Old-fashioned, Chunky Bolognese Sauce
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z2 (ZReduction) recipe. I studied up on bolognese sauce. I never realized the real secret to an old-fashioned sauce was milk. I redesigned this recipe to incorporate cream and a nice touch with vinegar and broth to make a smooth sauce that will remind you of an old spaghetti house. Just no spaghetti. I don’t miss it. This sauce, by itself, is that good. Serve with a salad or follow my lead below using spinach.
Serving Size: Serves 5. Serving size, one cup. This is your veggies and meat for the most part. You can do a salad with 1/3 cup of veggies on the side if you want.
Ingredients:
- 2 lb of ground sirloin or beef that is 96% lean
- ½ cup of chopped white or yellow onion
- ½ cup of chopped celery
- 2 Tbl of tomato paste
- 2 tsp of chopped garlic (jar garlic will work)
- 1 cup of beef broth
- ¼ cup of red wine vinegar
- ½ cup of whipping cream
- 1 – 2 cups of crushed tomatoes (from the can will work just fine) The amount you put in is just a matter of how red you like your sauce. I used a cup.
- sea salt and pepper to taste
- red pepper flakes (optional)
- baby spinach (optional)
Instructions:
Spray a soup pot with olive oil spray. Heat pan and add the onion and celery. Cook on medium high until they are loose and begin to brown. Stir often. Then add the beef. Break it up and keep it cooking until it browns. I leave some chunkier pieces because I want my Bolognese to be lumpy; especially because I am not eating pasta with it.
Make sure most of the pink is cooked out of the meat. Add the garlic and tomato paste. Stir. Then add the vinegar and beef broth. Cook down for about five minutes. A nice bubble will do it. Then turn down the heat to medium low. Add the cream and crushed tomatoes. Mix in. Heat until the cream and tomatoes have blended in and all is hot. This might take about 10 minutes.
In the last 10 minutes if you want your sauce to have some zip, add a sprinkling of red pepper flakes to the sauce. That will kick it up a notch.
Serve in a bowl. You can put a healthy layer of spinach below instead of pasta to give it more interest and fiber.
This picture is garnished with fresh basil and a cherry tomato.
This reheats well and travels well too.
Cheers!
Enjoy!
Moroccan Salmon Filets
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z2 (ZReduction) recipe.
Servings: Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 4 salmon filets (4 – 6 oz each)
- 1 – 2 Tbl lemon juice
- 1 Tbl apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp of ground ginger
- ½ tsp of cumin
- a sprinkle (to taste) of hot pepper flakes (optional)
- ¼ tsp of ground coriander
- a light grate of sea salt
Instructions:
Spray the salmon filets with a light spritz of olive oil spray. Lightly brush on or drizzle on the lemon juice mixed with the apple cider vinegar. Mix the dry ingredients and then sprinkle them on the fish. Let sit for 15 minutes. Then grill the salmon spice side down (or sauté it). Then flip over and finish cooking. How long depends on how you like your salmon. 7 minutes per inch of thickness is a good gauge for salmon cooked medium.
I served this with a side salad.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Salmon Burgers
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z2 (ZReduction) recipe. These burgers will travel well as a leftover. I came up with this recipe when I saw fresh wild-caught salmon on sale at the grocery store. Fresh, wild-caught is more expensive, but it is much better for you. Choose whatever your budget will allow though. Just ask the fish guy/gal to take the skin off of both sides. You can also do this at home but you have to have a very sharp knife and a very steady hand! Get them to take out the bones too!
Serving Size: Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 24 oz of boneless salmon filet, bones removed, skin removed
- 1 tsp of peeled, grated ginger (I use fresh for this dish but you can use jarred ginger too)
- ¼ cup of chopped shallot or green onion (white and light green parts only)
- ½ cup of minced cilantro
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup of panko bread crumbs (these are Japanese crumbs and are very light or you can use regular bread crumbs too)
Instructions:
Cut the salmon into large cubes. Put the salmon in two batches into your food processor and pulse until it’s ground like hamburger and begins to stick together. Carefully remove the first batch and add the second.
Put this in a bowl. To the bowl add the other ingredients. Now get in there with your hand and really mush it all around. You want to get the ingredients mixed and for me, this is the best way to do it. Make sure that egg gets distributed too.
