MEAT-LESS SPAGHETTI

My picky-picky husband is a "meat and potatoes" man through and through. If a meal doesn't center around meat.....well, he doesn't call it a real meal. 

That's why I came up with this "Meat-less Spaghetti" (for myself) to counter hubby's "steak night". It is total COMFORT FOOD !!!

1/4 cup olive oil

1 medium sweet onion (chopped)

(2) 14.5 ounce cans diced tomatoes (Italian style)

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (not garlic salt)

pinch of cayenne pepper  (see note below)

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (see note below)

2 teaspoons dry basil leaves

1 teaspoon dry oregano

2 teaspoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

8 ounces button mushrooms

12 ounces spaghetti noodles

Saute chopped onion in the olive oil until they look sort of transparent and smell "sweet-ish". Put cooked onions (don't drain) in a large Crockpot (I think mine is a 7 quart size?). Add the diced Italian style tomatoes, garlic powder, cayenne, basil, kosher salt, black pepper and sugar; mix well. Cook on high for about 3 hours.

After 3 hours, clean the mushrooms and take the stems off. Chop the stems in the food processor and slice the mushroom caps (nice and thick), then put them in the sauce to cook for about 30 minutes.

While the mushrooms are cooking, boil the spaghetti noodles (in salted water) until they are HALF WAY DONE (important).

Strain the partially cooked noodles and turn the Crockpot down to LOW. Add the noodles to the sauce and continue cooking for about 30 minutes. Stir and serve.

I like mine with Parmesan!!

ENJOY !!!

NOTE: Remember, kosher salt measures differently than table salt because the tiny grains (in table salt) pack together much closer. The measurement in this recipe is for kosher salt. If you only have table salt......use less.

NOTE: Cayenne pepper is pretty spicy. I have measuring spoons that go down to 1/16th of a teaspoon, so that's what I use......it is basically a "pinch" of cayenne. You can substitute 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes for the cayenne.

NOTE: Make sure you only boil the spaghetti noodles half way. This is an important step since they pick up a ton of flavor from the sauce as they cook the rest of the way in the Crockpot.

NOTE: You will have to cut this recipe in half if you only have a small Crockpot.

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Garlic Potato Pancakes

Looking for another way to eat those mashed potatoes?

These Garlic Potato Pancakes are delicious and make the mashed potato fueling even yummier and a little bit more exciting! They are slightly crispy on the outside, but still has the soft creamy texture of mashed potatoes on the inside.

I added 1/4 cup of reduced fat cheese, but it isn't necessary. I just happen to think cheese makes everything better! You could also add 1 tbsp of Kraft reduced fat grated parmesan cheese (1/2 Condiment) if you are looking to jazz it up without using your Lean. Both ways are delicious!

When you combine the ingredients, it will look runny. Don't worry! It will thicken up! Just let it sit for 5 minutes. Pour the mixture in the skillet and enjoy these yummy potato pancakes!

Garlic Potato Pancakes

Ingredients:

1 Garlic Mashed Potatoes (1 Fueling)

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

1/4 cup reduced fat cheese, optional (1/4 Lean)

1/2 cup water

Directions:

Combine mashed potatoes, baking powder, water and cheese.

Let stand for 5 minutes so mixture can thicken up.

Lightly spray a cast iron skillet with cooking spray.

Heat skillet over medium heat.

Spoon mixture onto skillet forming two pancakes.

Cook for a few minutes and then flip the pancakes to cook the other side.

Serve with a tbsp of reduced sugar ketchup or 2 tbsp sour cream!

Makes 1 Serving

Each serving provides

1 Fueling, 1/2 Condiment, and 1/4 Lean (if using cheese)

Additional Condiments:

1 tbsp Heinz Reduced Sugar Ketchup is 1 Condiment
1 tbsp sour cream ~ regular or light (1 Condiment)

2 tbsp sour cream is 1 Healthy Fat

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Spinach Cheddar Quiche

Here is another delicious quiche recipe perfect for Easter brunch! Make this Spinach Cheddar Quiche along with the Italian Sausage Sweet Red Pepper Quiche to give your family and friends some variety! You will be proud knowing you are serving something nutritiously packed with plenty of veggies and lean protein! 

