Just in time for the big party on New Year’s Eve. This cocktail is good anytime but especially when celebrating something big. Those of you old enough will remember champagne cocktails were big in the 50’s. I’m reviving them and taking out the sugar!
Parmesan, potato chips and Prosecco. It was really fun designing the menu and it all worked out great. I hardly had to do any cooking either. This made for a super-easy weekday cocktail party for 15.
If you are a vodka martini drinker or a Cosmopolitan drinker this might be your next new martini. This is a perfect winter drink made with clementines. It’s not for the faint of heart though. This definitely has a kick.
This is a dessert drink for a splurge. Many order a White Russian for an after dinner drink. This is a different treat I came up with recently. My new favorite.
Just like the one your mom made, only healthier. Everyone loves the green bean casserole. Here I'll show you one one that doesn't take much longer to make and it’s real food, not processed!
Things like peppers are popular at Italian little plates restaurants. I’m offering you a recipe for mine here. Mine have a bit of an after-burner kick to them.
This is a wonderful potato casserole from the southeast part of France. Works great on a buffet too if you like room temp potatoes or have a chafing dish. For the LOWEST glycemic index, make this dish the day before you serve it.
This is not a “thick” quiche so you get to have a bigger piece. I made it a thin version so it cooks faster because no one wants to wait long for breakfast!
This colorful dish is super simple to make. You can include whatever assortment of veggies you like. I’ll give you a list of suggested options. You can serve this with something cooked on the grill; chicken, fish, or even steak.
This is a decadent side dish. When I serve it, people at the table often ask me why this tastes so unique, so we play “guess the secret ingredient”…. Answer is the nutmeg. This dish goes well at dinner parties and holiday celebrations. It makes a perfect side dish for your upcoming holiday dinner.
These have been the most popular mashed potatoes at my table. People don't often remark about the mashed potatoes. They usually save the raves for dessert. This potato dish is a major hit.
Cabbage is one of the foods that's unlimited on ZReduction, so it's the perfect food to nosh on when you're hungry between meals. Dieter Brenda sent us this versatile cabbage recipe, and it's scrumptious. Eat it with dinner, or as a snack. Or, add a sliced onion and use it as a substitution for noodles that’s healthy and delicious. Or, try adding chicken broth and your favorite seasoning to turn this a brothy side or a simple soup.
Dieter Debbie has mastered air fried veggies on ZReduction, and shared this with the Plan Z Facebook group. It's simple, and delicious and can be ready in a jiffy. We're posting it here for everyone to enjoy. Thank you, Debbie!
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.
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.
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!
Dieter Claire invented this recipe by modifying the fruit parfait recipe and adding extra frozen strawberries. She says, "it's as close to ice cream as you can get." We agree.
This soup is a staple at Chinese restaurants. It is filling, delicate and delicious. Unfortunately, one of the ingredients in most restaurant egg drop soup recipes is MSG. The recipe below is an MSG-free version of the traditional classic, so it won't taste exactly the same, but we think it's just as delicious.
A traditional Waldorf salad has grapes or raisins and lots of walnuts -- but it doesn’t have to. This one worked great as a side dish. Be sure to cut your fruit portion for this meal in half.
This makes a lovely lunch or dinner with a salad on the side. Tastes very French or Italian. Vegetarians who eat dairy will love it. This can also be served as a side dish with grilled meat. It really does stand well on its own though.
I used big, ruby red and ripe tomatoes to make this. I cut the slices fairly thick too. That contributes to the juiciness. This is a perfect light dinner or lunch. I also added oven-cooked bacon as a protein side dish. A bit of extra bacon was also kept to be diced into bacon bits for the leftovers. Those we sprinkled on top. All magic!
This whole dinner comes together in about 15 minutes. There are just days when you can’t make everything from scratch. You need something you can get on the dinner table quickly.
Dieter Claire brings us this fabulous recipe for air-fried tofu and veggies. She took the Plan Z General Tso recipe’s sauce and combined them to make a mighty tasty dish. Thank you, Claire!
This is great as a light lunch time meal and a great holiday recipe. The juxtaposition of the sweeter apricots with the curry has the exotic taste I was looking for.
I love my acorn squash roasted with just butter in the center and a sprinkle of sea salt and pepper. But I know tons of people want brown sugar in the middle and more. So this version can satisfy the sweet tooth and add an optional spice/heat factor.
This is perfect for a buffet table. Everyone will rave about your contribution. If you want to keep the portions lower, consider serving this with a smaller spoon.
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.
A nice, summery meal that can also be eaten in cooler months. You can make this in a grill pan or on an outdoor grill. This is much lighter and lower carb than the breaded and fried version.
This delicious recipe was submitted by Plan Z dieter Bruce. Bruce says, "We saw this sixteen years ago on a trip to visit our daughter in-law. They keep it from day to day and just add to it when more is needed."
This is a fun, colorful side dish to a plain piece of meat. This goes together so fast! You can even make it in the morning and finish assembly just before dinner.
Just like the one your mom made, only healthier. Everyone loves the green bean casserole. Here I'll show you one one that doesn't take much longer to make and it’s real food, not processed!
This chicken casserole will remind you of chilies Rellenos. If you like those you’ll be a big fan of this low-carb dish. Simple to put together and toss in the oven. And Voila! Dinner. I serve with slices of avocado on the side dusted with a bit of grated sea salt.
I’ll lay out the instructions with chicken, but it can also be made with ham, tuna (canned or fresh cooked) smoked chicken or even a pulled apart rotisserie chicken.
I don’t know exactly how to describe this dish but if you like French Onion Soup you are going to love this. You might consider it a side dish, or it would be great with a steak.
I found this recipe online. I didn’t have to do much to make it Zola. It tastes very much like a cheeseburger. The way to make it exciting though is to make sure you pile on the toppings that you like on your burger. You can feed the whole family with this and no one will miss the bun.
We had a party in honor of his parents Jen (our Operations Manager), and her husband Flint (the handsome professional photographer). It was a baby shower with a gift emphasis of diapers. Now, there’s a theme. Can’t get enough.
This dish is similar to the fancy French dish called Coquilles St. Jacques but it’s much easier to make. Simple ingredients, a little sautéing and then pop it under the broiler. With a salad and side veggie this is fancy enough to serve to company.
This dish is a combination of my recipe for Chicken Mamou and a casserole. Chicken Mamou is a traditional Cajun dish. “Mamou” is their word for Grandma, so this is true comfort food.
This makes cozy comfort food. You can put it together pretty fast and pop it in the oven so you can do other things while dinner finishes up. I like dishes like this because it gives me time to load the dishwasher with the cooking tools and the kitchen is cleaned except for the actual eating dishes before I even sit down for the meal. Perfect dish for a pot luck too.
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.
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.
I was shocked. I have made this casserole so many times in so many variations -- I had no idea I had never typed it up to share with all of you! I am going to give you one version here but I’ll also editorialize a bit and give you other options to experiment. This recipe is so easy it comes together in under 15 minutes and then you just bake to heat it. A novice can handle this one for sure…and a busy parent can get a kid-friendly recipe on the table fast.
You’ll love this comfort food dish when you want to eat curled up on the sofa watching a movie. It’s also a hit with the little kids and people who don’t like spicy food.
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.
You can make these with chicken or you can make it with leftover turkey from the feast, pork roast that has been chopped up or shredded or even cooked ground sirloin.
Pasta doesn’t have to be banned from ZLife. You just need to limit it and monitor how you use it. If you keep in mind that a FULL portion is a half cup cooked you’re on the right track. And just eat it on a special occasion.
