Chicken Salad

Chicken Salad is another great way to use leftover chicken! Who doesn't love a yummy chicken salad recipe? I know I do!

What makes this chicken salad so special? Poultry seasoning! It really makes a difference in overall flavor and makes it so yummy! I also added chopped walnuts for added crunch along with the celery. Serve it as a lettuce wrap or on two Cali'flour Flatbreads! The flatbreads make wonderful sandwiches! Two Flatbreads count as ⅓ Lean and 2 Greens on the 5 and 1 plan. This is where I get them:

Cali'flour Foods

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Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

10.5 ounces cooked chicken, cubed or shredded (1 ⅞ Leaner)

½ cup celery, chopped (1 Green)

¼ cup plain low fat Greek yogurt (⅛ Leaner)

3 tbsp light mayonnaise (2 Healthy Fats)

2 tsp dijon mustard (2 Condiments)

¼ tsp salt (1 Condiment)

¼ tsp black pepper (½ Condiment)

¼ tsp onion powder (½ Condiment)

½ tsp poultry seasoning (1 Condiment)

1 ounce walnuts, chopped (2 Optional Snacks)

Directions:

Combine chicken and celery in a large bowl.

Add Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, dijon mustard, salt, pepper, onion powder, and poultry seasoning, stirring until combined.

Stir in walnuts. Enjoy!

Makes 2 Servings

Each serving provides

1 Leaner, ½ of a Green, 2 ½ Condiments, 1 Healthy Fat, and 1 Optional Snack

(Still need 2 ½  Greens more)

If using two Cali'flour Flatbreads, divide the entire recipe into 3 Servings instead of 2 Servings. Each serving would give you ⅔ Leaner. The two Cali'flour Flatbreads count as ⅓ Lean and 2 Greens.

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Turkey Broccoli Cheddar Quiche

Crustless Turkey Broccoli Cheddar Quiche is a great way to use up leftover turkey right after the holidays, especially the next morning! 

This makes a hearty delicious quiche using turkey, fresh broccoli, cheddar cheese and eggs. Plus it's super duper easy to throw together!

Substitute the broccoli with other veggies such as sweet bell peppers, mushrooms, or spinach for added variety!

Beat the eggs with unsweetened cashew milk, salt and pepper and pour it over the turkey, broccoli, and cheese. You can also use unsweetened almond milk, but I prefer cashew milk because it is slightly thicker and creamier than almond milk.

Pop it in the oven and bake for 40 to 45 min or until done.

Make this recipe year round! It is full of wholesome ingredients and packed with lots of protein and it is a great for a quick breakfast, brunch or dinner meal!

Crustless Turkey Cheddar Quiche

Ingredients:

7 ounces turkey, cooked and cubed (1 Leanest)

⅔ cup reduced fat cheddar cheese (⅔ Lean)
1 tbsp butter (2 Healthy Fats)
¼ cup onion (4 Condiments)
1 tsp minced garlic (1 Condiment)

1 ½ cups fresh broccoli florets cooked, chopped finely (3 Greens)

4 eggs (1 ⅓ Lean)

½ cup unsweetened cashew milk (½ Condiment)

¼ tsp salt (1 Condiment)

¼ tsp pepper (½ Condiment)

Directions:

Preheat 375 degrees. Melt butter in a medium skillet over medium high heat. Cook onion and garlic until onions are translucent. Layer turkey, cheese and broccoli in a 9 inch pie dish. In medium bowl, beat eggs, cashew milk, salt, and pepper with a fork. Pour over turkey, cheese, and broccoli. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 3 servings

Each serving provides

1 Lean, 1 Green, 2 ⅓  Condiments, and ⅔ Healthy Fat (for turkey)

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Kabocha Squash Yogurt Parfait

Kabocha squash makes delicious low carb desserts and it is a wonderful substitute for pumpkin or butternut squash which tend to be higher in carbs. This dessert is made with kabocha squash that has been roasted and mashed. Sugar free walnut maple syrup, pumpkin pie spice, and unsweetened cashew milk enhances the flavor so it reminds me of pumpkin pie.

Layer the mashed kabocha squash mixture with plain Greek yogurt and top it off with toasted walnuts and you have a heavenly dessert perfect for Fall! The sweet kabocha squash cuts some of the tartness of Greek yogurt plus you get additional protein and a Green all in one dessert! Yes please! 

Kabocha Squash Yogurt Parfait

Slightly adapted from Medifast Blog

Ingredients:

1 kabocha squash ~ ½ cup cooked and mashed (1 Green)

2 tbsp Walden Farms Maple Walnut Syrup (½ Condiment)

½  tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice or cinnamon (1 Condiment)

2 tbsp unsweetened almond or cashew milk (⅛ Condiment)

½ cup low fat plain Greek yogurt (⅓ Leaner)

½ ounce chopped walnuts (1 Optional Snack)

Directions:

Toast walnuts by preheating the oven to 375 degrees. Arrange the walnuts in a single layer. Bake 5 to 10 min, checking frequently. They are toasted when they start to turn brown. Set aside and let cool.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut kabocha squash in half and scoop out the seeds; place cut side down on a lightly greased baking sheet or baking sheet lined with non-stick foil. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes or until tender. Wait until cool to touch and scrape out the flesh. Mash with a fork. Measure out 1/2 cup and place in a small bowl. Reserve the rest for another use.

