Ratatouille
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z2 (ZReduction) recipe. Some of you might remember a movie (a cartoon), with the name Ratatouille.
Well for those unfamiliar, ratatouille is actually a really fine French vegetable dish. So easy to make! The traditional version has some veggies (like zucchini and mushrooms) that we cannot have on ZReduction so I improvised. Tastes very much like the authentic version so I am presenting it to you for your side dish enjoyment.
Servings: Serves 6
Ingredients:
- 2 Chinese eggplants cut into once inch cubes. Don’t bother to peel it. The skin is good for you.
- 2 red pepper chopped into 1” chunks
- 4 shallots peeled and cut in half and half again
- 1 pint of cherry tomatoes
- 3 tsp of minced garlic
- olive oil spray
- 1 heaping tsp of Italian seasoning mix
- 2-4 Tbl of balsamic vinegar
Instructions:
Cut the eggplants into the cubes and place on paper towels to drain. Grate sea salt on them and let them sit on the towels while you prep the other veggies. Eggplant is bitter until you put the sea salt on and leave it for a bit.
In a cast iron pan (or 9" x 13" ovenproof pan) lightly spray the bottom with olive oil spray. Then add the red peppers, shallots, cherry tomatoes garlic and seasoning. Stir to mix it up. Take the eggplant off of the paper towels and place the chunks of eggplant in and stir again. Lightly spray the top of the mixture and place I the oven at 400 degrees for 1 hour. The veggies will roast and shrink pretty dramatically. This is a colorful dish, but not really pretty. The smell will fill your kitchen though and you can imagine you are in Tuscany, Italy. At the 45 minute mark lightly drizzle the veggies with the balsamic vinegar and toss. Put back in the oven to finish.
Serve with a piece of grilled meat or fish. This is your vegetable portion.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Grilled Green Beans Cooked in Garlic and Broth
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z2 (ZReduction) recipe. This is down home cooking. Those looking for the simplest of Plan Z recipes will like this one.
Servings: Serves 2
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of green beans, trimmed
- 1/3 cup of organic broth. I use vegetable broth or chicken broth.
- ½ tsp of minced garlic (jar garlic will do)
Instructions:
Put all items in a sauté pan. Lightly boil on medium high until the beans are done to your liking. If you run out of broth you can add more.
When the beans are done you can season them with salt and pepper or other spices.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Grilled Sweet Onions
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z2 (ZReduction) Recipe. This recipe was submitted by Plan Z dieter Judy. Thanks Judy!
Servings: 2 Servings
Ingredients:
- 2 small vidalia or sweet onions
- 2 tsp organic Worchestershire sauce
- olive oil cooking spray
- aluminum foil
Instructions:
Remove the skin from the onions. Scoop approximately a 1/2 inch circle from the top of the onion. Spray the onion lightly with olive oil and put 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce in the top of each onion. Wrap the onions tightly with foil and place them on a grill over medium heat (or in a 350 degree oven for 20-30 minutes).
Serve with your favorite protein.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Roasted Red and Yellow Pepper Strips
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z2 (ZReduction) and Zola To GO! recipe.
Serving Size: Serves 2 can be doubled easily, 1 cup per person
Ingredients:
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 yellow bell pepper
Instructions:
Cut the red and yellow pepper into strips about a ¼" wide. If you are a novice cook, be sure to remove the stem, the seeds and cut off any white pith inside the pepper. The white stuff tastes bitter if you cook it. You just want red and yellow strips.
Put those strips in an oven proof pan. Spray lightly with olive oil and toss. Season with grated sea salt and pepper.
Roast at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until the edges of the peppers just begin to brown. This cooking process makes the peppers mild and almost sweet.
You can make these in a large batch and store leftovers in the refrigerator. They reheat well and can travel well too. Eat them hot or cold.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Mexican Eggplant
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z2 (ZReduction) recipe. Super Easy!
