ITALIAN MEATY CASSEROLE

Delicious and healthy!          Found this recipe online.                      

Ingredients:
    4 oz Cheese, Ricotta, Part-Skim
    2 tbsp Egg Substitute, Egg Beaters
    6 oz Cheese, mozzarella, reduced fat
    1 1/2 cup crushed Raw Tomatoes, OR
one 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes gently blended
    10 oz Beef, ground, 95-97% lean
    3 tbsp Parmesan Cheese
    1/4 tsp Ground Black Pepper
    1/2 tsp Garlic Salt
    1/2 tsp Italian Seasonings

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cook ground beef.
3. Add tomatoes, ¼ tsp. garlic salt and 1/8 tsp. pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes,

stirring constantly. Remove from heat and set aside.
4. Mix ricotta cheese, 3/4 cup (3 oz) of mozzarella, Parmesan cheese,

egg substitute, Italian seasoning, and remaining garlic salt and pepper

in a separate bowl.

5. Fill the bottom of a medium-sized (2 qt.) baking dish with the meat mixture
and top with the cheese filling.

6. Sprinkle the remaining 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese on top.
7. Bake for 35 minutes and let cool 10 minutes before slicing.

4 servings
One Serving Provides: ~1 Lean, 3/4 green, 1-3/4 condiments

BIG MAC SALAD

Love this recipe I found online. If you are craving a hamburger, but don't want the calories, fat and other unhealthy ingredients, try this!

INGREDIENTS:

4.5 ounces lean 95-97% ground beef (3/4 Lean)

1/4 cup 2% shredded cheddar cheese (14 Lean)

2 1/2 cups lettuce, shredded (2 1/2 greens)

1/4 cup tomatoes, chopped (1/2 Green)

2 dill pickle spears, chopped (1 snack)

2 Tablespoons Lite Wish-bone Thousand Island Dressing

(1 Healthy Fat)

*Any seasoning you like for your ground beef, but subtract

from you condiments for the day.

DIRECTIONS:

Cook hamburger.

Combine all ingredients in a bowl.  Enjoy!

1 Serving with 1 lean, 3 Greens, 1 Healthy Fat and 1 Snack

OPTION:

Reduce lettuce by 1/4 cup , and add 1/4 cup onion to salad,

or saute onion with ground beef.

SPAGHETTI WITH ZUCCHINI NOODLES

This is a recipe I created as I strive to eat more healthy foods.

Makes 1 serving
1 lean, 3 green, 3 condiments

INGREDIENTS:

  Cooking spray
  6 oz. raw chicken breast cut into chunks or strips
  ½ cup (56 grams) chopped onion
  ½ cup zucchini (56.5 grams,) spiralized
  ½ cup low carb, low fat red pasta sauce (I used Mezetta Marinara sauce)
  1/2 Tbsp. fresh chopped basil, OR 1/2 tsp. dried basil
   ½ tsp. dried oregano
½ tsp. granulated garlic
   ⅓ cup shredded part-skim mozzarella OR Italian blend

(max. 6 grams fat per serving)

   2 ½ tsp. Grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:
1.    Spray non-stick frying pan lightly with cooking spray.
2.    Add chicken and fry until browned and cooked through (3-5 minutes.)

Remove from pan.
3.    Saute onions until caramelized; set aside with chicken.
4.    Saute spiralized zucchini about 1 minute – do not cook too long or it

will be mushy.  Place in a warmed serving dish.
5.     Add pasta sauce, basil, oregano and garlic to pan and heat til gently boiling.
6.     Add cooked chicken and onions and heat until hot.
7.     Pour above mixture over zucchini noodles.

8. Top with cheeses and serve.

Skinny Chicken Fajita Soup

Found this online - someone sent it to me. HEALTHY RECIPE
Those of you on Plan: salt, beans, rice and the garnish are not on the weight-loss phase of the plan.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Ingredients:

    18 ounces chicken

    1 teaspoon olive oil

    1 ½ cups bell peppers

    ½ cup green onions

    2 garlic cloves

    1 cup diced tomatoes

    8 cups chicken broth

    1-2 teaspoon fajita seasoning

   1/2 teaspoon salt - optional

    15 oz. can black beans, drained

   ½ cup brown rice, optional - optional

  

Instructions:                                                                    NOTE: This works well in a crockpot. Allow about 5 hours for chicken to cook.                                       

1. Place a large sauce 6-8 quart pot over medium heat. Add the oil, chopped bell peppers, onions, and garlic. Saute for 3-5 minutes to soften.
2. Add whole chicken breasts, black beans, diced tomatoes, chicken broth, fajita seasoning, and salt. If adding rice, stir it in with an additional 2 cups of water. Bring the soup to a boil. Lower the heat, and simmer for 20 minutes.
3. Use tongs to remove the cooked chicken breasts. Allow the soup to continue simmering to fully cook the rice, another 10-15 minutes. Allow the chicken to cool for a few minutes, then shred with two forks or in a mixer.
4. Once the rice is tender, add the shredded chicken back to the soup. Taste, and salt and pepper as needed.
5. GARNISH with reduced fat cheese.

