Here is a great way to enjoy this Southern classic green bean dish! It is one of my favorite side dishes growing up. My dad used to make these green beans regularly, but with real bacon and a whole lot of onion. He simmered it in a large skillet for 1 1/2 to 2 hours and let the flavors meld together. So delicious! I decided to use the slow cooker so I could just fix it and forget it. Either way works perfectly!


It only takes a short amount of time to prepare and a handful ingredients you may already have at home. Just throw the ingredients in the slow cooker and you will have tender, delicious green beans with tons of flavor. This makes a wonderful side dish that frees up precious stove top space when making multiple dishes during the holidays. Enjoy!


Southern Style Green Beans

Ingredients:
1 ½ lbs Fresh Green Beans (12 Greens)
⅓ cup chopped onion (5 Condiments)
1/2 tsp garlic powder (1 Condiment)
8 slices turkey bacon, cooked and crumbled *
1 ½ cups chicken broth (1 ½ Condiments)
¼ tsp black pepper (½ Condiment)

Directions:
Wash green beans, cut off the ends, and cut into 1 ½ inch pieces . Add green beans to the slow cooker.
Add 2 to 3 tbsp of chicken broth or water to a small non-stick skillet over medium heat and add onions. Saute for about 5 minutes or until onion is transparent, stirring frequently.
Add onion to slow cooker along with garlic powder, turkey bacon, broth, and pepper to the slow cooker stirring until combined.
Cover and cook on high for 3 hours to 4 hours or on low for 6 to 8 hours, stirring halfway through.

Makes 4 Servings
Each serving provides
3 Greens, 2 Condiments and 1 oz of protein

* Subtract 1 oz of protein from each serving to account for the turkey bacon
For example, instead of having 6 oz of chicken breast, you will have 5 oz of chicken breasts.


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Stuffing is one of my favorite side dishes during the holidays, but I have been missing it since making some changes towards a healthier lifestyle. This classic side dish is made with the ever so versatile veggie, cauliflower! By replacing bread with cauliflower, you get a delicious healthy low carb , gluten free version of stuffing. This yummy side dish doesn't have to be made only on Thanksgiving! Enjoy it year round!


What is great about cauliflower is that it absorbs all those delicious herbs and seasonings giving it the amazing flavors of traditional stuffing. Use the leftover stuffing and make it into a soup, or add it to a turkey lettuce wrap, or serve it along side another Lean. Well, if there are any leftovers! You can also make this stuffing without turkey sausage, especially if you want to eat all the turkey!


Sausage Cauliflower Rice Stuffing

Ingredients:
7 oz Jennie-O bulk turkey sausage ~ 5 oz cooked (1 Lean)
2 tbsp light butter (2 Healthy Fats)
½ cup diced celery (1 Green)
1 cup diced mushrooms (2 Greens)
⅓  cup diced yellow onion (5 Condiments)
2 oz chopped walnuts (4 Optional Snacks)
4 ½ cups fresh riced cauliflower (9 Greens)
½ cup chicken broth (½ Condiment)
1 tsp ground sage (½ Condiment)
1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme (½ Condiment)
1 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary (½ Condiment)
1 tsp poultry seasoning (1 Condiment)
½ tsp salt (2 Condiments)
½ tsp black pepper (1 Condiment)
2 tbsp fresh parsley for garnish (½ Condiment)

Directions:
Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and add turkey sausage. Crumble the sausage and cook breaking up the sausage into small pieces with a spoon. Once fully cooked, about 5 to 7 minutes, transfer to a bowl and set aside.
Heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add celery, mushrooms, onion, and walnuts. Sauté for about 7 to 8 minutes. Stir in cauliflower rice and cook for 2 minutes.
Add the broth, sage, thyme, rosemary, poultry seasoning, salt and pepper mixing well. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Then add the cooked sausage and cook for an additional 5 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and cauliflower is tender Garnish with fresh parsley.

Makes 4 Servings
Each Serving provides
¼ Lean, 3 Greens, 3 Condiments, ½ Healthy Fat and 1 Optional Snack
Serve with 4.5 ounces of turkey

Or Makes 8 Servings
Each Serving provides
⅛ Lean, 1 ½ Greens, 1 ½ Condiments, ¼ Healthy Fat, and ½ Optional Snack
Serve with 5.25 ounces of turkey

*Don't want turkey sausage? This stuffing still tastes amazing without it! Just omit the sausage and serve this with a full Lean option.


