimp. Much easier on the budget. The other thing missing is the classic lobster roll bun but I promise you that you’ll hardly notice.
You’ll notice in the picture a cob of corn. Yep. Corn. This is the classic accompaniment to lobster rolls. On Z3.5 I allow myself maybe 2 or 3 cobs of corn PER SUMMER. I used to eat 2 per day! Now corn tastes like dessert and when I do eat it. I skip my regular dessert.
Servings: Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 1 pound of cooked shrimp. Tails removed. Cut into chunks. (You can use any size of shrimp. I like mine with a bit bigger chunk so I use slightly larger shrimp but any size will work. Consider getting whichever one is on sale).
- 2 Tbl of minced shallot (if you don’t have shallots, onion will do)
- 1/3 cup of diced celery
- 2 tsp of lemon juice
- 1/3 cup of mayo (I use the one made with olive oil)
- ¼ tsp of your favorite meat rub (optional)
- a whisper of cayenne (optional)
- grated sea salt and pepper to taste
- 4 pieces of low carb bread (I get one with only 9 grams of carbs per slice)
- butter, melted
- lettuce leaves
Instructions:
Mix shrimp, shallots, celery and mayo with the meat rub, the lemon juice and the salt, pepper and cayenne. Stir to mix thoroughly.
Now for the magic.
Toast your bread. While it is still warm spread melted butter across one side. (The melted butter will help keep the glycemic index of the bread to a minimum.)
Quickly put a piece of lettuce on the bread, butter side up. Then mound on your shrimp mixture.
Eat while the bread is still hot and the shrimp salad is cold. That’s the magic!
Alternatively, you can chill the shrimp mixture in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Then toast your bread. Extra shrimp mixture will store for a few days in a sealed container.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Sunday Chicken
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z2 (ZReduction) recipe. Pierre Franey was a cooking hero of mine. He was a French Bistro chef and cookbook author. He was the original “60 Minute Gourmet.” I adapted this recipe from one of his and turned it into a wonderful diet meal.
Servings: Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves.
- sea salt and pepper to taste
- 4 large tomatoes, cut into chunks
- 4 large, unpeeled garlic cloves
- ½ cup of chopped onion or shallot
- 1 cup of chicken broth
- 2 Tbl of apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp of minced tarragon (fresh is best but you can use dried too)
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Heat your ovenproof pan (cast iron is preferable). Spray the chicken breasts lightly with olive oil spray. Sprinkle on salt and pepper.
Saute the chicken breasts on medium high top-side down for 3 minutes. Don’t move them. Let them get a nice brown crust on them.
Flip them over.
Then add the tomatoes, the garlic, onion, chicken broth and apple cider vinegar. Stir and bring to a light boil. Turn off stove.
Take the whole pan and carefully put it on the rack in your oven. (If your sauté pan is not oven-proof you’ll have to transfer the dish to a Pyrex pan or one that can handle the heat).
Let roast in the oven for 15 – 20 minutes or until the chicken no longer has any pink the middle (cut one open to check).
Bring the pan back out to your stove top. With a tong, remove the garlic cloves. Peel them when they are cool enough to touch. Then smash the garlic to a paste and add it to the chicken dish along with the tarragon. Stir. Just heat through and you are ready to serve.
I served this with asparagus. If you want to make the meal even easier you could add the asparagus to the pan with the chicken when you put it in the oven and you won’t even need another pan to cook the asparagus. It can all be done in one pan.
Cheers,
Enjoy!
Chicken Enchilada Bowls (or Boats)
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z2 (ZReduction) recipe.
Serving Size: Serves 4- 6 (depends on size of chicken breast pieces)
Ingredients:
- 4 chicken breast halves, skinless
- ½ cup of chicken broth
- ¼ cup of whipping cream
- 2 Tbl of chopped green chilies (from a can)
- 1 tsp of ground cumin
- ½ tsp of chili powder
- grated sea salt to taste
- 1 cup of red pepper bits (diced)
- 1 cup of yellow pepper bits (diced)
- 1 – 2 cups of baby spinach
- 4 green onions, diced
- 1 tomato chopped
- 2 – 3 Tbl of green sauce (salsa verde – in a can) (optional)
Instructions:
First you need to poach the chicken. In a medium sauté pan add the chicken and cover just to the top edge of the chicken with water. Turn on to begin a boil. Then turn down to simmer the chicken for about 15 minutes or until chicken has no pink in the middle. I turn the chicken over half way through the process to make sure it all gets cooked. Check one of the pieces by cutting into it to make sure no pink.
