Barbecue Burgers, Zola Style
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z2 (ZReduction) recipe.
There are two stages to making burgers this way. The Rub. The Burger. If you are not a major cook don’t worry. This looks harder than it is. Stick with this and you’ll love your burgers!
Servings: 4-6 burger patties (1/4 - 1/2 pound each)
Ingredients:
For The Rub:
- 1 tsp of smoked paprika
- 2 tsp of chili powder
- 1 pkt of Truvia
- 2 tsp of garlic powder
- 1 tsp of celery salt
- 1 tsp of dry mustard
For the Burgers:
- 2 pounds of ground sirloin
- 1 egg (optional)
- olive oil spray
Instructions for The Rub:
Mix all of the rub ingredients together in a bowl. If you want you can make double and it will keep in your cupboard in a sealed container.
Instructions to prepare the Burgers:
Get your charcoals going so they're nice and hot. If you use a gas grill, you'll want to get your grill heated up a bit before cooking up your burger patties. If you're using a grill pan indoors, spray it with a little bit of olive oil spray and heat the pan on medium high.
Put your ground sirloin in a bowl. Add the egg and 1/2 of the rub. Mix it up with your fingers until it is just mixed through. Don't overmix it, that will make your burger tough. Once your patties are formed, spread the leftover rub on both sides of your patties. You can let the rub soak into the patties or grill them right away.
Grill your patties for about six to eight minutes per side, depending on how well you like your burger cooked. You want to get a nice crust on each side to seal in the juices (the rub will help form this crust better on a charcoal or gas grill).
Check the flavor and make personal adjustments as you please. Some people like spicy burgers so you can add a dash of Tabasco sauce to spice it up a bit.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Beef & Vegetable Stew
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z2 (ZReduction) recipe, submitted by dieter Michael. Thanks Michael!
Servings: Serves 4
On ZReduction, one serving = 1-1/2 cups. This stew will contain your meat and vegetable portion, serve with salad greens for a complete meal.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb ground beef, 95% lean
- 1 Vidalia onion, chopped
- 1 green pepper, diced
- 4 tomatillos, diced
- 4 celery stalks, diced
- 2-3 cloves of garlic, chopped well
- 14 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
- 8 oz can of tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon of vinegar
- 2-3 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce
- 2 packets of stevia
- salt and pepper to taste
- olive oil cooking spray
- 2 jalapenos, optional (Be careful when you use these, they are spicy. If you do not want your dish spicy, remove all of the seeds from the peppers and just use the skin. The seeds are the spiciest part.)
Instructions:
Spray your olive oil cooking spray in a large skillet. Brown your ground beef over a medium/low heat. Drain the meat, but leave some of the drippings in the pan. Take all of the beef out of the skillet and put it into another container. You are going to cook your veggies in the same skillet that you used to brown your beef. The drippings will add flavor to the vegetables.
First, add the chopped onion and garlic and cook for 3-5 minutes. Then add the red pepper, tomatillos, celery and jalapenos and saute so the veggies are coated with the drippings and have begun to soften. Add the beef. Then add the tomato sauce, vinegar, worcestershire sauce, stevia, salt and pepper. Cover and cook 15-20 minutes, stirring every few minutes so that the meat does not stick to the pan.
When it's done, it will look like a meat and veggie stew. Serve immediately.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Beef and Vegetable Soup
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z2 (ZReduction) recipe. For folks on Plan Z this is a great soup. Tastes very much like the traditional version but this one doesn't include higher carbohydrate vegetables like carrots and potatoes. Still quite delightful, though. Brings back memories of grandma.
Servings: Serving size 1-1/2 cups
Ingredients:
- 1-½ pounds of lean beef (In Plan Z we use bottom round roast or lean flank steak) cut into bite-sized chunks (1” or so. They will cook down some). You can cook the meat longer if you want it well done. Otherwise it will continue to cook in the broth so not to worry.
- 1 cup of chopped onion
- 4 cups of beef broth
- 1 cup of green beans and peppers cut into bite sized pieces
- 1 cup of chopped celery
- 28 oz of canned tomatoes
- 1 tsp of Truvia (stevia sugar substitute)
- 2 tsp of grated sea salt (or to taste)
- ½ tsp of ground black pepper
- 1 ½ tsp of Italian seasoning blend
- 1 Tbl of Worcestershire sauce
- fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions:
In a large soup pot brown the beef in a bit of olive oil spray. When it’s half browned add the onion and celery to cook those and loosen them up. Continue to brown the meat until it’s browned on all sides.
