BRIGHT CITRUS SALAD

This refreshing salad is a nutritious combination of crunch (from the broccoli and sunflower seeds), sweetness (from the oranges and raisins) and a pleasant "full feeling" from the black beans.  

It is the perfect side dish for any barbecue or potluck!!

Measurements given here are approximate (except for the dressing). YOU decide how much of each ingredient you would like in your salad. The amounts given here are catered to OUR taste buds. 

3 small heads of broccoli (bite size pieces)
1 red bell pepper (diced finely)
1 cup raisins
2 oranges (peeled and sliced thickly)
15 ounce can of black beans (rinsed and drained)
1/2 cup  toasted sunflower seeds
1/2 cup finely sliced green onion tops

Dressing:
1/2 cup mayonnaise (I use light)
1/2 cup milk (I use 2%)
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Pinch of cayenne powder


Wash the broccoli and shake dry. Remove as much of the stalk and stems as you can so you can break the florets into bite size pieces. Add (small diced) red bell pepper, raisins, oranges, black beans, sunflower seeds and green onions.

Mix dressing ingredients with a whisk and pour about 1/2 cup of it over the salad just before you serve it. Toss gently and taste to see if you want more dressing. You may not need or want all of the dressing. 


NOTE: Peel the oranges, removing as much of the white as you can, then slice the orange into thick slices; cut the thick slices into four wedges.

NOTE: Let your imagination go wild with this salad, you can add just about any veggies that strike your fancy.

ENJOY !!!

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Ground Beef and Banana Pepper Pizza

Have you ever had banana peppers on your pizza? I have had them on my sandwiches, but not on my pizza. I may be late to the game, but man oh man... they are amazing on pizza! They are halfway between a pickle and pepper and have a mild, tangy, slightly sweet taste. 

Add marinara sauce, seasoned ground beef, mozzarella cheese, and banana peppers on top of a cauliflower crust and you have a delicious tasting low carb pizza!

I used a Cali'Lite pizza crust which counts as 1/2 a Lean and 3 Greens for the entire crust on the 5 and 1 plan so you can have the whole thing! Currently, the Cali'Lite crusts can only be found online. Some grocery stores carry the Traditional crusts, but keep in mind... you can only have half of the Traditional crust as 1/2 Lean and 1 1/2 Greens. This is why I usually order the Lite crusts online.

Cali'Lite Pizza Crusts

Or you can always make your cauliflower crusts. Here is the link! Check it out!

Homemade Cauliflower Crusts

Now go make this pizza! Yum!

Ground Beef and Banana Pepper Pizza

Ingredients:

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

1.5 ounces 95 to 97% lean ground beef, 
seasoned and cooked* (1/4 Lean)

1/4 cup reduced fat mozzarella cheese (1/4 Lean)

2 tbsp Rao's marinara sauce (1 Condiment)

1 ounce sliced banana peppers (1 Optional Snack) 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place crust on a vented pan and bake for about 10 min.

Let cool at least 5 to 10 minutes.

Spread marinara sauce over cooled crust.

Sprinkle cooked ground beef and mozzarella cheese over cooled crust. 

Top with banana pepper slices.

Bake for 5 min or until cheese has melted.

Let cool for 5 min.

1 Serving with

1 Lean, 3 Greens, 1 Condiment and 1 Optional Snack

(Entire pizza)

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

*I seasoned the ground beef with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Don't forget to subtract from your Condiments.

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APPLE CRISP FOR TWO

YUMMMMM!!!

Click on photo

I call this "Apple Crisp for Two", although I guess that is a bit of a misnomer. It actually makes 3 large desserts (if you include the ice cream). I guess I should have called it "Apple crisp for two (and a little more for later)" 😇   

We love a good fruit crisp with a slightly crunchy (but not HARD crunchy) topping and lots of gooey filling. That perfectly describes this dessert. It is one of the best crisps we've tried in years!!!!!

APPLE LAYER
2 large Granny Smith apples (see note)
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg (optional)

Peel, core and thinly slice the apples. Toss with the above ingredients and place in a greased baking dish (I use a 9" x 5" loaf pan). Sprinkle two tablespoons of water over the filling. NOTE: Do NOT mix the water into the above mixture, just sprinkle it evenly OVER the filling; trust me it works perfectly and makes the BEST sauce.

TOPPING LAYER
1/4 cup quick oats
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons melted butter

Use a spoon and mix the topping ingredients until everything seems coated with butter. Evenly sprinkle it over the apple layer (but do not mix it in).

Bake in pre-heated 350 oven for 30-35 minutes or until apples are tender.  Let cool 15 minutes before serving (if you can wait that long). We like ours, served with ice cream.

NOTE: Make sure you use a good baking apple like Granny Smith. Regular eating apples don't work well in this kind of recipe (they get mushy).

ENJOY !!!

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