Healthy Meatballs

My daughters LOVE meatballs like nobody's business.  They will order spaghetti and meatballs when ever they can (at least my youngest does.)  I found this recipe on a Ideal Protein Facebook group (Janeva Eickhoff's Ideal Protein recipes).  I want to make them for my youngest but not tell her that they are healthy and see what she thinks.  Only after  she goes for seconds will I inform her of the cauliflower content.  Bahahahahah - its a mother's dream come true!! 

Janeva's original recipe was for Buffalo Chicken Meatballs and they were fantastic. These are the larger size meatball.   I used the largest size Pampered Chef scoop to make these.  It made 14 meatballs.  On IP that's 7 per serving.  I could only eat 4-5 before I was stuffed!  I used Greek yogurt to cool them down a little.  The buffalo sauce was at the top end of my heat tolerance index.  To make these, just replace the marinara in the recipe below with Franks Buffalo wing sauce and you're good to go.

I also made them for spaghetti so I am putting that recipe out here.  For these, I used the smallest Pampered Chef scoop.  It made a whopping 32 meatballs 

I served them with a homemade marinara and whole wheat pasta.  You could easily use zoodles with this for a Phase 1 friendly dish.

Healthy Meatballs (adapted from Janeva Eickhoff)
Ingredients:
Meatballs
1 lb. ground chicken or turkey
2 C. cauliflower florets
½ C. grated zucchini
½ C. chopped green onion
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 ¼  tsp. sea salt
1/3 C. egg whites ( I used 1 whole egg in place of the egg whites)
Olive oil cooking spray

Homemade marinara
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 T parsley
1 T stevia
1 tsp basil
1 tsp marjoram
1 tsp oregano

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Mix all marinara ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and simmer until needed for meatballs
3.  Place cauliflower, green onions and zucchini in a food processor and pulse to a riced consistency.
4.  In a large bowl combine chicken, riced veggie mixture, garlic powder, onion powder, sea salt and egg whites.  Mix together gently.  Do not over mix.
5.  Spray a baking sheet with olive oil cooking spray.  Scoop meat mixture (about 2 T. for large  meatballs, or 1 T for smaller ones) and gently roll portions between palms to form a smooth ball.  Place on olive oil sprayed baking sheet.
6.  Bake meatballs for 20 minutes.  Remove meatballs from oven.
7.  Pour some of the marinara sauce in a bowl and transfer meatballs to the bowl; toss to coat. Let the meatballs sit in the sauce while you raise the oven temperature to 450 degrees.
8.  Drain the moisture and wipe the grease from the baking sheet.  Apply a fresh coat of olive oil cooking spray.
9.  When oven has reached 450 degrees, give meatballs another toss in the bowl, transfer meatballs and sauce to the baking sheet and bake on the top rack of the oven for 15 - 20 minutes.

10.  When finished cooking, toss in the remaining marinara and serve over pasta or zoodles

Whey Protein Blueberry Muffins

I was out perusing the interwebs for recipes that use liquid whey.  I have usually about a quart of whey left over from making yogurt and I always hate throwing it out, but never knew what to do with it.

Search success!!! I found this blueberry muffin recipe on the King Arthur Flour website.  They had a list of several things that you could make with whey, and some ideas for using it as a substitute.  Turns out you can generally use whey in place of buttermilk in recipes.  So much fun!!  I plan on checking some of the others out, but for now, enjoy the muffins

Here is the recipe for you convenience.

Liquid Whey Blueberry Muffins
Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour or Premium Whole Wheat Flour
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional
1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups buttermilk or plain (not Greek) yogurt; or 1 1/4 cups liquid whey*
cinnamon-sugar or coarse white sparkling sugar for topping, optional

*The liquid drained from plain yogurt when you make thick, Greek-style yogurt.

Directions:
1) Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly grease the cups of a standard muffin pan; or line with paper baking cups, and grease the paper cups.

2) Whisk together all of the dry ingredients, including the blueberries.

3) In a separate bowl, whisk together the vanilla, vegetable oil, and buttermilk or whey.

4) Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients, stirring just to combine.

5) Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling them nearly full. A slightly heaped muffin scoop of batter is the right amount.

6) Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with coarse sparkling sugar or cinnamon sugar, if desired.

7) Bake the muffins for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle of one of the center muffins comes out clean.

8) Remove the muffins from the oven, and after 5 minutes (or when they're cool enough to handle) transfer them to a rack to cool. Serve warm, or at room temperature. Store leftovers loosely wrapped at room temperature.


Yield: 12 muffins.

Going off script - lamb stew

So I posted about my freezer meal workshop and signing up with Wildtree last time.   I'm still working my way through the meals we made at the workshop.  I pulled out the lamb this weekend.  It was marinating in Greek spices, lemon juice and grapeseed oil.  It was supposed to be for kabobs.  But it got chilly over the weekend and we hadn't gotten the grill out yet.  I didn't really feel kabobs either.  So I went off script and made lamb stew.  I used the lamb, chopped some carrots, parsnips and turnips.  I wanted potatoes but didn't want the carb dose so I subbed in the turnips and hoped they would be a good substitute.  I also added a can of diced tomatoes, a small can of tomato paste and about 2 c of unsalted chicken stock.  Stirred it up, turned the crock pot on high for 4 hours and waited to see what would emerge.

Look at that scrumptiosness!  It was fabulous!  The lamb was so tender that you could cut it with a spoon.  Maybe that's how lamb is supposed to be.  I haven't had it in a while, but I don't remember it being that soft.  The Greek seasoning from Wildtree was a nice light but balanced flavor.  Really, really good.  Definitely a keeper!!

Greek Stew
2 lb lamb or beef, cut in about 1" cubes
2 tsp Wildtree Natural Grapeseed oil
2 tsp Wildtree Opa! Greek seasoning blend
1/2 Tbsp lemon juice.

5-6 carrots, peeled and chopped
3-4 parsnips, peeled and chopped
2 medium turnips, peeled and diced
2 c chicken or beef stock
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can tomato paste

Mix first 4 ingredients in a gallon sized ziploc bag.  Allow to marinate at least 4 hours.  This can also be placed in the freezer and thawed out when you want to make the stew.

Add meat with marinade and rest of ingredients to a crock pot.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Stir it all up to combine  Sprinkle more Opa! Greek seasoning over the mixture in the crock pot if desired (I added about 1 T more)   Cook on high for 4 hours (or low for 8 hrs.  I cooked on high so can vouch for that method).

About a half hour before its done mix cornstarch with water and add to the stew to thicken to desired thickness.  I like my stews thick and hearty so I added about 2-3 Tbsp cornstarch mixed with maybe 1/4 c water.  But that is up to you and the consistency you like in your stews.

Once its done cooking, let it cool a bit then eat up.  You could serve this with a nice crusty bread, over rice (or cauliflower rice for even more veg) or just straight up in a bowl like we had it.

Enjoy!!

Peanut Butter Cups from Team Beach Body

Sweets are my downfall.  In more ways than 1.   Its what I tend to crave and if I overindulge its what will make me sicker than a dog!  So when I can find a recipe that curbs my sweet tooth and is at least marginally more healthy, I'm all about that.

I was out perusing the Team Beach Body website and looking at recipes when I found this one for peanut butter cups.  Secret ingredient: pumpkin.  You read that right.  Pumpkin.  So a little veg hidden in the sweet treat.  I was skeptical but willing to try them.  I am SO glad I did!

I did change a couple of things, mostly in the prep.  I used PB2 (hazelnut and chocolate mixed) instead of natural peanut butter.  I used the same  amounts and that is reflected in the recipe below and nutrition information.

I also used my Pampered Chef tart shaper to make the cups out of the pumpkin mixture with a little plastic wrap over the pan.  This worked great to make a "cup" that I filled with PB2 and covered with chocolate.