Add all of the other ingredients and cook on medium for about an hour. Stir fairly regularly.
Taste and adjust seasoning as you see fit. Cut open one piece of meat to make sure it’s done to your liking on the inside. Some like some pink left and others want it cooked fully through. If you use lean meat the meat will stay tender even though you won’t be cooking this for hours.
Garnish with fresh parsley.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Cooked Cabbage Salad
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z2 (ZReduction) recipe. This recipe is compliments of Dieter Rose. Rose loves cooked cabbage and this does the trick for her. You can take this to work cold and reheat in the microwave too.
Serving Size: Serves 2
Ingredients:
- 1 pound of ground sirloin
- ½ cup of chopped onion
- 1 cup of chopped red bell pepper
- ½ head of cabbage, chopped
- 2 cups of tomato sauce diluted with one cup of water
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
Form the ground sirloin into 4 patties. Fry them in a spray of olive oil just like a regular burger, until cooked to your liking. Set aside.
In the same skillet add the onion and the red pepper. Cook until loose on medium. Add the ½ head of cabbage and the diluted tomato sauce. Cook covered on medium-low, until cabbage is done. Approximately 30 minutes.
Place the burgers back in the skillet just to warm them. I broke mine up so the juice from the cabbage and onions melds into the meat.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Roasted Poblano and Ground Sirloin Stew
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z2 (ZReduction) recipe.
Servings: Serves 4-6 Serving size 1-1/2 cups.
Ingredients:
- 2 poblano chiles (lg)
- 1-1/2 lb of lean ground sirloin
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 tsp of cumin
- 1 tsp of smoked paprika
- Salt to taste
- 2 large tomatoes, chopped
- 2 Tbl of minced cilantro
- 3 cups of beef broth (organic)
Instructions:
To start off set your oven at 400 degrees. Cut your poblanos in to ¼” strips. You need to remove the white ribs and the seeds first. Put them on a very lightly sprayed cookie sheet. Roast them until they begin to shrivel and brown on the edges. This is about 15 minutes.
While that’s going on, lightly spray a small soup pot (or large sauce pan). Put in the ground sirloin and onion. Break up the sirloin and while the sirloin is browning continually break it up into bite-sized chunks. Add the cumin and paprika during this process. Make sure the beef is completely browned. Then add salt to taste. A half tsp of grated sea salt should do it.
Add your tomatoes, cilantro and beef broth. Heat this until hot and then add in the roasted poblanos. Stir and heat for 15 minutes mo
You are ready to serve.
Have a bottle of hot sauce on the side if anyone wants theirs with more heat. This is intentionally very mild for those that don’t usually eat Mexican food.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Godzilla Burgers
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z2 (ZReduction) recipe. This is a crazy burger. If you like your food full of flavor and spicy, this is for you. An Asian hamburger. Can’t beat it for variety. Surprise your friends with this one. If you cut back to 1 jalapeno they won’t be hot; just flavorful. It’s two jalapenos that do it. Wasabi is hot too so if you’d prefer you can add more wasabi. My eyes didn’t water but factor that all in.
Servings: Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds of ground sirloin or lean ground beef
- 1-1/4 tsp of cinnamon
- 7 teaspoons of wasabi paste ask for this in the sushi section. Get fresh wasabi. Not wasabi mayo. It will be green.
- 2 jalapenos, minced (or to taste)
- salt to taste
- lettuce leaves
- tomato slices
- pea pods (snow peas)
- Bragg’s aminos to taste
In a medium bowl put in burger, wasabi paste, cinnamon, jalapenos and salt. Mix thoroughly with your hands. Squish it around to get even coverage.
Divide the meat into 4 patties. Grill them to your taste.
On the plate I put down lettuce leaves and a big slice of tomato. Put the burger on top.
For the pea pods, I boiled them in water just until they turned bright green. 1 minute. Drain and serve them next to the burger. Drizzle the pea pods with the Braggs for an Asian flavor. Eat them with your fingers like potato chips that go with your burger.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Savory Burgers
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z2 (ZReduction) recipe.
New recipe from Plan Z HQ. I was making a simple burger today for lunch and decided to jazz it up.
Experiment with the amounts of the extra ingredients and see how you like them. I’d start with it subtle; (just the way I made them) and if you want it with a deeper flavor next time, add more.