Lobster thermidor is a classic dish. It’s decadent because of the cost of the lobster but it also has one of the dreamiest sauces you can possibly imagine.
I invented this casserole as a “Plan B” option. I went to the store thinking I was going to make stuffed poblanos but the chilies were all so small I just bought a bunch of them and went home.
This is a throw it together FAST meal for any weeknight. It is not a spicy dish but you can if you wish, add hot sauce at the table for a little extra zing.
There are so many vegetable options offered up by Mother Nature that I thought I could go my whole life skipping the ones I didn’t like. Now, I’m reconsidering some of them.
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.
This is a fun, colorful side dish to a plain piece of meat. This goes together so fast! You can even make it in the morning and finish assembly just before dinner.
The design of this dish is for fancy food for a hot day. You can make this much simpler and less expensive by using less expensive seafood and fish options.
Since spinach is an unlimited, you can have as much as you like. It doesn't count towards your veggie portion which means you can have this and another veggie, too. YUM!
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!
If you love cabbage, you are going to freak out about how good this is. All we can say about this recipe is that if you hate cabbage this meal might convert you!
I used to HATE Brussels sprouts. I couldn't even stand the smell of them cooking. I love them now, as long as they are caramelized which brings out the sweetness. This version is spicy!
I designed this pear recipe to go with meat dishes. If you carve some turkey, slice some ham or grill up a pork tenderloin to go with this salad you’ll have a full meal.
This dish is full of vitamins. One cup of Swiss chard has over 700% of the vitamin K you need in one day. Over 200% of the vitamin A you need and over 50% of your vitamin C.
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.
This leaves you with the ability to eat another half apple or half fruit portion for your dessert and it also gives a little wiggle room to eat a small veggie portion on the side or added to the salad.
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.
I love a steak while I am on Plan ZReduction. I have pretty much perfected my technique using a cast iron skillet but learned this method by asking a French restaurant how they did theirs.
This is a wonderful potato casserole from the southeast part of France. Works great on a buffet too if you like room temp potatoes or have a chafing dish. For the LOWEST glycemic index, make this dish the day before you serve it.
My mother would have turned 101 this year. I still miss her although she’s been gone for decades. At parties, people often asked my mother if she taught me to cook. “Not like this”, she’d say. What she meant was she never taught me to be a gourmet cook. She never had the time or the audience to consume the kinds of foods I serve at parties. She was feeding 7 kids and a husband of Irish heritage who never wanted things too fancy. A good steak and a wedge of lettuce with Russian dressing was gourmet to my Dad.
This mushroom steak sauce is for those that want to make fancy food. The sauce can be served at a romantic dinner for two or even for company. It’s rich and yummy for sure.
When I made it the other night one dinner guest declared it “Birthday Cake Good.” Which means...who needs birthday cake when you can eat this kind of Big YUM stuff!
This is an elegant meal you can serve to company or even just for a romantic meal at home. I served this with haricot vert (roasted French green beans). That kept the meal totally low carb.
Marinating lamb beforehand adds a depth of flavor that can't be beat. And when it's grilled, it's phenomenal. So, if you like lamb, this recipe is a home run.
This dish is both spicy and sweet. I made it on the less spicy side for my current tastes but it’s easy to have a jar of cracked red pepper flakes handy for those who want to add some to the final dish to make it “hotter.”
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.
What will take the longest with this dish is peeling and taking the shells off the shrimp. You want fresh shrimp though and I’ll teach you how to boil down the shells to make it super-tasty. A deeper flavor is the bonus.
If you don’t use liquor in your cooking you can leave that out. You can also flavor them with stevia flavorings. You could have coconut, vanilla or other flavors.
Most crème brulee recipes call for caramelizing sugar on top of the custard. I love that, but the sugar is too much. So, in this case, I made up a simple strawberry sauce to go on the top instead.
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.
Raspberry coulis is often used by dessert chefs to decorate your dessert at a restaurant. They put a swirl of it on your plate or maybe drizzle it over the top of the dessert. You can be fancy or plain as you wish.
Fancy on the budget, fancy on the fare, light on the calories, and delicious in the air! This dish will make you feel spoiled, even when you are on a diet.
This lovely, light peach salsa can be served with all kinds of light meat and fish. I’d serve it over grilled chicken. I served it last time with sautéed scallops.
These crepes are very low carb and EASY to make. You can even make them ahead and store them in the refrigerator or freeze them. I made them at the same time I was working on my seafood and sauce for the stuffed crepes but if you’re not that coordinated in the kitchen, you can make the crepes first and just store them. You do have to keep a close eye on the crepes as they cook. Don’t get distracted. It’s much less stressful to make the crepes and then make the sauce. Both come together really fast so you’ll be out of the kitchen in a jiffy anyway.
Some would call this fancy frou-frou food. Who knows what a remoulade is!? Foodies do. And foodies understand the concept of fusion food. This is one of those--a spicy combination of Cajun and Asian to make a new style of remoulade that can go with any kind of fish. I used flounder for my dish, but you can use any white fish. If you use a thicker one like sea bass you’ll have to cook it longer but the sauce won’t change.
This one is for the gourmet cooks in the group. You can do this with any standard mushrooms and make it less exotic but the gourmet cooks will appreciate the earthy flavor of the shiitakes.
"Little plates" restaurants have become all the rage. At two different Chicago restaurants I ordered a mushroom dish that I loved so much I had to figure out how to make it.
There are a few secrets to perfectly seared sea scallops. I’ll show you the tricks the professional chefs have shared with me. This dish is simple but taste fancy.
The famous chef Wolfgang Puck would call this Salmon Francoise. It’s so easy and yet so elegant.The only trick to this is to be ready to sit and eat as soon as it’s done.
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.
There's only one ingredient in this recipe. The success is in the quality and the presentation. Cooking rookies and gourmets in a hurry can't beat this one for ease.
Mahi mahi is often mistaken for dolphin. That’s because it used to be called “dolphin fish.” But it's not dolphin. Mahi mahi is a fish. The fillets look sort of like tuna or swordfish.
This dish comes together in what feels like an instant. The sauce is quick and easy and because you are using cooked shrimp it doesn’t take long to cook.
If you like Mexican comfort food this is your go-to. Perfect for brunch or even for dinner. This version is spicy enough to make most noses run but can be adjusted for milder palates.
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.
In a hurry to make dinner? These tacos are quick and easy. Depending on how much preparation you do in advance, this dish can meet that goal in 15 – 25 minutes!
At first you’d think chimichangas would be high carb. The good news is they have low carb tortillas at the grocery store that taste the same as the traditional. Look for the low carb versions.
A spicy and refreshing salsa can jazz up any dish. Dieter Lois shared this recipe for her ZReduction-friendly salsa verde. She whipped up a batch to put over her eggs, but this would be good on just about anything.
This dish comes together in a flash. If you are doing beef enchiladas, I recommend red sauce. If you are doing chicken, I recommend you go wild and use a green sauce.
This version of our enchilada offerings does include a tortilla. It’s not a large one and we over-stuff it so we keep the carbs down. It should fill you up. If you do a few taco chips and salsa and guacamole, one enchilada should be enough for your meal.
This makes a mild but flavorful dressing to accent anything Mexican or Southwestern. If you want it spicy you can add a dusting of cayenne before blending.
From Dieter Claire: Make this in bulk and store it in a jar. It's less expensive than taco seasoning packets and has no fillers. Plus, I can tweak the flavors to suit my family.