Form into four patties. Grate on sea salt and pepper if you desire.
Spray both sides with olive oil spray.
You can now grill them on a grill plate, medium heat. You don’t want them to fall through the cracks.
Or you can sauté them on one side on medium for two minutes and then flip them. Two more minutes on the other side. This gives them a nice, crusty outside. Then I finish them in the oven at 350 degrees for 5 – 7 minutes more.
You have to decide how well cooked you like your salmon. I like mine medium.
These are a very mild version. I like my fish patties of any kind to have a bit of a kick so next time I make these I’ll be adding a bit of cayenne to the mix. Or you can dust them on top with cayenne while you cook them.
You can serve with the melon-cucumber relish for a refreshing summer meal. They’d be great any other time of year too.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Shrimp with a Melon – Cucumber Relish
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z2 (ZReduction) recipe. When it’s hot there’s nothing nicer than a refreshing meal like this one. It’s very easy and comes together in a flash. If you have guests or older kids, let them help you chop the ingredients.
Serving Size: Serves 4.
Ingredients:
- 24 oz of cooked, small to medium shrimp. Devein them when you get home.
- ¼ cup of fresh cilantro, minced
- ½ tsp of grated sea salt (or to taste)
- ½ tsp of grated fresh pepper
- 1 tsp of ground cumin
- ½ tsp of cinnamon
- olive oil spray
- butter lettuce or bibb lettuce
Instructions:
In a bowl, add the shrimp along with the cilantro, salt and pepper, cumin, and cinnamon. Toss and set in the refrigerator to meld flavors while you make the relish.
For the relish
- 4 cups of diced cantaloupe
- 1-1/2 cups of diced English cucumber. I peel my cucumber first for this dish.
- ¾ of a cup of diced red onion
- 1/3 cup of celery, diced
- 1 Tbl of jalapeno, minced
- 1 Tbl of minced, fresh cilantro
- ¼ cup of apple cider vinegar
- ½ tsp of grated sea salt (or to taste)
Instructions:
Put all of the ingredients for the relish in a bowl and stir.
Heat a large sauté pan. Spray with olive oil. Add the shrimp and cook just long enough to warm them up. They are already cooked, so you are just heating them.
Spread your lettuce on serving plates. Add a mound of relish (1 cup per person) and then place your shrimp on top (6-8 oz per person).
This will be approximately 2/3 of your fruit portion so factor that in.
The travels well so you can take it to the office and eat cold or keep the shrimp separate so you can heat them and put on top of the cold relish.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Hillary Burgers
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z2 (ZReduction) recipe. There was a restaurant in the late ‘70’s called Hillary’s. It was located in Water Tower Place in Chicago. I used to get a craving for Hillary burgers so I ate them often. I finally decided I knew the flavors so well I could make my own. This is the result and it’s Z2!
Servings: Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds of ground sirloin
- ½ of a green bell pepper cut into small dice. Not quite minced. Baby chunks.
- 1 tsp of ground cumin
- a sprinkle of cayenne or to taste
- 2 tsp of garlic powder
- sea salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
Mix the spices and your diced green bell peppers into the ground meat thoroughly. I do this with my hands. Form into patties and grill them to your liking.
Serve them plain or with tomato and onion slices on top as well as a few raw onion rings. Lettuce on the bottom. These burgers are also fun covered in healthy onion strings. Or you can really jazz them up with cowboy onions. Now you’re talking gourmet burger!
Cheers,
Snow Pea Salad
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z2 (ZReduction) recipe.
Servings: Serves 2. Can easily be doubled or tripled.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of snow peas. I do a thing called zipping them to clean them up. Just pull lightly on the stem end and it will take out the woody part. Or just cut off the tips. Your choice
- ½ cup of chopped cucumber. I use only English cucumbers. They have no seeds. Peel or not peel as you choose.
- ½ cup of chopped radishes
- 1 tsp of Truvia
- 4 tsp of apple cider vinegar
- 4 tsp of Braggs Aminos
- 4 tsp of sesame seeds
Instructions:
Put the snow peas in a pot of water. Bring to a boil. Cook just one minute. Drain and run under cold water so they stop cooking. When they are cool toss them with the other veggies. Add the dressing ingredients and toss again. Serve room temperature or chill and serve.