The crust is simply a Cali'Lite cauliflower crust. Skip the traditional pie crust and swap it out for a cauliflower crust. A traditional Pillsbury refrigerated pie crust is 800 Calories, 96 grams of Carbs, and 8 grams of Protein for the entire crust! Say it isn't so! That isn't even including the filling! 

Sure, you could always make a crustless quiche, but it tastes so much better with the crusts from Lite Cali'flour Foods. Trust me! I tried it both ways! It adds a little extra flavor and texture to the quiche. If you don't have these crusts, definitely skip the traditional pie crust and make it crustless. Check out the note below the recipe to see the breakdown if you go crustless. Those extra calories and carbs are just not worth it. Your health is worth so much more! I hope you enjoy this yummy quiche!

Spinach Cheddar Quiche

Ingredients:
4 eggs (1 1/2 Leans with egg whites)

2 egg whites 

 10 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained or 1 1/2 cups cooked spinach (3 Greens)

 1 cup unsweetened almond or cashew milk (1 Condiment)

 1 cup 2% sharp cheddar shredded cheese (1 Lean)

 1/4 tsp salt (1 Condiment)
 1/4 tsp pepper (1/2 Condiment)
1/4 tsp garlic powder (1/2 Condiment)
1/4 tsp onion powder (1/2 Condiment)

 1/4 cup reduced fat feta cheese ** (2 Condiments)

 1 Lite Cali-flour Foods Crust *  (1/2 Lean, 3 Greens)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove pizza crust from freezer to thaw. Spray a small skillet with non-stick cooking spray. Add spinach and cook for 5 minutes or until excess moisture is cooked away. Remove from heat and let cool. In a bowl, whisk eggs, egg whites and unsweetened almond or cashew milk together. Stir in cheddar cheese and cooked spinach. Add salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and feta cheese.

Grease a 9 inch pie pan. When crust is thawed, center into pie pan. The crust will stay elevated in the pan, do NOT press into shape or it will break! Once crust is centered on pan, place in oven for 5 minutes. The heat will form the crust to the pan. For extra crisp on the crust, broil on high for 2 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and add egg mixture.

Bake crust for 45 minutes or until knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove and let cool in pie dish for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

3 Servings (1/3 of quiche) with

1 Lean, 2 Greens (still need 1 more per serving), and 2 Condiments per serving

* The recipe calculations are based on the Cali'Lite crusts and not the traditional cauliflower crusts.

** If you can't find reduced fat feta, use 1/4 cup regular feta as 4 Condiments. Or try 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese which is also 4 Condiments. This would give you 2.5 Condiments per serving instead of 2 Condiments per serving.

*** If making this recipe crustless, add an additional 1/2 Lean such as 1/2 cup reduced fat cheese or 2.5 oz cooked Jennie-O breakfast turkey sausage. Add 3 additional Greens to compensate for the missing crust. If you do not want to add the additional Greens in your quiche, serve them on the side. This recipe will then give you 3 Servings with 1 Lean, 1 Green (still need 2 more per serving), and 2 Condiments per serving.

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Korean Beef Bowls

I love Korean Beef Bowls and they are so easy to make! They are perfect for a quick weeknight skillet meal and will quickly become a family favorite. They also freeze well so it is a perfect choice for those of us that meal prep!

Whisk the seasonings with the soy sauce until combined.

Brown ground meat of your choice and drain the meat. Then add the sauce and cook for a few more minutes.

While the meat is cooking, heat up your riced cauliflower in another skillet and cook for a few more minutes until heated thoroughly.

Serve the Korean Beef or Turkey over cauliflower rice! Garnish with green onions and enjoy!

Korean Beef Bowls

Ingredients:

2 pounds 95 to 97% ground turkey or beef (4 Leans)

4 tsp sesame oil (4 Healthy Fats)

1 tsp ground ginger (2 Condiments)

1 tsp garlic powder (2 Condiments)

1 tsp onion powder (2 Condiments)

1/4 cup lite soy sauce (4 Condiments)

1 packet stevia (1 Condiment)

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (1 Condiment)

6 cups cooked cauliflower rice (12 Greens)

Directions:

Combine sesame oil, ground ginger, garlic powder, onion powder, soy sauce, stevia and crushed red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Use a whisk to mix thoroughly.

