Sandy's Kitchen: Lean and Greens

Showing posts with label Lean and Greens. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lean and Greens. Show all posts
I don't know about you guys, but I love zoodles!  They are such a great alternative to pasta. They are the most brilliant noodle base for healthy gluten free pasta! I will say that if it wasn't for Medifast, I would have never gotten any of these yummy veggies in my diet. In the past, I would have turned up my nose at the word squash! Now I love squash! Almost as much as cauliflower! Almost!


Any time you find a delicious recipe using pasta, switch out the pasta with zoodles for a healthier version! Besides, with zoodles you can have bigger servings without worrying about your waistline. One cup cooked spaghetti has about 220 calories and 43 grams of carbohydrate. One small zucchini made into "zoodles" (zucchini noodles) has 20 calories and 4 grams of carbohydrate. More zoodles for me please!


Zoodles are so easy to make. I have a spiralizer that I picked up from Amazon a few years ago which makes spiralizing squash ready in minutes! You can also purchase them already spiralized, but I have so much fun playing with my spiralizer that I won't be buying them already prepared! I have had this spiralizer since 2013, but there are so many different ones to choose from nowadays.

This dish is so meal to make! You probably don't need a recipe, but I posted it anyways... more for the measurement breakdown for those following the Medifast/ Optavia plan. If you don't prefer shrimp, decrease the oil to 1 tsp if you want to use cooked chicken. Enjoy!


Shrimp Marinara Zoodles

Ingredients:
2 tsp Stacey Hawkins Roasted Garlic Oil or olive oil (2 Healthy Fats)
7 ounces thawed, cooked shrimp (1 Leanest Lean)
1 cup spiralized zucchini and yellow squash (2 Greens)
1/2 cup Great Value Italian diced tomatoes, blended (1 Green)
1/4 tsp Garlic Salt (1 Condiment)
1/2 tsp Italian Seasonings (1 Condiment)
1 tbsp Grated Parmesan Cheese (1 Condiment)

Directions:
Heat oil in a medium sized skillet over medium high heat. Add spiralized squash and cook for a few minutes until slightly tender. Add shrimp, tomato sauce, garlic salt and Italian seasonings. Cook for about 2 minutes or until heated thoroughly. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

1 Serving with 1 Leanest Lean, 3 Greens, 3 Condiments and 2 Healthy Fats


Friday Night Pizza Night! My family loves these delicious cauliflower crusts, but I love them more because I can get my picky eaters to eat more veggies without even realizing it! These crusts are an approved option if you are doing the Medifast/ Optavia plan! The Lite Cali'flour Foods crusts count as 1 Lean and 3 Greens for the ENTIRE crust! They come in Sweet Red Pepper, Spicy Jalapeno, Original Italian or Plain crusts. The Plant Based crust is not on plan, but perfect for maintenance.



Tonight we are having Turkey Pepperoni and Sweet Italian Turkey Sausage Pizza! I normally have Italian turkey sausage already cooked and stored in the freezer in 6 ounce portion sizes. Measure out the amount you need and store the rest back in the freezer.


Interested in the crust? Link is below! Keep coming back and clicking the link to purchase! It helps support Sandy's Kitchen!

Pepperoni and Sweet Italian Sausage Pizza

Ingredients:
1 Lite Cali'flour Foods Crust * (1/2 Lean, 3 Greens)
2 tbsp Rao's marinara sauce (1 Condiment)
1/4 cup reduced fat mozzarella cheese, shredded (1/4 Lean)
3/4 ounce cooked Jennie-O Sweet Italian Turkey Sausage with 1/2 ounce turkey pepperoni slices ~about 8 slices (1/4 Lean)
2 tbsp fresh chopped basil (1/4 Condiment)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake crust for 10 minutes. Let cool for at least 10 min. Spread marinara sauce on top of crust.

Top with mozzarella cheese, turkey pepperoni slices, and cooked sweet Italian turkey sausage. Bake for 5 more minutes or until cheese has melted. Garnish with fresh basil.