If you are on Z3 (ZReboot)… add cheese on Top!
Serving Size: Serves 2 (Can easily be doubled or tripled). Make these ahead and reheat at work.
Ingredients:
- 12 oz of lean ground sirloin
- 4 Tbl of Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp of dry mustard
- 1.5 tsp of garlic powder
Instructions:
Mix in a bowl. Form patties. Grill like you would any other burger. Spray and grill to your liking. Top off with a good grind of sea salt and pepper.
I had a baby salad wedge, a slice of tomato and part of a cucumber dusted with sea salt. Love cucumber and sea salt.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Grilled Horseradish-Stuffed Bison Burgers
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z2 (ZReduction) recipe.
For Z3 (ZReboot), melt a nice hunk of your favorite cheese on top. On Z3, you can also have a bigger burger.
Servings: Serves 2
Ingredients:
- 8 oz of ground bison (or sirloin)
- 1 Tbl of horseradish (fresh, not in a jar)
- 1 cup of greens (in this dish I used baby romaine)
- a drizzle of balsamic reduction
- 1 cup of celery bits
- ½ cup of red onion, diced
- 2 slices of tomato
Instructions:
Mix the bison and the horseradish and make your patties. I usually do this with a lot of burger when I get home from the grocery store. I mix, make patties and store them in individual baggies in the freezer. Then I take them out and thaw and grill.
Lightly grill your grill pan (or heat up the grill outside). Sear the first side of your burgers on medium high for about 2 minutes. Then turn, and grate sea salt on the top of the burgers. Turn the temperature to medium and cook the burgers to your liking. Don’t mess with them or they get tougher. So don’t be squishing them down or flipping back and forth. Just let it cook and then check by cutting into it a bit. Bison tastes great cooked to medium but some like their burgers cooked more (my husband included).
Put the greens on a plate. Drizzle with some of your balsamic reduction or a bit of a dressing you’ve made. Top with your cooked burger and then scatter the celery bits and red onion around the top and sides. Place the tomato on the side and sit down to eat. YUM.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Meatloaf
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z2 (ZReduction) recipe.
Servings: Serves 4 (one serving is a 6-8 oz slice)
Ingredients:
- 1 lb ground sirloin (make sure this is very lean)
- 9 finely crushed Grissini Sticks
- 1-½ Tbl Curt’s Meat Rub (or your favorite meat rub)
- 1 egg white
- 1/3 cup tomato sauce
- 1-½ Tbl tomato paste
- ½ cup poblano peppers (or you can use green peppers)
- ½ cup chopped onion
Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Put all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
Place mixture in a loaf pan and put some fresh chopped cilantro on top, if desired.
Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hr. and 15 minutes, or until done.
This is a great recipe for freezing due to the size. I also like to take this for on the go and eating cold.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Surf and Turf
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z2 (ZReduction) recipe. How many diets have you been on where they allow you to eat surf and turf? I can easily guess. None. Well, maybe Atkins. That aside I can’t imagine why it took me over a year to think of this. We had it last night and swooned through our whole meal. You can too. It’s so easy and even comes with a fabulous cocktail sauce you can eat with your “surf.”
Servings: Serves 2
Ingredients:
- 6-8 oz of lean steak; preferably filet mignon. Divide into two portions
- 6-8 oz of crab legs. Divide into two portions. Costco and other places have crab legs that are pre-cooked. All you’ll have to do is heat them up or eat them cold. Your choice. Buy one leg and cut it up for the two of you.
- 6 oz of tomato paste
- 2 tsp of lemon juice
- 2 tsp of Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp of hot sauce
- 3 tsp of prepared horseradish
- 1 tsp of minced garlic (jar garlic is fine)
- Water
Instructions:
Mix all cocktail ingredients in a small bowl. If you like your sauce thick you won’t need water. Otherwise just thin it to the consistency you like. Try to let the flavors meld for at least 30 minutes before you eat it. Leftovers can stay in the refrigerator.
If you keep your portion of cocktail sauce to 2 Tbl or less you can pretty much eat your full portion of your veggies and salad.
Grill your steak with salt and pepper to your liking.