Remove from water and toss the water.
In a medium sauce pan add the chicken broth and cream along with the chilies, cumin, chili powder, cayenne and sea salt to taste). Heat to make a sauce.
Take the chicken pieces and shred them. The easiest way I have found to do this is with two forks. Hold the breast down with one fork and pull at the meat with the other fork to get shreds. Put all shredded chicken breast pieces in a large bowl. Stir in the sauce and then add the other items. Mix it all up.
My favorite way to eat this is just out of a bowl with a fork. That’s why I call it a chicken enchilada bowl.
You can also serve it over romaine lettuce as it shows in the picture. The romaine makes sort of a boat. You’ll notice the tomatoes and onions are off to the side and the salsa verde is on top. Since I took this pic I decided it’s more fun just all stirred up.
This is your meat and veggie portion for ZReduction. Your portion is up to six ounces of chicken. That means you’ll top out at about 1.5 cups of the mixture. Believe me. That’s plenty of food.
Cheers,
Enjoy!
Oven-Roasted, Crispy Shallots
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z2 (ZReduction) recipe. My husband goes ga-ga for these things. He loves them so much he’s even started volunteering to make them. And he picks out shallots at the grocery store!
This version is zippy. You can also make mild ones by using olive oil spray instead of chili oil spray. Chili oil spray is new in the grocery stores. You can watch for it or just use a little cayenne sprinkled onto your regular olive oil spray. In ZLife my husband eats these like they are going out of style. We never make breaded onion rings anymore.
Servings: 1 cup per person. I usually just eat a few and then have another veggie to make up the rest of my portion.
Ingredients:
- 3 – 4 large shallots
- olive oil or chili oil spray
- grated sea salt
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Lightly spray a large cookie sheet.
Peel the shallots and cut them into thin slices. Take the slices apart to make rings. Put the rings scattered on the cookie sheet. The more apart they are the crispier they will get.
Lightly spray tops with olive oil and grate on the sea salt.
Roast in the oven about 12 minutes or until they are a brown you favor. Scoop them up with a spatula and garnish your dish with them or eat them like onion rings.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Roasted Salmon with Tomato-Shallot Butter Sauce
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z3 (ZReboot) recipe.
Serving Size: Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 4 pieces of salmon
- 1 large shallot, minced (1/2 cup)
- ¼ cup of white wine
- 3 Tbl of white vinegar (you can use any cooking vinegar. White wine vinegar, champagne vinegar or apple cider vinegar will all work)
- 1 large tomato chopped (I used yellow and red tomatoes)
- 1 stick of butter
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Spray the salmon lightly with olive oil and season with grated sea salt and pepper. Heat pan and place salmon, flesh-side down to sear the fish so it has a nice crispy crust on the top. Do this on medium high for 2 minutes. Don’t mess with the fish. Just let it sit still so it gets a nice sear. Then turn the fish over and put the pan and the fish in the oven. If your pan is not ovenproof you’ll need to transfer the fish to a pan that can handle the heat. Roast salmon for 12-15 minutes depending on how done you like your salmon.
While the salmon is roasting you can make your sauce.
In a medium sauce pan add the shallot, wine, and vinegar. Simmer it until half of the liquid remains. This won’t take long. Just a few minutes.
Turn heat to VERY low. Just barely keep the burner on. Put in the stick of butter and let it melt very slowly. Stir. Just before serving, add the tomato bits. You don’t really want to cook them; just heat them up. Season with sea salt and pepper to taste.
Pour sauce over one edge of the salmon so the rest of it will remain crisped.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
No Dough Pizza
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z3 (ZReboot) recipe. This recipe was contributed by dieter Woody. He found it online on a low carb cooking website. It is now one of his favorite ways to eat pizza. Thanks for sharing, Woody!
Servings: Serves 6
Ingredients:
For the Crust
- 1 (8 oz) package of full fat cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- olive oil cooking spray
For the Topping
- 1/2 cup pizza sauce
- 1-1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- toppings - pepperoni, ham, sausage, mushrooms, peppers, whatever you want!