1 Serving with
1 Lean, 3 Greens, and 1 1/4 Condiment for the entire pizza

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

*1 ounce of turkey pepperoni is counted as 1 ounce of protein that can be subtracted from your Lean.





I love all kinds of wraps and taco shells, but they tend to be higher in carbs and calories and not necessarily the best option for my waistline. The traditional wraps and taco shells are definitely not approved for the Medifast/ Optavia plan so what do we do when we want to enjoy our once favorite foods? We start looking for healthier options. Lettuce wraps are great, but sometimes you want MORE than a flimsy piece of lettuce holding all that wonderful yumminess. Maybe something a little more sturdier and seasoned to your liking than just lettuce. This is when Michelle Gray from http://foodiqueen.blogspot.com/ introduced me to these delicious zucchini wrap! They are made the same way as homemade cauliflower crusts, except we are using a different yummy vegetable! Why should cauliflower get all the attention? They take a little less cooking time than the cauliflower crusts and there is no flipping halfway through since the goal isn't to get them crunchy.  We want them to be soft so they can wrap around our food like a wrap or soft taco shell. These wraps are amazingly delicious so thanks for sharing the recipe Michelle!


Start off shredding your zucchini. I used about 4 medium sized zucchini and put them in the food processor. You could also use a hand grater, but watch those fingers! I happen to love mine and want to keep them! I put the zucchini in a cheese cloth and squeezed out any excess water, but Michelle only does this if her zucchini was frozen so it may not be necessary.


I like to use freshly grated reduced fat parmesan cheese. If you don't feel like shredding, you can purchase it already shredded.


Cumin and garlic powder are used in this recipe, but I used this seasoning instead of them. I love it on absolutely everything! It has onion, black pepper, celery seed, cayenne pepper, parsley, basil, marjoram, bay leaf, oregano, thyme, savory, rosemary, cumin, mustard, coriander, garlic, carrot, orange peel, tomato, lemon juice and lemon oil. Boy, that sure is a lot of seasonings!


If you want to make the wraps without using a Fueling, you can use almond flour instead. 1 1/2 tbsp of almond flour counts as 1 Healthy Fat. I got this from Amazon. 


Add your grated parmesan cheese, almond flour or grinded up fueling, beaten egg, and spices of choice to a large bowl.


Mix it up good!


Spread about 1 cup of mixture on parchment paper that is lightly sprayed with cooking spray. I got about 4 cups of mixture and this recipe makes 4 servings. This makes 1 large wrap per serving.


You can also make 2 small soft taco shells if desired, by spreading a 1/2 cup of mixture per circle on parchment paper.


Let it cool for at least 5 to 10 minutes.


Peel the wrap away from the parchment paper. Be careful! Broken or torn wrapss are no fun!


The smaller shells already baked and cooling down!


Soft taco shells ready to be filled and eaten! Get in my belly!


What's my favorite wrap? Chicken Caesar of course!


4.5 ounces of grilled chicken breasts (3/4 Leaner Lean) with 1/4 cup or 1 ounce of reduced fat cheese (1/4 Lean). Cheese on everything because cheese is life!


1 cup of romaine lettuce (1 Green), a few parmesan puffs which work great as croutons, and an approved dressing of your choice. I used Wishbone Light Creamy Caesar Dressing. 2 tbsp of this dressing counts as 1 Healthy Fat. If you are using dressing as your Healthy Fat, you should not use the almond flour when choosing chicken, since chicken requires only 1 Healthy Fat.


Mmmmmm... my favorite wrap!


Wrap it up and enjoy!


I don't even miss the croutons ! The parmesan puffs give the crunch and extra flavor that the croutons once did!


Pure deliciousness!


This pizza wrap is my son's favorite wrap! Add 1/4 cup of Rao's marinara sauce as 1 Green. Then 1/2 cup 2% reduced fat mozzarella cheese (1/2 Lean), 1/4 cup part skim ricotta cheese (1/4 Lean) and 1 ounce turkey pepperoni slices (1/4 Lean).