I have done these with a crowd at a party and laid out all the ingredients. Each person took a plate, a tortilla and went around placing their ingredients on the tortilla. Then they brought them to me to grill. I have given instructions here for how to bake them too.
In a regular tamale pie the cornbread is usually on top, like a crust. This low carb tamale pie actually has NO CORN in it. I call it Upside Down because in this recipe the “cornbread” is actually on the bottom.
This is my favorite dish to order in a Mexican restaurant. Trouble is they wrap it in several rolled-up tortillas. This is much better for you if you make it with one tortilla and do it as a casserole
This is super easy to make and comes together in about 10 minutes. Just be sure to have everything prepped so you can enjoy the cool guacamole with the hot shrimp on top.
The design of this dish is for fancy food for a hot day. You can make this much simpler and less expensive by using less expensive seafood and fish options.
This is a Mexican-style sauce. The sauce is definitely served cold and makes a great contrast to warm fish. You can also do this with chicken if you prefer.
Dieter and KLSS Star 106 DJ Harry O stopped by Plan Z headquarters this weekend. Harry, who's lost 150 pounds on Plan Z, brought with him a fantastic lasagna recipe. It tastes just like the homemade version we all love, but without the additional carbs
You don’t even have to cook to make this dish! It’s just pick apart a chicken, chop up the veggies and stir the ingredients together. If your teenaged kids like Mexican, let them make this one!
I was shocked. I have made this casserole so many times in so many variations -- I had no idea I had never typed it up to share with all of you! I am going to give you one version here but I’ll also editorialize a bit and give you other options to experiment. This recipe is so easy it comes together in under 15 minutes and then you just bake to heat it. A novice can handle this one for sure…and a busy parent can get a kid-friendly recipe on the table fast.
This is a quick and easy meal to prepare. You can make it in batches so you get several servings and it travels and reheats in a microwave easily. Mexican food lovers in your family will love this. It's not very spicy. You can always add hot sauce to fire it up.
My husband declared he wanted Mexican one night. That’s a challenge with Z2. This is not the prettiest dish I have ever made but it was quite tasty and satisfied his craving for Mexican.
This dish doesn’t have to cook long to bring you a hearty Mexican stew. It comes together in a flash. This also heats up brilliantly in the microwave at work.
My favorite way to eat this is just out of a bowl with a fork. That’s why I call it a chicken enchilada bowl. You can also serve it over romaine lettuce.
When I was young I loved going to Chi Chi’s and ordering the chimichanga. Now that I know all the carbs from the tortilla it was wrapped in are a bad idea, I decided to make a lower carb casserole version.
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.
I invented this casserole as a “Plan B” option. I went to the store thinking I was going to make stuffed poblanos but the chilies were all so small I just bought a bunch of them and went home.
Efrem says, "I was really missing my Mexican food and wanted to recapture the tastes and flavors of some of my favorites, so I came up with this recipe."
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.
This is a great dish on a hot night. Perfect for the novice cook. Also good enough to invite company over or make this for a new date you are trying to impress.
The design of this dish is for fancy food for a hot day. You can make this much simpler and less expensive by using less expensive seafood and fish options.
Be creative. This is a zingy, zippy sauce. Leave out a chili if you want it less spicy. You could even take this sauce and serve it with simple, grilled chicken. Big YUM
For today’s recipe we’ll concentrate on a “green theme”. This is March and St. Patrick’s Day will be here soon. Lots of folks wear green and some like to eat something green to celebrate.
You can serve sauce in a ramekin and dip your chicken. You can drizzle it over the top or you can pour it over. This is a firey-hot sauce so be careful not to scorch your taste buds.
If you are familiar with adobo chicken. you will recognize it as a full-flavored Mexican dish. Not all Mexican food is spicy. This is pretty mild but packs flavor punch.
This is an amazingly easy dish to make. On a diet like this Mexican or South American food would not normally be possible but this tastes authentic and has no rice or potatoes.
Now that we’re in the peak of the grilling season I hope these things give you the incentive to take good care of your grill. I know I’m going to do a better job with mine.
This Smokey-Sweet Barbecue Sauce is a great addition to your recipe collection. This can be made spicier with the addition of cayenne. I kept mine mild and spiced it up for my husband.
It may be grilling season, and for some it’s ALWAYS grilling season. Maybe you don’t have access to a grill, or maybe you just don’t want to fire that grill up but want to feel like you’re eating grilled food. At least sort of. So, here’s my rendition of baked kebabs. Of course, you could grill these but let’s look at a baked option.
For lots of people, cooking in the summer revolves around the barbecue. The stereotypical vision is a guy with a slightly rounded belly standing barbecue ready, favorite beverage in one hand and a long tong in the other. The grill is smoking away behind him.
Marinating lamb beforehand adds a depth of flavor that can't be beat. And when it's grilled, it's phenomenal. So, if you like lamb, this recipe is a home run.
This recipe was submitted by dieter Dave, who is an avid gardener and serious grill-master. He grows his own peppers and likes this recipe because it is so simple - and always delicious. Even though this recipe calls for Anaheim peppers, you can use any type of pepper that suits your fancy.
My favorite technique for cooking low-fat burgers is to quickly sear the burger and finish it by roasting it in the oven. Here’s the recipe for seared burgers that are then oven-roasted.
One of the tricks to making good burgers when you’re in ZReduction on Plan Z is to find a way to keep them as moist and juicy as possible. This is my favorite technique and recipe for cooking a low-fat burger.
Okay, don’t freak on me. Grilled romaine is really good and tastes better than it looks. Impress your guests with something they’ve probably never had before.
My version of this steak is done by searing and roasting the meat. You can also choose to do this on the grill. Choose your favorite steak cut. It was a special occasion at our place, so I used beef tenderloin.
A nice, summery meal that can also be eaten in cooler months. You can make this in a grill pan or on an outdoor grill. This is much lighter and lower carb than the breaded and fried version.
There’s no way to use a commercial sauce for barbecued meats. They ALL have copious amounts of sugar in them. I know. I checked every bottle in the store, so I set about to come up with a rub and a sugarless barbecue sauce for Plan Z.
I adapted this recipe for Plan Z from one of Bobby Flay’s ideas. I love a good grilled peach in the summer. Even if you have a crowd over for a barbecue you can grill up a bunch of these in a jiffy and everyone will enjoy a healthy dessert.
Fancy on the budget, fancy on the fare, light on the calories, and delicious in the air! This dish will make you feel spoiled, even when you are on a diet.
This meal makes for a perfect summer barbecue. The sweetness of the apricot and plums melds nicely with the delicious meatiness of the sausage. Don't be afraid! Although it sounds strange these two ingredients compliment each other wonderfully.
I adapted this recipe for Plan Z from one of Bobby Flay’s ideas. I love a good grilled peach in the summer. Even if you have a crowd over for a barbecue you can grill up a bunch of these in a jiffy and everyone will enjoy a healthy dessert.
This simply grilled chicken dish can be prepared in a variety of different styles--from French and Italian to Mexican and Asian. It makes for a perfect excuse to blow the dust of your grill and say hello to summer.
Summer grilling is not over yet. This one can be done on the grill, in the broiler, or follow my lead to sear it and roast it in your oven. The last option is used by French restaurants who serve steak.
Get out the grill! This is one way the Italians do steak. I took a Food Network recipe and Zolafied it to come up with this option for a healthy steak dinner.