Servings: One serving is one cup
Ingredients:
- 2 Chinese eggplants (the long, skinny ones)
- sprinkle of garlic powder
- heavy sprinkle of oregano
- 1 cup of salsa or pico de gallo (no sugar in ingredient list; try to get fresh in the deli section)
Instructions:
Cut the ends off the Chinese eggplants and discard. Cut the remainder into quarter wedges. Put in heat- proof pan. Spray with olive oil spray and put under the broiler for approximately 7 minutes or until they begin to brown on the edges.
Take the pan out of the oven and sprinkle with garlic powder and oregano. Pour salsa on top and bake at 375 degrees for 15 – 20 minutes until eggplant is soft and everything is hot. Depending on how spicy your salsa is will determine how spicy this dish is.
A great side dish with any grilled or roasted meat.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Savory Sweet Onions
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z2 (ZReduction) recipe.
Servings: One serving is ½ cup
Ingredients:
- 2 medium onions, sliced. I use Vidalia onions
- ½ cup of beef broth
- sea salt and pepper to taste
- 2 Tbl of balsamic vinegar
Instructions:
Saute the onions in a pan sprayed with olive oil until loose. Add the beef broth. Cook on medium heat until very soft. Season with salt and pepper. Add the vinegar. Cook on medium for another 10 minutes. The vinegar will sweeten the onions over time.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z2 (ZReduction) and Zola To GO! recipe. Roasted Brussels sprouts are easy to make. Super easy!
Servings: 1 cup per person
Ingredients:
- Brussels sprouts, trimmed and washed
- olive oil spray
- grated sea salt
Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
Cut the cleaned Brussels sprouts into halves or quarters, then add them to an oven proof pan. Lightly spritz with olive oil spray and grate on sea salt.
Roast for 15 – 20 minutes at 375 or until the edges just begin to brown. The browning is a caramelization process that makes them sweeter. They are delightful.
Makes a great addition to any roast!
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Asian Veggie Medley
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z2 (ZReduction) recipe.
Servings: Serves 2. Can be doubled for a large group or a larger portion that will be reheated.
Ingredients:
- ½ cup of Vidalia onion chopped
- 1 cup of celery chopped (larger chunks)
- 1 cup of asparagus chunks. I use the middle section for this. 1” lengths
- 1 tsp of garlic (jar garlic is okay for this dish but fresh is always better)
- ½ tsp of ground ginger
- ½ tsp of sesame seeds
- 1 Tbl of Bragg’s Aminos
- ½ of a Thai (hot) chili, minced (optional)
- 8 cherry tomatoes cut in half
Instructions:
In a medium sauté pan, lightly sprayed with olive oil spray, add the veggies and the sesame seeds. Stir them around on medium high for just a minute to toast the sesame seeds and loosen the veggies. Now add the ginger, Aminos, Thai chilies and sauté 1 – 2 minutes or until crisp tender. Add the tomatoes last and only cook until the tomatoes are warm.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Salsa Fresca
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z2 (ZReduction) recipe submitted by Plan Z dieter Efrem.
Efrem says, "This is another really simple Mexican staple. Again, fresh vegetables are key to a really great tasting salsa. Can go with meats, poultry, or even fish."
Servings: Serves 8 to 10
Ingredients:
- 2 large vine ripened tomatoes, minced (by hand)
- 1/2 small onion, chopped finely (but not minced)
- 1 small clove of garlic, minced
- 1 tsp finely chopped Poblano, Serrano, or jalapeno pepper
- 1 Tbl fresh cilantro, chopped finely
Instructions:
Mince your tomatoes on a cutting board by hand. You want a nice, soupy consistency where all of the pulp is minced. You can use an electric blender or food processor but you'll appreciate the end result more if you put a little work into it by hand.
Add your minced tomatoes to a bowl and then add in the other ingredients. Mix well.
Note: The more you mince your garlic, the more pronounced the flavor becomes.
Refrigerate until ready to serve. It helps if you leave the salsa to "brew" for awhile in the fridge to allow all of the flavors to gel.
