Sloppy Joes

You could call this the “adult version” of Sloppy Joes.  It does have some ZIP to it. Don’t be intimidated by the length of the ingredients list. The recipe is worth it. And you probably have most of these ingredients in your pantry.

Beef Stew in a Dutch Oven

I’m Irish, so beef stew was a staple in our family. Trouble is there are so many carbs in most beef stew recipes. So with this recipe I have adjusted it to keep the carbs lower and introduce some other veggies that are lower carb to the mix.

Quick Coquilles St. Jacques (Scallops in a Creamy Mushroom-Parmesan Sauce)

I remember my first introduction to scallops like it was yesterday. As I took my first bite and swooned I knew these were to become a new favorite.

Zucchini Lasagna

This lasagna has no noodles. Standing in for the noodle layers are zucchini sliced the long way.

Shrimp and “Grits”

My husband loves shrimp and grits. His mother was from Arkansas and they ate grits often. Trouble is grits are very high carb. Traditional grits are made from cornmeal. I took an inspiration recipe and came up with my own version of shrimp and grits. There is just enough corn in here to help you get the corn flavor without the cornmeal. And there’s enough cheese in here that even though you’ll be using almond meal (aka almond flour) for your grits base, you won’t taste the almond.

Summer Veggie Casserole with Pepperoni

This dish is easy to put together. The spouse or the kids can help chop and it comes together fast. You can be doing other things while your dinner bakes in the oven. Makes great leftovers, too.

Creole Soup (with or without protein)

This soup is super easy to make.  If you are a fan of southern food this will hit the spot.

Frito Meatloaf

This meatloaf makes six servings. When you serve it, remember that your crunch item is already included, so no breadstick or crackers with this meal.

Shrimp Scampi (ZReboot 3.5 Version)

This is a classic Italian dish. The one you order at Olive Garden will have WAY more pasta than this dish will have. That’s okay. The shrimp are the real star of this dish. Plus, you’ll be better off without all that starch. 

Beef and Vegetable 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.

Chili with Beans

This is a simple chili. It’s a takeoff from an old Betty Crocker recipe. Can’t get much simpler than that!

Creamy Tomato Shrimp Chowder

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.

Seafood Chowder

This is not the usual, thick, gloppy chowder since you are on ZReduction, but it will pass as a fancy, flavorful meal.

Chicken Scallopini

A traditional Italian meal made the Plan Z way. My husband declared this one of his favorite meals of the year.

Lockdown Chili (Z3.5 Version)

I thought – what better time to have a spicy chili than when I am in lockdown, practicing social distancing.

Chili Con Carne

This is a meaty chili with some veggies tossed in for crunch factor. Makes a satisfying lunch.

Easy Italian Casserole

A very quick and simple family dinner.

Caramelized Pears (ZReboot 3.5 Version)

Chris’s cousins sent us a HUGE box of fruit as his get well wish. There are only two of us, so in order to use the fruit I have had to get creative! Oh, my, these are yummy!

Beef Stroganoff

You can have your stroganoff and eat it too! Most stroganoff recipes are served over rice or a big pile of noodles. You don’t have to do that. You have other choices.

Roasted Red Pepper Soup

This soup can be served hot or cold.

Basil Cream Chicken

I adapted this dish from one I saw in a recipe site. I had to change it quite a bit to “Zola-fy” it but it was just so decadent and creamy I had to share.

Chili #4

I have designed several chili recipes for Plan Z. This is one of those that is very straightforward and simple. It doesn’t even have a lot of ingredients.

Spinach Stuffed Roasted Chicken

A unique way to stuff a chicken! From our dieting friend from Canada…Loretta.

Mexican Avocado Soup with Chicken or Turkey

I love this soup. You can make this with leftover turkey and have a colorful way to use your extras.

Outlaw Chili Verde

This award-winning chili recipe won best Verde Chili by the International Chili Society in 2018. "Texas Chuck," the creator of this awesome recipe, made this chili using Mild Bills Spices (in case you're trying to get his authentic flavor).