Heat your crab legs or eat them chilled. Your choice. TIP: I use scissors to split my crab legs so the flesh is easier to get out. Then I sort of work them open so I don’t have to mess with them when they are hot. For larger pieces I actually cut a channel of the shell off which leaves an opening that’s easy to get the flesh out to dip it in the cocktail sauce.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Marinated Beef Tenderloin Steaks with Sea Salt Roasted Asparagus
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z2 (ZReduction) recipe. My favorite, EASY way to make a steak taste special is this double marinade. It’s done in a flash. And, when people come over to our house and they see me roast asparagus, they regularly comment by saying, “I never thought of that!” The addition of the sea salt makes them finger licking, finger food eating good! Julia Child ate her asparagus with her fingers. Now I do too; even in a fancy restaurant!
Servings: Serves 2
Ingredients:
- 2, 6-8 oz beef tenderloin filets
- 1-2 Tbl of Braggs aminos
- 1-2 Tbl of organic Worcestershire sauce
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 cups of asparagus spears (I just cut them to 3 – 4” lengths and save the other part for a stir fry)
- six cherry tomatoes cut in half
Instructions:
Heat your oven to 400 degrees.
Put your steaks in a bowl or plate with sides. Poke a few holes in the top of the steaks with a fork. Drizzle on the Braggs and then drizzle on the Worcestershire. Turn over to coat. Let them sit, room temperature for 15 minutes before cooking. Bringing meat to room temp to cook helps it cook faster and brings out more flavor. All the best steak houses do this.
Put your asparagus in a high-heat proof casserole or pan. Lightly spray with olive oil and toss. Add the tomatoes. Sprinkle the whole thing with a fresh grate of sea salt. Remember, you are not salt restricted on this diet so have at it. Put this in your oven to roast at 400 degrees. In 15 minutes your asparagus should be “crisp tender.” If you used particularly FAT asparagus, this will take a bit longer. Set your timer for 5 minutes so you know when to start the steaks and then they will both be done at the same time.
Sit and relax.
When the timer beeps, get up to make the steaks. Set your timer for 10 minutes to remind you the asparagus will be done then.
Spray your cast iron pan (or any other pan that can handle high heat in the oven) with a light spray of olive oil. Grate sea salt on your steaks. This is another thing that steakhouses do, and they do not skimp on the salt. Add pepper if you like that.
Put your steaks in the pan. Toss out the rest of the marinade. Turn to high heat (or medium high, depending on how many BTU’s your burners are) and sear for 2 minutes. You just want a brown crust on the top. Watch them in case your stove cooks extra hot. You don’t want to burn that side. Then turn over. This is the time you are going to take the steaks and put them in the oven with the asparagus. If your pan can’t handle the heat, transfer them to a pan that can, and continue. I learned this technique from a high-end restaurant in Madison, Wisconsin about 25 years ago. This makes the most juicy, flavorful steak imaginable. I call it “steak you can eat with no teeth.” If the cut of meat was good to begin with, your steak will practically cut with a fork.
Steaks cook in this fashion about the same as they do on a grill. Weber Grills, for example, will recommend 7 minutes of cooking time for each 1” of thickness in the steak, for medium rare. So that’s about all the time you are going to need to get it to medium rare in your oven. The searing time does not count unless you want a rare steak.
You can always check your steak the old-fashioned way by cutting into it. That’s not ideal, but will do in a pinch. Otherwise I suggest you have a really good insta-read thermometer for meat. That way you can check by temperature. For medium rare I pull the steaks out at about 118 degrees. By the time you sit to eat they will be perfect -- only the major pros can check when a steak is done using their finger.
Most good cooks recommend you let the meat sit for 10 minutes after it comes off the grill or out of the oven/broiler. I never seem to be able to wait that long for my meat, so I cook it to the 118 region and serve immediately (unless I still have to make the sauce).
With this steak you might have some drizzle in the bottom of the cooking pan. By all means, drizzle it on your steak after you put it on the plate!
This is a long description for an incredibly EASY meal to cook. So many people ask me the secret to a good steak, so I thought I’d throw in all the extra commentary.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Beef Tenderloin with a Mustard-Shallot Sauce and Spinach-Stuffed Tomatoes
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z2 (ZReduction) recipe. This sauce will remind you of an upscale version of the sauce they use on sliders at White Castle. I’m not positive, so be sure to let me know what you think!
You can also use this on other cuts of beef. Chicken is a great idea, too.
Servings: Serves 2.