- garlic powder
- Italian herb/pizza herb blend
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spay a 9" × 13" baking dish with cooking spray. With a handheld mixer, mix the cream cheese, eggs, pepper, garlic powder and Parmesan cheese until combined. Spread the mixture into a baking dish. Bake for 12-15 minutes, our until golden brown. Allow crust to cool for 10 minutes. Spread pizza sauce on crust. Top with mozzarella cheese and toppings. Sprinkle the pizza with garlic powder and Italian herbs. Bake the pizza for 8-10 minutes, until cheese is melted and slightly browned.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Mexicali Side Salad
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z2 (ZReduction) recipe. This salad is great with anything grilled. We had it with grilled sea scallops.
Servings: One cup of veggies (maximum) and unlimited greens. With one bag of shredded lettuce we got 4 nice-sized salads
Ingredients:
- 1 bag of shredded lettuce. You’ll notice in the picture that I did not pick out all the little carrot bits. Per person, they don’t add up to much. You can decide if you want them picked out or not. This mix also included red cabbage.
- 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
- ½ cup of diced red onion
- 1 English cucumber, peeled and sliced You don’t really need to peel an English cuke. The skin is not tough like American cucumbers. And these have no seeds…and don’t make you burp! Look for them wrapped in plastic. They are longer than American cucumbers
- 10 Fritos per person
- 1 lime
- 2 Tbl of salsa (no sugar) or more. Up to your taste.
Instructions:
Place all salad ingredients in a large bowl. Drizzle on lime juice. Stir in the salsa (this makes your dressing) and then put the crunch Fritos on top. This will count for your crunch portion of your meal - no other breadstick or cracker allowed or you will exceed your limit.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Sweet and Sour Chicken
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z2 (ZReduction) recipe. Chinese food is the hardest of the ethnic foods to convert for Plan Z. As you can’t have rice or eggrolls. So many of the ingredients in many of the Chinese dishes contain too many carbs. So it’s challenge. I took on this challenge and converted what I think is probably the hardest Chinese dish. Sweet and sour pork. Believe me when I tell you that this does taste sweet along with the sour. Dieter Jeff exclaimed that this could not possibly be diet food! He was one of my taste testers. Well, Jeff… It’s diet food. Plan Z diet food.
Servings: Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 24 oz of skinless chicken breast cut into 1” chunks. This will probably be about 3 normal chicken breast pieces
- olive oil spray
- grated sea salt and pepper
- 1 medium onion cut into six wedges
- 1 red, 1 yellow and 1 green pepper cut into 1” chunks
- 1 cup of chicken stock/broth
- ¼ cup plus 2 Tbl of rice vinegar
- 12 oz can of mandarin orange segments, drained and rinsed to get off the sugar water
- 3 tsp of Truvia
- ¼ cup of tomato sauce from a can is fine
- 2 Tbl of corn starch dissolved in 1 cup of water
- 10 cherry tomatoes cut in half
Instructions:
The easiest way to do this dish is to use 2 large sauté pans. If you don’t have two you’ll have to do it in two stages. *
Take the first pan and spray lightly with olive oil. Put in the chicken chunks and begin to cook them on medium high. You want them to get slightly browned on the edges while the center cooks, too. Toss them around once in a while as they cook. Cook until no pink remains in the middle. You can cut one to check. This won’t take more than 10 minutes or so. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
While that is happening you can take out another large sauté pan. Spray with oil and put in the peppers and onions. Cook them on medium – medium-high so they begin to loosen up. You are not trying to brown them and you’re not trying to make them mushy. Just make them looser so they are hot and cooked but still have a little bite to them. This will take about 5 minutes. When this is done, add the vinegar and the broth. Bring to a boil. Add the Truvia and the tomato sauce. Stir this up so the tomato melts into the sauce and there are no lumps. You should have it all bubbling, gently.
Now add the cornstarch mixed with water. This is your thickener. Add the mandarin oranges and stir. Gently stir constantly on medium high until the sauce begins to bubble and gel -- and get that glossy color you want with sweet and sour chicken. Some of the mandarin oranges will break up and become some of the sauce. Some will remain whole. As soon as it begins to thicken, turn it down. Add the cherry tomatoes and the chicken bits. All you want to do is heat the tomatoes and make sure the chicken gets hot if it cooled down.
I serve this in a bowl and just sit and eat it watching TV. Big YUM. Serving size 1-1/2 cups. This is your protein and your veggies. This is also a portion of your fruit. Factor in how many oranges you have in your serving and subtract that from your remaining dessert option.