Famous Burger Meatloaf

This is a “Whopper” of a meatloaf, designed to taste like the famous burger. I hope you enjoy.

Zucchini Fritters (or Pancakes)

Fried till golden using coconut flour.

Italian Pepper Steak in a Crock Pot

This is a great crock pot recipe. Super simple but really tasty.

Roasted Lemon Chicken

When you are in the ZReduction portion of Plan Z you will not be eating the skin of the chicken or any of the dark meat. Breast meat only.

Zola Lasagna

What makes this Zola lasagna is a reasonable amount of pasta. Most lasagna recipes run at least 3 or 4 layers of noodles. This one has 2. And I promise, you won’t miss the other two layers.

Beef Bourguignon

This is a remake of Beef Bourguignon. Who can resist this traditional French dish? So lush-tasting. It just about melts in your mouth.

Potatoes Brabant (Zola Style)

I don’t eat potatoes very often but these are worth the splurge a few times a year. The yellow potatoes they are made from in my recipe are lower in carbohydrates than a Russet potato, so that’s a bonus, too.

Breaking Thanksgiving Tradition

Everyone has their Thanksgiving traditions; especially when it comes to food. Do you ever think about breaking tradition and making something different?

Chili

This is a great comfort food. Make a big pot and pack it up for lunches on future days for a nice hot meal on a cold day.

Tomato Steak Stew

Made this tonight and was very happy with it – it would count as your vegetable and your meat although you could definitely add a green salad. I found it to be very filling.

Southern Tomato Pie

Two things I love about living mid-South: fried green tomatoes, and tomato pie.

Angela’s Shortcut Ratatouille

When you need some serious cold weather comfort food, ratatouille hits the spot. This shortcut ratatouille-inspired recipe was submitted by dieter Angela. She Zolafied the original recipe and created a delicious ZReduction veggie sauté that can be made in less than half the time of a traditional ratatouille.

Baked Chicken with Shiitake Mushroom Sauce

If we had a gourmet comfort food category this recipe would be the first one. Its easy to make, very satisfying, and tastes delicious. A great meal for a rainy day.

French Chicken with Lemon-Tarragon Cream Sauce

A delightful chicken dish that tastes very French. This is super easy to make and dieters are enjoying it all over the country.

Curried Asparagus Soup

Serve in soup bowls with a protein of choice. In Z2 this is your veggie portion. You can have plain salad greens on the side if you need more. It’s very filling though.

Cream of Mushroom Soup

A rich and easy cream of mushroom soup.

Buttered Mushrooms

Dieter Rebecca first had this warm and rustic side dish while in Ireland on a road trip in 1994. These mushrooms where in every Irish B&B Dieter Rebecca visited. She loved the recipe so much she recreated it for Plan Z! Hope you enjoy.

Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls

Dieter Jessica made this meal on one of her first days of ZReduction. It was so delicious she wanted to share it with everyone.

Healthy Orange Creamsicle

We have to thank Dieter Claire for inventing this recipe. She modified the fruit parfait recipe and developed a strawberry "ice cream" recipe and this recipe with frozen mandarin oranges. She says, “it’s like an orange creamsicle.” YUM!

Chicken Mamou

One of my favorite Cajun meals is chicken mamou. Mamou in Creole is basically grandma. So this is “grandma('s) chicken.”

Lockdown Chili (Z2 Version)

What better time to have a spicy chili than when I am in lockdown, practicing social distancing. 

Turkey or Chicken Meatloaf

For a change of pace you can try a unique meatloaf. This one comes with an optional extra sauce in case you want to really ramp up the flavor.

Sunday Chicken

Pierre Franey was a cooking hero of mine. He was the original “60 Minute Gourmet.” I adapted this recipe from one of his and turned it into a wonderful diet meal.

Caramelized Pears (ZReboot Version)

A no sugar variation of my caramelized pears recipe. Still very yummy!

Authentic Italian Meatballs

These meatballs are my take on an authentic meatball recipe from New York city. These actually have a cheesy element to them that make them super yummy. BIG YUM!

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