Here they are filled with PB2

 

And here they are after being in the freezer for about an hour

Here is the original recipe from TBB: Peanut Buter Cups

Here's is my slightly modified version

Ingredients:
¼ cup dark chocolate morsels
2 scoops Chocolate Shakeology (or protein whey powder)
1 Tbsp. flax meal
½ cup pumpkin puree
2 TBSP Chocolate PB2
2 TBSP Hazelnut PB2
2 TBSP water

 Preparation:

1. Mix PB2 with 2 TBSP of water and set aside
2. Prepare twelve mini muffin cups by lining with muffin papers.
3. Place morsels in microwave-safe container. Microwave on 50% power for 30 seconds; stir; microwave for an additional 30 to 45 seconds or until just melted. Do not overcook. Set aside.
4. Place Shakeology,flax meal, and pumpkin in a food processor. Pulse until it forms a dough.
5. Divide dough into 12 small balls; place each ball in a muffin cup. Press dough down into a flat disk with a depression in the middle. (I covered my mini muffin pan with plastic wrap and used a tart shaper to make spread the dough around).  Place ½ tsp. prepared PB2 in each depression.
6. Drizzle 1/2 tsp melted morsels evenly over each peanut butter cup; spread to create a thin chocolate layer on top.
7. Freeze for 30 minutes, or until chocolate hardens.

Nutritional Information (per serving):
Calories: 63
Fat: 2
Carbs: 7 (net: 5)
Fiber: 2
Protein: 4

Slow Cooker Cassoulet from 12Tomatoes

I like casseroles and crock pot meals for their simplicity.  When I made cassoulet (a french peasant dish) in a cooking class it was kind of a lot of work.  This version is much, much simpler and very tasty.  Since I've never had cassoulet in France, I can not attest to its authenticity, but it was really good none-the-less.



You can find the original recipe here on the 12Tomatoes website.

I copied it below with the changes I made (mostly adding more meat :) )

Slow Cooker Cassoulet

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

• 6 sweet Italian sausage links, skins pierced all over with a fork
• 1 pound lean boneless pork tenderloin roast, fat trimmed, cubed
• 2 (15 oz.) cans cannellini beans (or your choice white beans), drained
• 1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes, drained
• 3 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large white onion, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions

1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook sausage until browned on all sides, then cut into small rounds and transfer to slow cooker.
2. Add chopped onion to skillet and sauté for 5 minutes, or until tender. Add garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes, or until toasted.
3. Transfer to slow cooker and season with salt, pepper. Add bay leaf, rosemary and thyme.
4. Place cubed pork in slow cooker and pour in tomatoes and beans.
5. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours.
6. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Transfer to serving bowls and garnish with parmesan cheese.
7. Enjoy!

Nutrition Information from MyFitnessPal

Calories: 433

Fat: 18

Carbs: 28 (net: 22)

Fiber: 6

Protein: 39

Healthy Crock Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup from SkinnyTaste

Here is another great soup recipe from SkinnyTaste.com.  I've been really happy with everything I've tried from both the blog and Gina's cook book.

Crock Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup

Doesn't that look good!


Give it a try.  Its pretty tasty:

Power Muffins

I joined a Challenge group through work.  Its an accountability group for diet &
exercise.  A friend of mine is coordinating it.  (Kate is a Beach Body coach so
if any of you are looking for someone to help you in your journey, I got
contacts ;) )

One of the ladies in the group loves to bake and she shared this original recipe
of hers with us.  Raina gave me permission to share it here.

These are incredibly delicious!  The only change I made was to use chocolate PB2
(powdered peanut butter).  I actually used the Hy-Vee brand in the Hy Vee health
market.  Its much lower calorie and fat than regular peanut butter but tastes
pretty darn good - especially the chocolate version:)

This recipe made regular sized 14 muffins.  Serving is 1 muffin.   

Power Muffins
 2c Hodgson Mill whole wheat insta-bake
1c vanilla almond milk 
1/2c stevia
1/2 c PB2 and 1/4 c water (or 1/2 c all natural peanut butter)
2 eggs
1/2tsp vanilla
1/4c chia seeds
1/4c ground flax seed
1/2c chopped nuts (I used pecans)
3/4c whole rolled oats
1/4 cup unsweetened dark chocolate chips.

Mix everything together.  Bake at 325 for between 12-15 minutes for mini muffins (~20 min for regular sized muffins).

SO GOOD!

