Beef Pad Thai (Spaghetti Squash)

Beef Pad Thai (Spaghetti Squash)

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups spaghetti squash, cooked (7 Greens)

1 cup additional veggies. I used mushrooms and green beans, others have used cabbage, shredded (2 Greens)

 21 oz raw flat sirloin steak tips, boneless - need 15 oz cooked (3 Leans)

Up to 2 1/4 tsp McCormick's Grill mates Montreal Steak Seasoning (1 condiment)

1/4 cup reduced sodium beef broth (1/4 Condiment)

(Additional water to taste)

4 tbsp Powdered Peanut Butter (2 Snacks)

1 tbsp rice wine vinegar (1/2 Condiment)

2 tbsp light soy sauce (3 Condiments)

1/8 tsp red cayenne pepper... I used spicy chipotle pepper (1/4 Condiment)

1/4 tsp ground ginger (1/2 Condiment) 

1/2 tsp garlic powder (1 Condiment)

Garnishes:

2 tbsp dry roasted peanuts, chopped, optional (1 Snack)

A few sprigs of Cilantro, chopped

Directions:

1. Poke holes on all sides of the spaghetti squash with a metal skewer or a fork. 

2. Place a paper towel in microwave and place squash on top of paper towel. Microwave in increments of 3 minutes until flesh starts to get soft. I had a medium sized squash and microwaved for about 10 minutes. Let cool. Cut squash in half, lengthwise. Scoop the seeds and the middle strands out with a spoon and discard. 

3. Next, scrape the inside of the squash with a fork all the way to the skin. Set aside.

4. I seasoned the steak with McCormick's Grill mates Montreal Steak Seasoning and placed them on the grill. Cook until desired doneness. 3/4 tsp of this seasoning is less than 1 gram of carb so you can have 2 1/4 tsp to make this total dish 3 Condiments per serving instead of 2 Condiments per serving. Once meat is cooked, slice meat into 1 inch strips and set aside.

5. In a small bowl, combine beef broth, powdered Peanut Butter, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, red cayenne pepper, ground ginger, and garlic powder. 

6. Coat a large non-stick skillet with cooking spray.  Add spaghetti squash, other veggies, and sauce (add water if flavor is too strong or doesn't coat all the ingredients), and beef. You could add the beef at the end if you want to measure the veggies and protein separately. Heat over medium heat for 5 minutes or until sauce has coated all. 

Divide among 3 plates/bowls and top each dish with 5 oz of cooked beef. Add chopped peanuts, and cilantro as a garnish (optional).

3 Servings with 1 Lean, 3 Greens, 2 Condiments (3 Condiments if using the Montreal Steak Seasoning), and 1 Snack per Serving 

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Shrimp Lo Mein with Spaghetti Squash

Shrimp Lo Mein with Spaghetti Squash

 (Recipe by Sandy's Kitchen)

Ingredients:

1 cup or 156 grams or 5.5 oz spaghetti squash cooked (2 Greens)

1/2 cup broccoli or Chinese cabbage (1 Green)

2 tsp low sodium soy sauce (1 Condiment)

1 tsp teriyaki sauce (1 Condiment)

1/8 tsp garlic powder (.25 Condiment)

1/8 tsp ground ginger (.25 Condiment)

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (.50 Condiments)

7 oz shrimp, cooked, deveined, tails off (1 Lean)

1 tsp olive oil (1 Healthy Fat)

1 tsp sesame oil (1 Healthy Fat)

Directions:

Heat oils over medium high heat. Add spaghetti squash, broccoli, sauces and spices. Toss until coated. Add shrimp and heat for 2 to 3 minutes or until shrimp is warm.

1 Lean, 3 Greens, 3 Condiments, 2 Healthy Fats

*If you would like to add 6 oz of chicken instead of shrimp, decrease the oil to 1 tsp instead of 2 tsp. I would use the sesame oil and leave out the olive oil for more flavor.