There was a restaurant in the late ‘70’s called Hillary’s. I used to get a craving for Hillary burgers so I ate them often so I decided I could make my own. This is the result.
This offering is going to involve two recipes. One for chicken kabobs and one for Italian sausage kabobs. Both use the same glaze. You can make both flavors or choose one.
Today’s recipe is a really easy version of a summer, grilled chicken parmesan; only I changed it. Everyone talks about de-constructing recipes these days.
There’s no way to use a commercial sauce for barbecued meats. They ALL have copious amounts of sugar in them. I know, I checked every bottle in the store.
This is a great dish on a hot night. Perfect for the novice cook. Also good enough to invite company over or make this for a new date you are trying to impress.
This Smokey-Sweet Barbecue Sauce is a great addition to your recipe collection. This can be made spicier with the addition of cayenne. I kept mine mild and spiced it up for my husband.
If you like Mexican comfort food this is your go-to. Perfect for brunch or even for dinner. This version is spicy enough to make most noses run but can be adjusted for milder palates.
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.
Most folks think of chicken wings as being a guy thing and even a sport fan thing but anyone can love this dip! I served it as a breakfast buffet item and it was hands down the dish that got the most comments and compliments. I think it was because it was so unexpected. The comments came from men and women alike but I must admit the guys were the ones who went gaga over this.
This is a traditional Italian Dish that is known for spice. It’s also usually served over pasta so you’ll see that this one can be served as a stew in a bowl or over sautéed zucchini noodles.
This is very much like kung pao chicken you’d find on an Asian menu. There is some zip to it but you can decide how spicy you’d like yours. Don’t be intimidated by the ingredient list. This comes together fast.
If you like paprika and some zing, you’ll like this dish. Salmon has such a robust (almost fatty) flavor you get a big bang for your fish buck with this one. You could also make this dish with other fish pieces like Halibut, Sea Bass, Haddock or… even thinner pieces like Sole but you won’t cook it nearly as long.
Serve with my seared sea scallops or with any fish or sea food. I think grilled shrimp would be great! Or even cooked, cold shrimp would pair nicely with this on a hot day. You can serve the sauce hot or cold.
Sea bass tastes like a buttery heaven. There is no butter on this fish but you'll swear there is as you eat it. This red curry sauce is NOT spicy. It's just flavorful.
I used to HATE Brussels sprouts. I couldn't even stand the smell of them cooking. I love them now, as long as they are caramelized which brings out the sweetness. This version is spicy!
My husband declared he wanted Mexican one night. That’s a challenge with Z2. This is not the prettiest dish I have ever made but it was quite tasty and satisfied his craving for Mexican.
This dish doesn’t have to cook long to bring you a hearty Mexican stew. It comes together in a flash. This also heats up brilliantly in the microwave at work.
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.
You can serve sauce in a ramekin and dip your chicken. You can drizzle it over the top or you can pour it over. This is a firey-hot sauce so be careful not to scorch your taste buds.
This steak salad can be made extra spicy or just with a kick. This version has a kick but I give you instruction on how to crank up the heat if you like your food spicy.
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.
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.
Pasta doesn’t have to be banned from ZLife. You just need to limit it and monitor how you use it. If you keep in mind that a FULL portion is a half cup cooked you’re on the right track. And just eat it on a special occasion.
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!
When I was young I loved going to Chi Chi’s and ordering the chimichanga. Now that I know all the carbs from the tortilla it was wrapped in are a bad idea, I decided to make a lower carb casserole version.
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.
This is a throw it together FAST meal for any weeknight. It is not a spicy dish but you can if you wish, add hot sauce at the table for a little extra zing.
At first you’d think chimichangas would be high carb. The good news is they have low carb tortillas at the grocery store that taste the same as the traditional. Look for the low carb versions.
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.
Most folks think of chicken wings as being a guy thing and even a sport fan thing but anyone can love this dip! I served it as a breakfast buffet item and it was hands down the dish that got the most comments and compliments. I think it was because it was so unexpected. The comments came from men and women alike but I must admit the guys were the ones who went gaga over this.
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.
Just like the one your mom made, only healthier. Everyone loves the green bean casserole. Here I'll show you one one that doesn't take much longer to make and it’s real food, not processed!
This recipe is for all the vegetarians out there. Thank you dieter Nancy for this photo. For you non-vegetarians this makes a great side dish to go along with a grilled meat. We had this last night with grilled Andouille sausage and had a lovely meal.
When I was a kid my father traveled a lot. When he was gone, sometimes my mom would let us just fry up some hamburger meat and add a can of Campbell’s baked beans. We called it bean hash. I loved it.
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.
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.
Everyone has their Thanksgiving traditions; especially when it comes to food. Do you ever think about breaking tradition and making something different?
We were really happy with the way it turned out and I think you could adjust the seasonings to your own taste if you want more garlic or more salt, etc.
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!
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.
This dish comes together in a flash. If you are doing beef enchiladas, I recommend red sauce. If you are doing chicken, I recommend you go wild and use a green sauce.
Celebrity Chef Jernard Wells knows soul food. While a lot of his food is quite decadent, he also loves greens, and shared his wonderful southern greens recipe in a local interview. What's great about it is it can easily be modified to fit ZReboot. His original recipe calls for sugar, but by replacing the sugar with your favorite sugar substitute, you can still enjoy this delicious recipe.
Talk about easy to make. This soup is done in a flash. If you’re like me you’ll make a triple batch. You can freeze the portions and just add shrimp bits when you go to serve it.
On the go? Need something quick that will keep you full and focused while you rush off to work or to do errands? Use your Bullet Blender to whip this up.
This is not a “thick” quiche so you get to have a bigger piece. I made it a thin version so it cooks faster because no one wants to wait long for breakfast!
If you like Mexican comfort food this is your go-to. Perfect for brunch or even for dinner. This version is spicy enough to make most noses run but can be adjusted for milder palates.
For breakfast in the morning or with a cup of tea in the afternoon, this low carb coffee cake hits the spot. I made mine with blueberries fresh from the garden, but most berries will work.
A full two-thirds of Americans start off their day with a glass of orange juice. They think that’s healthy behavior. It’s not the orange that’s unhealthy. Eating an orange is good for you, but drinking large amounts of juice will cause you trouble.
This smoothie recipe is a great breakfast drink for those on the go. It is also a great mid-afternoon snack for those who want to get more calories in ZReboot. It even makes a great dessert!
I'm thinking of starting a company called “Just Add Eggs.” Well, maybe I'm kidding but this just might be a theme for these breakfast casseroles. I made them all the same way.
Easy to make and freezer friendly, egg muffin cups make for a great grab-and-go breakfast. I love switching up ingredients – I’ll do bacon, swiss, onion and spinach one time. Ham, cheddar and broccoli. Sausage, mozzarella, tomatoes and mushrooms. The possibilities are endless!
The parfait is a serious twist on a Cooking Light recipe I came across, so I need to give them credit but I also wanted you to know it's light and rather healthy.
This is super easy to make and comes together in about 10 minutes. Just be sure to have everything prepped so you can enjoy the cool guacamole with the hot shrimp on top.
Everybody needs the perfect recipe that uses up the little leftover bits of vegetables you have in the drawer. Instead of letting them go to waste, you can whip up this quiche. I served it for dinner. You can serve it for breakfast, lunch or dinner! Some people even like it room temperature or cold.
Serve this on your pancakes instead of syrup. Or if you want some syrup just do a teeny bit; like a capful. And use REAL maple syrup. No diet syrup. A bit of the real stuff is better for you.