This can be served with any fish for a nice light meal. You can also make the dressing and use it on salads. It’s a sweet, Asian sensation.
Cheers,
Lemon and Garlic Chicken Kabobs
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z2 (ZReduction) recipe. This dish serves up nicely as a hot or cold item. I had mine warm for dinner and then for lunch they were great cold. They travel well, too.
Serving Size: Serves 6
Ingredients:
- 6 boneless and skinless chicken breasts
- olive oil spray
- zest of 2 medium lemons
- 3 tsp of garlic powder
- 1-1/2 tsp of minced, dried parsley
- 1/2 tsp of grated sea salt or to taste
- ½ tsp of ground pepper
- your favorite meat rub (optional)
Instructions:
Cut the chicken breast pieces into one inch cubes.
In a bowl put in the lemon zest, garlic powder, parsley, salt and pepper. Mix them up. Then add the chicken and toss by hand. Set in your refrigerator (covered) to marinade for 2 – 6 hours.
Preheat your grill to medium.
Thread the pieces of chicken onto skewers. Spray with olive oil spray on all sides. Spray the grill top, too.
Now you have a choice to make. These are delightful with just the lemon and other flavors. You can also dust them with your favorite meat rub. When I did these I gave my guests choices of Cajun, tarragon (for French) steak rub or a barbecue/lemon rub. All with no sugar. They could customize their options. Or you can eat them just plain (lemon/garlic)
Grill until no pink remains in the chicken. The time will depend on your grill heat but most times it doesn’t take more than 8 – 12 minutes. Turn periodically so you get good grill marks but don’t burn them.
One great serving idea is to accompany them with grilled green beans.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Poached Salmon with Orange-Ginger Sauce
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z2 (ZReduction) recipe. If you want moist salmon that is flawlessly cooked with almost no effort at all, this is your best bet. You can eat this with plain salt and pepper or several kinds of sauces or even salsa. Here’s a version with an orange-ginger sauce.
Serving Size: Serves 2
Ingredients:
For the salmon
- 2, 6 oz portions of salmon filet or steak
- water
Instructions:
In a deep sauté pan put in your salmon skin side down. Pour in enough water just to cover the salmon. You don’t want it floating around; just covered.
Bring the water to a boil. Lightly boil for 2 minutes. Then turn off the heat and let the salmon sit in the water for 10 minutes. Salmon will be done and will be juicy as can be.
For the sauce
- olive oil spray
- ¼ cup of diced shallot or green onion
- 1/4 cup of water
- 2 Tbl of peeled and grated fresh ginger root
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- juice of one orange
- 1/3 cup of heavy cream
- 1 Tbl of fresh orange zest or 1 tsp of dried orange peel
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
In a medium sauce pan spray lightly with olive oil. Add the shallots and cook on medium until they are loosened up. Add the water and the ginger root. Cook until reduced and almost no liquid remains.
Add the stock and the orange juice and reduce again until only half remains. Add the cream and cook until it begins to thicken. Just a few minutes. It won’t thicken much because you are using very little cream. It will just be cloudy. Pull from the heat and add the orange zest/peel and salt and pepper to taste. This whole process can be done while the salmon cooks.
There will be more than enough sauce for two pieces. Pour 3 Tbl of sauce over each piece of salmon and garnish with greens if you want. I garnished with a few bits of green onion. This is a very light ginger-citrus flavor. Very mild.
You can use the extra sauce on chicken too.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Casserole
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z3.5 (ZReboot 3.5) recipe.
Servings: Serves 6 minimum
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of orichetti (dry) pasta. Cook the pasta 10 minutes in boiling water and drain.
- 3 chicken breast halves.
- 4 cups of broccoli heads cut into bite sized pieces
- ½ tsp of grated sea salt
- ½ tsp of pepper
- 8 oz of cream cheese
- 12 oz of grated cheddar cheese (divided)
- 1 cup of hot water
- 15 oz can of diced tomatoes with garlic (find a brand with no added sugar. You can use fresh tomatoes and add your own garlic if you choose)
- paprika to sprinkle
- optional dusting of cayenne
Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
In a 9" x 13" oven proof pan spread the pasta in the bottom.