Ingredients:
For steak and sauce
- 2, 6-8 oz pieces of beef tenderloin (bison is good too)
- a light dusting of Cajun spice or steak rub (optional)
- 1 large shallot minced (at White Castle these would be regular onions)
- ½ cup of chicken or beef broth. (I used chicken)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tsp of Worcestershire sauce
- 1 Tbl of Dijon (no sugar) mustard
For the stuffed tomatoes
- 2 medium tomatoes
- 1 handful of baby spinach leaves
- ½ tsp of minced garlic (jar garlic will do)
- salt and pepper
- 5 grissinetti ground for bread crumbs. Or 1 skinny long one or ½ of a larger, long one
Instructions:
Since the tomatoes take the longest I’ll give you the instructions for those first.
First, cut the top off of the tomato (stem end). Discard. Next, cut just a small bit off of the bottom of the tomato so when you sit it upright it doesn’t topple over. Sprinkle salt into the open cavity, lightly.
Take a teaspoon and scoop a middle out of the tomato. I just start about a quarter inch in from the outer edge and carefully run the spoon around that edge and toward the middle. You are just scooping out the middle of the tomato like scooping ice cream out of the carton. It takes just a bit of effort to get the middle of the tomato to let go. You don’t have to dig all the way down. Just go as low as you are comfortable. As you get the middles scooped out, keep them on a cutting board. You are going to use them.
When that’s complete, chop up the tomato into bits.
In a lightly sprayed, medium sauté pan, add the tomatoes and the spinach. Now add the garlic and toss until the water from the tomatoes wets the spinach and the spinach mostly wilts. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. This is done in a flash. Then you put the filling you just made into your cut out tomatoes. Sprinkle on your bread crumbs. Put in an oven-proof pan and heat at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until the tomatoes are completely heated. At the end you are going to turn the oven up to broil to slightly brown the tops of the tomatoes.
If you pop these in the oven first, and then start the steak, they will both be done about the same time. The last thing you will do is broil the crumb topping so save that til last.
For the steak and sauce:
Season the steak with salt and pepper. I also sprinkle on a bit of Cajun seasoning for zip and it will transfer a bit to the sauce. Spray lightly with olive oil and put in your cast iron pan or oven proof pan. Sear one side for 2 minutes on medium high. Then flip the steak over, and put it in your oven for 7” per inch for medium rare. Remove it at about 115 degrees. Put it on another plate and cover it to keep warm. You need the cast iron pan with the juices to make your sauce. Lightly spray the pan again and add the shallots. As the shallots are cooking on medium high, scrape up the bits from the bottom of the pan and stir them into the shallots. When the shallots are softened, add the chicken broth and the Worcestershire. Bring to boil. Grate in a bit of salt and pepper. Reduce the sauce on medium high until slightly thickened. Add the mustard and stir. Taste. If the sauce gets too thick for your tastes you can always add more broth and just heat and reduce a bit again. It’s not very scientific. Just get it the way you like it.
I serve the steak with the sauce UNDER the steak and the tomato on the side.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Brunch Crepes
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z3 (ZReboot) recipe.
These could work for breakfast or dessert.
Servings: Serves 4 - 6
Ingredients:
For the Crepes
- 4 eggs
- 4 Tbl heavy cream
- 2 Tbl of oil (I used peanut oil)
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp of stevia (Truvia or Purevia)
- ½ tsp of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
For the Filling
- 1 cup of mascarpone cream (Italian cream cheese)
- 1 tsp of stevia
- Various berries. Raspberries, strawberries(sliced) and blackberries all work great. You can use other fruits cut into chunks, like ripe peaches or mango. Any fruit that is soft when ripened. You need ½ cup of fruit per person.
Directions:
Whisk ingredients (except cinnamon or pie spice) together really well. Lightly butter a small sauté pan over medium heat. Pour small amount of batter in heated pan and swirl around to spread out thinly. You don’t want to see through it; about 1/8 “ thick will do it.
Let cook about 2 minutes or until brown at the edges. Flip and cook just a few seconds on other side. Continue with the rest of the batter. When you drop the crepe out of the pan onto a cutting board or work surface you can then lightly sprinkle with the spice. Then fill and roll.
Making the filling
Mix the mascarpone with the stevia to sweeten. When the crepes are still warm place ¼ cup of berries and a tablespoon of mascarpone on one side of each crepe. Then you can fold it over or roll it and leave it seam-side down.
Tow with powdered stevia if you want a sweeter and slightly fancy presentation. I serve two per person.