Brown ground turkey or beef over medium high heat. Drain meat and return to pan.

Add sauce mixture to cooked meat. Cook for a few more minutes stirring until the sauce is well blended with the meat.

Serve 6 ounces of cooked meat with 1 1/2 cups cauliflower rice per serving. 

I used Trader Joes frozen cauliflower rice, but you can use fresh grated cauliflower if you desire. I add the frozen cauliflower to a medium skillet and cook for a few minutes until heated thoroughly.

4 Servings with 1 Leaner Lean (6 ounces cooked), 3 Greens, 3 Condiments, and 1 Healthy Fat per Serving

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Shredded BBQ Beef and Cheddar Pizza

Who doesn't like BBQ? I love BBQ!

I must admit it can be difficult finding a great tasting BBQ sauce that is sugar free but I found two that are pretty tasty! They aren't entirely the same as the sugar laden BBQ sauce I absolutely love, but they are mighty tasty and allow me to stay on my weight loss plan.

The first one I will mention is Guy's BBQ Sauce. It comes in five flavors which are Original, Hot, Smokey Bacon, Smokey Garlic and Spicy. All of them are yummy, but Smokey Garlic has my heart! I really can not tell it is sugar free and it has the best texture and flavor compared to other sugar free BBQ sauces. I haven't found these in local stores yet so I order them online from Netrition. They charges a flat rate shipping fee so I try to stock up on everything I may want at once to save on shipping. 

The other BBQ sauce I like is G Hughes Sugar Free BBQ Sauce. I can only give props to the Hickory flavor. It is tasty, but I still like Guy's BBQ Sauce better. If I run out of Guy's, then I get this one because I can easily find it locally at Wal-mart. I tried the Maple Brown flavor and I had to throw out the bottle, but give it a try. You may like it, but it isn't a flavor I would get again. I haven't tried the Original or Honey so I can not vouch for them either. If you have tried them, let me know! You can also find them at Netrition too!  

Once you find your favorite BBQ sauce, you are ready to make this delicious recipe!

The meat is slow cooked in root beer which helps tenderize the meat and gives it a hint of sweetness. Then you drain the meat and shred it. Measure out 1.25 ounces of cooked meat and add 2 tbsp of BBQ sauce to it. Add the mixture to your cooked Lite Cali'flour Crust with some sharp cheddar cheese and put it back in the oven until the cheese has melted.

It really reminds me of a pulled BBQ beef sandwich because the crust will not get crispy. This is because of all the toppings! 

Cut the pizza in half and fold it over like a burrito. Serve it with 3/4 cup of cooked jicama fries or kale chips and you have an amazing meal!

Shredded BBQ Beef and Cheddar Pizza

Ingredients:
1.25 ounces cooked beef with 2 tbsp sugar free bbq sauce (1/4 Lean, 2 Condiments)
1/4 cup reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese (1/4 Lean)
1 Lite Cali'flour Foods crust * (1/2 Lean, 3 Greens)

To make Shredded Beef:

3 pound chuck roast

1 cup diet root beer

Sugar Free BBQ Sauce

Directions:

Season with spices of your choice, but subtract from your condiments. Place the roast in the slow cooker and add 1 cup diet root beer.  Cook on LOW for 8 hours.  Drain the beef and shred with a fork. Measure out 1.25 ounces of cooked beef and add 2 tbsp sugar free BBQ Sauce and set aside.

Bake crust for 10 minutes at 400 degrees. Let cool 10 min. Add shredded BBQ beef to the crust. Sprinkle 1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese on top. Bake for about 5 more minutes or until cheese has melted. Garnish with cilantro if desired.

1 Serving with
1 Lean, 3 Greens, and 2 Condiment per serving

* The recipe calculations are based on the Cali'Lite crusts and not the traditional cauliflower crusts.

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Italian Sausage Sweet Red Pepper Quiche

Wondering what you should serve for a delicious Easter brunch? Here is a delicious quiche recipe that is perfect for Easter morning and it is a family favorite! 