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Spicy Garlic Lime Shrimp

This recipe uses shirataki noodles. People either love them or they hate themThey were okay for being a no calorie and no carb noodle. Just make sure you rinse them very well otherwise they have a fishy smell. I believe it is the liquid the noodles are stored in that have the smell. The noodles themselves are made from yam flour. The yam flour is not the yam / sweet potato we think of. It's a fibrous root plant from Asia. I got them here. They do have another type of shirataki noodles that are made from tofu but they have calories and carbs. You can get them here. Make sure you rinse, rinse, rinse and then rinse them again in hot water. You don't cook them - just rinse them in hot water and then add to your dish. You can snip them into small pieces with scissors or you'll end up with noodles that are 3ft long. 

Spicy Garlic Lime Shrimp

Medifast Lean and Green Meal Cookbook

Ingredients:

21 oz fully cooked frozen shrimp, thawed (3 Lean)

3 - 8 oz packages House Tofu Shirataki Brand angel hair noodles (6 Greens)

1 cup fresh tomatoes, diced or 1 cup canned diced tomatoes, drained (2 Greens)

1/2 cup green peppers, chopped (1 Green)

2 tbsp olive oil (6 Healthy Fats)

1 tbsp lime juice

1 clove garlic, minced

Seasoning blend:

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/8 tsp dried thyme

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/4 tsp dried parsley flakes

1/4 tsp paprika

1/8 tsp onion powder

Directions:

Thaw frozen shrimp. De-vein and peel shrimp if necessary. Make the seasoning blend by combining all the spices in a small bowl. Drain liquid from noodles and rinse thoroughly; set aside. Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Once pan is heated, add olive oil and stir in minced garlic. Immediately add shrimp, green bell peppers, and lime juice. Sprinkle the entire seasoning blend over shrimp and peppers. Stir. Saute shrimp and peppers 3 to 6 minutes. Add drained noodles and continue to saute an additional 2 to 4 minutes or until shrimp begins to brown and peppers are al dente (tender-crisp). Remove from heat, toss with tomatoes, and serve.

Servings: 3   Lean 1   Greens: 3   Healthy Fat: 2   Condiments: 2

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Shrimp Scampi with Zucchini Ribbons

Shrimp Scampi and Zucchini Ribbons

Ingredients:

8 oz shrimp, cooked, deveined, tails off - should cook down to 7 oz (1 Lean)

2-3 medium zucchinis or 270 grams (3 Greens)

1 tbsp light butter (1 Healthy Fat)

2 wedges light garlic and herb laughing cow cheese (1 Healthy Fat)

1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth (1/4 Condiment)

1 clove garlic, minced (1 Condiment)

1 tsp lemon (1/2 Condiment)

1/8 tsp salt  - optional (1/2 Condiment)

Dash or 1/16 tsp of pepper (1/8 Condiment)

1/2 tsp Parsley Flakes  (1/6 Condiment)

Directions:

Peel the zucchini with a potato peeler until you reach the core with the seeds. The seeds will make it mushy so try not to include them. (save the core for your salads or another use). I find that the best way is to weigh the zucchinis to get the best measurement. I peeled the zucchinis and weighed them until it reached 270 grams which is 3 servings of cooked zucchini. I find that when I use 3 servings of the cooked weight from the Vegetable Weight Conversion Chart, it comes pretty close to 1 1/2 cups after it is cooked. If you just measure 1 1/2 cups of  raw veggies, the veggies will shrink when cooked and you actually are cheating yourself.  Set aside.

Heat the butter in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the garlic, parsley, lemon juice, chicken broth, laughing cow cheese, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 3 minutes. Add zucchini ribbons and cook stirring frequently just until the zucchini is about to get soft about 2-3 minutes. Toss in shrimp and heat until warm. Serve. This sounds kind of strange but what I do is take the shrimp out and weigh them to see how much they shrunk and to make sure I am getting 7 oz. Mine shrunk to about 5.25 oz (3/4 Lean) so I added 1 oz of Sargento 2% Italian Cheese Blend (4.5 grams of fat) on top of my dish. I didn't have 8 oz of shrimp but only 6 oz so that is why I had less too. The cheese really completed my meal! Top with cheese if necessary. Enjoy!