*Note: If you are doing this with one pan you will cook the chicken first, wipe out the pan and then cook the veggie part and combine the two at the end.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Cajun Pork Loin Roast
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z2 (ZReduction) recipe. My husband declared this one of the top 3 dishes I have ever made. The man loves flavor-filled food and Cajun is it. The gravy is wonderful and the roasted veggies bring out a ton of flavor from what sometimes are boring peppers and celery. Be sure to scrape up the bits on the bottom of the pan in the cooking process. The picture here shows this one is hot out of the oven before the gravy is made.
Serving Size: Serves up to 6 with possible leftover meat
Ingredients:
- 4 lb pork loin roast. You can get a smaller roast too. Just adjust the servings.
- ½ tsp of cayenne or less if you want this milder
- 1 tsp of dried oregano
- ½ tsp of black pepper
- ½ tsp of dried thyme
- 1 tsp of ground mustard
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- olive oil spray
- 1 orange, 1 yellow and 1 red bell pepper chunked
- 1 large onion cut into chunks
- 3 stalks of celery cut into 1” chunks
- 1/3 cup of heavy cream
- 1 Tbl of cornstarch mixed with 2 Tbl of water
- 1/2 cup of organic chicken broth
Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
In a small container mix the dry spices (items 2 – 5) add the garlic and stir again. You’ll have a paste. Spread this across the top of your roast. Spray with olive oil. Spray a large oven-proof dish with olive oil too.
Put in your roast and surround it with the veggies.
Rule of thumb with roasts: I roast my pork for 30 minutes per pound. So this one will take 2 hours. If you buy a smaller roast you can adjust your cooking time. If you do 2, 1 lb roast you are only looking at 1 hour to cook if you keep them separated in the pan. Or for a crowd you can do more than one larger roast. I roast pork to 155 – 160 degrees. This gives you a roast with a hint of pink left in it and juicy. If you go to 165-170 degrees the roast will still be juicy but all pink will be gone. Pork is clear to eat at 135 degrees or more. The old days of cooking it til it’s stiff and gray are gone.
When the roast is done, remove it from the pan and tent with foil. Don’t remove the veggies or the good juices that have accumulated on the bottom of the pan. If you are not using a pan that you can now put on the stove, sorry, but you’ll have to transfer the veggies and juices and bits on the bottom of the pan to another one. And then continue. If you use cast iron you can just transfer to the top of your stove.
The veggies will now be cooked down. Some lumps and pieces will remain. Add the cream and the broth to the pan to start making gravy. Bring to a boil and begin to cook it down. Just for a few minutes. Then add the corn starch mixed into the water. This will really thicken it into a nice gravy with the veggies swirled in it.
Serve 6 ounces of meat per person with a side of veggies. You can slice the meat thinly so you get more pieces or make yourself a thicker slice or two. Up to you. Keep in mind the veggies took up a lot more room when they were whole than they do now. Account for that when doling out your portion.
You can also have a plain salad on the side but I found this to be plenty of food. This is a very flavor-filled dish. Not too much spice but it’s definitely there. It’s Cajun food.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Simple, Sauteed Lamb Chops
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z2 (ZReduction) recipe.
Servings: Serves 2
Ingredients:
- six lamb loin chops (these are the little ones shaped like triangles)
- olive oil spray
- dusting of cumin and dried lemon peel (or your favorite meat rub)
- grated sea salt
Instructions:
Lamb chops are MUCH easier than chefs make them out to be.
Let’s talk through the details so yours can be perfect.
First, trim off the fat along the edges. Next important thing to do is heat the pan on medium-high before you put them in. Don’t put them in and then heat the pan. (Or heat the grill to medium-high.)
Spray both sides of the lamb chops with olive oil spray. Lamb is magical with cumin sprinkled on it. It just seems to WORK. Lemon is also often paired with lamb so you can just sprinkle on a light dusting of cumin and a light dusting of grated, dried lemon peel. Press on it so it adheres to the meat.
Put the lamb chops into the hot pan seasoned-side down. Saute on medium high for 3 minutes. Turn over. Three minutes more and they should be medium rare and ready to go. Let rest for a couple of minutes for the juices to come forth in the meat. Cook longer if you don’t like them very pink, but lamb will always be its most tender if it’s on the rare side. If you have an insta-read meat thermometer you can poke it in and remove the chops when it reaches 140 degrees. When you let them rest for a few minutes they will continue to cook.
