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

Italian Turkey Sausage with Spaghetti Squash

Recipe from Sandy's Kitchen

"As for the recipe, I was going to use Jennie-O Italian Turkey Sausage, but the sodium content is so high. Nutrition Support doesn't recommend any type of sausage because of the sodium content, but 2 sausages fits the lean criteria. This sausage does contain 1700 mg of sodium (Gasp!). We should have below 2,000 mg for all our meals and lean and green included. I still have this sausage occasionally just because I love sausage, but I will be sure to have something with a lot less sodium for the next few days.

 I decided to try to make my own Italian Sausage and found this recipe from the new Medifast Lean and Green Meal Cook Book. It is actually called "Italian Sausage Patties" but I converted it to just ground Italian sausage. I meant to make them into meatballs, but it slipped my mind and before you know it, I was browning the meat. Feel free to shape them into meatballs for a yummy spaghetti and meatball dish! Serve with Walden Farms Marinara sauce. Sometimes I like to eat meatballs without the sauce and sprinkle a little bit of parmesan cheese, especially if you do not like Walden Farms products. Enjoy!"

Italian Turkey Sausage with Spaghetti Squash

Slightly adapted from Medifast Lean and Green Meal Cook Book

Ingredients:

17 1/2 oz raw, ground turkey, 93% lean - should yield 10 oz cooked servings (2 Leans)

1/2 tsp oregano (1 condiment)

1 tsp basil (1 condiment)

1 tsp fennel seeds (2 condiments)

1/2 cup Walden Farms Marinara Sauce (2 condiments)

3 cups or 465 grams cooked spaghetti squash (6 greens)

Directions:

Combine ground turkey, spices, and garlic in a medium skillet. Brown meat mixture over medium heat, stirring occasionally to break the meat mixture into crumbles. Once the meat mixture is browned, drain the fat and return the cook meat mixture back to skillet. Add the marinara sauce and stir until well blended over medium heat. Serve over spaghetti squash.

Servings: 2 Complete Lean and Green Meals with 3 Condiments No healthy fat required

Full Recipe

Grilled Chicken with Summer Squash

Grilled Chicken with Summer Squash Relish

Served on a Bed of Cauliflower "Rice"

Slightly adapted from The South Beach Diet Super Quick Cook Book

Ingredients:

For the Chicken:

1/2 tsp ground coriander (1 Condiment)

1/2 tsp ground cumin (1/2 Condiment)

1/4 tsp salt (1 Condiment)

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

1/8 tsp ground black pepper (1/4 Condiment)

18 oz raw boneless, skinless chicken breasts - yields 12 oz cooked (2 Lean)

For the Summer Squash Relish:

1/2 cup yellow squash, diced (1 Green)

1/2 cup zucchini, diced (1 Green)

2 tbsp fresh parsley leaves, chopped (1/2 Condiment)

2 tsp lemon juice (1 Condiment)

 1/8 tsp Salt or to taste (1/2 Condiment)

1/8 tsp pepper (1/4 Condiment)

2 tsp extra virgin olive oil (2 Healthy Fats)

For the Cauliflower "Rice":

2 cups cauliflower, cooked and grated (4 Greens)

Directions:

Heat a grill to medium. Lightly oil the grill grates.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine the coriander, cumin,  1/4 tsp salt, ginger and pepper. Rub the spice mixture over chicken breasts. Grill the chicken, turning it over halfway through cooking about 10 to 15 minutes each side. If grilling outdoors isn't an option, you can broil the chicken 4 inches from the heat for the same amount of time. Set aside and let cool slightly.

In a medium bowl, toss together the yellow squash, zucchini, onion, parsley, lemon juice, oil, 1/8 tsp salt or to taste, and pepper until well combined.

Serve the chicken warm or at room temperature with the squash relish.

2 Servings: Each serving has 1 Complete Lean and Green with 3 Condiments and 1 Healthy Fat

Full Recipe

Garlic and Herb Squash Stir Fry

Garlic and Herb Squash Stir Fry

Slightly adapted from Recipe Wrestler at  www.food.com

Ingredients:

3/4 cup zucchini, sliced (1 1/2 Greens)

3/4 cup cabbage or yellow squash, sliced (1 1/2 Green)

7 oz shrimp or 6 oz chicken, cooked (1 Lean)

1 tbsp light butter - I like Land 'O Lakes light butter spread with canola oil with 5 grams of fat  (1 Healthy Fat)

2 tbsp water

1/2 tsp Mrs. Dash Garlic and Herb Seasoning (2 Condiments)

1 tbsp parmesan cheese, grated (1 Condiment)

Dash of salt or pepper (optional)

Cooking spray

Directions:

Spray skillet that has a cover with cooking spray. Over medium high heat, melt butter in the heated skillet. Add veggies and stir fry for several minutes until the veggies are tender crisp. Add  shrimp or chicken, water, and seasonings. Cover and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes or until desired doneness. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

1 Lean, 3 Greens, 3 Condiments, and 1 Healthy Fat (you will need to add 1 more healthy fat if using shrimp)

Full Recipe

Crock Pot Chicken Taco Soup

Crock Pot Chicken Taco Soup

Inspired by New Beautiful Me "Spicy Chicken Soup"

Ingredients:

2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth (2 condiments)

2 cups water

1 cup rotel diced tomatoes with green chilies (2 greens)

1 teaspoon reduced sodium taco seasoning mix (1 1/2 condiments)

1/2 teaspoon cumin (1/2 condiment)

1/4 teaspoon chili powder (1/2 condiment)

1 clove garlic, minced (1 condiment)

13-14 oz raw chicken breasts - should yield 9 oz cooked (1 1/2 lean)

2 cups cabbage, chopped  (May need more because of shrinkage) (4 greens)

2 oz Kraft 2% Mexican Cheese to garnish (1/2 lean)

Directions:

Combine chicken broth, water, diced tomatoes, taco seasoning, cumin, chili powder, garlic, cabbage and chicken in a crock pot. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high 3 to 4 hours. Shred chicken breasts in crock pot before serving. Pour soup into bowls and top with cheese.

Servings: 2   Each serving  has 1 Lean, 3 Greens and 2.25 Condiments

* If you do not add the cheese, use 18 oz raw chicken breasts which should yield 12 oz cooked

Full Recipe

Creamy Buffalo Chicken Bake

I wanted to note that this recipe uses a light ranch dressing and not a fat free one. This is because I used it as a healthy fat. A dressing is considered a healthy fat when it meets the following criteria:

Fat: More than 5 grams (HV Ranch has 7 grams)

Calories: 40-80 (HV Ranch has 80)

Carbs: Less than 6 grams (HV Ranch has 3 grams)

A dressing is considered a condiment when it meets the following criteria:

Fat: Less than 5 grams

Calories: 40-80

Carbs: Less than 1 gram

You can use 1/4 cup fat free ranch dressing if it has less than 1 carb and treat it as 2 condiments. Then you would use 2 tbsp of regular cream cheese as your two healthy fats.

Creamy Buffalo Chicken Bake

(Aka Buffalo Chicken Dip)

Slightly adapted from Melissa Aka Want2BeThin789

Ingredients:

14 oz raw, boneless, skinless chicken breasts - yields 9 oz cooked (1 1/2 Lean)

2 oz or 1/2 cup 2% reduced fat cheddar cheese (1/2 Lean)

1/4 cup Frank's Hot Wings Sauce (2 Condiments)

1/4 cup Light Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing  (2 Healthy Fats)

2 tbsp reduced fat cream cheese (2 Condiments)

6 Servings of Veggies (6 Greens, I used cauliflower rice and celery sticks)

Directions:

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake chicken breasts for 30-35 minutes or until cooked. Remove chicken breasts from pan and chop the chicken into small pieces. Place chicken inside of a baking dish. Set aside.

In a small sauce pan, combine Frank's Hot Wings Sauce, ranch dressing and cream cheese. Heat over medium high heat, stirring until cream cheese is completely melted. Once melted, pour the sauce mixture over chicken. Then sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Bake for an additional 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Serve with 1 1/2 cups of celery or your favorite veggies for a complete lean and green meal.

2 Servings with 1 Complete Lean and Green, 2 Condiments and 1 Healthy Fat per serving

*Note: You can use 1/4 cup fat free ranch dressing if it has less than 1 carb and will be treated as 2 condiments. Then use 2 tbsp of regular cream cheese as your two healthy fats.

Full Recipe

Chinese Orange Chicken

Chinese Orange Chicken

Ingredients:

9 oz raw chicken breasts, cubed - should yield 6 oz cooked (1 Lean)

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

1 1/2 cups diet orange soda with 0 carbs such as diet Crush or diet Rite Tangerine Soda (I used only 1 cup)

1/2 tsp Chinese Five Spice Blend (2 Condiments)

1/2 cup green and red peppers, sliced (1 Green)

1 tsp olive oil (1 Healthy Fat)

1 clove garlic, minced (1 Condiment)

1 cup grated, cooked cauliflower (2 Greens)

Red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions:

Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium high heat and saute garlic with peppers until garlic is lightly brown. Add chicken broth, soda, and Chinese 5 spice and stir until blended. Add cut-up chicken breasts, and sauté until cooked through. Serve over grated, cooked cauliflower.