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Looking for another way to use up those chicken breasts that is sure to please everyone? Alice Springs Chicken is a popular menu item at Outback Steakhouse and this copycat version is pretty easy to prepare. Made with chicken, honey mustard sauce, sauteed mushrooms, turkey bacon and cheese. Yum!

I used this G Hughes Sugar Free Honey Mustard Sauce that is absolutely delicious and counts as 1 Condiment for 2 tbsp on our health program! Only 1 g of Carbs per 2 tbsp!


Start off by marinating the chicken in honey mustard sauce for a few hours and then cook it in a skillet. If you prefer, you can also bake or grill the chicken and then finish it off on the oven.


Top the chicken with additional honey mustard sauce, sauteed mushrooms, pieces of turkey bacon, and cheese. Place it back in the oven for about 15 min.


I served it with this Cauliflower Risotto Medley to complete a delicious Lean and Green meal. If you want to avoid the crowds and just don't feel like dining out, stay home and try this tasty dish!


Alice Springs Chicken

Ingredients:
1 ½ lb raw chicken breasts
8 slices turkey bacon, cooked
1 cup reduced fat cheddar cheese, shredded
¾ tsp Morton seasoned salt (3 Condiments)
½ tsp black pepper (1 Condiment)
¾ cup G Hughes Honey Mustard Sauce, divided (6 Condiments)
2 cups mushrooms, sliced (4 Greens)
2 tablespoon light butter (2 Healthy Fats)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Season the chicken with seasoned salt and black pepper. Place chicken in a large Ziploc bag and add 1/2 cup honey mustard. Marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

Melt butter in a non-stick skillet and saute mushroom for about 5 to 7 min or until they start to brown. Set aside.

Remove chicken from marinade. Place chicken in a non-stick skillet sprayed with cooking spray and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes on each side or until browned. Move chicken to a 9 x 9 inch casserole dish. If desired, you can also grill or bake the chicken.

Top each chicken breast with 1 tbsp of honey mustard, mushrooms, 2 slices of turkey bacon and 1/4 cup cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 10 to 15 min or until chicken is done.

Makes 4 Servings
Each serving provides
1 Lean, 1 Green, 3 Condiments, and ½ Healthy Fat

4 ounces of cooked chicken (6 oz raw), 2 slices of turkey bacon, and 1/4 cup reduced fat cheese make up 1 Lean (verified by nutrition support) and mushrooms. Serve with 2 additional Greens.

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These zucchini pizzas are delicious and perfect for Halloween! It's a quick and easy meal that allows you to get those veggies in!


The kids had so much fun making these pizzas with me! Getting them to eat their veggies is difficult enough, but allowing them to make their own little mummies made it easier to convince them to give them a try! After all, it was their own creation... it couldn't be that bad! Right? I was very pleased to hear, "Mommy, this is yummy!" That's right! It sure is!


These are super duper easy to make! Remove the ends of the zucchini and slice the zucchini lengthwise using a mandolin or you can do it by hand.


Add marinara sauce, cut up cheese slices, and olives to each zucchini slice making it resemble a mummy. Bake for about 10 minutes or until cheese has melted. That's it! Enjoy this delicious healthy kid friendly meal!


Mummy Zucchini Pizzas

Ingredients:
1 medium zucchini ~ 113 grams (2 Greens)
½ cup Great Value Italian diced tomatoes, blended or 1/4 cup low carb marinara sauce (1 Green)
8 black olives (1 Healthy Fat)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cut the ends of the zucchini off. 
Use a mandolin slicer and slice the zucchini lengthwise into 1/4 inch thick slices. I had 4 slices weighing a total of 113 grams.
Place the slices of zucchini on a baking sheet.
Add 1/4 of the blended tomato sauce on each zucchini slice.
Cut the slices of cheese into strips and then make one cut down the center, except for the half slice.
Place the strips of cheese across the zucchini as well as diagonal, adding some variation to resemble mummy bandages.
Use the black olives as eyes.
Bake the pizzas for 10 min or until cheese has melted.

 * If you want to use shredded reduced fat mozzarella cheese, use 1/2 cup or 2 oz of cheese that is 3 to 6 g of fat per ounce or 1/4 cup.

Makes 1 Serving
Each Serving provides:
1/2 Lean, 3 Greens, and 1 Healthy Fat

Add 1/2 Lean more to complete your Lean and Green. 
If you do not eat the olives, then you do not need to count the healthy fat. I used it for decoration only.


