- Show all
- Featured Posts
- Uncategorized
- Z2-Appetizers & Snacks
- Z2-Beef
- Z2-Beverages
- Z2-Desserts
- Z2-Entrees
- Z2-Pork
- Z2-Poultry
- Z2-Salads
- Z2-Sauces & Dressings
- Z2-Seafood
- Z2-Sides
- Z2-Soup
- Z2-Vegetarian
- Z3-Appetizers & Snacks
- Z3-Beef
- Z3-Desserts
- Z3-Entrees
- Z3-Pork
- Z3-Poultry
- Z3-Sauces & Dressings
- Z3-Seafood
- Z3-Sides
- Z3-Soups & Stews
- Z3-Vegetarian
- Z3.5-Appetizers
- Z3.5-Beef
- Z3.5-Desserts
- Z3.5-Entrees
- Z3.5-Pork
- Z3.5-Poultry
- Z3.5-Seafood
- Z3.5-Sides
- Z3.5-Soups & Stews
- Z3.5-Vegetarian
- ZS-5 Ingredients or Less
- ZS-Dieter Favorites
- ZS-Holiday
- ZS-Zola to Go
- ZSpecialties
Lockdown Chili (Z3.5 Version)
I thought – what better time to have a spicy chili than when I am in lockdown, practicing social distancing.
Famous Burger Meatloaf
Z2-Beef,ZS-Dieter Favorites,Z2-Entrees,ZSpecialties
This is a “Whopper” of a meatloaf, designed to taste like the famous burger. I hope you enjoy.
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.
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.
Warm Apple Dessert (Compote)
This tastes amazingly like gooey apple pie! This is delightful. Just like Grandma used to make.
Beef Bourguignon
Z3-Beef,Z3-Entrees,Z3-Soups & Stews
This is a remake of Beef Bourguignon. Who can resist this traditional French dish? So lush-tasting. It just about melts in your mouth.
Chili Con Carne
Z2-Soup,ZS-Zola to Go,Z2-Entrees,ZSpecialties,Z2-Beef,ZS-Dieter Favorites
This is a meaty chili with some veggies tossed in for crunch factor. Makes a satisfying lunch.
Turkey Meatball, Sweet Potato, and Kale Soup
Z3-Soups & Stews,Z3-Poultry,Z3-Entrees
With the winter months peeking over our shoulder this hearty soup will shake off the chill while the leaves are still falling. ZTeam coach Grace made this at home and enjoyed it so much she wanted to share it with the Plan Z community!
Baked Pasta with Sausage, Tomatoes and Mushrooms
This dish can be made a day ahead and reheated.
Seared and Baked Pork Chops
This is an easy preparation with a homey vibe, when you want comfort food this is a sure bet.
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!
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.
Braised Red Cabbage
For all you cabbage lovers out there, this recipe is a ZReduction take on a German classic. While you can whip this dish up in about 30 minutes, red cabbage tastes sweeter the longer you cook it -- so if you are on ZReduction and like your cabbage a little sweeter, cook it low and slow until the flavors mellow and meld to your liking.
Chicken Pot Pie Bake (for Turkey leftovers, too!)
ZS-Holiday,Z3-Poultry,ZSpecialties,ZS-Zola to Go,Z3-Entrees
The inside of this pie bake tastes just like Midwest comfort food. You won't even notice the potatoes are missing. It has just enough carrots to remind you how sweet they are. Same for the peas. The onion, celery and the mushrooms give it the depth of flavor you'll remember from childhood. The topping isn't your average pie crust. This one is low carb. So it's not like a biscuit either. I'm still trying to perfect low carb biscuits, so this is sort of a cross-breed.
Chicken Mamou
One of my favorite Cajun meals is chicken mamou. Mamou in Creole is basically grandma. So this is “grandma('s) chicken.”
Authentic Italian Meatballs
Z3-Beef,ZS-Zola to Go,ZSpecialties,Z3-Entrees
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!
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.
Turkey Fricassee
Z3-Poultry,ZSpecialties,ZS-Holiday,Z3-Entrees
I love to take the leftover turkey and transform it into something different. French comfort food. BIG YUM.
Beef Stew in a Dutch Oven
Z3.5-Beef,Z3.5-Soups & Stews,Z3.5-Entrees
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.
Vegetable Soup
As the weather gets colder and the nights get longer this makes a wonderful soup. Or if you get a cold while on Plan Z this might be just the ticket!