Poach your chicken. Do this by covering the chicken with water in a sauté pan. Turn the pan on to mild boil and cook the chicken 15 minutes or until there’s no pink left in the chicken. Shred the chicken. Do this by holding the chicken breast down on a cutting board with a fork and pulling at the chicken with another fork.
Spread the broccoli and the chicken over the pasta.
Season with salt and pepper.
In a sauce pan add the cream cheese and 8 oz of the grated cheddar with the hot water. Cook on medium to melt the cheeses and make a sauce. Add the canned tomatoes. Stir and then pour this over the chicken, pasta and broccoli. Take a fork and sort of swirl some of the sauce around the veggies and meat. You don’t have to stir it up; just mush it around.
Put in your oven at 350 and bake for 20 minutes. Then scatter the rest of the cheddar over the casserole. Dust with a light dusting of paprika and if you want a bit of zip dust lightly with cayenne. Bake 10 more minutes to melt the cheese.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Poached Salmon
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z2 (ZReduction) recipe. If you want moist salmon that is flawlessly cooked with almost no effort at all, this is your best bet. You can eat this with plain salt and pepper or several kinds of sauces or even salsa. Look for the orange-ginger sauce as one option as well as the Chinese dipping sauce.
Serving Size: Serves 2
Ingredients:
- 2, 6-8 oz portions of salmon filet or steak
- water
Instructions:
In a deep sauté pan put in your salmon skin side down. Pour in enough water just to cover the salmon. You don’t want it floating around; just covered.
Bring the water to a boil. Lightly boil for 2 minutes. Then turn off the heat and let the salmon sit in the water for 10 minutes. Salmon will be done and will be juicy as can be.
You have two choices. Serve the salmon hot or you can let it cool and chill it in the refrigerator. On a hot day a cold piece of salmon is wonderful!
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Marvelous Mushrooms
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z3 (ZReboot) recipe. This mushroom dish was designed to go with steak but I am confident it will go well with chicken or even an omelet. The taste is rich so be ready for some big YUMs around your table.
Serving Size: Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 1 Tbl of butter
- 1 lb of sliced mushrooms
- 1/3 cup of minced shallots
- ½ cup of balsamic vinegar (the higher quality the better)
- 1 tsp of garlic powder
- 1 tsp of powdered ginger
- 1 cup of beef broth
- 1/3 cup of chopped sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil (or sun-dried tomato pesto from a jar)
Instructions:
Put the butter in a large sauté pan and heat. Add the mushrooms and cook on medium until they begin to brown on the edges. Add the shallots and stir them in until they wilt. Set aside. While the mushrooms are cooking you can work on the rest of the sauce. In a sauté pan add the vinegar and the garlic and ginger. Bring to a low boil. Let it bubble until it begins to thicken. This shouldn’t be more than 7 or 8 minutes. Don’t let it boil over. Watch it. And stir often. Add the beef broth. Lightly boil again to begin to reduce it. Depending on how high quality your vinegar is the shorter this time will be. The higher the quality the faster it will thicken. It’s okay either way. When you see it begin to thicken, add the sun-dried tomatoes and stir. Add the mushrooms and heat and you’re ready to serve.
Serve the mushrooms on top or on the side of the meat.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
French Chicken with Spring Vegetables
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z3 (ZReboot) recipe. This recipe is all about the bounty of fresh spring veggies and how you can use all sorts of them to make a lovely, healthy meal-a sort of stew. Nice thing is that, although there are lots of expensive veggies in this recipe, you don't need very many of any; and you can change any of them you want to suit your taste and your budget. This recipe has a French theme. I also made it the other day and changed the veggies to those you'd find in Mexican cooking, added a can of pinto beans to make a nice gravy and used Southwestern spices instead of tarragon and had a whole different meal. Make this one, or use this recipe as an inspiration to make your own. Either way you'll be eating healthy and feel like a gourmet.
Servings: Serves 2. Can be doubled.