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Here is a quick and easy sheet pan dinner that comes together in less than 20 minutes! It is simply roasted veggies and shrimp drizzled with a mixture of sugar free sweet chili sauce and soy sauce. Then I added a sprinkle of sesame seeds to finish it off.


I roasted sweet bell peppers and sugar snap peas (both 5 and 1 plan approved) along with the shrimp that was tossed with sesame oil, but feel free to use any veggies of your choice! Once roasted, I served it with some riced cauliflower. Then drizzle with the sauce.


The sauce is just sugar free chili sauce and a little bit of soy sauce. That's right! Two ingredients! The G Hughes sugar free sweet chili sauce is the star of the show and it is absolutely delicious! A little sweet... a little salty.. the best of both worlds! I bought this on Amazon, but I am sure it will be available in local stores in the future.

With just a few ingredients, this meal is pretty amazing! Give it a try!


Sweet Chili Shrimp Sheet Pan Dinner

Ingredients:
9 oz raw shrimp, peeled, tails removed ~ 7 oz cooked (1 Leanest)
1/2 cup or 74.5 grams sweet red bell peppers (1 Green)
1/2 cup or 31.9 grams snap peas (1 Green)
2 tsp sesame or olive oil (2 Healthy Fats)
1/2 cup riced cauliflower, cooked (1 Green)
1/2 tsp sesame seeds (1/2 Condiment)

For the sauce:
2 tbsp G Hughes Sweet Chili Sauce (2 Condiments)
1/2 tbsp soy sauce (1/2 Condiment)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Line a baking sheet with non-stick foil for easy clean up.
Toss the shrimp, bell peppers, and snap peas with sesame oil until evenly coated.
Spread shrimp, bell peppers, and snap peas evenly on prepared baking sheet.
Bake in oven for 10 min or until shrimp is cooked through and the veggies are tender.

Place cooked shrimp and veggies on a plate with cooked riced cauliflower.
Combine sweet chili sauce with soy sauce in a small bowl.
Drizzle the sauce over shrimp and veggies.
Sprinkle sesame seeds over the top.
Enjoy!

Makes 1 Serving
Per Serving:
1 Leanest, 3 Greens, 3 Condiments and 2 Healthy Fats


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Here is a great recipe for classic bbq chicken pizza using red onions and fresh cilantro. It is a great way to use those yummy Cali'flour pizza crusts you might have on hand!

Or you can make your own cauliflower crusts! Try this homemade recipe!

 Favorite Cauliflower Pizza Crust

 Keep in mind if you do decide to use the homemade recipe, add 1 more Green to complete your Lean and Green meal! 1/2 cup of assorted sweet bell peppers would be delicious on this bbq chicken pizza!

If you are all about convenience, the lite Cal'flour pizza crusts are amazing and count as 1/2 a Lean and 3 Greens on the 5 and 1 plan! No mess, no stress with making them because the crusts are already made for you! I love the lite crusts rather than the traditional crusts because you can have the entire pizza! Yes!!! If you use the traditional crust, you can only have half the crust, but you can have an additional 1 1/2 Greens. Currently the lite crusts are only available online. Grab them at the link below!



I pre-baked the crust for about 10 min at 400 degrees. Then let the crust cool for 5 to 10 min. Spread 2 tbsp of sugar free bbq sauce on the cooled crust. I used G Hughes Carolina Sweet Heat BBQ sauce I picked up at Walmart. I love this one because it is only 1 g of Carbs for 2 tbsp making it only 1 Condiment for 2 tbsp! Say what?! The other flavors are 2 g of Carbs per 2 tbsp so this flavor is a gem!


Then sprinkle chicken, mozzarella cheese, and red onion on top. To save time, use the breast meat from a rotisserie chicken you find at a grocery store and save the rest of the meat for future meals! Then bake until the cheese melts and garnish with fresh chopped cilantro. 

So yummy! Have a piece! Or eat the entire pizza! It's that delicious!


BBQ Chicken Pizza

Ingredients:
1 Lite Cali'flour Foods crust * (1/2 Lean, 3 Greens)
1.5 ounces cooked chicken breasts, diced (1/4 Lean)
1/4 cup reduced fat mozzarella cheese (1/4 Lean)
2 tbsp sugar free BBQ sauce (2 Condiments)
1 tbsp red onion, chopped (1 Condiment)
Garnish with 1 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped 

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Place crust on a vented pan and bake for about 10 min.
Let cool at least 5 to 10 minutes.
Spread bbq sauce over cooled crust.
Sprinkle chicken and red onion on cooled crust. 
Then add cheese.
Bake for 5 min or until cheese has melted.
Garnish with fresh cilantro.
Let cool for 5 min.