1 Lean and Green Meal with 2.54 Condiments and 2 Healthy Fats

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Chicken Alfredo Spaghetti Squash

Chicken Alfredo Spaghetti Squash

Ingredients:
6 oz Chicken breast
1 cup greens such as broccoli, spaghetti squash, and/or asparagus
1/2 cup cauliflower alfredo sauce

Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce

Slightly adapted from A Pinch of Yum 

Ingredients:
1 tbsp garlic, minced (3 Condiments)

1 tbsp light Land O' Lakes butter with canola oil spread (1 Healthy Fat)

3 cups cauliflower florets - I used frozen (6 Greens)

1 1/2 cups water

1 1/2 cups lower sodium vegetable or chicken broth or water to limit your salt intake (1 1/2 Condiments for broth)

1/2 tsp salt (2 Condiments)

1/4 tsp black pepper (1/2 Condiment)

1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk (1/4 Condiment)

1 tbsp Kraft grated Parmesan cheese (1 Condiment)

Directions:

Saute garlic with butter in a large non-stick skillet over low heat. Cook for several minutes until garlic is soft and fragrant but not browned (browned or burnt garlic will taste bitter). Set aside.

Bring the water or broth to a boil in a large pot. Add cauliflower and cook 7 to 10 min or until fork tender. If using frozen cauliflower, follow the cooking time on the back of the package. Do not drain.

Use a slotted spoon to transfer cauliflower to a blender. Add 1 cup of the cooking liquid, garlic/butter, salt, pepper, almond milk and Parmesan cheese to the blender. Blend or puree the sauce for several minutes or until smooth. Serve hot!

Makes about 3 cups or 6 (1/2 cup) servings

1 Green, 1 and 1/3 Condiments, and 1/6 Healthy Fats per 1/2 cup serving

• Add a laughing cow cheese wedge, if desired to increase your healthy fat serving. 1 light laughing cow cheese wedge is 1/2 a healthy fat.
  
• I made it a meal by adding 1/2 cup sauce, 1 cup spaghetti squash and 6 oz of chicken (which needs 1 healthy fat). 

Full Recipe

Southwestern Spaghetti Squash Pasta

Southwestern Spaghetti Squash Pasta 

From: Sandy's Kitchen

2 and 3/4 cups cooked spaghetti squash (5 1/2 Greens)
1/4 cup diced green pepper (1/2 Green)
9 oz 96% lean ground beef, cooked or 12 oz if you do not use cheese (1 1/2 Lean)
1/2 cup 2% Mexican cheese - leave out if you used 12 oz meat (1/2 Lean)
1 tbsp light butter (1 Healthy Fat)
2 wedges light laughing cow cheese - any flavor will do but I used garden vegetable (1 Healthy Fat)
1 1/2 tsp taco seasoning (3 Condiments)
1/4 cup Kroger red enchilada sauce (Calories 25, 1.5 g Fat, 3 g - Carbs per 1/4 cup (3 Condiments)

Roast or microwave spaghetti squash. To microwave, pierce all over with a knife and microwave on high for 12 to 15 min or until soft and tender.I do 3 min increments and rotate the squash so it cooks evenly. Let cool. Cut in half lengthwise. Scoop out seeds and scrape out squash.Measure out 2 and 3/4 cups and set aside. To roast, pierce the squash all over and bake for around 60 min until tender at 400 degrees.

Cook beef until brown. Measure out your desired amount of beef, 9 oz or 12 oz. Set aside.

Add the butter to a skillet over medium high heat and saute green pepper until softened for a few minutes.