Serve on Melba toast rounds or on whole wheat crackers. Makes an excellent topping for meats, poultry, and fish too.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Creamed Spinach
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z2 (ZReduction) recipe. This won’t taste as gooey and rich as the restaurant creamed spinach that is full of cream cheese and parmesan but it’s really so close that you won’t feel like you are suffering. Serve with a small steak and the roasted onion strings and you’ll feel like you are in the steakhouse. This will likely eat up your cream allotment for the day. When I serve this to myself I let the cream stay in the pan so I can still have cream in my coffee.
Serving Size: Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup of heavy cream
- 10 oz box of frozen, chopped spinach, thawed
- 3 tsp of minced garlic (jar garlic will work fine)
- ¼ tsp of grated nutmeg
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
In a small sauce pan add the cream and garlic. Heat it but do not boil.
To thaw your spinach let it sit on the counter until fairly soft. Then break it up and put it on paper towels. You want to get some of the moisture out. Put paper towels on top and squish them down to get out as much moisture as you can. Don’t get too picky about this. Just squish some out. The rest will become part of your sauce.
Add the spinach to the warm cream mixture. Cook until it’s all broken up. Add salt and pepper and nutmeg.
Let it simmer for up to 15 minutes. Make sure you don’t run out of liquid in the mixture but depending on how much moisture there is in your spinach it should be fine. Cooking it this long ensures the spinach is fully cooked and the sauce has had time to permeate. The garlic flavor and the nutmeg should both be prominent.
Creamed spinach never looks very exciting so don’t let the photo throw you off. I serve this in a small bowl so the juices don’t run into my steak.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Roasted Onion Strings (Really, Healthy Onion Strings!)
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z2 (ZReduction) recipe. When you roast Vidalia onions they bring up a really nice, sweetness. When you are on a diet, traditional onion strings are out of the question; unless they are like these. Close your eyes while you eat them and you might not even notice that the breading is gone.
A one ingredient side dish or starter that is a real treat. For me, sprays and seasoning do not count as ingredients.
Servings: Serves 2 and can be doubled. If you double this, use a large cookie sheet to spread out the rings.
Ingredients:
- 1 large Vidalia onion
- olive oil spray
- sea salt is optional
Instructions:
Preheat oven at 400 degrees. If you have a convection oven, use the convection setting. Peel and slice the Vidalia onion into thin rings. I use my mandolin slicer and put it on level 2 or 3. That makes thin rings. If you are doing them by hand, just try to have them be about 1/8” thick. A few thicker ones are okay.
Separate the slices into the individual rings. Spray a 9" x 13" oven proof pan with a light coat of olive oil spray. Scatter the onion ring slices across the surface. Do not worry that they are over lapping each other. Space underneath is good for getting the crispiness you want. If you want them salty, grate sea salt on top before they go into the oven. The salt will penetrate and roast into the rings.
Roast the onions in the middle of the oven for approximately 15 minutes. You will watch them toward the end. You want some deep brown edges and even a bit of blackening is okay. The darker they are, the crispier and sweeter they are; almost like an onion-potato-chip-ring. Some of the onions will still be moist and stringy. Those are the ones that most remind you of the inside of regular onion strings. The crispy bits give you a nice crunch sensation and the darker, deeper flavor.
My husband thought I was a bit off my rocker the first time he saw me make these; that is until he put a few in his mouth. His eyes lit up and for the next few days he asked for “those onion strings” about every other meal.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Roasted or Grilled Asparagus
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z2 (ZReduction) recipe.
Servings: Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients:
- 1 bunch of asparagus. Thick or thin asparagus is fine. I like mine more tender so I pick the thinner ones.
- olive oil spray
- sea salt to taste
Instructions:
To roast:
Wash your asparagus. Wipe off excess moisture. Spray the spears with olive oil to coat them. Put in an ovenproof container. They can be stacked up some. That's fine. Sprinkle with sea salt or regular salt if you don't have sea salt.
Roast at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Check for doneness. If they are stacked up high in a narrow pan, it might take longer. And it also depends on how al dente (crisp) you like your asparagus. Let asparagus cool down some before serving so you don't burn your or your guests' mouth(s).