Nutrition information from MyFitnessPal.com 
     (this is for the PB2 version.  For real PB, its showing 210 cal)
Amount Per Serving
calories 166
Total Fat 7 g
    Saturated Fat 2 g
    Monounsaturated Fat 2 g
    Polyunsaturated Fat 2 g
    Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 30 mg
Sodium 155 mg
Potassium 68 mg
Total Carbohydrate 23 g
    Dietary Fiber 6 g
    Sugars 3 g


Protein 6 g

Oatmeal Recipes from HungryGirl.com

Breakfast on Maintenance just keeps getting better and better ... today's awesomeness is brought to you from Lisa over at HungryGirl.com

A question was asked of The Hungry Girl of how to have a satisfying breakfast that won't kill you on calories (and isn't all egg whites and vegetables).  The answer was : oatmeal.  But Oatmeal made in a whole new way.

The ingredients include twice as much liquid as normally used and it is cooked for twice as long so it get super thick and super creamy.

There are 2 recipes on Lisa's blog : Carnival and Blueberry Muffin Oatmeal

Since the Carnival oatmeal involved caramel, peanuts and chocolate chips I thought I'd try that one first.

Since the prep time is kinda long I made it the night before and reheated it at work.  That way it can be used as a weekday breakfast.  It heated up really well.  And the portion size is HUGE!!

Here's my bowl ...

Now that I've tried this one I'm going to try the Blueberry Muffin version on the same blog post.

Here's the recipe for your reference.
Oversized Carnival Oatmeal

Serves 1

Ingredients:
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1 no-calorie sweetener packet
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. salt
1 cup Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
1/4 cup mashed extra-ripe banana (about 1/2 large banana)
1 1/2 tsp. fat-free, low-fat, or light caramel dip
1 tsp. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tsp. chopped peanuts

Directions:
In a nonstick pot, combine oats, sweetener, cinnamon, salt, and Almond Breeze. Mix in 1 cup water.

Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cook and stir for 10 minutes.

Add banana and mix well. Cook and stir until thick and creamy, 2 - 5 minutes.

Transfer to a medium bowl and let slightly cool and thicken. Top with remaining ingredients, and enjoy!

MAKES 1 SERVING

Chocolate Mint muffins from BeachBody

Muffins are a wonderful food ... especially healthy muffins.  My BB coach, Kate, shared this recipe on Facebook and I thought "I have to make these"....you had me at chocolate!

Here is a link to the BeachBody.com recipe: chocolate mint muffins 

Now before you turn your nose up you should try these.  I have had other treats that used beans as a base (a delicious brownie torte comes to mind from Healthy Girl Bakery here in my town).  It was amazing!  While these are so much better than a regular muffin I still try to view them as a treat.  Because, well you know, chocolate.  And mint.  I could probably eat the whole batch if I didn't limit myself somehow.

Here is the recipe for reference

Ingredients:
1 (15-oz) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained, rinsed
3 large eggs
½ cup raw honey
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
3 Tbsp. coconut oil, melted
½ tsp. pure peppermint extract

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Prepare 12 muffin cups by lining with muffin papers or coating with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
3. Place chickpeas, eggs, honey, cocoa powder, baking soda, coconut oil, and extract in blender or food processor; cover. Blend until smooth.
4. Place batter in a medium bowl.
5. Divide batter among 12 prepared muffin cups.
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
7. Cool completely and enjoy!

Nutrition Info from BeachBody.com (including portionology for some fitness programs)

Mini Pepper Chicken Nachos

I love nachos, especially all dripping with cheese.  Since I really trying to watch my carbs, the chips are not so good but the internet to the rescue!!!   I found this recipe for mini bell pepper chicken nachos  - it uses mini bell peppers instead of chips.  They are fantastic!!

I found the recipe on Facebook but am linking to the original poster of it.

Here is my pan of them hot from the oven

and my plateful.  You get about a quarter of the pan.  

To cut down on fat (or make it Phase 1 friendly) use GO Veggie soy cheese - cheddar or cheddar - pepper jack shreds.

Or use a mix of cheddar and Monterrey jack if you dare

Snacking just got a while lot better!

Minestrone Soup

During the winter I love soup.  I make a big batch and freeze half.  I'm so glad I did because this past week we got another batch of cold weather and I thawed out my minestrone and lunch was done for the week

Try it for yourself.