Add spaghetti squash and ground beef to the skillet with cooked green peppers.Then add taco seasoning, enchilada sauce and laughing cow cheese wedge. Stir and heat thoroughly until laughing cow cheese melts.

Divide into two portions and add 1/4 cup of cheese to each serving if desired.

2 Servings with 1 Leaner Lean, 3 Greens, 1 Healthy Fat, 3 Condiments per serving

Full Recipe

Swedish Meatballs with Zucchini Ribbons

Swedish Meatballs with Zucchini Ribbons

Ingredients:

10 Butterballs Italian Style Lean Turkey Meatballs, cooked (1 Lean)

1/2 cup low sodium beef broth (1/2 Condiment)

1 tbsp reduced fat cream cheese (1 Condiment)

1 tbsp 2% Fage Yogurt - optional but it makes it kind of tangy like sour cream(1 Condiment)

1/8 tsp pepper (1/4 Condiment)

1/4 tsp dried parsley (1/12 Condiment)

Zucchini Ribbons

2 medium (you should have 270 grams cooked or 1 1/2 cups cooked) zucchinis (3 Greens)

2 tbsp water or beef broth (1/8 Condiment)

Directions:

Heat beef broth and cream cheese over medium high heat. Heat until cream cheese is melted, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Stir in yogurt and add pepper; stirring until combined. Add to heated meatballs.

With a potato peeler, peel 2 medium sized zucchinis to the core (don't peel the center core with the seeds, that part gets mushy). In a non-stick frying pan add broth. Throw the ribbons in with the broth and lightly toss until the zucchini starts to soften - about 3 minutes. The zucchini will cook quickly. Serve hot.

Serve meatballs over zucchini ribbons. Garnish with parsley.

1 Lean, 3 Greens, 3 Condiments, and No Healthy Fat required.

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Spaghetti Squash Lasagna Casserole

Spaghetti Squash Lasagna Casserole

Slighty adapted from www.food.com

Ingredients:

4 lb spaghetti squash - you will only need 4 cups (8 Greens)

8 oz part skim ricotta (1 Lean)

8 oz reduced fat mozzarella cheese, divided (2 Leans)

2 tbsp egg beaters 

2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese (2 Condiments)

2 cups Italian diced tomatoes with less than 5 g of carbs per 1/2 cup, divided (4 Greens)

1/4 tsp garlic powder (1/2 Condiment)

1/8 tsp salt (1/2 Condiment)

1/8 tsp pepper (1/4 Condiment)

2 tsp olive oil (1 Healthy Fat)

5 oz Jennie O Italian seasoned ground turkey 93%, cooked or make your own seasoned meat (1 Lean)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prick squash with fork or metal skewer and roast in oven for an hour or until it seems soft when you press on it. Take it out and leave on the counter until cool.

When squash is cool, cut in half and scoop out the seeds and discard. Use a fork or spoon to scoop out the rest of the squash and set aside in a bowl. Measure out 4 cups of spaghetti squash and store the rest in the fridge. Add oil to a skillet over medium heat. Saute the 4 cups of squash for a few minutes until it begins to brown. Add garlic powder, salt and pepper, if desired.

Mix ricotta cheese, parmesan, egg beaters and 4 oz or 1 cup of mozzarella cheese together.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Pour 1 cup of the diced tomatoes on the bottom of a 9 inch or 8 inch square casserole dish and spread evenly. Add squash. Top the squash with the ricotta cheese mixture. Then top the ricotta cheese mixture with the cooked ground turkey. Spread 1 cup of diced tomatoes over the meat. Bake for 35 minutes. Spread the rest of the mozzarella cheese over the top (1 cup) and bake an additional 25 minutes until cheese is melted and lightly brown. Let rest for 10 minutes or so to serve.

4 servings with 1 Lean, 3 Greens, 1/2 Healthy Fat, and  Less than 1 Condiment per serving

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