RECIPE: A great new salad...Jerk Chicken Salad

Last week I made the below posted Jerk Chicken recipe and I served it on a delicious salad. This was an amazing dinner full of tremendous flavor. I enjoyed it again for lunch the following day. Give this one a try.

Salad Ingredients

1 stalk celery diced
6 cherry tomatoes quartered
1/8 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup sliced and toasted almonds
1/4 cup cranberry raisins (I like the pomegranate infused ones)
small handful of tortilla strips (not if you are on phase 1)
1 sliced hard boiled egg
mixed greens salad mix
1 head of romaine lettuce chopped
4oz jerk Chicken
Jerk Sauce

Directions
Toss the mixed greens and romaine in a bowl.
Add celery and tomatoes on top.
Sprinkle with sunflower seeds, almonds and cranberries.
Layer hard boiled egg slices and thinly sliced Jerk Chicken.
Add about 1/4 cup jerk sauce on top.
Mix thoroughly before eating.

I bet you can't just make this once.

RECIPE: Quick Asparagus

Ingredients
1 Bunch Asparagus cut into 1 inch pieces
Balsamic Vinegar

Directions
Place asparagus in a microwave safe disk. Microwave on high for 45 seconds. Drizzle with vinegar.

Makes two servings.

RECIPE: Diet Chocolate!

Diet Chocolate
This recipe can help you get through those chocolate cravings without setting you back on your diet. I purchased some "easy out" ice cube trays to use as chocolate forms. They are small ice cube trays with rubber bottoms that make pushing the chocolate out really easy.

Ingredients:
1 Cup Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa Powder
1 Cup Coconut Oil
3/8 Teaspoon Sweet Leaf Stevia

Directions:
Melt the coconut oil in a microwave oven, 1 minute on high should do the trick. Slowly stir in cocoa powder and stevia. Pour into mini ice cube trays or chocolate forms and freeze for about 1 hour until firm.

Variations:

• 1/8 Teaspoon of Mint Extract. Mint dark chocolate...yum.
  
• Nuts: chopped macadamia nuts or almonds or pecans.
  
• 1/8 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
  
• Substitute 1/2 the cocoa with non dark cocoa
  

Notes: This chocolate will melt quickly in a warm room, keep it refrigerated. Make sure you thoroughly mix the cocoa into the oil, the faces people make when they get raw clumps of dark cocoa are priceless but really ruin the experience if you are the person eating it.

RECIPE: Low Glycemic Peanut Butter Cookies

Low Glycemic Peanut Butter Cookies

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

1/3 c. whole grain or soy flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
Pinch of salt
2 tbl. butter/low fat margarine softened
2 tbl. peanut butter
1 tbl. crunchy peanut butter
1 tsp. Truvia brand Stevia Powder*
3 drops Hazelnut flavored Stevia liquid
1 egg, beaten

Directions:

Mix and stir all dry ingredients. Add butter and peanut butter.  Using a fork or whisk mix well.  Add beaten egg and mix well.

Using a teaspoon drop on greased cookie sheet. Flatten with a fork.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

*Note: Not all stevia products are equal.  Though I consider all to be an excellent product I have found that the Truvia brand measures best in substitution with sugar.  As an example 1 package of Sweet Leaf brand stevia is the equivalent of 3-4 packages of sugar.

RECIPE: Red Cabbage Slaw With Cranberries and Apples

Red Cabbage Slaw With Cranberries and Apples

Fat Free Oil Substitute
1 Cup cold water
1 Tbl low sodium vegetarian broth powder
2 Tsp cornstarch

Cranberry-Orange Vinaigrette
¾ Cup fat free oil substitute
½ Cup orange juice
1/3 cup chopped fresh or frozen cranberries
2 Tbl reg wine vinegar
1 ½ Tbl chopped chives or scallions
1 Tbl balsamic vinegar
1Tbl lemon juice
1 Tbl Sugar (I prefer to use Stevia)
1 large clove garlic crushed
1 Tsp salt (I prefer to use the salt substitute “NoSalt”)
Fresh ground black pepper to taste

Salad
1 ½ pounds red cabbage thinly sliced
¾ Cup fresh or frozen cranberries
2 sliced apples.
 
Directions
Combine all ingredients to make the fat free oil substitute. Can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.
Blend all vinaigrette ingredients, cover and refrigerate.