Caramelized Pears (ZReboot Version)
Z3-Desserts,ZS-5 Ingredients or Less,ZSpecialties
A no sugar variation of my caramelized pears recipe. Still very yummy!
Burger and Egg
It’s all the rage in the big city. Have a runny egg on top of your burger. Well, you can do that in ZReduction too! I just ate mine and I’m stuffed!
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.
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.
Angela’s Shortcut Ratatouille
ZSpecialties,Z2-Vegetarian,ZS-Dieter Favorites,Z2-Entrees
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.
Mexican Chicken Stew
Z2-Soup,ZSpecialties,Z2-Poultry,ZS-Dieter Favorites,Z2-Entrees,ZS-Zola to Go
This is a great Zola to Go! dish, perfect for those cold days for lunch.
Outlaw Chili Verde
Z2-Pork,ZS-Holiday,Z2-Soup,ZSpecialties
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).
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.
Salmon Casserole
With this recipe, I’ve included about 25% of the pasta that would be in most similar recipes. That’s a big secret. Just cut it back. You won’t miss it. This casserole focuses on the veggies, the protein and the sauce.
Lockdown Chili (Z2 Version)
ZSpecialties,ZS-Dieter Favorites,ZS-Zola to Go,Z2-Beef
What better time to have a spicy chili than when I am in lockdown, practicing social distancing.
Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Casserole
When you get into the second portion of ZReboot you can start to experiment with a little more carbohydrates. Try this at week 4 – 6 of ZReboot and see how you do.
Chicken Chili Enchilada Casserole
This casserole tastes just like a zippy chicken enchilada without the major carbohydrate intake.
Italian Sausage Zucchini Casserole (with Pasta)
Z3.5-Pork,ZS-Zola to Go,Z3.5-Entrees,ZSpecialties
This dish is Italian comfort food. I curl up on sofa with a bowl of this and watch a movie. You can go totally low-carb with this one and make it without the pasta. Tastes just as good. This also makes a great casserole addition to a pot luck party.
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.
Creamy Leek Pie
ZS-Zola to Go,Z3-Sides,Z3-Vegetarian,ZSpecialties,Z3-Entrees
This recipe makes a yummy vegetarian lunch or side dish to go with a protein. I also put it in Zola to GO! because it can travel to a buffet.
Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
You know how you can eat mac and cheese and not even use your teeth? This had the same result. BIG YUM!
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.
Apple Crisp
There’s something about the potential of smelling apples baking with cinnamon and nutmeg that conjures up fond memories of my mother in the kitchen.
Cheesy Turkey Noodle Casserole
This dish can be made with chicken or is a perfect way to use up leftover turkey from the holidays.
Cincinnati Chili (EASY)
Z3.5-Beef,Z3.5-Soups & Stews,Z3-Beef,Z3-Soups & Stews
This is a famous chili that probably should not even be called a chili. It was invented by two brothers who emigrated from Europe in the 1920’s. Of course, they lived in Cincinnati. When finished this will look sort of like chili but it’s served on spaghetti. There are no beans and it’s not spicy. It’s flavorful for sure, but not “hot.” Don’t let the list of ingredients throw you off.
Chicken Alfredo with “Almost Noodles”
This dish comes together in a flash! You can also make it with steak or even seafood. When I get a hankering for pasta, I crave Chicken Alfredo. This one did it for me!
Beef Taco Soup (EASY)
What’s the difference between chili and taco soup? Broth, of course. There is more broth in taco soup is more so it’s thinner than chili. The internet tells me that chili is technically considered a stew. Go figure.
Butternut Squash Puree by Chef Josh
Z3.5-Vegetarian,ZSpecialties,ZS-5 Ingredients or Less,Z3.5-Sides,ZS-Holiday
Cooking does not have to be complicated. In this recipe Chef Josh shows us how to make a simple and delicious puree using butternut squash. Easy. Decadent. Delicious.
Cooked Cabbage Salad
ZS-Zola to Go,Z2-Beef,Z2-Salads,ZSpecialties,Z2-Entrees
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.
French Crock Pot Rib Roast
Z2-Beef,ZSpecialties,Z2-Entrees,ZS-5 Ingredients or Less
Feels just like you are eating in the French countryside.

















