Minestrone Soup

Ingredients:

½ lb sweet Italian sausage

1 c. diced  Onion

1 cloved minced garlic

1 c. carrots, diced

1 tsp basil

¼ tsp oregano

2 small zucchinis, diced

1 – 1 lb can Italian tomatoes (diced or stewed)

20 oz beef  stock

1 – 1lb can red or white kidney beans

½ c. rice or barley

½ c. red wine

1 Tbsp oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Brown sausage in oil in a large kettle or stock pot over medium heat.  Add onion, garlic, carrot and basil.  Cook for 5 minutes.  Add zucchini, tomatoes, broth, and oregano.

Bring to boil then simmer for 1 hour. 

Add beans with liquid, rice/barley and wine.  Simmer another 20 minutes or until grain is cooked (note barley will take 30-40  minutes to cook to desired firmness)

Serve with grated parmesan.

Enjoy!

Maple Dijon Chicken

I went in for my monthly check in with my coach last week.  Lindsay was running behind (or I was earlier than usual) and I heard Dusty, another coach, talking about some recipes.  This is one that she mentioned and I grabbed a copy and made it that night for dinner.  It was really good.  Pair it up with some roasted asparagus (and roasted potatoes on phase 4) and you've got a winner of a chicken dinner.

Dijon Chicken

½ c Dijon mustard

¼ c maple syrup (Phase 4, or use 1/4 c WF pancake syrup for Phase 1)

1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

4 chicken breasts

Salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste

Pat chicken dry.  Lay in a baking dish and season with salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste.

Mix mustard, syrup and vinegar together and pour over chicken

Top with more pepper, fresh rosemary and thyme if desired

Bake at 425 for 35-40 minutes.

Super Simple Chicken and Zoodles with a lemon pepper vinaigrette

Sometimes you just want dinner to be easy.  But easy and on plan don't always go together, unless you plan ahead a little bit.

My planning for tonight was two step.

First, our grocery store had rotisserie chickens on special, buy 2 for a special price.  SO I bought 2.  We had one for dinner over the weekend and the other I picked the meat off to have for lunches or whatever through out the week.

Step 2, when I make zoodles I make a lot  ... I mean like 3 or 4 zucchinis worth.  That way I get my veg and can save some for lunches later in the week.

So 2 of the elements of tonight's dinner were already well in hand.  All I needed was some sauce/spice to go with it and I would be set.  I made up a batch of a lemon vinaigrette I learned how to make in my first cooking class and drizzled it over the chicken and zoodles after I'd warmed them in the microwave (make sure to drain/pat dry the zoodles after you warm them because they will still release a bit of water when they are rewarmed)

Here's the recipe from Against all grain I use for zoodles.

Here is the vinaigrette recipe.  This is the same one I used for this sauteed asparagus and pasta dish from a while back.  I included the original (balsamic) version since I'm going to be back in Maintenance in a week or so (after my January reset).  The balsamic version is for Phase 4 only.  The Apple cider vinegar version is Phase 1 friendly

Lemon Pepper Vinaigrette
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest (optional)
1/4 shallot, diced

To make the Phase 4 version: use 2 tsp aged balsamic vinegar and 1 tsp red wine vinegar
To make the Phase 1 version : use 2 tsp apple cider vinegar

Salt and Pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients.  Drizzle about 1  to 1.5 TBSP over chicken and zoodles.

Kung Pao Chicken with Zoodles from SkinnyTaste

I love Chinese food.  Even better when I can make it at home.  Even better than that when its a healthy version.

I love SkinnyTaste.com for this reason.  So far I have loved every dish I've made from the website and cookbook.  This Kung Pao chicken was a bit of a stretch because I am kind of sensitive when it comes to spicy food.  Ironic that I married a man who loves Indian food and thinks most things I make are mild (even when I'm choking because my face is on fire:)  So I thought  - OK I'l try kung pao chicken,  That's kinda spicy right, so the hubs ought to like it ... and it was spicy and he did like it.  It was just on the edge of what I can eat but boy was it good.  And now I have another recipe that uses zoodles ... I love me some zoodles.  I feel like I'm eating pasta but its zucchini :)  Win win in my book!