Ingredients:
- 2 large organic chicken breast halves, skin removed
- salt and pepper to taste
- olive oil spray
- olive oil in the bottle
- 2 large shallots, minced
- handful of baby patty pan squash, sliced in halves
- handful of tiny fiddlehead ferns
- handful of fresh small morels, cleaned and sliced
- handful of sliced button mushrooms
- handful of haricot verts (French green beans)
- 1/2 red bell pepper, sliced to quarter-inch
- handful of cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1-1/2 cups chicken broth (divided)
- 1/2 tsp dried tarragon
Instructions:
Season cleaned chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Spray with olive oil spray. Using your cast iron sauté pan (or an ovenproof sauté pan), sauté the chicken topside down for 4 minutes on medium high until it's golden. Flip the chicken over and put in your oven at 425 degrees for 30 minutes. By finishing the chicken in the oven, it will remain nice and juicy. If your chicken breasts are not large, they might take a little less cooking time.
While the chicken is roasting, you are going to make the vegetables. You can use just about any kind of veggies for this meal. I chose these for this version because these are all veggies that are fresh in spring. They are also a little more exotic and fall under the French-gourmet category. If you don't like these or don't have access to them, just find substitutes you think you'd like. This meal is all about being healthy and flavorful.
To a large sauté pan, first add a tablespoon of olive oil to the pan. Add the minced shallots and the button mushrooms. Stir while cooking on medium until the shallots are loose and begin to brown. The button mushrooms should have brown edges too. Now add one-quarter cup of the chicken broth. Sauté until most of the liquid is gone, and then add the squash, the fiddlehead ferns, the red pepper and the morels. Sauté two minutes on medium. Add 1-1/4 cups chicken broth and the tarragon and garlic powder along with the cherry tomatoes. Cook the whole mess on medium low for 15 minutes while the chicken is finishing up. Your beans should still be slightly crunchy; the morels will give the sauce a wonderful, full flavor. Your cherry tomatoes will be warm but not soggy.
If you have pasta bowls, this is a great meal to serve in them. Veggies on the bottom, chicken on top. Garnish with some fresh herbs from the garden or leave as is. It's a very colorful meal.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Creamy Tomato Shrimp Chowder
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z2 (ZReduction) recipe. Talk about easy to make. This dish is done in a flash. If you’re like me, you’ll make a triple batch of the tomato base. You can freeze the portions.
Servings: Servings 6
Each serving is 1-1/2 cups of tomato base plus your shrimp
Ingredients:
- olive oil spray
- 1-1/2 cups of chopped onion. You can choose which kind to use. I used Vidalia onions.
- 1 large rib of celery, chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic (jar garlic will work)
- 3 cups of organic chicken broth
- 15 oz can of crushed tomatoes
- 15 oz can of diced tomatoes
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup of whipping cream
- 1 tsp of Truvia
- 2 tsp of Italian seasoning blend
- a pinch of cayenne (optional)
- 4 – 6 oz of cooked shrimp. I used 31-40 count size so you get to eat quite a few.
- seasoning of choice for your shrimp (I used a Cajun seasoning)
Instructions:
Spray a soup pot lightly with olive oil cooking spray. Then add the celery and onion. Cook on medium until the celery is a little soft and the onion is slightly wilted. It only takes a couple of minutes. Then add the garlic and cook one more minute. Add the chicken broth and the crushed and diced tomatoes. Then mix in the whipping cream. Stir. Add the Truvia, Italian spice blend and cayenne. Stir and cook on medium-high for 15 – 20 minutes. The chowder will boil and bubble. Stir fairly often. The melding of the flavors comes together and you have great meal.
While the chowder is bubbling away, take out your shrimp. Pull off the tails. Rinse and pat dry.
Spray your grill pan or a sauté pan with oil. Pop in the shrimp. Dust them generously with whatever spice blend suits you. I used a Cajun blend. You decide what works best for you. Toss the shrimp around in the pan and cook them on medium until heated through. You don’t really have to cook them since they are already cooked.
Now you can put the chowder in your bowl and top with your portion of shrimp. This is your whole meal. Serve with salad greens, add your breadstick(s) on the side and you’re ready to eat.
If you are not a shrimp eater I can see this being done with crab meat, or even a grilled piece of tilapia. You can then break it up and sprinkle it on your chowder or stir it in.
Big YUM.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Curried Pork Chops with Mushrooms and Onions
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z3 (ZReboot) recipe. Really simple meal. Serve with a salad if you want more.