The outsides are still a bit warm and the inside is the colder cream. A lovely combination.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Crustless Strawberry Cheesecake
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z3 (ZReboot) recipe. Whenever I go out to dinner I try to find things on the menu that I don’t cook at home or have a home. If I like them, I order them. This time I felt like spoiling myself just a tad, so I ordered the dessert. With a couple of very small changes I wanted to share this with you so you could enjoy it, too.
Servings: Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 8 oz mascarpone cheese (Italian cream cheese. It’s lighter than US cream cheese, but if you cannot get mascarpone you can use American cream cheese.)
- 3 cups of strawberries, divided. 1-1/2 cups would be cut into bits and 1-1/2 cups would be cut into halves.
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp of stevia (Truvia or Purevia)
Instructions:
In a medium bowl with your mixer, whip the cream cheese with the lemon and vanilla. You just want to get it mixed up really nicely and it will become slightly fluffier. Add the strawberry bits and mix those in until combined.
Get out a fancy glass or dish to serve this in. Divide what’s in the bowl into 4 portions. I use the antique champagne saucers I have that are on stems. They make a really pretty presentation.
Cover with plastic wrap and put in your refrigerator until you are ready to eat them.
Put the other strawberries in a bowl with the stevia. Stir. These strawberries will mascerate and become very juicy.
Serve strawberries on top of the cheesecake mixture when you are ready to eat.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Grilled Beef Kebabs with Grilled Green Beans
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z2 (ZReduction) recipe. I wish I had come up with this kebab months ago! We had what will probably be our last 70 degree day for the season today. It was fun to go outside, fire up the grill and even eat on the patio. I would have had this dish several times if I had just thought of it sooner!
This is a very easy dish to make. All you to do is plan ahead enough to do the marinade. It’s a tad on the Asian-side, but not outright Asian-tasting. The grilled green beans are better than potato chips and so much better for you! Don’t fret if you don’t like a forward mustard taste. It’s amazing what the grilling does for the mustard.
Servings: Makes 3 servings. You can double this to feed a small family.
Ingredients:
- 2Tbl of fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp of sesame seeds + more for final prep
- 2 Tbl of Dijon mustard (sugar free)
- 1 packet of stevia
- 1 tsp of crushed pepper (or to taste)
- 1 lb of steak. You choose the lean cut but if you like your meat really tender you might invest in tenderloin filet. Cut this into 1-1/2” cubes
- 12 cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 green pepper & 1/2 onion chopped into large, skewer sized pieces (optional)
- 1 large onion cut into wedges
- 3 handfuls of green beans (approx 3 cups), trimmed
- olive oil spray
Instructions:
Heat your grill to medium.
First, get out a medium zip-lock bag. Pour in the lemon juice, the 1 tsp of sesame seeds, mustard, stevia and crushed pepper. Smoosh this around. Add the steak chunks and toss and smoosh until the steak is covered. Place this in your refrigerator at least 2 hours but it can be all day if necessary or even overnight.
Remove the bag from the refrigerator and thread the veggies and meat onto skewers. You can even add a little green pepper and onion if you'd like.
Sprinkle with a few more sesame seeds
Spray the green beans lightly with olive oil spray and give them a good grate of sea salt.
Lightly spray the grill grates.
Grill the kebabs for approximately 7 – 8 minutes for medium rare or to your liking. The veggies will cook automatically. The onions might get a slight tinge of black to them and the tomatoes will roast and begin to get wrinkly.
While the kebabs are cooking, put the green beans in a grill pan so they won’t fall through the cracks. Grill on the same medium. Toss them periodically so they get grills marks in different places. Cook until crisp tender. As soon as they get even the least bit wrinkled they are definitely done.
Serve together and you have a great, healthy meal.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Scallion Scramblers
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z3 (ZReboot) recipe. This simple recipe is the latest from the Zola test kitchen. Try these!
Servings: Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 1 Tbl butter
- 8 large eggs
- 6 scallions, cleaned and quarter-inch diced with some of the green part too.
- 4 oz cream cheese
- Pinch of cayenne (optional
- Salt and pepper (optional
Instructions:
Heat butter on medium in a medium-sized sauté pan. Add the scallions and cook until loosened; just a minute or less. Add the eggs. Stir just to incorporate the scallions and then let rest until the eggs begin to form. The secret to scrambled eggs is not to over-stir them. Just fold periodically until they get to form large clumps and begin to dry up to the consistency you like them. Cut your cream cheese into small globs and scatter them across your finished eggs. Fold the eggs over once or twice to sort of bury the cream cheese and it will begin to melt. Sprinkle on your optional cayenne and salt and pepper and you’re ready to serve.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Indian asparagus
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z2 (ZReduction) recipe. Another simple yet delicious side to brighten up any dish.