I absolutely love the combination of savory Italian turkey sausage and sweet red bell peppers! I used a Sweet Red Pepper Cali'flour Foods crust for the bottom of my quiche. The cauliflower crust makes the quiche taste so much better! It adds texture that you might miss when doing a crustless quiche and the flavor is absolutely delicious! As you can see, these crusts aren't just for pizza... although they do make pretty amazing pizzas! I have found so many additional ways to use them. Try them as chips, as sandwiches, toast, burritos, enchiladas, quesadillas, or in lasagna! The possibilities are endless!

These pre-made cauliflower crusts count as 1/2 a Lean and 3 Greens for the entire crust on the Optavia or Medifast 5 and 1 plan! Only 180 Calories, 6 g of Carbs, 9 g of Fat, and 15 g of protein for the whole thing!Interested in purchasing the crust? Click HERE to order!

Italian Sausage Sweet Red Pepper Quiche

Ingredients:

6 ounces cooked Jennie-O Sweet Italian turkey sausage links (1 Lean)

4 eggs (1 1/2 Lean with 2 egg whites)
2 egg whites

1 1/2 cups sweet red bell pepper, chopped (3 Greens)

1 cup unsweetened almond milk (1 Condiment)

1 cup shredded 2% sharp cheddar cheese (1 Lean)

1/4 tsp salt (1 Condiment)

1/4 tsp pepper (1/2 Condiment)

2 tbsp reduced fat grated parmesan cheese (1 Condiment)
1 Lite Cali-flour Foods cauliflower crust * (1/2 Lean, 3 Greens)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. 

Remove pizza crust from freezer to thaw.

Remove sausage from casings. In a medium sized skillet, brown sausage over medium high heat until cooked. Drain and set aside. 

Grease a 9 inch pie dish. When crust is thawed, place in pie dish. The crust fit perfectly on the bottom of my pie dish! Bake in oven for 5 minutes. For extra crisp on the crust, broil on high for 2 more minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and set aside.

In a bowl, whisk the eggs, egg whites and unsweetened almond milk together. Stir in cheddar cheese, cooked sausage, and chopped red pepper. Add salt, pepper and grated parmesan cheese stirring until combined. Add egg mixture to pie dish.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove and let cool in pie dish for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

4 Servings (1/4 of quiche) with

1 Lean, 1 1/2 Greens (need 1 1/2 more per serving), and 1 Condiment per serving

The recipe calculations are based on the Cali'Lite crusts and not the traditional cauliflower crusts.

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Other sausage substitutions that are plan approved:

5 ounces Jennie-O all natural bulk sausage; the Hot bulk sausage is higher in sodium.

6 ounces Jennie-O Sweet Italian turkey sausage

5 ounces Jennie-O Turkey Breakfast Patties

5 ounces Jennie-O Turkey Breakfast sausage Links

Johnsonville Fully Cooked Breakfast Sausage: 6 links = 1 lean

Gilbert Chicken Sausage: 2 links = 1 lean

Al Fresco Sweet Italian: 2 links = 1 lean

Al Fresco Smoked Andouille: 2 links = 1 lean

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Don't have the crust? Here is a crustless recipe!

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Big Mac Pizza

Craving a Big Mac? Or pizza? Why not both?

Can you imagine how many calories and carbs you would be eating if you had a McDonald's Big Mac and say... a pizza from Papa John's? A HUGE amount!

In the past... that was actually pretty common for me to have in any given day. Today it is all about making healthier choices so that I can live a healthier life, but that doesn't mean we have to eat boring foods! My mom used to say don't play with your food when I was little... well I am so glad I didn't listen! Otherwise, I wouldn't have been eating this Big Mac Pizza!

Using a pre-made cauliflower crust from Cali'flour Foods is what allows this pizza to be healthier than using a traditional pizza crust. These cauliflower crusts are made with only a few clean ingredients which include cauliflower, mozzarella cheese, egg and spices. No fillers like some of the cauliflower pizzas on the market! Not to mention they are an approved option on the 5 and 1 plan!

Check out the sales they are currently running and order your crusts HERE! Make sure you choose the Lite crusts since they count as 1/2 a Lean and 3 Greens for the entire crust!