Servings: Serves 2
Ingredients:
- 2, 1” thick pork boneless pork chops
- 4 oz of chopped mushrooms
- ½ cup of thinly sliced onion
- ½ cup of organic chicken broth
- celery salt, turmeric and cumin to taste
- 1 chili pepper (Optional)
- 1 Tbl of olive oil
Instructions:
Put the olive oil in a pan and sauté the pork chops on one side just to brown them. In an oven-proof baking pan add the mushrooms, onions and chicken broth. Lightly sprinkle the celery salt, turmeric and cumin. This won’t take a lot. It’s done to your taste, but if this is your first time, just sprinkle it over like you’d salt your popcorn.
Place the pork chops browned-side up on top of the vegetable mixture. Then roast the chops at 425 degrees for 20 minutes or until they are 160 degrees on your meat thermometer.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Lamb Chops with a Balsamic-Shallot Reduction
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z2 (ZReduction) recipe.The balsamic reduction sauce enhances the flavor of the lamb, making this a delightfully delicious gourmet meal.
Servings: Serves 2
Ingredients:
- 3/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- salt and pepper to taste
- 4 lamb chops (3/4 inch thick)
- a spritz of olive oil
- 1/4 cup minced shallots
- 1/3 cup aged balsamic vinegar
- 3/4 cup chicken broth
Instructions:
In a small bowl or cup, mix together the rosemary, basil, thyme, salt and pepper. Rub this mixture onto the lamb chops on both sides. Place them on a plate, cover and set aside for 15 minutes to absorb the flavors.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place lamb chops in the skillet, and cook for about 3 1/2 minutes per side for medium rare, or continue to cook to your desired doneness. Remove from the skillet, and keep warm on a serving platter.
Add shallots to the skillet, and cook for a few minutes, just until browned. Stir in vinegar, scraping any bits of lamb from the bottom of the skillet, then stir in the chicken broth.
Continue to cook and stir over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, until the sauce has reduced by half. If you don't, the sauce will be runny and taste sour. The reduction makes the balsamic vinegar thicker and it gets sweeter as it cooks down. Remove from heat.
Pour sauce over the lamb chops, and serve.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Cranberry Walnut Cookies
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z3.5 (ZReboot 3.5) recipe that was contributed by Plan Z dieter Nancy.
Servings: 3-4 dozen cookies
Ingredients:
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp salt
- 10 tsp Truvia
- 2 eggs
- 1-½ cup super fine ground almond flour
- 1 cup flaxseed meal
- 1 tsp baking power
- 2/3 cup chopped walnuts
- 1 cup whole cranberries
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Cream butter and cream cheese together. Beat in Truvia, cinnamon, and salt. Add eggs and mix well. Add almond flour, flaxseed meal, and baking soda.
Cut cranberries in half and add the cranberries and walnuts to mixture.
Add spoonfuls to ungreased cookie sheet and bake for about 13 minutes, until top is a little brown.
Cool completely.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Grilled French Chicken Salad
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z2 (ZReduction) recipe. A new recipe! For my first ZReduction meal, I wanted something with some crunch and some class. I came up with this Grilled French chicken salad.
Servings: Serves 2
Ingredients:
- 8 chicken tenders
- a sprinkling of Herbs de Provence seasoning
- a grating of sea salt
- a bit of onion powder
- and a bit of cayenne (to taste)
- 1 cup of lettuce mix (I just eye it by a small handful that I spread in a five inch circle – see picture)
- 1 cup of chopped veggies including a few bits of peeled English cucumber, a few bits of chopped celery, a few cherry tomato halves, one green onion chopped and 3 blackberries (subtract the berries from your dessert fruit)
- 1-2 Tbl of red wine dressing with bits of fresh tarragon (use the usual dressing recipe and just add tarragon)
- fresh pepper grated on top
Instructions:
For the chicken tenders
Lightly spray (very lightly) your ridged grill pan. Add the chicken tenders. Then sprinkle on your herbs, spices and the salt. The cayenne is completely optional but I always want to give (even French food), a tiny zip.
Grill them on medium high until you get grill stripes on the one side. Turn over and finish grilling them until there is no pink left in the chicken.