1 Lean and Green Meal with 3 Condiments and 1 Healthy Fat

Full Recipe

Chicken Parmesan Meatballs

Chicken Parmesan Meatballs

 (Slightly adapted from Peace, Love and Low Carb)

Ingredients:

1 lb 93% ground chicken (2 1/4 Lean)

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (4 Condiments)

1/4 tsp pepper (1/2 Condiment)

1/2 tsp garlic salt (2 Condiments)

1/2 tsp Italian seasoning (1 Condiment)

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

3/4 cup reduced fat mozzarella cheese, divided (3/4 Lean)

1 1/2 cups Great Value Italian diced tomatoes, divided (3 Greens)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Lightly spray a 13 x 9 inch glass dish with cooking spray.

Blend diced tomatoes in a blender or small chopper to resemble tomato sauce or until desired consistency.

Combine ground chicken, Parmesan cheese, and spices. Add half of the mozzarella cheese (1.5 oz or 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp). Measure out 3 tbsp of tomato sauce and add to the ground chicken mixture until completely combined.

Form into meatballs. Since this recipe makes three servings, I made twenty-one meatballs. It is so much easier to divide the meatballs evenly when they are in increments of three such as 15, 18, 21, and so on.

Place meatballs in prepared glass dish. Bake for 25 minutes.

Spread tomato sauce over meatballs and sprinkle with the leftover mozzarella cheese.

Broil until cheese is melted.  Divide the meatballs into 3 servings. Enjoy!

3 Servings with 1 Lean, 1 Green (need 2 more!) and 2.6 Condiments per serving

Full Recipe

Shrimp or Chicken Fried Rice

I have seen this recipe on the face book medifast discussion board and the recipe forums on http://www.mymedifast.com/

Shrimp or Chicken Fried "Rice"

Ingredients:

2-3/4 cup grated cauliflower (5.75 Green)

1/4 cup green onion, chopped (.25 Green)

1 clove garlic, minced (1 Condiment)

1/4 tsp ginger (.5 Condiment)

1 tbsp plus 1 and 1/2 tsp Soy Sauce or a mixture of Soy Sauce and Teriyaki Sauce (4.5 Condiments)

3 eggs beaten (1 Lean)

7 oz shrimp, cooked or 6 oz chicken, cooked and cubed (1 Lean)

Dash of red pepper flakes (optional)

1 tsp olive oil - if using chicken or 2 tsp olive oil - if using shrimp

Directions:

I reserved 1 tsp of the soy sauce and marinated my shrimp in it for a few hours. This is optional but it helps give the meat some flavor. Cook eggs in skillet sprayed with a little bit of Pam. Scramble eggs until done, but still moist. Set aside. In a wok or large skillet, heat 1 tsp olive oil if using chicken or 2 tsp olive oil if using shrimp over medium high heat. Fry minced garlic with finely diced white part of onions for approximately 1 minute. Add grated cauliflower and fry for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add soy sauce, ginger, diced green onion tops, pre-cooked meat, and eggs. Stir to mix well and until browned a bit. Makes 2 servings. Sprinkle red pepper flakes very lightly over the top (optional). Stores and re-heats beautifully.

2 Complete Lean and Green Meals with 3 Condiments and all healthy fats per serving

Full Recipe

Quick and Easy Chicken and Vegetable Soup

Quick and Easy Chicken and Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:

6 oz chicken breasts, cooked and chopped (1 Lean)

1/2 cup yellow squash, cubed  (1 Green)

1/2 cup zucchini, cubed (1 Green)

1/2 cup green beans, chopped into 1 inch pieces and cooked (1 Green)

2 cups chicken broth, reduced sodium and fat free (2 Condiments)

1/4 tsp oregano leaves (1/2 Condiment)

1/4 tsp basil leaves (1/4 Condiment)

Dash of pepper

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes.

1 Complete Lean and Green Meal with 2-3/4 Condiments

* I cooked my chicken in 1 tsp of olive oil for 1 healthy fat required.

Full Recipe

Chicken Alfredo and Spinach Pizza

This pizza turned out pretty good if you want a little pizza variety. I like to make my own Alfredo Sauce using light laughing cow cheese and half and half, instead of using the Walden Farms brand of Alfredo Sauce. Feel free to use Walden Farms Alfredo sauce. I think it is 1 condiment for 2 tbsp. You could probably use 1/4 cup as 2 condiments and a tsp of Parmesan cheese as your third condiment. Just an idea. You will need to add a healthy fat as well if you use Walden Farms. Have a happy OP day everyone!