This is a Phase 4 recipe.  I'm not sure I could make it Phase 1 and still have it taste as good so I left it alone.  I may try some swaps (splenda for sugar is easy, its the Balsamic I'm worried about ...maybe apple cider vinegar.  And possibly a thin cauliflower puree to replace the cornstarch to thicken the sauce).  If I get to trying that I'll update this post or make a new one with the Phase 1 recipe on it.  For now just look forward to it when you hit maintenance!

Here is the kung pao with zoodles as eaten for dinner tonight

Here's a link to the recipe: kung pao chicken with zoodles

No Bake Chocolate Chip Protein Snack

I went to a Yoga and Wine class last week.  I was told "light yoga".  I thought I could do that.  I'm hear to tell you there is No Such Thing as Light Yoga!!!   It kicked my sorry little butt.  I was just really happy that I had a massage scheduled for the next day :)

No really it was a great night and showed me how I need to get movement and flexibility back into the routine.  Then it really might have been a light yoga class :)

Another bright note of the evening was the snack Lindsay made.  Chocolate Chip protein balls.  You heard the right ... I improved them a bit and made Double Chocolate Chocolate chip protein balls ... .mighty fine snackin' if I do say so myself.  And only around 130 calories each!

Enjoy!


Double Chocolate Chocolate Chip Protein Balls*
1.5 c quick oats
1/3 c ground flax
4 scoops chocolate whey protein powder
1/2 c natural peanut or almond butter
2 Tbsp Enjoy Life semi sweet mini chips
3 Tbsp honey or agave
1/2 cold water

Mix everything together.  Use a medium scoop (or 2 Tbsp) and form into balls.  Freeze/store in the freezer.  These are soft enough to eat right from the freezer.

Makes 18

*Optional - add a few drops of stevia if the dough doesnt taste sweet enough

Nutrition Info from MyFitnessPal.,com
Calories 133
Fat 5 g
Carb 11 g (Net 9 g)
Fiber 2 g
Protein 10g

Kate's Miso Tahini Acorn Squash

I remember my mom making acorn squash when I was growing up.  I hated it ... who would want to eat squash.  Well as most things go, as I grew up I realized my mom may just have know some things about cooking :)  

I like all kinds of squash now (spaghetti squash, butternut squash and of course zucchini and yellow winter squash)  I have yet to try acorn squash.  I was talking to a friend at work who told me I just had to try this recipe.  It was from a program she had done and it was one of her favorite recipes.

Since I just happened to have an acorn squash sitting on the counter waiting for an epiphany to figure out what to do with it, I thought I'd give it a try.

Here it is waiting to be baked

It turned out fabulous.  The miso and tahini mixture kind of crusted over as it baked.  It was a really nice flavor paired with the squash.  This recipe is a definite keeper.  Very warm and satisfying on a not-so-called autumn evening.  No I want to experiment more with both winter / hard squash and miso/tahini.  I've also seen some miso salmon glazes around the internet.  I suspect that will be coming to a kitchen near me sometime very, very soon.

Here is the recipe courtesy of Kate

Miso Tahini Acorn Squash 

Serves 2
Ingredients

1 medium kabocha (or acorn) squash, cut in half and seeds removed

4 Tbsp. sesame tahini

2 tsp. miso paste

1 clove garlic, chopped

2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 400° F.

Place squash half cut side up on baking sheet.

Combine tahini, miso, garlic, and oil in a small bowl; mix well.  Cover cut side of squash evenly with tahini mixture.  Bake for 30 minutes, or until squash is fork tender.

Nutrition from MyFitnessPal.com

Calories: 352

Total Fat: 23 g

   Saturated Fat: 4 g

Cholesterol: 0 mg

Sodium: 217 mg

Carbohydrate: 35 g

   Fiber: 5 g

   Sugar: 1 g

Protein: 10 g

Amanda's Homemade Yogurt (sans yogurt maker)

So once I started Phase 3 I was so excited to be able to eat yogurt again.  I had taken a class from Becky and she talked about making her own yogurt and I wanted to try too.  I found a bulk yogurt maker on Amazon and promptly ordered and made my first batches of yogurt, 5 cups a a time.  When I mentioned this to my dear friend Amanda she said "Why'd you get a yogurt maker?"  and promptly sent me this super simple recipe for the best dang Greek yogurt this Iowa girl has ever eaten.  And bigger batches.  Instead of making yogurt every couple of days, I make it every week or two.  MUCH more economical

For the amount of milk, I only use a half gallon.  I don't need great amounts at any one time and this makes enough for me to eat, occasionally cook with and if the hubs wants some he can have some too.  If you want a greater amount of yogurt go with the full gallon.  Still use the 8 oz carton of plain yogurt as your starter.

