Monthly Archives: May 2014

Recipes Vegetarian

Trader Joe’s Red Pepper & Basil Quesadilla

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One of my favorite lunches is a quesadilla hot off the griddle. Quesadillas are a perfect way to use up small items in your fridge while enjoying a healthy and portable lunch.

I started with one of TJ’s organic whole wheat and corn tortillas. I covered the tortilla with TJ’s mozzerella soy cheese and a sprinkle of shaved Parmesan cheese. I prefer not to mix proteins with starches however a tablespoon of Parmesan cheese really takes this quesadilla to a new level. Then I layered the following ingredients on 1/2 of the tortilla:

thinly sliced red bell pepper

thinly sliced red onion

torn basil leaves

torn mint leaves (I only added the mint leaves because I wanted a bigger quesadilla and didn’t have enough basil – you can skip the mint leaves without affecting the outcome)

Place the tortilla with it’s fillings in a lightly oiled pan over medium-high heat. When the cheese has melted and the bottom of the tortilla is a little past lightly browned. I like my quesadillas to have a crispy tortilla. I really think it adds to the flavor of the final product.

Once the tortilla is browned to your liking, slide the quesadilla onto a plate and fold the unfilled side over the filled side. Sit down to lunch with a gigantic smile on your face.

If you’re counting carbs then you’ll want to know that this quesadilla is 22 net carbs and if you use a whole wheat low carb tortilla then you can shave this down to 6 net carbs!

If you’re counting calories then you’ll be happy to hear that this lunch will set you back 230 calories and if you use a whole wheat low carb tortilla then you’ll be even happier to hear that this lunch will be only 150 calories!

If you’re eating vegan, you can skip the Parmesan cheese or use a vegan Parmesan.

High Protein Kid Friendly Recipes

Tacos Etc.

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Tacos are a favorite around here and so easy to make that I generally like to make up a big batch of taco-seasoned meat and then use it throughout the week in other dishes. I also make up my own taco seasoning mixture in bulk for two reasons – 1) I haven’t found any taco seasoning mixes that don’t come loaded with sugar, white flour and/or corn products and 2) it’s easier to make it up in bulk and use it the next few times I make tacos. I’ve included the bulk seasoning recipe below. Don’t sweat it if you don’t have all these ingredients – tacos are very forgiving.  And if you have a sugar-free, flour-free seasoning mix you can eliminate all of the spices including the salt and pepper.

You’ll set aside half of the seasoned meat to make a Taco Salad the next day for lunch and Taco Eggs for breakfast or another dinner.

I like fresh tomato salsa way better than the jarred stuff, however I like the consistency better when it’s roughly pureed. Drain off some of the juice and dump the remaining salsa into your Magic Bullet or blender and pulse a few times until the consistency is more like a chunky sauce than diced tomatoes in liquid. Add some of the liquid back if needed. Any leftover liquid can be added to tomato soup or make up a quick salad dressing by stirring it into sour cream or yogurt.

Don’t sweat it if you don’t have all the ingredients listed below. Tacos are very forgiving. If you have a sugar-free, flour-free seasoning mix you can eliminate all of the spices including the salt and pepper.

Tacos are also a great way to have a family dinner when not everybody is interested in eating healthy or low carb. But beware, some low carbers I’ve talked to have assumed that there are no carbs in taco meat but there are a lot of spices that go into making the taco meat, enough to give this recipe a carb count of ½ carb per ½ pound of meat. That’s not a lot, but if you’re in Phase 1 of a low carb eating plan 1/2 a carb is worth accounting for. I’ve included the carb counts for all the recipes here, although all of these recipes are just plain delicious and healthy whether you’re eating low carb or not.

There are 8 servings in this recipe, 4 to serve for dinner and the other 4 to set aside for 2 more meals.

Taco Meat Ingredients:

2 pounds lean ground beef, pork or turkey

2 tablespoons chili powder

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons paprika

2 teaspoons sea salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon onion powder

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (medium hot) or just eliminate them for a milder taco

½ teaspoon dried oregano

½ cup water

Taco Ingredients:

½ cup tomato salsa

½ cup shredded cheddar cheese

16 romaine or butter lettuce leaves

Instructions:

Cook ground beef on medium heat until no longer pink. Drain well and return to pan. Stir in spices and cook for 10 minutes. Set aside half of the taco seasoned beef for lunch tomorrow.