Chicken Alfredo and Spinach "Pizza"

(Recipe created by Sandy's Kitchen)

Ingredients:

Crust

1 cup or 100 grams grated raw cauliflower (2 Greens)

1/4 cup egg beaters (1/8 Lean)

1/4 cup Reduced Fat 2% Mozzarella cheese (1/4 Lean)

Toppings

2.25 oz chicken, cooked and chopped (3/8 Lean)

1/4 cup Reduced Fat 2% Mozzarella Cheese or Reduced Fat Feta cheese (1/4 lean)

1/2 cup spinach, cooked, drained and chopped (1 Green)

Alfredo Sauce

2 Light Garlic and Herb Cheese Wedges (1 Healthy Fat)

2 tbsp Half and Half  (2 Condiments)

2 tsp Reduced Fat Parmesan, grated (2/3 Condiment)

1/4 tsp Molly McButter (1/4 Condiment)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place parchment paper on a cookie sheet and spray lightly with cooking spray. Combine grated cauliflower, egg beaters, and 1/4 cup cheese until mixed completely. Spoon mixture on prepared pan with parchment paper. Use the back of a spoon to thin out mixture and form a circle about the size of a dinner plate without the rim. Bake for 30 minutes. Flip the crust over and bake an additional 10 minutes. Oven times may vary. Set aside.

Prepare Alfredo sauce by combining all ingredients for the sauce in a very small saucepan over medium low heat. Bring to a boil and stir constantly until sauce is bubbly and thickened. Remove from heat and stir in chicken. Set aside. Top the crust with cooked spinach. Then spread chicken mixture over the spinach. Top with 1/4 cup mozzarella or feta cheese. Broil until cheese is melted.

1 Complete Lean and Green Meal with 3 Condiments and 1 Healthy Fat

Full Recipe

Cheesy Mexican or Italian Spaghetti Squash Casserole

Yes! There are two variations of this recipe so enjoy!

Cheesy Mexican Chicken Spaghetti Squash Casserole

Ingredients:

1 cup prepared Spaghetti Squash Strands (2 Greens)

1/2 cup diced Rotel Diced Tomatoes, drained (1 Green)

2 Light Laughing Cow Queso Fresco and Chipotle Cheese Wedges (1 Healthy Fat)

1/4 cup 2% reduced fat Mexican Cheese, Shredded (1/4 Lean)

7 oz raw Chicken Breasts, cubed - should yield 4.5 oz cooked (3/4 Lean)

1 tsp low sodium Taco Seasoning Mix (1 1/2 Condiments)

1 tbsp water

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare spaghetti squash by oven or microwave. For tutorial, please go HERE.

Spray a nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Add chicken, taco seasoning mix and water. Cook chicken until chicken is no longer pink and cooked thoroughly. Make sure you have 4.5 oz of chicken when cooked. If you desire more shredded Mexican cheese, then use 1/2 cup Mexican cheese and only 3 oz chicken when cooked. Set aside.

Saute 1 cup spaghetti squash, rotel tomatoes and laughing cow cheese wedges until cheese is melted.

Pour squash mixture in a small casserole dish. Spread cubed chicken over the top. Sprinkle shredded cheese over chicken. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes or until cheese has melted. Serve.

*Laughing cow cheese is generally not recommended on the Medifast program, but if you wish to incorporate it into the plan then 2 light wedges are considered 1 healthy fat.

1 Serving with 1 Lean, 3 Greens, 1 1/2 Condiments and 1 Healthy Fat per Serving

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Cheesy Italian Chicken Spaghetti Squash Casserole

Ingredients:

1 cup prepared Spaghetti Squash Strands (2 Greens)

1/2 cup diced Italian tomatoes - less than 5 g carbs per serving., drained (1 Green)

2 Light Laughing Garlic and Herb Cheese Wedges (1 Healthy Fat)

1/4 cup 2% reduced fat Mozzarella or Italian Cheese Blend, Shredded (1/4 Lean)

7 oz raw Chicken Breasts, cubed - should yield 4.5 oz cooked (3/4 Lean)

1 tbsp Wishbone Light Italian Salad Dressing  (1.5 Condiments)

2 tsp Parmesan Cheese, grated (2/3 Condiment)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare spaghetti squash by oven or microwave. For tutorial, please go HERE.

Marinate chicken in Italian dressing if desired. Spray a nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Add chicken and cook until chicken is no longer pink and cooked thoroughly. Make sure you have 4.5 oz of chicken when cooked. If you desire more shredded Italian cheese, then use 1/2 cup cheese and only 3 oz chicken when cooked. Set aside chicken.

Saute 1 cup spaghetti squash, Italian diced tomatoes and laughing cow cheese wedges until cheese is melted.

Pour squash mixture in a small casserole dish. Spread cubed chicken over the top. Sprinkle shredded cheese and then Parmesan cheese over the chicken. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes or until cheese has melted. Serve.

*Laughing cow cheese is generally not recommended on the Medifast program, but if you wish to incorporate it into the plan then 2 light wedges are considered 1 healthy fat.

1 Serving with 1 Lean, 3 Greens, 3 Condiments and 1 Healthy Fat per Serving

Full Recipe