Servings: 1 cup per person
Ingredients:
- 1 pound fresh asparagus
- olive oil spray
- 1 inch piece fresh ginger, grated or minced
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- juice of one squeezed lemon
- a grate of sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions:
Cut the woody ends off of the asparagus. Spray a large sauté pan with olive oil and begin cooking the asparagus stems on medium high. Keep turning them like you would on a grill (or you can grill them too).
While the asparagus is cooking mix your ginger, cumin and lemon juice.
Cook asparagus until done to your liking. When you remove them brush them with the lemon juice mixture. Grate with sea salt and pepper.
Serve hot or cold.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Zola
Chai Tea
This is a Z2 (ZReduction) recipe. A takeoff on the famous Starbucks recipe with the sugar GONE and the taste still there…
Serving Size: Serves 6
Ingredients:
- 6 cups water
- 6 -8 black tea bags
- 4 tsp of Truvia
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- whipping cream for serving (up to 2 Tbl)
Instruction:
Bring the water to a boil. Add the other ingredients and steep 3 – 10 minutes (depends on how strong you want it).
Take out the tea bags and pour the rest through a fine strainer.
When on ZReduction, keep your cream intake to a minimum. 2 Tbl at the most per cup. Don’t plan to drink the whole pot. 4 tsp of Truvia per day per person is the limit or you risk weight loss stalling. I recommend one cup per day. The balance can be stored in the refrigerator and reheated or consumed cold.
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Fried Pound Cake with Cream and Fruit
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z3 (ZReboot) recipe. This almond pound cake is amazing on its own. Once you fry it up and cover it in whipped cream and fruit you have elevated it to a whole new level!
The first time I made this was about 20 years ago. It’s a Southern tradition that popped up in some of the fanciest restaurants. When I serve this at home people are floored by how wonderful this tastes. This can be a holiday favorite or an everyday favorite. It’s so easy!
Servings: 12 servings
Ingredients:
Almond Flour Pound Cake
- ½ cup butter, softened
- ½ cup cream cheese
- 8 tsp Truvia
- 5 eggs, room temperature
- 2 cups Super Fine Ground almond flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
For frying:
- 3 Tbl of butter
To Serve
- whipped cream sweetened with Truvia
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream butter, cream cheese, and Truvia well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one. Mix the almond flour and baking powder in a separate bowl. Add the almond mixture to egg mixture a little at a time beating well after each addition. Add vanilla extract and beat. Pour into a greased springform pan, ring pan or a 9” round pan. Bake at 350 for 50-55 minutes.
To Fry:
Melt butter in a sauté pan. Cut the pound cake into wedges. A wedge 2” across at the top is plenty big. Balance each wedge on one side and fry on medium until just beginning to brown. Turn to the other side of the wedge and do the same thing.
Place the warm, fried pound cake on a plate. Top with whipped cream and berries. Delightful!
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Vanilla Cream and Berries
Plan Z Phase: This is a Z3.5 (ZReboot 3.5) recipe. This is a really LOVELY dessert. This is the same filling I use for baby-sized eclairs, so you have a pretty good idea what it tastes like. Serve this to company with no reservations. They will feel spoiled. Makes a fun family dessert, too.
Serving Size: Makes 8 – 10 servings. This is rich. It doesn’t take a lot to satisfy and you’ll have the berries, too.
Ingredients:
- 1 package of instant vanilla pudding*
- 2-1/2 cups of whole milk
- 1 cup of heavy cream
- 2 tsp of Truvia
- 2 tsp of vanilla
- pint of berries (I prefer strawberries, but you can use whatever berry you like)
Instructions:
In a medium bowl mix the pudding and the milk according to the directions.
In another bowl, whip the cream with your electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Half way through the mixing process add the Truvia and the vanilla.
Fold the pudding and the whipped cream together.
Put in dessert dishes with your favorite berry. I prefer strawberries.
*I RARELY use a processed food like this one, but in this case, I made an exception. Just don’t do it often because of the artificials. OR you can make your own homemade vanilla pudding. If you do…my compliments!
Enjoy!
Cheers,