1 Serving with
1 Lean, 3 Greens, and 3 Condiments for the entire pizza

 * The recipe calculations are based on the Cali'Lite crusts and not the traditional cauliflower crusts.


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Here is a classic egg salad recipe that comes together quick and easy. It uses just a few ingredients proving simple is better.


There are several variations you can make to this egg salad. Try using fresh dill or parsley instead of chives. Or add chopped celery instead of dill pickles for that added crunch you crave in an egg salad. Chopped sweet red pepper or green onions would taste great as well!


I served this egg salad on two Outer Aisle Gourmet sandwich thins because I was craving a sandwich! They make excellent sandwiches without all the carbs of traditional bread. Two of these flatbreads count as 1/3 Lean and 2/3 of a Green! I find them at my local grocery store but check out their website for a store near you. 


They also taste delicious wrapped in lettuce. I used iceberg lettuce, but Boston, green leaf, romaine, or butter lettuce are also great choices. Which ever way you decide to eat them, enjoy this simple easy recipe!


Quick and Easy Egg Salad

Ingredients:
6 Hard boiled Eggs (2 Leans)
2 tsp dijon mustard (2 Condiments)
4 tbsp low fat plain Greek yogurt (2 Condiments)
2 tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped (1/2 Condiment)
1/4 tsp salt (1 Condiment)
1/4 tsp paprika (1/2 Condiment)
2 dill pickle spear, finely chopped* (1 Optional Snack)

Directions:
Peel and chop the eggs and put in a medium sized bowl.
Add dijon mustard, Greek yogurt, chives, salt, paprika and pickles. 
Stir gently until combined.
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 3 days.

Entire recipe makes 2 Servings
Each serving provides:
1 Lean, 3 Condiments, and 1/2 Optional Snack
(Add 3 Greens to complete your Lean and Green meal)

* If you prefer, you can use 1/2 cup of finely chopped celery , sweet red bell pepper, or green onions (1 Green) instead of dill pickles.

To use this egg salad on two Outer Aisle Gourmet sandwich thins,, divide the  entire recipe into 3 Servings instead of 2 Servings. This would give you 3 Servings with 2/3 Lean, 2 Condiments and 1/3 Optional Snack per Serving. Two sandwich thins will make up the other 1/3 Lean and 2/3 of a Greens. Add 2 and 2/3 more Greens to make a full Lean and Green meal.

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 Pumpkin Waffles


Ingredients:

1 Optavia Chocolate Chip or Golden Pancake (1 Fueling)

1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice (1/2 Condiment)

1 tbsp 100% canned pumpkin (1 Condiment)

1/4 cup water

2 tbsp Walden Farms pancake syrup (1/2 Condiment)


Directions:

Spray mini dash waffle maker with cooking spray and preheat.

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl, except pancake syrup. 

Add half of the batter to waffle maker.

Cook until the indicator light turns off or until done.

Then cook the rest of the batter.

Top with 2 tbsp of Walden Farms pancake syrup.


Makes 1 Serving

Each serving provides:

1 Fueling and 2 Condiments


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Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies! Yes please! I love how these cookies are perfect for those "on the go" days and don't use any additional Condiments. I purposely didn't add any extra ingredients such as egg whites, baking powder or sweetener so that I could keep this fueling hack simple without additional carbs. The drizzle of powdered peanut butter is totally optional, but makes these cookies even yummier! Enjoy!


Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:
1 Brownie Soft Bake (1 Fueling)
1 Chocolate Chip Soft Bake (1 Fueling)
4 tbsp water
Optional: 2 tbsp Powdered Peanut Butter (1 Optional Snack)
Additional water for Powdered Peanut Butter

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Combine ingredients in a small bowl.
Place batter on parchment paper and form two cookies, 
using wet hands to flatten the cookies since the batter will be sticky.
Bake for about 14 to 15 min or until done.
Combine powdered peanut butter with 1 to 1 1/2 tbsp of water. Drizzle powdered peanut butter mixture over cooled cookies.

Makes 2 Servings
Per Serving:
1 Fueling and 1/2 Optional Snack

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