Bake for an additional 5 minutes or until the cheese has melted.


Wrap it up and enjoy! What's your favorite wrap? Tell me in the comments!


Zucchini Wraps
Recipe from Michelle at http://foodiqueen.blogspot.com/

Ingredients:
4 cups zucchini, shredded
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup grated reduced fat parmesan cheese
1 packet Optavia Honey Mustard Onion Sticks or Puffs grinded into powder form
Or 
1/4 cup + 1/2 tbsp almond flour which counts as 3 Healthy Fats
1/2 tsp black pepper ~ I used 1/4 tsp
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cumin

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly spray with cooking spray.
Combine shredded zucchini, egg, grated parmesan cheese, grinded Optavia fueling of choice (or almond flour), and spices in a large bowl until mixed thoroughly.
Drop 1 cup of mixture on prepared parchment paper. Spread mixture as thin as possible while forming a large circle for a tortilla wrap or two smaller circles (1/2 cup of mixture for each circle) for soft taco shells. The entire mix should make 4 large shells or 8 small shells.
Bake for 25 minutes for the larger circles. The smaller circles may need a few minutes less.
Let cool completely.
Peel the shells from the parchment paper very carefully.
Enjoy!

4 Servings with 2 Greens, 1/4 Fueling or 3/4 Healthy Fat (depending if you use the Fueling or almond flour), and 2 Condiments per Serving




Friday Night is Pizza Night and today is no exception! My husband and I both love steak, but we only have it on occasion. We didn't get a chance to celebrate Valentines Day on Wednesday so we are celebrating tonight! I know some might think... why don't you guys have a traditional steak dinner? Well, we both love pizza and steak so why not combine the two? You can still have pizza and still be romantic! I hope you enjoy this Cali'flour Foods creation as much as I do!


What is Cali'flour Foods pizza crust? It is only the best alternative pre-made pizza crust out there!
Made with only a few clean ingredients, locally sourced non-gmo cauliflower and spices, low carb, gluten free and guilt free crusts... what is there not to love? 


If you are following the Optavia/ Medifast plan, the entire crust counts as 1/2 a  Lean and 3 Greens! Four delicious flavors are plan approved which are the Spicy Jalapeno, Sweet Red Pepper, Original Italian, and Plain. The Plant based one is the only one not on plan. 

Yes! You can always make your own cauliflower crust, but these are so convenient to have on hand in the freezer! No mess, no stress, dinner ready in minutes and my entire family loves these crusts (even my picky 18 month old)! When they go on sale, stock up! These crusts last up to 9 months in the freezer! Click the link below to order! Every time you return and click my affiliate link, you help support Sandy's Kitchen!


Philly Cheese Steak Pizza

Ingredients:
1 Lite Cali'flour Foods Pizza Crust * (1/2 Lean, 3 Greens)
1/4 cup Bertolli Light Alfredo Sauce (2 Condiments)
1/2 cup reduced fat shredded mozzarella cheese (1/2 Lean)
1/4 cup green peppers, thinly sliced (1/2 Green)
1/4 cup mushrooms, sliced (1/2 Green)
2 tbsp onion, chopped (2 Condiments)
5 ounces cooked steak (1 Lean)


Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake pizza crust from frozen for 10 minutes. Allow the crust to cool at least 10 minutes.
Lightly spray a small non-stick with cooking spray. Cook green peppers, mushrooms and onion over medium high heat for a few minutes or until tender. Set aside.
Spread light alfredo sauce on top of crust. Add green peppers and mushrooms. Top with cooked steak. Sprinkle cheese over pizza. Bake for an additional 5 to 7 minutes or until cheese is melted. Let cool for 5 minutes. Cut in half and share with someone who also loves steak!