While the chicken is grilling you can prep all of your veggies and assemble your salad. Then I just added the chicken tenders on the side so I could heat hot meat and cold salad.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Chicken and Shrimp a la Lousianne
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z3.5 (ZReboot 3.5) recipe. This recipe can be doubled and tripled for larger crowds. The most challenging part might be finding a soup pot big enough. You can rent one or divide this into more than one pot. I've had two large ones going at once. It's possible. You can do it! You can even make it ahead and just reheat on the big day. It actually tastes better on day two or three, after the flavors "ferment" a bit.
Servings: Serves 8
Ingredients:
- 6 boneless, skinned chicken breasts cut into 1- to 2-inch pieces (chunks)
- 6 slices of bacon cut into 1/4-inch strips
- 4 tsp of garlic (jar garlic is fine)
- 1 lb fresh sliced mushrooms
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 Tbl flour
- 2, 28-oz cans of diced tomatoes
- 15-oz can of tomato sauce
- 2 Tbl Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp cayenne
- 1/3 cup Creole mustard
- 1-1/2 cooked medium-sized shrimp (tails off)
Instructions:
Cook the bacon in your pot until crisp. Take the bacon out with a slotted spoon. Set the bacon on paper towels to drain and cool. Pour off most of the fat. Leave in up to 3 tablespoons of bacon grease. It gives it the down home Cajun authenticity and you need some grease in the pan for the rest of the cooking. Add the chicken. Cook the chunks until they are no longer pink in the middle. This will take up about 7 minutes, depending on how many chunks you have and how large your pot is. Just cut one open to check. When the chicken is cooked, add the garlic, the mushrooms and the onion. Cook until the onion is softened and the mushrooms give off their liquid. For a serving for 8, this won't take long (5 - 8 minutes on medium high). For a large quantity, this takes longer.
Add the flour. Stir until the liquids are soaking up and the flour is well distributed. This is sort of like making a fancy roux that will thicken your stew. Add the tomatoes, sauce, seasoning, sugar, salt, cayenne and the mustard. Cook 30 minutes on medium. This timing will also be longer for a larger pot. You need to cook it down some to thicken it. Add the shrimp and heat until the shrimp are hot. Stir in your bacon bits right before you serve it so they stay a bit crunchy.
You can cook this ahead and keep it in your refrigerator. Add the bacon when you have reheated it and are ready to serve.
This "Cajun stew" can be served alone in a bowl and can be served on top of spaghetti or with rice. Sprinkle on a little chopped parsley if you want to give it a gourmet trim at the last minute. This would be termed flavor-filled food, but if you really like Cajun food and you like it hot--"or your friends do" you can serve it with a bottle of hot sauce on the table. They can make it as incendiary as they like.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Cuban-Marinated Pork Tenderloin and Caribbean Black Beans with Plantain, Pineapple and Serrano Salsa
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z3.5 (ZReboot 3.5) recipe.
This is one of the recipes from the Nuevo Latino Gala party menu. This is a rather long recipe because there are three parts but, believe me, this is so EASY. I made it the other day with grilled lobster instead of pork tenderloin, and it was a hit. I've also made it with grilled chicken or lamb chops, so don't feel limited to pork tenderloin. It's a great meal for summer and all year long.
Servings: Serves 6
Ingredients:
For the Pork
- 2 or 3 pork tenderloins approx. 1 pound each. The amount of pork tenderloin depends on how large a portion you want to serve to each person. I usually serve one tenderloin to two people and have the end scraps for another recipe.
- 3 tsp ground cumin
- 3 tsp ground oregano
- salt and pepper to taste
- olive oil to coat tenderloin
- a bunch of cilantro for garnish when serving
For the beans
- 1 medium white or yellow onion, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
- 2 Tbl olive oil
- 2 cans pinto beans with Mexican or Southwestern spices* (jalapeños added)
- 3 cans black beans (drained and rinsed)
- 1 Tbl cumin
- extra hot sauce to taste
For the salsa
- 1 large can pineapple tidbits, drained
- 3 ripe plantains (skins should be almost blackened--spotted and softened)
- corn oil for frying the plantains
- 1 serrano chili diced very small. Be careful; wear rubber gloves when you dice the chilis.