This is plain yogurt at the end.  I'm not sure how you would make a flavored yogurt, but I like mine plain with honey and some blueberries so this works perfect for me.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

1/2 - 1 gal. whole milk

1 8 oz container of plain, Greek yogurt (I always use the full fat version)

Tools

Food thermometer

A large pot with matching lid

Two large towels

Sieve

Large bowl (big enough for the sieve)

Cheesecloth or flour sack (non fuzzy) kitchen towel

* Two or three clothespins (optional)

The process

Pour the gallon of milk in the large pot.  Heat on low/med heat until it reaches 180 degrees, stirring occasionally to cut down on the "skin" on the top and the burning on the bottom

When the milk reaches 180 degrees, turn off the heat and move the pot to a cool burner.  Continue to monitor the temp.  When the temp reaches 125, add at least half of the container of yogurt into the warm milk.  I always use a full container but as little as a 1/4 cup will work.  Stir lightly.  Put the lid on the pot.  Wrap one towel around the pot.  Fold the other towel in half and cover the top.  Put the pot in the corner of the kitchen counter and leave it alone for 24 hours.  

After 24 hours, take off the towels and lid.  You'll see whey (a clear liquid) on the top.  The yogurt should be semi solid.  Now it is time to set up drain the whey (optional, but this is the way you make thick Greek yogurt).  Take the sieve, cheesecloth/towel, and bowl.  Put the sieve inside the bowl.  Line the sieve with the cheesecloth.  *sometimes it is nice to have wooden closepins to clip the cheesecloth to the sieve*  Pour the yogurt into the cheesecloth sieve.  Cover the sieve with the lid (optional).  Let the whey drain out of the yogurt for an hour or two.  

Store in the frig.  Eat at your leisure

Lindsay's Overnight Oats In A Jar (OOIAJ)

Mornings can be hectic (especially when you hit the snooze 2 or 3 times before actually getting up :))  I know for me, breakfast really is the most important meal of the day and if I'm rushed it can set a bad tone (food-wise) for the whole day.

One of the recipe's my awesome coach gave me when I started Phase 3 was Overnight Oats In A jar (or OOIAJ as I call it in my head).   I had never heard of such a thing before and wondered if it could really be that good.  But Lindsay swore by it so I gave it a try and of course it was delicious!  Simple too.  Just fill a mason jar (or other container) with all the ingredients and let it soak over night.  To make it even more streamlined, I fill mason jars with all the ingredients except the yogurt and the milk and stick it in the freezer.  I usually have 2 or 3 in the freezer at any one time.  When I know the morning is going to be hectic, I pull a mason jar out of the freezer before I go to bed, add the milk and yogurt and let it sit in the frig overnight.  In the morning I stir it up and put the lid back on and take it to work.  It doesn't get any easier than that!  Its filling and creamy and peanut butter-y.

Here is the recipe:

Lindsay's OOIAJ
1/3 c. quick oats
1/8 tsp vanilla
1/2 banana (or 2-3 T fruit of your choice)
1 T all natural peanut butter (only nuts and salt on the ingredient list)
1/3 c skim milk
2 T plain Greek yogurt (I use homemade - I'll post that recipe sometime soon)

If you are freezing it for later - mix first 4 ingredients in s mason jar or freezer container.  Make sure its big enough to hold the milk and yogurt later.  When ready to eat, add milk and yogurt and let sit in the frig overnight.  Stir it up before you eat it to mix all the flavors.