To grill:
Follow all of the directions above for coating the asparagus. Then grill them directly on the rack, on medium, turning once until all sides have nice stripes. Depending on your grill, this will only be a few minutes. The grilling makes the asparagus have a smoky flavor you'll love.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Broiled Tomatoes
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z2 (ZReduction) recipe. The broiling of a tomato lends a special sweetness to it. The garlic adds an Italian zing. Serve with any simple grilled, baked, broiled or roasted meat and you have dinner in a flash.
Serving Size: Serves 2. Can be doubled or tripled with no problem.
Ingredients:
- 2 medium tomatoes or one very large one. I get the hothouse tomatoes that are huge. They are ripe and juicy and ready to broil.
- 2 tsp of minced garlic (jar garlic will do)
- olive oil spray
- Italian seasoning (optionally if you love rosemary or sage you can use either of those on the tomato for a more savory dish)
- sea salt and pepper
Instructions:
Pre-heat your broiler.
I cut the large tomato in half. I also cut the stem end and the bottom off just so they lay flat on the pan. If you are using medium tomatoes you’ll each get two pieces. Treat them like the large tomato.
Line a cookie sheet or 9" x 13" metal pan with a piece of parchment paper. This will help with clean up. If you don’t have parchment paper just expect this project to be more clean up.
Place the tomatoes on the paper with the small cut side down.
Lightly spray the tops with olive oil spray.
Spread the garlic evenly across the two tomatoes. Dust a light sprinkle of Italian seasoning over the top. Put on a good grate of sea salt and pepper.
Place under the broiler and cook just until the top of tomatoes start to blacken.
Remove from oven and carefully use a spatula to move the tomatoes to the dinner plate. Let them cool a bit or be careful not to burn your mouth.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Sweet Pepper Sauté
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z2 (ZReduction) recipe. This recipe was submitted by Plan Z dieter Judy. She served these veggies at a dinner party with steak and it was a big hit. Thanks Judy!
Ingredients:
- 3 sweet peppers (red, yellow, orange or green) cut into strips
- 1 onion, cut into strips
- 1-2 tsp Worchestershire sauce
- 1-2 tsp sugar-free mustard
- juice of a lemon (one squeeze will do)
- 2 Tbsp water
Instructions:
Saute the peppers and onions together until tender. Remove from heat. Add the Worchestershire sauce, the mustard, a squeeze of lemon juice and a little water. Mix them all together until the vegetables are lightly coated with the sauce.
Serve as your allotted vegetable or as an accompaniment to chicken or steak.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Roasted Peppers and Onions
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z2 (ZReduction) recipe.
Serving size: ¾ cup
Ingredients:
- 4 bell peppers. For this dish I use a combo of red, green, yellow and orange. I only use a few green ones as I find them too strong. Remove seeds and cut the peppers so they are in ¼ strips.
- 1 large onion cut in half and then sliced to make half-moon pieces
- 2 tsp of minced garlic (jar garlic will work)
- olive oil spray
- sea salt and pepper
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Spray a large 9" x 13" ovenproof pan with olive oil. Put in the peppers and onions and spray again and stir along with the minced garlic. Grate on sea salt and pepper.
Roast the peppers for 30 minute and then stir. Continue roasting for up to 20 minutes more or until the pepper edges on a few begin to char. You want the onions and peppers to be fully roasted so the sweetness really comes out.
Variations:
- You can add some cracked red pepper flakes to make them zippy. I’d start with no more than a ¼ tsp. You can always add more after you taste. The roasting process increases the heat from the cracked pepper.
- Or you can add spices or herbs to change the flavor. You can add a bit of Italian seasoning for an Italian feel or even a bit of curry powder or five spice for Asian.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Roasted Green Beans
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z2 (ZReduction) and Zola To GO! recipe. Roasted green beans are easy to make. Super easy!
Servings: 1 cup per person
Ingredients:
- green beans, trimmed and washed
- olive oil spray
- grated sea salt and pepper
- 1/2 a lemon, thinly sliced
Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
Just put trimmed green beans in an oven proof pan. Lightly spritz with lemon, olive oil spray and grate on sea salt.