Breakfast. Lunch. Brunch or even a light dinner. You can even serve this as a side dish at a family event. Even the kids who don’t like veggies will like this one.
These crepes are very low carb and EASY to make. You can even make them ahead and store them in the refrigerator or freeze them. I made them at the same time I was working on my seafood and sauce for the stuffed crepes but if you’re not that coordinated in the kitchen, you can make the crepes first and just store them. You do have to keep a close eye on the crepes as they cook. Don’t get distracted. It’s much less stressful to make the crepes and then make the sauce. Both come together really fast so you’ll be out of the kitchen in a jiffy anyway.
Having two pieces toast racks up 29.4 grams of carbohydrates. Wash that breakfast down with an 8-ounce glass of orange juice and you've just added 27.1 more grams of carbohydrates.
Most granola you buy at the store has about 35-45 grams of carbohydrates per serving. This one has about 9. Your tummy will love this and you’ll be healthier for it.
These are not sweet crepes. These are savory ones to be filled as a lunch or dinner entrée. These make great family or dinner party food. You can make more than one batch for a party.
As we endeavor to eat healthy but we are still on the run, I thought this quick and tasty smoothie might hit the spot. I often drink one of these at my desk at work.
Okay. This seems so simple. Everyone wants a fast breakfast or snack. Your kids will be giddy with this as their breakfast or their after school snack.
This dish can be made with a myriad of veggies and with things like pepperoni or chopped, cooked bacon, any kind of cheese you like, or even with pesto or mustard.
When you go into ZReboot, we want you to really increase your fat intake. One thing we recommend is coconut milk and Chris, our VP of Anger Management came up with this tasty one!
This recipe was submitted by Plan Z administrator, Jen. “I thought this dish would be difficult to make, but it was actually very straightforward and easy to do.
This is a great way to start a ZReduction morning! Remember, two eggs constitutes one of your protein portions for the day, so you will need to skip your lunch or dinner protein portion.
When I was a kid this was served at very special meals. My mother made hers plain. I had no idea how incredibly fabulous this meat could taste until I started adding the meat rub!
Celebrity Chef Jernard Wells knows soul food. While a lot of his food is quite decadent, he also loves greens, and shared his wonderful southern greens recipe in a local interview. What's great about it is it can easily be modified to fit ZReboot. His original recipe calls for sugar, but by replacing the sugar with your favorite sugar substitute, you can still enjoy this delicious recipe.
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.
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.
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.
Easy and delicious roasted red potatoes, with onions and balsamic vinegar! These are great on a buffet served hot or room temp. I use them for cocktail parties too.
Dieter Emily sent us this easy to make crock pot weeknight recipe. Emily says, "when I came home from work, it smelled heavenly! This soup has so much flavor and is also quite filling!"
One pot meal! The gravy is wonderful and the roasted veggies bring out a ton of flavor. Be sure to scrape up the bits on the bottom of the pan in the cooking process.
Our Plan Z “cafeteria” smelled just like Grandma’s house today. This beef over noodles recipe is a hit. Serve this when you have family around at holidays or other times when there’s a crowd.
This dish is very easy to make. All you have to do is brown the meat and then time adding the mushrooms. Walk away from your crock pot and dinner will cook itself.
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.
Celebrity Chef Jernard Wells knows soul food. While a lot of his food is quite decadent, he also loves greens, and shared his wonderful southern greens recipe in a local interview. What's great about it is it can easily be modified to fit ZReboot. His original recipe calls for sugar, but by replacing the sugar with your favorite sugar substitute, you can still enjoy this delicious recipe.
I found a recipe very similar to this one about 15 years in an old Southern cookbook. I have made a few changes to “Zola-fy” it. This goes over BIG at any party, and it's so simple!
This is a wonderfully moist meatloaf. It has a kick from the Cajun spices but not all that much and you can adjust according to taste. This transports well to work.
This dish is a combination of my recipe for Chicken Mamou and a casserole. Chicken Mamou is a traditional Cajun dish. “Mamou” is their word for Grandma, so this is true comfort food.
You can reheat this to serve or you can serve it room temp or cold. Just depends on the time of year you make it. In the summer it would be great cold.
Jambalaya is normally a rice-centric dish that is chock-full of carbs. I redesigned this dish so you can fit some rice into your life without blowing your diet.
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.
I call this “pie” because it tastes like the middle of a peach pie; just no crust. I call it Southern because the Southerners are known for putting cinnamon and nutmeg in their peach pie recipes.
One pot meal! The gravy is wonderful and the roasted veggies bring out a ton of flavor. Be sure to scrape up the bits on the bottom of the pan in the cooking process.
This recipe can be doubled and tripled for larger crowds. 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.
This is a dessert drink for a splurge. Many order a White Russian for an after dinner drink. This is a different treat I came up with recently. My new favorite.
When I made this Creole stew, I used some “aristocratic” ingredients (shrimp and lump crab meat) but you can certainly make it easier on your budget by making a “Cajun” version.
Crab cakes are a fun way to splurge. These are healthy and a bit on the zippy side with the Cajun seasoning. You can make yours less spicy if you’d like.
Want old-time, Southern fried chicken? Well you’re not going to get it on Z2 but this is as close as I can get. It will remind you of the batter-fried flavor without the carbohydrates and oil.
This tastes pretty darn authentic. Creole… or low country food. If you want it spicy you might consider adding a bit of cayenne (1/4 tsp) or the same amount of red pepper flakes. An final alternative would be to put a bottle of Tabasco on the table for people to add their own.
This is a takeoff of a cranberry bake recipe from Southern Living. This is homey, tasty, and not too sweet. Just a little cranberry twang but plenty of sweetness in the apples.
When I was a kid this was served at very special meals. My mother made hers plain. I had no idea how incredibly fabulous this meat could taste until I started adding the meat rub!
I love a steak while I am on Plan ZReduction. I have pretty much perfected my technique using a cast iron skillet but learned this method by asking a French restaurant how they did theirs.
This is, hands down, my favorite new dish in 2024. Yes it’s a pasta dish but you can splurge once in awhile as long as you don’t eat too much of the pasta. The trick with this one is to get a lot of satisfaction out of the zucchini, the lovely tomato sauce and the basil. I only eat 6 or 7 tortellini blobs and I cut them in half as I eat them. That makes them last longer and you feel like you got to eat more of them.
For those of you old enough to remember the Jello product that formed 3 layers you’ll know exactly what this tastes like and actually includes REAL raspberries!
I wrote this recipe up for 2 people but the sauce will feed four. So, you’ll either enjoy lots of sauce or have extras for two people. This is EASY and can be served at a dinner party.
Things like peppers are popular at Italian little plates restaurants. I’m offering you a recipe for mine here. Mine have a bit of an after-burner kick to them.
This colorful dish is super simple to make. You can include whatever assortment of veggies you like. I’ll give you a list of suggested options. You can serve this with something cooked on the grill; chicken, fish, or even steak.
This dish can be as easy as 3 ingredients and 3 minutes! I am going to describe a pre-cooked version of the shrimp dish and one you cook yourself. I am also going to give you spice mix options.
This recipe can be made in a pinch when you take advantage of the pre-cut produce in the grocery store. That way if you are cooking for just yourself you don’t buy a lot of ingredients that will go to waste. It’s a little more expensive by the pound, but it’s cheaper overall not to have the leftovers if you aren’t going to get to them in time to eat them before they spoil.
