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High Protein Neutral Recipes Vegetarian

Curry Cashew Spread

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This spread can be used as a sandwich spread or veggie dressing.

Process in food processor until as smooth as possible

1 cup chopped inner celery stalks with leaves if possible
1 cup broken or chopped toasted cashews
1 1/4 inch ring red onion, chopped
2 to 4 tablespoons curry powder
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Taste and adjust seasoning to taste. There’s no need to add mayo to this spread, it’s very creamy as is.

Use as a sandwich spread. Suggestions for sandwich filling:

  • apple
  • cucumber
  • tomato
  • zucchini
  • roasted bell pepper
  • mix of the veggies above
  • chicken, lamb, or turkey with Protein Bread or other bread substitute

Or thin with extra-virgin olive oil or buttermilk and a little fresh lemon or lime juice (use rice vinegar if you don’t have fresh citrus available) to dress a green salad or cooked veggies.

$$$avers Fruit High Protein Kid Friendly Menus Tips

Amy’s Organics Saves the Day!

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semi-homemade meals

 

I always have a few of Amy’s Organics prepared meals in my pantry and freezer. I’ve tried many of the frozen and boxed brands and haven’t found them to be that tasty, but Amy’s Organics have been a hit every time I’ve served them. And it’s fabulous to know that all of the ingredients are organic, and most meals use whole grains. Many of the frozen items come in individual and family size. On a busy day all I have to do is pull one out, heat and eat. They’re great as is, but a few semi-homemade meal hacks such as adding frozen veggies or leftovers from the fridge I can up the veggie intake and stretch one meal into two.

And when they’re on sale I stock up on as many as my freezer and cupboard can hold.

Beans, refried

Amy’s refried beans are perfect for making a healthy burrito, nachos or a layered dip. I like to stir refried beans into broth with some of Amy’s salsa for a quick bean soup.

burritos and tamales

These burritos are all around 250 calories and delicious. I love to serve them with loads of salsa and call it a meal. For the little ones, I put them in a bowl and cut them up. They look like a mess but that doesn’t matter since they disappear real fast.

cereal

Amy’s has lots of great cereal choices. Perfect in the morning with nondairy milk and sliced fruit.

enchiladas

Another great quick and easy dinner. If you need a little somethin’ somethin’ to feed a hungry teen you can heat up a can of Amy’s refried beans to serve with the enchilidas.

kids meals

Your little darlings will love these healthy lunches and dinners. Serve them with sliced fruit or veggies on the side for a little extra nutrition.

Pasta & Ravioli

Much better for you than a can of orange spaghettios.

lasagna
There are several varieties to choose from.

macaroni & cheese
These meals have so much sauce that you can stir in up to a cup of cooked veggies.

pizza

So MANY varieties. May favorite is the Roasted Vegetable. Eat as is, or pile a salad on top and eat it like a sandwich.

Pizza Snacks

Kids, adults, everybody loves these. I heat up a cup of pasta sauce and serve it as a dip.

Sodium light

These are not my favorites but it’s nice to see that they offer this option

Soup

Love, love, love their soups. My fave? Any of the chilis. I eat the chili straight out of the can as soup, on hot dogs and hamburgers, and over eggs. If I want a light meal I’ll add some broth to the chili.

 

What are your fave Amy’s Organics hacks? Share in the comments.

$$$avers Beverages High Protein Vegetarian

Protein Powder – Find the Right One

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I like to have a vanilla and a chocolate protein powder in my cupboard at all times. Besides all the benefits cited by health professionals they are simply a quick and easy way to make a meal when I’m hungry, when I’m losing weight, when I’m on the run, when I feel like a sweet snack …

UnDiet Tip:

Save $$$’s by using any of the following in your protein drink:

  • fruit that won’t make it to the next day in your protein drink
  • the last bit from a sugar-free jam jar
  • any fruit or sweet potato puree that your baby refuses to eat

There’s a protein powder out there for everyone

Organic Protein Powders

Isagenix has one of the best tasting organic and refined sugar free protein powders out there.

Muscle Building Protein Powders

Joey Vallancourt gives readers 5 ways to choose the right protein powder to match your weight lifting goals.

Vegan Protein Powders

One Green Planet has 7 Must-Try Vegan Protein Powders which they have tried and tested. They also have some great suggestions for how to use protein powders in things other than smoothies.