These crusts can be stored in the freezer up until 9 months and they cook up nicely from frozen. No need to thaw.

For this recipe, I pre-baked the crust for about 9 minutes. Then I let it cool completely. Don't skip this step because cooling the crust helps the crust to firm up. It also helps to use a vented pan like the one I have above or a pan with holes in it (perforated pan). A vented pan allows the heat to reach the entire crust as it bakes which results in a crispier crust.

Add cooked ground turkey or beef and shredded cheddar cheese on top of the crust.

Bake for about 5 minutes until the cheese is melted.

Top the pizza with lettuce and tomatoes. Then drizzle the dressing over the top.

Lastly, add the chopped dill pickles! The pickles totally completes this pizza so don't leave them out!

Slice and serve! Share this yummy pizza with someone who is a fan of Big Macs and pizza! Enjoy!

Big Mac Pizza

Ingredients:

1 Lite Cali'flour Foods pizza crust *  (1/2 Lean, 3 Greens)

1.75 oz 99% ground turkey, seasoned and cooked (1/4 Leanest Lean)

1/4 cup reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (1/4 Lean)

1/2 cup lettuce, chopped (1/2 Green)

1/4 cup tomatoes, chopped (1/2 Green)

2 dill pickles, chopped (1 Optional Snack)

For Dressing:

2 tbsp Lite Wishbone Thousand Island Dressing (1 Healthy Fat)

1/8 tsp white wine vinegar

Light sprinkle of stevia, optional

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Bake for 10 minutes. Let cool completely at least 10 minutes.

Combine the ingredients of the dressing in a small bowl and stir until combined. Set aside.

Sprinkle ground turkey and cheese on top of crust.

Bake an additional 5 minutes or until cheese has melted.

Add lettuce, tomatoes, and pickles.

Drizzle dressing mixture on top of pizza.

2 Servings with
1/2 Lean (still need 1/2 Lean more per serving), 2 Greens (still need 1 Green more per serving), 1/2 Healthy Fat, and 1/2 Optional Snack per serving
(Half the pizza)

* The recipe calculations are based on the Cali'Lite crusts and not the traditional cauliflower crusts.

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Egg White Sausage Biscuits

I have been so in love with these sausage "biscuits"! Well, they aren't really biscuits but man oh man... I promise you... you will not miss the biscuits! These egg whites hold the sausage patties together like a sandwich and the flavor is all there minus the extra carbs and calories!

I topped this sausage biscuit with a tablespoon of guacamole (1/2 Healthy Fat) because guacamole tastes wonderful with egg whites! Another idea? Skip the guacamole and add a tablespoon of salsa (1 Condiment)! Spice up your life with salsa or cool it down with guacamole!

These egg white biscuits are so easy to make! Start off by placing two regular mouth mason jar lids with the center part removed in a medium non-stick skillet. Spray the pan and mason jar lids with cooking spray.

Place one egg white in each lid. Then pour a little less than 1/2 a cup of water or enough water to cover the bottom of a skillet.

Cover the skillet with a lid and cook for about 3 minutes or until cooked thoroughly.

Carefully remove egg whites from the lids. You may need to use a knife to loosen the edges if the egg whites stick to the lid, but I didn't find it necessary. Top with your favorite toppings or enjoy plain!

Egg White Sausage Biscuits

Ingredients:

2 regular mouth mason jar lids

2 large egg whites, separated or 1/4 cup egg whites from the carton

1 Jimmy Dean turkey sausage patty

Directions:

Place 2 regular mouth mason jar lids in a medium sized skillet over medium high heat.

Lightly spray the skillet and the lids with cooking spray. 

Place 1 egg white or 2 tbsp egg whites from the carton in each mason jar lid.

Pour a little less than 1/2 cup of water or enough water 

to cover the bottom of the skillet.

Cover the skillet with a lid and cook for 3 minutes or until egg whites 

are cooked thoroughly.

Remove the lids with egg whites from the skillet.

Carefully remove the egg whites from the lids using a knife to loosen the edges of the egg whites from the lid if necessary.

Place heated sausage between the egg whites. Enjoy!

1 Serving with 1/3 Lean

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