This is a decadent side dish. When I serve it, people at the table often ask me why this tastes so unique, so we play “guess the secret ingredient”…. Answer is the nutmeg. This dish goes well at dinner parties and holiday celebrations. It makes a perfect side dish for your upcoming holiday dinner.
This Smokey-Sweet Barbecue Sauce is a great addition to your recipe collection. This can be made spicier with the addition of cayenne. I kept mine mild and spiced it up for my husband.
This mushroom steak sauce is for those that want to make fancy food. The sauce can be served at a romantic dinner for two or even for company. It’s rich and yummy for sure.
To keep this recipe super easy the ribs are done in the oven. You could adapt this recipe for cooking on the grill but the whole point of this is you don’t have to babysit the cooking process like you do with grilling.
If you like Mexican comfort food this is your go-to. Perfect for brunch or even for dinner. This version is spicy enough to make most noses run but can be adjusted for milder palates.
Cabbage is one of the foods that's unlimited on ZReduction, so it's the perfect food to nosh on when you're hungry between meals. Dieter Brenda sent us this versatile cabbage recipe, and it's scrumptious. Eat it with dinner, or as a snack. Or, add a sliced onion and use it as a substitution for noodles that’s healthy and delicious. Or, try adding chicken broth and your favorite seasoning to turn this a brothy side or a simple soup.
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.
Dieter Debbie has mastered air fried veggies on ZReduction, and shared this with the Plan Z Facebook group. It's simple, and delicious and can be ready in a jiffy. We're posting it here for everyone to enjoy. Thank you, Debbie!
I found a recipe very similar to this one about 15 years in an old Southern cookbook. I have made a few changes to “Zola-fy” it. This goes over BIG at any party, and it's so simple!
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.
In a hurry to make dinner? These tacos are quick and easy. Depending on how much preparation you do in advance, this dish can meet that goal in 15 – 25 minutes!
In addition to being crunchy, satisfying and delicious, pumpkin seeds are a nutritious snack. You can buy shelled pumpkin seeds in the grocery store (also know as pepitas), but when pumpkin season rolls around, you can buy a fresh pumpkin, scrape out the seeds, and toast the whole seeds yourself. YUM!
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.
At first you’d think chimichangas would be high carb. The good news is they have low carb tortillas at the grocery store that taste the same as the traditional. Look for the low carb versions.
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!
Smash burgers are all the rage. Step into a brew pub and you’ll likely find a smash burger on the food menu.
These are NOT the huge, 8oz burgers we’ve been fed in the past. These are a thinner burger that’s usually six ounces or even less. You can always make your burger with two patties and bring it back to huge but more popular is to just make your burger with one patty.
Dieter Claire invented this recipe by modifying the fruit parfait recipe and adding extra frozen strawberries. She says, "it's as close to ice cream as you can get." We agree.
A delicious recipe submitted by Dieter Claire. Does this take longer than sautéing in a pan? Well yes, but the chicken that comes out is soooooo tender it's worth the time. We completely agree, Claire, thanks for sharing!
Shrimp cocktail is a simple snack on ZReduction. If you plan to eat it regularly, you might want to consider making your own cocktail sauce. It's quick, easy and delicious.
This dish tastes very much like Shrimp Scampi that you might order in an Italian restaurant. The addition of cheese takes it over the top in terms of BIG YUM.
This soup is a staple at Chinese restaurants. It is filling, delicate and delicious. Unfortunately, one of the ingredients in most restaurant egg drop soup recipes is MSG. The recipe below is an MSG-free version of the traditional classic, so it won't taste exactly the same, but we think it's just as delicious.
Amatriciana is an Italian dish. Simple and traditional. I am calling this American Amatriciana because the Italian version is made with guanciale or pancetta. I make mine with good ole’ American bacon. This is one of my husband’s favorite dishes. I hope you love it too.
I have seen in some restaurant menus that chefs have made pesto with walnuts, so I decided macadamia nuts must work too. Now I can attest. They not only work, it tastes great!
This is what I call cheating when I’m in a hurry. I use my favorite bottled Italian dressing as the marinade and everyone thinks I put so much effort into this really pretty dish.
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.
Angela says, "I love pizza, so I was looking for alternatives. I was disappointed to find cauliflower crust is not much lower in carbs than a traditional pizza crust. I came across that recipe for a meatzza crust and was pleasantly surprised. It satisfied my pizza craving, and I could have a slice of pizza without needing a fork! For those pizza cravings, here’s a recipe for a meatzza crust."
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.
What will take the longest with this dish is peeling and taking the shells off the shrimp. You want fresh shrimp though and I’ll teach you how to boil down the shells to make it super-tasty. A deeper flavor is the bonus.
This whole dinner comes together in about 15 minutes. There are just days when you can’t make everything from scratch. You need something you can get on the dinner table quickly.
This is a fun, colorful side dish to a plain piece of meat. This goes together so fast! You can even make it in the morning and finish assembly just before dinner.
This is a traditional Italian Dish that is known for spice. It’s also usually served over pasta so you’ll see that this one can be served as a stew in a bowl or over sautéed zucchini noodles.
To make this burger taste extra special, consider topping it with a soup spoonful of spaghetti sauce. You can find one with no sugar in the spaghetti sauce aisle.
This makes cozy comfort food. You can put it together pretty fast and pop it in the oven so you can do other things while dinner finishes up. I like dishes like this because it gives me time to load the dishwasher with the cooking tools and the kitchen is cleaned except for the actual eating dishes before I even sit down for the meal. Perfect dish for a pot luck too.
Dieter Emily sent us this easy to make crock pot weeknight recipe. Emily says, "when I came home from work, it smelled heavenly! This soup has so much flavor and is also quite filling!"
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.
This is a dreamy, smooth pasta dish that uses little pasta but is still big on taste. This dish can be easily doubled and baked in a 9" x 13" pan for a larger crowd.
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.
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!
Get out the grill! This is one way the Italians do steak. I took a Food Network recipe and Zolafied it to come up with this option for a healthy steak dinner.
Normally Chicken Milano is a pasta dish. This one makes a rich, sundried tomato ‘gravy’ to go with plain chicken breasts. You’ll never miss the pasta. Promise.
A simple meat sauce to serve with spaghetti. Yep, those of you who know how I feel about too many carbohydrates might be scoffing about now. Spaghetti? Yes, I say. If you serve it in the right portion.
This dish is very easy to make. All you have to do is brown the meat and then time adding the mushrooms. Walk away from your crock pot and dinner will cook itself.
You can use this pizza “sauce” for your pizza Zola style. Sauce is added warm after the pizza cheese portion is cooked. Make the pizza with no sauce or give this a try.
Today’s recipe is a really easy version of a summer, grilled chicken parmesan; only I changed it. Everyone talks about de-constructing recipes these days.
This colorful dish is super simple to make. You can include whatever assortment of veggies you like. I’ll give you a list of suggested options. You can serve this with something cooked on the grill; chicken, fish, or even steak.
This soup is a staple at Chinese restaurants. It is filling, delicate and delicious. Unfortunately, one of the ingredients in most restaurant egg drop soup recipes is MSG. The recipe below is an MSG-free version of the traditional classic, so it won't taste exactly the same, but we think it's just as delicious.
This dish is both spicy and sweet. I made it on the less spicy side for my current tastes but it’s easy to have a jar of cracked red pepper flakes handy for those who want to add some to the final dish to make it “hotter.”
This looks like a lot of ingredients, but you’ll see it’s sort of a dump and cook recipe. Not difficult at all. If you love making Asian food you probably have many of these ingredients in the house.