Combine the cabbage, cranberries and vinaigrette in a medium salad bowl and toss gently.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to allow flavors to blend.  Add apple slices just prior to serving.
Nutritional Information
70 Cal*, 0.5 g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 1 g protein, 18 g carbohydrates, 11g sugar*, 3 g fiber, 251 mg sodium
*Calories and sugar will be reduced by using No Salt and Stevia.

RECIPE: HCG Cucumbers and Vinegar

HCG Cucumbers and Vinegar

Ingredients
2 peeled and sliced cucumbers
2 packages Truvia (stevia)
2 tablespoons No Salt
Fresh ground black pepper
Vinegar (for phase 1 use white vinegar, for phase 2 use apple cider vinegar)

Directions
Peel the cucumber and roll in a paper towel to absorb extra water.  Thinly slice and sprinkle with the salt substitute.  Add fresh ground black pepper.  Put in a bowl and sprinkle with Truvia.  Add enough vinegar to cover the cucumbers.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Makes 1 to 2 servings.

RECIPE: HCG Mark’s Tomato Sauce (Mark’s own recipe for phase 1 and 2)

HCG Mark’s Tomato Sauce (Mark’s own recipe for phase 1 and 2)

Ingredients
4 beef steak tomatoes
9 Roma tomatoes
Fresh Basil
¼ cup dried basil
1/8 cup dried oregano
½ tsp chili powder
3 dashes Frank’s Red Hot sauce
2 Tbl tarragon
16oz can organic tomato sauce
2 heaping Tbl chopped garlic
2 dashed onion powder
1 red bell pepper, roasted
½ onion diced
2 tsp No Salt
Fresh ground black pepper
3 cans low sodium tomato sauce
2 cans tomato paste

Directions
Cut red pepper in half.  Remove seeds.  Puree ½ pepper and put in a large pot.  Dice the remaining half and add to pot.
Puree the beef steak tomatoes and add to pot.
Dice the Roma tomatoes and add to pot.
Roll the fresh basil and slice with a knife.  Thin stems are OK.  Add to pot.
Add all remaining ingredients to pot.  Put on high for about 1 hour, then reduce to warm.  You want the tomatoes to reduce, if you see a lot of liquid, turn up the heat for a little while.  I prefer to can the sauce for use throughout the week.

Note: different doctors will follow slightly different protocols.  You may need to omit the red bell pepper and onion in phase one if your doctor advises such.  I did not see any difference in my success when I included it.

RECIPE: Portobello Pizza Made With Cauliflower Crust

I want to thank my friend Terri for pointing me to the base recipe for this one and the original poster Jamie VanEaton.  The same day that Terri told me about this one we both tried it with our own variations.  Experiment a little on your own and you will surely find a combination you love.  This one is really great.

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Portobello Mushroom Pizza & Cauliflower Crust

Ingredients:

Pizza Crust

• 1 head cauliflower
• 1 egg
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tsp oregano

Pizza

• Cauliflower pizza crust
• Toppings of your choice (make sure meats are cooked)
• Pizza or Alfredo sauce
• 1 Cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 Portobello mushroom, sliced thin
• Fresh basil

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Place cauliflower florets in a microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for 8 minutes.  Remove from microwave and drain any water from bowl.  Allow to cool.
• Rice the cauliflower by pulsing in a food processor or grating with a cheese grater.
• Spray a pizza pan or cookie sheet with non-stick spray.
• In a medium bowl, combine cauliflower, egg, garlic powder and mozzarella.
• Press evenly on the pan.  Keep it a little thick to avoid it braking apart when picking up.
• Sprinkle evenly with oregano.
• Bake at 450 degrees for 12-15 minutes (15-20 minutes if you double the recipe).
• Remove the pan from the oven. To the crust, add sauce, then basil, cheese and portobello.
• Place under a broiler at high heat just until cheese is melted.

Note: I found the crust came out best by cooking it on each side, I used parchment paper to make it easy to remove from the pan and flip it.

RECIPE: Nacho Chicken Soup

This is a delicious soup that is low in fat and carbohydrates, slightly modified recipe from one of my diabetic cookbooks.  I prefer to not cook with the chicken so I can limit my protein to my 3.5oz serving.  I like to boil my chicken and then cube it and add to the appropriate portion size (1.5 cups of soup).