Tex-Mex Chopped Chicken Salad

Not sure just where this came from - online somewhere.   HEALTHY

Makes 6-8 servings as a main dish.

Ingredients:
 Dressing:
    1 cup Walden Farms ranch dressing (or Hidden Valley Light Ranch)
    2 Tbsp. El Paso taco seasoning, hot or mild
    2 Tbsp. lime juice

 Salad:
    24 ounces grilled chicken, cooled and diced (36 oz. raw)
    4 cups Romaine lettuce, chopped, about 1 head
    1/2 cup Roma tomatoes, diced
    1/2 cup cucumber, seeded and diced
    1/2 cup green onions, sliced
    1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
    1/2 cup of jalapeño & jicama mixed together

  4 ounces regular cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, stir together ingredients for dressing            then refrigerate until ready to use.
2. Cook, cool and dice chicken and refrigerate overnight.
3. In a large bowl, toss salad ingredients together.
4. Add dressing a little at a time then toss until lightly coated.
5. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Note: If you don't like it too spicy, omit or reduce the jalapeno and use mild taco seasoning.

HALF-PINT COOKING MUFFINS

My daughter clued me into this website (halfpintcooking.com.) The recipes are geared to teaching children to cook.  Kids or not, these are very good muffins.

Ingredients:

     2 cups Flour
     1 Tbsp Baking Powder
     ½ tsp Salt
     ½ cup Sugar

     1  Large Egg

     1 tsp Vanilla Extract

     ⅓ cup Oil
     1 cup Milk

Mix-in options:Blueberries, Chocolate Chips, Lemon Extract and Poppy Seeds, Coconut, Craisins, Raspberries, Brown Sugar and Oats, nuts, etc.

1-Make sure you have all the ingredients, clean your work area, and wash your hands.
2-Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
3-Spray your muffin tins or put paper liners in the muffin tins.
4-In a large bowl add your flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Mix it all together.
5-In a separate bowl add your milk, vanilla extract, egg, and oil. Whisk it all together.
6-Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix it until it’s just combined. It doesn’t have to be smooth. Do not over mix. If you over mix it then the tops will be more like a tall cone. You want it to be a nicely rounded top.
7-Fill the muffin tins about ⅔ of the way full.
8-Add any mix-ins on top of the muffins and then get a toothpick to stir them in a little. Again, try not to over mix it.
9-Bake them for 17-19 minutes. Let them cool down a little before taking them out.
10-Clean up your mess.
11-Eat, Share, enjoy!!!

QUICK STIR FRY

This has become one of my most favorite meals, and it is quick and easy to prepare.

Note, the directions are for one serving, so just increase as needed for more servings.  All ingredient amounts are approximate.  

The picture shows a couple of sauces I have used.  
And sorry - I forgot to put the cashews in the picture!

1. Assemble ingredients:
        Frozen stir fry vegetables
        Onions - green or yellow cut up
        Chicken (canned, fresh or frozen - if frozen, thaw)
        Oriental sauce
        Cashews 

2. Heat skillet to medium high

3. Add cooking oil to generously cover bottom of pan 
    (I like to use olive oil)

4. For each serving, add:
         2-3 handfuls of frozen stir fry vegetables
         1/4-1/2 cup chopped onion

5. Stir while cooking for about 5 minutes

6. Add:   1/2 can chicken, drained, OR equivilant of
               1 chicken tender, cut up and thoroughly cooked* 

7. Cook about one minute while continuing to stir.

8. Add:
        1/4 cup cashews 
        Your favorite oriental sauce - enough to lightly 
           cover ingredients, and continue to stir for about 
           one minute. 

Serve as is or over ric

*NOTE: if using fresh chicken, cut into pieces and cook in skillet first, then set aside. Make sure chicken is thoroughly cooked. Add chicken at the end with the cashews and sauce.

OPTION: Instead of chicken, use cut up meatballs. I used frozen fully cooked meatballs, and microwaved them enough to thaw a little, so I could cut them into pieces. Add as step #6. This is especially good with Panda Express Mandarin Sauce. Very tasty!