This looks like a lot of ingredients, but you’ll see it’s sort of a dump and cook recipe. Not difficult at all. If you love making Asian food you probably have many of these ingredients in the house.
This is a very popular Chinese take out item that you can easily make at home. You can also follow these instructions and make it much lower carb than the one from the restaurant.
This is very much like kung pao chicken you’d find on an Asian menu. There is some zip to it but you can decide how spicy you’d like yours. Don’t be intimidated by the ingredient list. This comes together fast.
This sauce is amazing. You can use it on beef, chicken or even a steak-like fish (Swordfish comes to mind. Or Tuna). Also a pork loin chop in Z2. In Z3 you can choose any meat/poultry or fish.
This recipe is designed for your barbecue needs. Of course you can eat it with anything but I had the Korean BBQ Sauce in mind when I paired these up. The Korean sauce is sort of sweet and then this is zippy.
Take your tastebuds on a weeknight trip to Asia with this slightly spicy Chinese-inspired dish. You can easily substitute the chicken for either shrimp or beef.
Some would call this fancy frou-frou food. Who knows what a remoulade is!? Foodies do. And foodies understand the concept of fusion food. This is one of those--a spicy combination of Cajun and Asian to make a new style of remoulade that can go with any kind of fish. I used flounder for my dish, but you can use any white fish. If you use a thicker one like sea bass you’ll have to cook it longer but the sauce won’t change.
I love peanut sauce with my Thai food. It feels like Asian comfort food. Don’t knock it til you try it. I thought it sounded really weird when I was younger but once I tried it I became a big fan.
This dish can be served with something as simple as a grilled steak or a baked chicken breast. If you want an American-Asian combo this is the way to go. It’s also designed to be served with the seared sea scallops for a more Asian-directed entrée.
Serve with my seared sea scallops or with any fish or sea food. I think grilled shrimp would be great! Or even cooked, cold shrimp would pair nicely with this on a hot day. You can serve the sauce hot or cold.
This type of dinner comes together VERY quickly. The flavors of the asparagus make a very simple dinner taste fancy and pairs really nicely with a plain, grilled piece of meat.
Sea bass tastes like a buttery heaven. There is no butter on this fish but you'll swear there is as you eat it. This red curry sauce is NOT spicy. It's just flavorful.
This is an easy way to satisfy and Asian food craving. It’s also a great way to clean out the refrigerator! You can use many types of veggies with this dish.
Chinese food is the hardest of the ethnic foods to convert for Plan Z. Dieter Jeff exclaimed that this could not possibly be diet food! Well, Jeff… It’s diet food. Plan Z diet food.
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.
This is a take-off of a famous, old, traditional menu. I've just skimmed all the fat out of it. I hope I didn't take away all the fun or the flavor in the process.
You are not seeing things! I managed to take one of the most fattening and sugar-filled Chinese dishes on the planet and came up with a substitute that got raves at the office.
Mahi mahi is often mistaken for dolphin. That’s because it used to be called “dolphin fish.” But it's not dolphin. Mahi mahi is a fish. The fillets look sort of like tuna or swordfish.
When on ZReduction we, of course, cannot have mayonnaise. So I wanted a tuna salad and came up with this one. I bet you can make this with canned tuna to save money.
This recipe is a budget splurge, but can also be made with shrimp. Sometimes, you just need to splurge and let loose so you feel good about what you eat, and still lose weight!
This dressing can be served warm over spinach to wilt a salad. It can also be stored cold if you would like cold Asian dressing. You can serve it with any salad.
For a change of pace you might like to try a barbecue sauce that has an Asian flair. This one is tangy, with a bit of fire to it. You can make it even hotter by adding more pepper flakes.
I love a steak while I am on Plan ZReduction. I have pretty much perfected my technique using a cast iron skillet but learned this method by asking a French restaurant how they did theirs.
This is a wonderful potato casserole from the southeast part of France. Works great on a buffet too if you like room temp potatoes or have a chafing dish. For the LOWEST glycemic index, make this dish the day before you serve it.
This is an elegant meal you can serve to company or even just for a romantic meal at home. I served this with haricot vert (roasted French green beans). That kept the meal totally low carb.
I don’t know exactly how to describe this dish but if you like French Onion Soup you are going to love this. You might consider it a side dish, or it would be great with a steak.
Potatoes can be dangerous to your weight if eaten too often or too much in one sitting. The good news is if you make the dish early in the day or the day before and refrigerate it they become what is called resistant carbs. That means they digest slower in your system so your blood sugar does not spike nearly as much.
One of my favorite French bistro dishes is chicken under a brick. I decided I had to figure out how to make it myself. Most places make it in a wood burning oven. I don't have one so I had to make adjustments. It worked. I hope you like it and enjoy it.
This is my favorite new creation. I think I have made this three times in the last two weeks and that’s pretty much a record for me. This dish is easy and it tastes fancy!
Summer grilling is not over yet. This one can be done on the grill, in the broiler, or follow my lead to sear it and roast it in your oven. The last option is used by French restaurants who serve steak.
This tastes like a little bit of France in your home. This one has pasta in it so it hits Z3.5. If you make it without pasta you could have it earlier in Z3. All the directions will stay the same if you make the Z3 version simply omit the pasta.
This one is for the gourmet cooks in the group. You can do this with any standard mushrooms and make it less exotic but the gourmet cooks will appreciate the earthy flavor of the shiitakes.
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.
A recipe that tastes “very French country” in Zola’s words. Contributed by Plan Z dieter, Mike, this can be made with pork loin or chicken breast halves and is a big hit.
This is the most-often requested recipe in my house. Whenever my husband is feeling happy, sad or anything in-between he’ll ask that I make “Wolfgang Chicken”. This dish is killer amazing!
A STRUCTURED, COACHED, DELICIOUS REAL FOOD DIET PROGRAM.
At Plan Z, we give dieters education, recipes, counseling, support and a patented homeopathic spray called the ZR50 Crave Control spray, designed to suppress the cravings and discomfort associated with dieting. Our goal is to educate consumers on how to eat as healthy as possible, without compromising taste and to teach dieters to lose weight – and keep the weight off. One round of Plan Z is 3-1/2 months long.
Our dieters lose an average of 31 pounds in the first 50 days, without exercise.
This is what our clients are saying...
Everyone comments about my weight loss and how I look like a totally different person from this time last year….Being a guy who has tried literally every other diet out there I’ve never lost as much weight as I did on Plan Z.Josh "Biggie" Ellinger, WKRR-FM Lost 250 pounds
I lost 30 pounds and have kept it off and my blood pressure is below 120/80 (I have never had the blood pressure reading I do now). Since I’ve lost the weight, I’ve said goodbye to some other things: sore knees, aching back, and a chronic foot problem. I attribute this all to losing weight on the Plan Z Diet.Rob Siems, KLAD-FM, Lost 30 pounds
[My doctor] had nothing but raving reviews for me. He said A+++++. Shook my hand three times and said he’s never seen a change like this in anyone….I don’t think I’ve ever seen him at a loss for words in the 25 years I’ve known him. He said that according to my numbers I’m healthier than some 25 year olds.Harry O'Neill, KLSS-FM, Lost 175 pounds
Thankfully, I found Plan Z by Zola and made a life-changing investment in myself. This is truly the first time I’ve been able to lose the weight and keep it off. The best part is that I’m not worried about gaining it back, because the education I received with Plan Z has taught me what was really keeping me fat!Aleese Fielder, KTFX-FM, Lost 45 pounds
In June of 2009, I was a mess. That’s me in the pink top. I’m sitting there thinking, “I wish I had shown up late for the family photo so I could have hidden in the back row. Then only my face would show.” That’s how much I disliked having my picture taken. As it turns out, having a front-row seat was a blessing in disguise. Seeing that picture made me vow to take control of my weight. I wanted my body back, even if it meant doing something drastic. I started dieting at 12 years old and have been working at it (in one form or another) ever since. I went to ridiculous measures to lose weight or stay thin. At age 15, I was so fed up with being fatter than other girls that I decided to eat every third day. At 16, I worked a job that required me to ride my bicycle across town all summer long. I worked two shifts so I had to do it twice every day. In between shifts I came home and had one single, solitary, fried egg and a glass of milk. One school year all I ate was a hot dog with no ketchup and a diet soda every day. Any of this sound familiar to you?