Instructions:
Make your salsa first. You can do this earlier in the day. Cut your plantains into half-inch cubes. Put enough oil in a deep pot to come up 2 inches. Put in half of the plantain pieces when the oil is hot enough to fry. Check hotness by dropping a bit of water off your finger into the oil; if the oil spits, it's ready. Carefully put in the plantains so you don't burn yourself. Fry the plantains until they are golden brown. Drain the pieces on paper towels and fry the second batch. You want them crispy. Mix the plantains with the drained pineapple tidbits and the Serrano chili. Set aside.
Next make your beans. You can also make these ahead and then just reheat them when ready to make dinner. This is very easy. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a soup pot. Add the onion and cook on medium high just until loosened. Add the two peppers and cook also just until loosened. You want the onions and peppers to keep their color. Add the cans of beans* and the spices. Add as much hot sauce as you like to make the beans as "zippy" as you please, but I suggest that you add several drops and then let the beans simmer about five minutes, then taste and decide if you want to add more. Don't keep adding without waiting in between, or suddenly you'll be shocked! If you add to much hot sauce, you can always go out and buy more beans, but you might not have time--so be careful. Simmer the beans 15 minutes until fully heated and then let them rest. You can refrigerate them and just reheat them before serving. You're going to make a "bed" of beans under your pork tenderloin for serving. Beans are the starch for this meal.
*If you can't find beans that already have the convenience of the added Southwestern spices and jalapeños, don't worry. Just add a little oregano, a little more cumin and pepper, and the hot sauce will take care of the rest. The added spices in the can are a nice convenience but not completely necessary.
Lastly, ready your pork. About 15 minutes before you want to roast your meat, coat it with olive oil and then rub in the oregano and cumin. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper to taste. Let sit while the oven comes up to temperature. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Roast the meat until the pork reaches 160 degrees. Use a meat thermometer in the largest pork tenderloin and put it in the fattest part. When the pork reaches 160 degrees, take it out and let it rest on the counter for 7 to 10 minutes, covered, before you slice it.
Slice on the diagonal about one-half inch thick for each piece. Serve 4 to 6 slices per person. Fan them on top of the bed of black beans. Next to the beans, put a strip of the salsa. The salsa will be sitting on top of the beans too. Garnish with a small bunch of cilantro for color.
Enjoy,
Cheers!
Asian Chicken Casserole
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z3.5 (ZReboot 3.5) recipe. This is my take on an interesting combination of Asian and Italian. I don’t often think to use pasta as part of an Asian dish but this combination came together quite well. I wanted homey comfort food, and to satisfy my husband’s craving for Asian. We both got what we were wishing for. Photo submitted by Plan Z dieter Nancy.
Servings: 4-5
Ingredients:
- 1 lb sliced button mushrooms
- 1 Tbl of olive oil
- ½ cup soy sauce
- 1-1/2 pounds of cooked chicken, cubed. This would be a perfect way to use up a holiday turkey, too.
- 2 cups of chopped celery
- one half of a green pepper, chopped
- one half of a white onion, diced
- 10 oz can of cream of mushroom soup, undiluted (I’m still looking for a good, healthy version of this stuff)
- 8 oz can of sliced water chestnuts, drained and rinsed
- 1/4 tsp of grated sea salt
- 1/2 tsp of black pepper
- 6 oz of pasta. I used low-carb penne but you can use any pasta; even spaghetti.
- 8 oz of sour cream (I use reduced-fat sour cream)
Instructions:
In a sauté pan cook the mushrooms in olive oil until the edges begin to brown. Stir periodically. While the mushrooms are cooking put on your pot of water to boil the pasta. Then work on prepping your veggies and your meat. As you get each item chopped put them in a large bowl. Add the soup, soy sauce, the water chestnuts, the salt, and the pepper. Mix well. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain well. Add the pasta, the cooked mushrooms and the sour cream to the same large bowl. Stir again to make sure all is incorporated. Then pour into a 9" x 13" casserole. Bake at 400 degrees for 35-45 minutes. Take out when the pasta just starts to get a brown edge on the noodles sticking out the top. Let rest on the counter for 5 – 10 minutes and then serve.
A simple salad will round out the meal and give more color on the plate.
Enjoy!
Cheers,