 

Gluten Free Protein Powders

Thank you to FitSugar for sharing these five gluten free protein powders with us.

Sugar Free Protein Powders

Whether I’m looking for a muscle building protein powder or a vegan or organic powder, as far as I’m concerned it should definitely be free of refined sugars. The Celiac Diva has the lowdown on sugar free protein powders.

High Protein Kid Friendly Neutral Recipes Starches Vegetarian

Zucchini Stuffing

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This summer squash dressing is a nice way to enjoy a winter comfort food with your summer garden bounty.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Saute ingredients below in extra-virgin olive oil until crisp tender, about 7-10 minutes:

  • 2 pounds summer squash into medium-thick slices
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 cup carrots, grated or celery, chopped


Mix 1 can cream of celery soup* and 2 cups creme fraiche, sour cream or low-fat yogurt or a mix of these.

Stir veggies into soup mixture.

Mix 2 cups whole grain bread crumbs and 1 teaspoon seasoning mix such as Mrs. Dash or Spike. Pour 1/2 cup melted butter over crumbs, stir to combine well.

Place half of crumbs into buttered square pan. Place soup mixture on top. Top with remaining bread crumbs. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

*You can use pretty much any “cream of” soup such as asparagus, cream of chicken, cream of broccoli …

Mushroom Dressing

Replace the zucchini with mushrooms and the carrots with celery and use cream of mushroom soup.

 

High Protein Recipes Vegetarian

Parmesan Cheese Crisps

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When I first made these crispy treats I thought they were a unique invention. Since then I’ve found various versions for them in many cookbooks. Here’s the basic recipe along with a few variations.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper lightly brushed or sprayed with extra-virgin olive oil. Spread 1/2 cup of shredded fresh Parmesan or Parmesan-reggiano in a circle. You can make your circles any size you want. Bake until melted and browned on the underside – 7 to 10 minutes. Let crisps cool then peel off parchment paper.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.

They’re great to snack on, and garnish soups and salads.

Variations:

  • Place cookie cutters on parchment lined and oiled baking sheet. Sprinkle cheese inside cookie cutters. Remove cookie cutters and bake cheese as directed.
  • Sprinkle over cheese before baking:
    • crumbled bacon bits (real or soy)
    • cayenne pepper
    • crushed and dried red pepper
    • freshly ground peppercorns
    • sprinkle cheese overly thinly sliced ham or corned beef, bake as directed then top with lettuce or spinach leaves and roll into a tight tube as soon as you’re able to handle without burning yourself and before the cheese completely cools

 

High Protein Living Food Recipes Vegetarian

Tomato with Feta and Basil

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tomato

You must have really fresh tomatoes for this salad to work. If the skin is tough then use it for a cooked tomato dish instead. I was first served this dish when on an interview for a writing job and while I didn’t take the job, I’m still eating this dish.

Top a thick slice of tomato with a leaf or two of fresh basil and a thin slice of feta cheese.

Optional: sprinkle with black pepper and drizzle with a little extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

 

High Protein Kid Friendly Recipes

Spicy Italian Stuffed Meatloaf

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This is a basic meatloaf recipe with a twist. If you have a favorite meatloaf recipe, go ahead and use it, as long as you substitute whole grains for any bread or crackers.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix, working just enough to blend, or meatloaf will turn out heavy:

1 cup ground pork rinds (you can use whole wheat or high-protein bread crumbs if needed)
1 medium onion, chopped
3/4 cup chopped roasted unsalted nuts. If all you have are the salted variety reduce the salt to 1 teaspoon.
1/2 cup cold tomato juice, broth or ice water
2 eggs
1 & 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 & 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 pounds ground meat (lamb, turkey, beef or mix of meats)

Sprinkle a large sheet of wax paper, saran wrap or aluminum foil with water. With wet hands, pat out meatloaf mixture into a 9×13-inch rectangle.

Savory Stuffing

You may double this recipe and use it later to prepare Savory Stuffed Bread.