One year, at my job, my assistant went every day to a take-out joint and bought me a Chef Salad and a large diet Coke. That was my calorie consumption per day. On weekends I ate a half of a peanut butter sandwich per day and 3 diet orange sodas. Then, as I became more successful I started paying for diets.
I did Dietene, the “shakes only” plus 10 raspberries or half a banana a day diet that was prescribed by diet doctors. It’s the same diet that Oprah Winfrey did. She lost 40 pounds and on her show dragged her fat around in a wagon to show her point. I lost 52 pounds. Although I don’t know Oprah, she and I have yo-yoed in an almost identical concert ever since. She loses weight. I lose weight. She gains it back. So do I. The reasons I gain it back vary. The lack of long-term success stays the same.
I tried and failed on Atkins to Weight Watchers to Slim Fast, Acai Berry etc. You name it, I’ve done it. I spent 40 years and a small fortune dieting.
I even went to the Obesity Clinic at the University of Wisconsin. They studied me and declared my metabolism a disaster. Nothing left. They put me on experimental meds. Then the head of the department left and the program disbanded. I was left hanging. I went to an eating-disorder psychiatrist for 3 months. They even hypnotized me and found nothing wrong. I went to a dietician who reluctantly put me on a 750 calorie a day diet. After one month and a one-pound loss he resigned. I hired a trainer and worked with her 3 days a week for 7 years. No weight loss, but I sure got strong. I took Phen-Fen for 18 months before it had that nickname and before they found out it could kill you. They came and found me two years later to get my heart tested. I was fine, but it was not a success for me. I had only lost 8 pounds in all that time.
Then there are the diets I didn’t do: Jenny Craig, Nutra-Systems, and Seattle Sutton. Anything that required me to buy pre-packaged food, frozen, shrink-wrapped and shipped to me in boxes was out of the question. I figured with those, that as soon as the boxes quit coming, and I had to go back to regular food, the weight would come back.
It made no sense to do a “regular” diet again. I didn’t know what to do, but I was intent on doing one more diet. I got hold of an old diet with some ideas that made sense then my husband discovered an obscure book about obesity written by a science writer and targeted at doctors. I watched the book’s author deliver a mind-blowing lecture on why we get fat. The author convinced me that most of the diet advice we have been sold and told for decades is wrong. At last, I was connected to some credible, brand new weight loss information. For the first time in my life, I knew why I got fat, and more importantly, what to do about it. This is when I started designing a new way to diet and developed a new mindset about eating. I dropped 28 pounds in a little over five weeks and I kept it off. My doctor took me off my blood pressure meds and the weight kept coming off.
I know what you’re going through. I’ve lived through more than my fair share of dieting horror stories - but you don’t have to make the same mistakes I did.
Today Plan Z has dieters in over 42 states and ten countries. The reason our program is so successful is that I’ve taken the education that I’ve learned along with all of my diet failures and have developed a program that truly works.
YES! If you are overweight and struggling with obesity related health issues then you’re covered.
You can pay for Plan Z with your HSA or FSA card, or you can order Plan Z and get reimbursed through your insurance company.
HSA/FSA Debit Card:
You can use your HSA (Health Savings Account) or FSA (Flexible Spending Account) debit card to pay for Plan Z as long as it has a MasterCard or Visa logo on it. Order online just like you would with a regular credit card. Keep a copy of your packing slip for your records.
Health Insurance Reimbursement:
If you have an obesity related illness and your doctor recommends you lose weight, Plan Z is likely covered by your insurance. Ask your doctor to give you a letter of medical necessity on their letterhead saying they recommend Plan Z. Click here to download a sample form of what the letter should look like. Or you can have them fill out this form. Take both forms to your doctor and let them decide which one they prefer to use. Submit the paperwork and your Plan Z packing slip to your insurance company for reimbursement.
All insurance coverages are different, so check with your insurance provider for more info or call us at 800-255-9853.
This two day phase is your time to say goodbye to all the foods you’re going to miss while on ZReduction. You’ll also start taking your ZR50 Crave Control spray. It takes a couple of days for the formula to kick in, so by starting the diet with a binge you won’t be hungry when you start reducing. Don’t worry, the weight comes off fast.
Phase 2: ZReduction
Follow the rules and the weight drops off.
ZReduction lasts for 48 days. You will eat lean meats, fresh fruit and non-starchy veggies. You will avoid heavy fats, complex carbs and sugars. The ZR50 Crave Control spray manages your cravings for sweet and fatty foods. Hunger like you experienced on other diets is a thing of the past.
Once you stop eating processed foods and start eating real food, your insulin levels begin to normalize. Your fat cells can release fatty acids into your bloodstream. This stored fat contains calories you ate years ago but your body never used.
Once stored fat is able to be released, your body will happily burn it; without exercise. Plan Z shows you how.
Phase 3: ZReboot
Eat like royalty without gaining the weight back.
Over the next six weeks on ZReboot, your food choices expand. Your calorie intake increases. You’ll eat, drink and merrily maintain your weight, and you’ll have the secrets to getting yourself back in check if you start to weave off track.
We teach you what to eat going forward – and why. You’ll discover the pitfalls of the processed food industry and what to watch out for. You’ll be amazed how much food your body can handle with no weight gain. ZReboot proves to you, through your own experience, that Plan Z works – and it works for the long haul. At the same time, you’ll discover your relationship with food can be fun. No more guilt trips. No more back slips.
Phase 4: ZLife
Your thinner future.
Phase four of Plan Z is called ZLife, and yes, it can last indefinitely. You can eat what you want, but you won’t crave the foods that make you fat. You will have new, lifelong habits that will keep you thin. Imagine feeling in control of your body again and knowing your life of dieting is in your past. You’ll know what foods your body is sensitive to, and you’ll know how to course correct if you start to gain.
Our goal is to help you never think about dieting again. You will love the way you look and feel; and you’ll have more love to give your family. Plan Z is an eating plan for the rest of your life.
It made no sense to do a “regular” diet again. I didn’t know what to do, but I was intent on doing one more diet. I got hold of an old diet with some ideas that made sense then my husband discovered an obscure book about obesity written by a science writer and targeted at doctors. I watched the book’s author deliver a mind-blowing lecture on why we get fat. The author convinced me that most of the diet advice we have been sold and told for decades is wrong. At last, I was connected to some credible, brand new weight loss information. For the first time in my life, I knew why I got fat, and more importantly, what to do about it. This is when I started designing a new way to diet and developed a new mindset about eating. I dropped 28 pounds in a little over five weeks and I kept it off. My doctor took me off my blood pressure meds and the weight kept coming off.