Ingredients:
1 Can Red Kidney Beans Undrained
1 Can Black Kidney Beans Undrained
2 Cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
1 Can Diced Tomato With Green Chilles
1 Can Diced Tomato
11oz Fry's Black Bean Salsa with Corn
3 Cups Chicken
Shredded Cheddar Cheese (3 Tablespoons per serving)
Tortilla Strips

Directions:
Puree both cans of beans in a food processor until smooth.  Transfer to a stock pot.  Add broth and bring to a boil.  Add both cans of tomatoes and the salsa.  Return to boil and then let simmer for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, boil chicken until cooked throughout.  Remove from water and cube chicken.  Place 1.5 cups of soup in a bowl.  Add chicken and sprinkle with 3 tablespoons of finely grated cheddar cheese.  Serve with 1oz of tortilla strips.

RECIPE: "Mock" Garlic Mashed Potatoes

"Mock" Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Prep Time: 15 min      Cook Time: 6 min

Ingredients

1 medium head cauliflower
1 tablespoon cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/8 teaspoon low sodium chicken broth powder
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh or dry chives, for garnish (optional)

Directions

Clean and cut cauliflower into small pieces. Cook in boiling water for about 6 minutes, or until well done.
Drain well. Put all ingredients into a food processor, puree until almost smooth.

Notes
Since this uses the Parmesan and cream cheese, skip using dairy in coffee or tea for the day.

RECIPE: Morroccan Chicken

HCG Morroccan Chicken

Ingredients
3.5 oz chicken breast
Cumin
Paprika
Chili Powder
Fresh Ground Black Pepper
Salt (I prefer to use 'No Salt')

Directions
Thinly slice raw chicken breast and lay out on cutting board.
Sprinkle each slice of chicken with each of the seasonings.  Turn chicken over and repeat on other side.
Heat a cast iron skillet and cook chicken on first side until cooked edge almost reaches top of meat.  Flip over to thoroughly cook chicken.

RECIPE: Spicy Broccoli

HCG Spicy Broccoli

Ingredients
broccoli
2 teaspoons dry mustard
2 teaspoons prepared mustard (French's is just vinegar and mustard seed)
1/2 cup low sodium beef broth

Directions
Remove thick stems from broccoli.  In a bowl or measuring cup combine mustards and broth.  Whisk thoroughly.  Transfer to a large zip lock back.  Add raw broccoli.  Seal bag making sure to leave some air in it.  Shake vigorously to thoroughly coat the broccoli.  Enjoy.

RECIPE: Cajun Blackend Herb Mix

This herb mix works great for tuna or beef. The key to blackening is to use to flat cast iron skillets. Get them really hot and sandwich your protein between them to cook both sides at once. That sears in all the juices while allowing the protein to cook throughout. If doing tuna, you want the center to be just a little pink. I prefer my beef well done, cook yours to your desired amount.

Cajun Blackend Herb Mix


Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
(I prefer to use "No Salt" which is available in the salt isle)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 4 (8 ounce) tuna steaks (about 2/3" thick each)

Directions

Heat oven to 400 F. Combine paprika, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, cumin, pepper, and cayenne pepper on a plate. Rub butter over tuna steaks. Press tuna steaks into spice mixture; gently rub spices onto fish.

Cooking Tips
Cast iron pans or griddles work best. Get two pans very hot until they smoke. Place tuna on one pan and place second pan on top to cook tuna from both sides at once.
They will make some smoke, this is normal. Transfer skillets to oven and roast fish 5 minutes for medium rare doneness.

RECIPE: HCG Strawberry/Cranberry Vinaigrette

HCG Strawberry Cranberry Vinaigrette
(enjoy with Arugula salad or spinach salad)

Ingredients

Vinaigrette (makes 2 servings)
About 8 Strawberries
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon raspberry wine vinegar
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 package of Truvia (Stevia)
½ cup cranberries chopped
Dash of salt (Use No Salt instead for better blood pressure control)
Dash of cayenne
Fresh ground black pepper to taste

The Salad
1 hardboiled egg sliced
2 Roma tomatoes diced
Bacos or real bacon bits
Large bowl of baby spinach or arugula

Directions

Combine all vinaigrette ingredients in a food processor or magic bullet style mini blender. Puree until smooth. I like to add the cranberries at the last minute so they are not fully chopped.

Combine all salad ingredients. Pour over fresh arugula or spinach salad. Garnish with sliced strawberries and freshly ground black pepper.

Note: Enjoy this vinaigrette during phase 1 by just using white vinegar.