2 Servings with
1 Lean, 2 Greens (still need 1 more Green per serving), and 2 Condiments per serving (Half the pizza)

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



Are you looking for freezer friendly meals? I get asked about freezer meals all the time and for good reason! We don't always have time to cook every night, but sometimes we may have an evening or two a week to prep for future meals. We may have busy schedules, but we still want delicious home cooked meals right? Lasagna has always been a great choice when wanting a meal that freezes well! Instead of traditional carb-laden lasagna made with pasta, make lasagna using spaghetti squash. It has a mild flavor which tastes wonderful with marinara sauce. It has all the flavors of regular hearty lasagna, but this version is lighter and healthier! A dish your entire family can enjoy!


Roasted spaghetti squash, creamy ricotta cheese, sweet Italian turkey sausage, marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese! Comfort food to the max!


Spaghetti squash does have a tendency to release water when cooking. This is natural! I do find it to be less watery when I roast the squash in the oven rather cooking it in the microwave. Oven roasting is now my preferred method of choice. I think roasting makes all veggies taste better!


Begin by cutting the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and then scooping out all the seeds with a spoon. Get all those loose goopy (is that a word?) strands that are mixed in with the seeds too! Line a baking sheet with foil for easy clean-up. Spray the squash with olive oil cooking spray and season with salt and pepper if desired.


Place the squash cut side down and bake until tender.


I love how the squash gets nice and brown around the top edges.


Use a fork along the flesh to make long spaghetti-like strands in a bowl.


Delicious spaghetti squash strands! Ready to be used or eaten!


Measure out 1 cup of spaghetti squash and place it on the bottom of a container. Sprinkle basil and garlic powder on top. Then add ricotta cheese. I used foil containers because I was freezing additional future meals for later. These foil containers are great because they can go from the freezer to the oven without cracking or breaking, unlike glass containers. I got these containers from Amazon. Click HERE for the link!


Next, remove the sweet Italian turkey sausage from their casings and cook until the sausage is cooked thoroughly. Drain the fat and set aside.


Measure out 3 ounces of sausage and spread it over the ricotta cheese. Top with tomato sauce.


Sprinkle mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese on top. Bake for about 30 minutes or until heated thoroughly and cheese has melted.


I was able to make four lasagnas with my spaghetti squash. Three of those meals went into the freezer and the other one is getting in my belly! Label the containers with the name, date, and re-heating instructions. Yummy, healthy, comfort food prepped ahead of time! Enjoy!


Spaghetti Squash Lasagna

Ingredients:
1/4 cup 2% Mozzarella Cheese, shredded (1/4 Lean)
1/4 cup Part-Skim Ricotta Cheese (1/4 Lean)
1/4 tsp Garlic Powder (1/2 Condiment)
2 tsp grated Parmesan Cheese (2/3 Condiment)
1/2 tsp dried Basil (1/2 Condiment)
1 cup Spaghetti Squash, cooked (2 Greens)
1/2 cup Great Value Italian diced tomatoes, blended (1 Green)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Cut spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with a spoon. Place spaghetti squash on a baking sheet and spray with olive oil cooking spray. Season lightly with salt and pepper, if desired. Place the spaghetti squash cut side down on the baking sheet. Bake for about 45 minutes or until squash is tender. Remove from oven and let cool.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Using a fork, scrape the flesh to get spaghetti-like strands. Measure out 1 cup of spaghetti squash and place on the bottom of an oven-safe container. Sprinkle garlic powder and dried basil on top of spaghetti squash. Then drop small spoonfuls of the ricotta on top.

Remove the Italian sweet sausage from their casings. Place the sausage in a medium sized skillet and cook over medium-high heat until cooked thoroughly. Drain the fat from the sausage. Measure out 3 ounces of cooked sausage using a food scale. Sprinkle the sausage on top of the ricotta cheese. Then add tomato sauce on top of the sausage. Next, add mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 to 35 minutes or until heated thoroughly.

Makes 1 Serving

Each serving provides
1 Lean, 3 Greens, and 1.6 Condiments

If you decide to freeze them, place in the fridge the night before you plan to eat them. Bake at 350 degrees for about 35 to 40 minutes or until heated thoroughly.


Powered by Blogger.