If making just a single serving, mix all the ingredients and let it sit for at least 5 hours to soak the oats.  Stir and enjoy

Nutrition information (courtesy of MyFitnessPal.com)
Calories: 319
Fat: 12 g
Total Carb: 40 g (Net carb: 35 g)
Dietary Fiber: 5 g
Protein: 13 g

Pizza Bites (Stuffed Mushrooms)

Let me start off with I am not a mushroom fan.  But If they get masked by what ever they are with I can handle them.  These pizza bites use a baby portabella mushrooms as the base for a sausage meatball, pizza sauce and cheese.  They are in a word - phenomenal

Here is a link to the super simple recipe:  Baby Pizza Bites

The only change I made was the cooking method.  I am not much of a griller and the hubs was otherwise occupied (setting up the RPG game area for the company we were having that evening).  So I decided to bake them.

I cooked them at 400 for about 20 minutes.  Sacrifice one and cut it in half to make sure the sausage is cooked all the way through before you top it with the sauce (OH and I found a no sugar added pizza sauce too - Great Value brand at Wal-Mart - it was great on these and I used the left over sauce in a pasta bake the next night).

I topped with mozzarella (since they were for company and I was out of the soy cheese) and then returned them to the oven to broil for about a minute - just to get the cheese melty and gooey.

They are also super cute on a plate and look all fancy for the little bit of work they take.

Here is the recipe for reference:

Baby Pizza Bites (great for all phases)

Ingredients

12 button mushrooms, wiped of any dirt and stems removed

½ lb Italian chicken sausage

1 egg ehite

¼ to ½ c no sugar added marinara sauce

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400.

Wipe down your mushrooms and remove stems. Then place them stem side up on a plate.

Throw your Italian chicken sausage in a bowl along with your egg white. Use your hands to combine it all together.

Then make tablespoon size balls of the meat mixture and plop them into the cap of the mushrooms.

Place on a sheet pan (with sides) and bake for 20-25 minutes or until sausage is cooked through.

Remove pan from oven and turn on the broiler.  Top each mushroom and sausage cap with either pizza/marinara sauce and a little mozz. Pop back in the oven for a minute or so until cheese is melted and bubbly!

Stick a toothpick in it and EAT IT.

Carrot Ginger Soup

Fall is the perfect time for soup.  Its also a Phase 4 suggested dinner.  Its warm and satisfying on a cold fall evening and many soups are jam packed with vegetables and low in fat and carbs.  One of my favorite soups is a Carrot Ginger soup I learned in the second week of my first cooking class ever.   Its amazing!

I served this with some toasted grain free bread from AgainstAllGrain.com.  I am really liking this site.  While not all gluten free recipes are low carb, I've been able to find several between the website and Danielle's cook books (which I purchased for my kindle) that are great tasting and fairly healthy (non-processed ingredients, healthy fats, etc). I am finding the gluten free sweet treats made with almond and coconut flour are just as satisfying to my sweet tooth and these are lower in carbs mainly due to the flour used.  I don't know if I can repost the recipes or if I will just provide links, but I will ask that question.  Either way, expect to see some banana bread and "granola" bar recipes in the near future. The granola is made from crushed nuts and is so satisfying I can barely finish one!  But that's a post for another day.  You came here today for a soup recipe and soup recipe you shall have

Here you go ...

Carrot Ginger Soup (From The Culinary Experience Class at Kirkwood)

Ingredients:

1 T butter (or ghee)

½ Onion, chopped

½ celery stalk, chopped

½ sweet potato, chopped

½ parsnip, chopped

3 c. carrots, chopped

1 ½ tsp minced fresh ginger root (equivalent to ½ tsp ground ginger)

3 c. chicken stock

¼ c. heavy cream (or coconut creamer or Greek yogurt)

¼ tsp grated nutmeg

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Melt butter in large pot.  Add onion and celery and cook until soft

Stir in sweet potato, parsnip, carrots, ginger and stock.   Bring to a boil.  Lower heat, cover and simmer about 20 minutes.

Pour soup into a food processor or blender and process until smooth.  Return soup to pot.  Stir in cream and nutmeg.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Reheat slowly to serve.

Enjoy!

Nutrition facts: Using ghee and coconut creamer (from MyFitnessPal.com)

Calories: 212

Fat: 4 g

Total Carbs:  37 g (Net Carbs: 31g)

Fiber: 6 g

Protein: 7 g