Saute until translucent:

1-1/4 cups onions, diced
2 tablespoons butter

Add:

3/4 cup spinach, chopped (you may substitute bell pepper) and cook for 3-4 minutes (if using frozen spinach squeeze well to get rid of most of the water)
1 1/2 cups cauliflower or zucchini, finely chopped

1 tablespoon Italian seasoningsalt to taste

Cook on low heat until the vegetables are al dente. Optional: add 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

Pat 1 cup of the stuffing mixture evenly over the surface of the meatloaf, leaving a 1-inch border around the edges. Using wax paper, foil or saran wrap to help lift, roll the meatloaf up into a cylinder and gently press seam closed. Pick up roulade in wax paper, foil or saran wrap and roll off  into prepared loaf pan.

Using a knife cut 5-7 1/4-inch slashes in the bottom of an aluminum loaf pan. Place the meatloaf mixture in the pan. Place the pan inside a larger loaf pan or casserole dish so that there is some space between the bottom of the two pans. This procedure allows the juice and fat to drain off, which would otherwise form a jelly-like substance around the meatloaf.

Bake 50 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted in center of loaf reads 160 degrees, or juices run clear when you cut a deep slit in center of loaf. Let stand 10-15 minutes. Pour off juices and fat, if you didn’t use the 2 pan method described above.

Pour the tomato pasta sauce onto a plate and top with a slice of the stuffed meatloaf.

High Protein Recipes Vegetarian

Zucchini Feta Pie

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This pie is similar to quiche with the big difference being substituting the traditional pie crust with a high protein crust.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine

2-1/2 cups Protein Bread crumbs, or ground walnuts, pecans, or pork rinds
1/2 cup feta cheese

Press mixture into oiled pie plate.

Steam 4 cups zucchini slices for 5 minutes. Press zucchini gently between paper towels until barely moist. Combine with ingredients below and arrange evenly over crust:

zucchini
1/2 cup feta
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Combine and stir well with a whisk:

1 teaspoon dried mint
dash of ground nutmeg
3 large eggs

Pour over zucchini mixture. Bake for 40 minutes.

High Protein Recipes Starches Vegetarian

Tomato Onion Rice

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I’ve doubled the ingredients in this recipe so that you can use the leftovers to make a thick and creamy Tomato Soup for another meal.

Saute 2 chopped onions over medium heat in 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil until just starting to color. Stir in

4 cloves sliced garlic
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 cup parboiled brown rice
1/2 cup vegetable broth or water
1 cup dry red wine
1/4 teaspoon each sea salt and black pepper

Place in dish 4 tomatoes cut in half and placed with cut side down. Lower heat to low and cook covered without stirring for 10 minutes. Remove lid and using a pair of tongs grab the skin of each tomato and discard. Stir the dish mashing the tomato as you do so. If the dish is too soupy continue cooking, stirring frequently over low heat until desired consistency. Remove from heat; taste and add sea salt and pepper if needed and 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley. Set aside half and refrigerate for another meal.

You may garnish with any of the following if desired:

  • Parmesan cheese
  • chopped or sliced olives
  • finely diced raw red bell pepper

 

High Protein Kid Friendly Recipes Starches Vegetarian

Using Leftovers: Make Wrapped Lunches

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One of my favorite ways to use leftovers is to make them into a wrap the next day. Here are some of my combinations. I italicized the items that are leftovers. Please feel free to share your own ideas in the Comments section.

Mexican Wrap

  • ww tortilla
  • cheese (I use soy cheese)
  • Spanish rice
  • beans
  • avocado
  • salsa
  • lettuce

Chinese Wrap

  • ww tortilla
  • rice w/ leftover sauce stirred in

    • any leftover dish (one dish per wrap)

  • layer leftover items over rice
  • micro greens or sprouts

Fast Food Wrap

  • ww tortilla
  • cheese or soy cheese
  • meat, chopped or cut into strips
  • salad
  • lettuce or sliced tomato if no leftover salad

Italian Wrap

  • ww tortilla
  • cheese or soy cheese
  • meat, chopped or cut into strips
  • veggies
  • salad
  • lettuce or sliced tomato if no leftover salad

Pizza Wrap

  • ww tortilla
  • cheese or soy cheese if no cheese in leftover items
  • pizza toppings (warm slightly to make it easier to scrape topping and cheese directly into wrap)

  • salad
  • lettuce or sliced tomato if no leftover salad

Look for Low-Carb Tortillas