Before serving put a nice grate of sea salt over the top like the steakhouse would.
Even on ZReduction you can have lamb like this. Each chop will only give you about 2 ounces of meat so you can eat all three. Don’t forget to eat the little bit on the opposite side of the bone. That’s the most tender part!
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Creamy Leek Pie
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z3 (ZReboot), Z3.5 (ZReboot 3.5) recipe. This recipe makes a yummy vegetarian lunch or side dish to go with a protein. I also put it in Zola to GO! because it can travel to a buffet. Can be served warm or even at room temperature.
Serving Size: Serves 4-8 depending on side dish or entrée
Ingredients:
For the Low Carb Crust (Z3 or even later*)
- 1-1/2 cups of super fine ground almond meal flour (Bob's Mill is my usual brand)
- 1 large egg
- 1 egg white
- 3 Tbl soft or melted butter
*When you get to Z3.5 of ZLife you may still decide to make this low carb crust. You can also venture to using a homemade crust of your favorite recipe or even buy a pre-made crust. The Pillsbury crust in the box is a processed food and I don't use it often, but if you do use it there are just 12 grams of carbs in a 1/8 size slice. That's not bad. Just don't do it often. Keep an eye on your scale!
For the Creamy Leeks
- 4 large leeks, cleaned, outer layer removed. Slice into 1/4" slices and then chop. Throw away green leaves and the root end. Do not put them in your garbage disposal. They can clog your disposal.
- 2 Tbl of butter
- grated sea salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup of whipping cream
- 2 cups of shredded Gruyere (Gruyere is a yummy French cheese). You can choose a different cheese, but this will be the most traditional option).
- a dusting of cayenne (optional)
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
For the Low Carb Crust
Mix the ingredients and then press into the pan by hand. Just keep inching it around until you cover the bottom and up the sides of the pie plate.
For the Creamy Leeks
Melt butter in a medium saute pan. Stir in leeks. Cook for about 10 minutes or until soft. Season with salt and pepper. Turn off heat. Add the cream and the cheese. Stir to get the cream hot and melt some of the cheese.
Pour over your crust.
Bake 30 minutes or until custard is set and golden brown. When it's a light golden color it is likely done so I count on that. Let this set for about 10 minutes after it comes out of the oven. That will firm it up a bit more to make clean slices.
Enjoy! Bon Appetit!
Cheers,
Roasted Chicken Breasts with an Onion-Poblano Side
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z3 (ZReboot) recipe.
Servings: Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 4 skinless chicken breast halves
- the rub of your choice
Instructions:
Heat a pan for sautéing chicken. An oven proof pan (like cast iron) is preferable. Spray the pan with olive oil spray. Dust your favorite meat rub over the top of the chicken. Place rub-side down in the heated pan. Saute for 3 minutes until that side is browned. Now transfer to the oven to finish roasting @ 375 degrees. (MAKE SURE your pan is oven-proof or transfer it to a Pyrex pan that is.) Roast for approximately 20 minutes until no pink remains in the chicken. While the chicken is roasting you can make your sauce. (Roast peppers ahead if you have only one oven)
For the Onion-Poblano side dish
Ingredients:
- 2 large poblano peppers
- 2 large sweet yellow onions, sliced thinly
- ¼ cup of vegetable broth
- ¼ tsp of grated sea salt (or to taste)
- ½ cup of crème fraiche or sour cream
- ½ cup whipping cream
Instructions:
Cut your poblano peppers into quarters. Take off top stem. Take out seeds. Spray a cookie sheet and place them on the sheet with the shiny outside facing up toward the broiler. Broil the pepper pieces until the skin is dark brown in most spots. Take out and let cool. Then rinse the pepper pieces under cold water and flake off as much of the darkened part as you can. Dice.
In a large sauté pan, spray olive oil spray. Add the sliced yellow onion. Begin to cook on medium-high to loosen it up. Spray the onion lightly with olive oil spray. Grate on sea salt to taste. When the onion is just beginning to brown on the edges add the vegetable broth. Cook on medium low until the onion is completely loose and cooked. (If it starts to run dry just add more broth). Add the poblano bits, the crème fraiche and the heavy cream. Cook on low until well blended and hot.
This is mild, full of flavor and a huge hit around my house.
This dish would be wonderful with a steak or a meaty fish too.
Enjoy!
Cheers,