Spoon about ¼ cup meat mixture into one lettuce leaf. Top with 1 tablespoon cheese and 1 tablespoon salsa. Roll up and secure with a toothpick. Or skip the toothpick and eat immediately after rolling.

Taco Seasoning Mix

¼ cup chili powder

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon paprika

1 tablespoon sea salt

2 teaspoons black pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

½ to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon dried oregano

Use 2 tablespoons of seasoning per pound of meat.

 

Taco Salad

2 servings = 9 carbs per serving

This is a bit carb heavy for a Phase 1 lunch, however if you go light on carbs for the rest of the day you’ll be fine.

If this isn’t enough food for your lunch you can add up to 2 cups shredded lettuce for a mere ½ carb for the entire 2 cups.

Ingredients:

¼ recipe Mexi-Cauli Rice (half of the leftovers set aside)

½ Haas (California) avocado

2 tablespoons black olives, sliced

¼ recipe Beefy Tacos (half of the leftovers set aside)

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon ground coriander

1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice

¼ cup sour cream or crème fraiche

Instructions:

In a medium bowl layer Mexi-Cauli Rice, avocado, and Beefy Tacos.

In a small bowl stir together spices, citrus juice and sour cream. Pour dressing over salad. Toss to combine. Season to taste with salt if needed.

 

Taco Eggs

1 serving = 2 net carbs per serving

Ingredients:

½ cup egg whites

1 tablespoon heavy cream

1 tablespoon water

½ pound taco seasoned meat or ¼ recipe Beefy Tacos

¼ cup finely shredded Cheddar cheese or Mexican cheese blend

Instructions:

Beat egg whites, water and cream  in a small bowl until blended. Microwave for 30 seconds. Remove from microwave and push the cooked edges toward the center. Microwave until egg is almost set, about 15 to 45 seconds longer, stopping every 15 seconds to push the cooked egg toward the center.

Top with taco meat and microwave for another ten seconds. Remove from microwave and top with cheese.

High Protein Recipes Vegetarian

Hot Chocolate Almonds

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This isn’t your grandmother’s hot chocolate. These chocolate spiced almonds are spicy hot!

If you’re not concerned with the carb count you can use any nut that you like, but if you’re counting carbs then stick with the nuts in this recipe.

Ingredients:

1 pound raw almonds, hazelnuts, pine nuts or peanuts

2 tablespoons coconut oil

2 teaspoons chili powder

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon cocoa powder

½ teaspoon salt

Instructions:

Place the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot add the nuts and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring often, until the nuts are slightly darker and you can smell their nutty deliciousness.

Mix together the spices in a small bowl or cup and sprinkle over the nuts. Continue to cook for 1 minute, stirring often. Remove from heat. Transfer to a bowl. Eat when cooled to room temperature. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator or a dark cupboard.

Nutrition Info:

6 servings = 6 net carbs.

I included the carb count with this recipe because it’s one of the recipes in my new book “14 Days – 14 Pounds” which gives you two weeks worth of extremely low carb menus and recipes with the carb counts figured out for each day. If you’re interested in receiving notice when this book comes out on Kindle (there will be several days when it’s available for free!) just subscribe to this blog using the box in the upper right corner.

 

High Protein Recipes

Avocado Egg Cups

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I love the simplicity and elegance of this low carb breakfast. It’s so easy to make this up on a busy morning and the end result is so impressive that you could serve this at your next brunch. Come on – you brunch don’t you?

The carb count doesn’t include salsa or cheese but if you’re not in Phase 1 of a high protein eating plan you can indulge in those extras.

Fat and calorie alert! If you’re on a low calorie or low fat eating plan, this breakfast is NOT the way to go. If low fat or low calorie is your plan of choice check out one of our other healthy breakfast recipes.

2 servings = 2 carbs per serving

Ingredients:

1 Hass avocado

2 eggs

pinch each sea salt and black pepper

Instructions:

Cut a small slice from each side of the avocado so that each half won’t roll around in the pan. Cut avocado in half. Remove and discard pit. Use a spoon to remove about 2 tablespoons of avocado so that you have a space large enough for an egg to fit into.

Pour one cup of water into a baking dish. If you have any broth handy use that instead of water to give your avocado cups a little extra flavor. Place avocados into the dish. Crack one egg into each avocado cavity. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the whites are set.

Remove from oven and eat as is or season with hot sauce. And if you’re at my table you’ll have to wrestle the hot sauce away from me. Now that I think of it, I should probably give everybody their own personal bottle of hot sauce.