Roast for 15 – 20 minutes at 375 and they will be crisp-cooked. They are delightful.
If you like your beans cooked til they bend just add more time.
I serve these like potato chips at a party. They are even good cold!
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Steakhouse Tomato Side Dish
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z2 (ZReduction) recipe. SUPER EASY! This dish pairs perfectly with a simply grilled steak. You can serve it with any meat but the tomato/onion combo works very well. Any novice cook can handle this one and feel like an accomplished chef.
Serving Size: Serves 3 – 4. Serving size 1 cup. If you cook the tomatoes down to mush this serving size will be smaller so keep them chunky in the cooking process.
Ingredients:
- ½ large, sweet onion, sliced into half-moons. This just means cut the onion in half top to bottom and then slice so you have half rounds.
- 2 large tomatoes cut into chunks
- 1 tsp of minced garlic (jar garlic will work fine)
- grated pepper and sea salt to taste
- 1 tsp of dry mustard powder
- 3 Tbl of Braggs Aminos
- cayenne to taste…optional
Instructions:
In a medium sauce pan spray a bit of olive oil and being to cook the onion slices. Cook on medium just until they loosen up. Add the tomato chunks and other ingredients. Cook just until the tomatoes soften up a bit but are still chunky and just heated. For a bit of zip you can add a touch of cayenne. Up to you.
Serve with a grilled piece of meat and you have a quick dinner.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Tangy Coleslaw
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z2 (ZReduction) and a Zola To GO! recipe.
Servings: Serves 9 – 10
Ingredients:
- 4 cups of shredded cabbage. You can use red or white cabbage or a mix. You can even use the pre-shredded stuff and just pick out the carrot bits.
- 1 small onion, grated
- 1/2 apple grated - leave the skin on
- 3/4 cup of cider vinegar
- 2 Tbl of celery seed
- 1 diced red bell pepper
- 1/4 cup of stevia (Truvia or Purevia)
- 1 Tbl of dry mustard
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
Shred the cabbage. Place in a bowl. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.
A serving is a half-cup.
Makes a great side dish with Zola's "Almost" Fried Chicken! Travels well for Zola To GO! and lasts for days in the refrigerator.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Zippy Roasted Peppers
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z2 (ZReduction) recipe. Super easy!
Servings: Up to one cup
Ingredients:
- 3 large red/yellow or green bell peppers cut into strips
- a light spray of olive oil
- a light sprinkling of cracked red pepper flakes
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In an oven-proof pan put in the pepper strips. Spray with the olive oil. Sprinkle with the cracked peppers and roast for 30 – 45 minutes or until the peppers just start to blacken on the edges.
The time it takes to roast the peppers will bring out the heat in the cracked pepper so be prepared for a spicy hot dish. Just a very few cracked pepper bits will do.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
“Creamy” Coleslaw
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z2 (ZReduction) and Zola To GO! recipe. Super Easy!
Servings Size: One cup
Ingredients:
- one pound of shredded cabbage (you can either shred your own or buy a bag of it ready to go)
- 4 Tbl of diced onion
- ½ cup of Walden Farms 0 calorie French or Ranch dressing*
- 2 tsp of Truvia (or less)
- ¼ tsp of celery seed
- grated pepper to taste
Instructions:
Mix all ingredients in a bowl and put in your refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to marinate. The flavors will come together.
This doesn’t taste as good as regular coleslaw but it comes in a healthy second place.
*I am opening a can of worms here. The Walden Farms 0 calorie salad dressings have no oil so I have previously cleared the balsamic vinaigrette dressing one as an option for salads. The others are full of artificial flavorings – like the French and Ranch. I do not recommend you use them every day on your salads but once in a while would be okay. In this coleslaw, either choice makes a reasonable facsimile for real coleslaw and it goes great with hotdogs or burgers. The coleslaw is very lightly dressed so you are only getting about 1-2 Tbl of the dressing. As long as you don’t eat this every day you should be fine.
Enjoy!
Cheers,