Mix 1/2 cup squash, maple syrup, pumpkin spice and milk until combined. Layer half of the squash on the bottom of an 8 ounce glass. Then layer 1/4 cup of Greek yogurt. Then the other half of squash. Then 1/4 cup of Greek yogurt. Top with walnuts.

Makes 1 Serving

Each serving provides

1/3 Leaner, 1 Green, 2 Condiments, and 1 Optional Snack

Add an additional 2/3 Leaner (such as 4 ounces of chicken or turkey breasts) and 2 Greens to complete your Lean and Green Meal

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Mashed Cauliflower

There are lots of mashed cauliflower recipes out there, but I really like this one because it uses chicken broth to give it extra flavor. The added parmesan cheese and sour cream brings it up a notch. This mashed cauliflower recipe is less than 1 Condiment per serving which is perfect when wanting to top it off with brown gravy. 

Mashed Cauliflower

Ingredients:

6 cups fresh cauliflower florets (12 Greens)

½ cup chicken broth (½ Condiment)

¼ tsp salt (1 Condiment)

¼ tsp black pepper (½ Condiment)

2 tbsp reduced fat parmesan cheese (1 Condiment)
1 tbsp light butter (1 Healthy Fat)

2 tbsp sour cream * (1 Healthy Fat)

Brown Gray:

3 tbsp McCormick 30% less sodium Brown Gravy Mix (9 Condiments)

¾ cup water

Directions:

In a large saucepan, cover cauliflower with water. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat to simmer and cover; cook for about 10 to 12 minutes or until cauliflower is tender. Drain and return cauliflower back to saucepan.

Add chicken broth and mash cauliflower to desired consistency or use an immersion blender. Stir in salt, pepper, parmesan cheese, butter, and sour cream. Divide into 4 equal portions.

Prepare gravy according to package. Top each serving of mashed cauliflower with ¼ of brown gravy.

Makes 4 Servings

Each Serving provides

3 Greens, 3 Condiments (¾ Condiment if using no gravy)
and ½ Healthy Fat

Need an additional 1/2 Healthy Fat? Add 1 tbsp more of sour cream or 1/2 tbsp of light butter per serving. I made this recipe 1/2 Healthy Fat so that it could pair nicely with the Air Fryer Turkey Breast which also has 1/2 Healthy Fat making it 1 Healthy Fat.

* You can also substitute the sour cream with 2 tbsp low fat cream cheese or 2 light laughing cow cheese wedges.

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Air Fryer Turkey Breast

Here is an easy way to serve up turkey breast that comes out tender and juicy with crispy golden brown skin. Air fryer turkey breast! The best part? It is done in less than an hour! 

You can use any combination of herbs, but I chose sage and thyme along with poultry seasoning, salt and pepper.

Make sure your turkey breast is fully defrosted and fits in your air fryer. I have a large 5.3 quart air fryer and a 4 lb bone-in turkey breast fit perfectly. I did remove the backbone, but left the ribs on so that it could fit in my air fryer. You can also use boneless turkey breast, but pay close attention to the cooking times. I have made a 3 lb boneless turkey breast and it cooked for only 20 minutes on each side.

Keep the skin on because it helps keep the turkey moist while cooking. If you want it skinless, remove the skin after cooking. 

Want to know how to carve the turkey breast? Check out this YouTube video!

Carve a Turkey - Breast Meat

I swear you can find anything on YouTube!

This turkey breast is perfect for smaller get-togethers such as my family of four, or it would be great as additional turkey breast if you are having a larger amount of people and you want to throw a whole turkey in the oven. Either way, give this air fryer turkey a try. I am sure you will be pleasantly surprised how delicious it comes out!

Air Fryer Turkey Breast

Ingredients:

4 1/2 lb fully defrosted turkey breasts, on the bone,
backbone removed * (6 Leaner)

1 tbsp olive oil (3 Healthy Fats)

1 ½ tsp salt (6 Condiments)
½ tsp black pepper (1 Condiment)

1 tsp poultry seasoning (1 Condiment)

1 tsp dried sage (½ Condiment)

1 tsp dried thyme (1 Condiment)

Directions:

Preheat air fryer to 350 degrees.

Rub ½ tbsp of olive oil on one side of the turkey breast. Then rub the other ½ tbsp on the other side. This will allow the seasonings to stick to the turkey breast. Sprinkle salt, pepper, poultry seasoning, sage and thyme evenly over turkey.

Cook breast side down for 20 minutes. Then turn the turkey over and cook for 30 to 40 min or until thermometer reaches 160 to 165 degrees on the thickest part of the breast. Rest for 10 to 15 minutes. If you slice too soon, the juices will run out leaving you with one dry turkey.

* I bought a 7 lb bone in turkey breast, with backbone and ribs. Once defrosted, it weighed a little over 4 1/2 lbs. When cooked and the bones and skin were removed, it only weighed 42 oz (6 Leaner).

Makes 6 Servings

Each serving provides

1 Leaner, 1.6 Condiments, and ½ Healthy Fat

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Roasted Maple Kabocha Squash

Looking for a sweet side dish to serve along all those traditional savory sides? Kabocha squash has a flavor and texture that is similar to pumpkin and sweet potatoes so you can imagine it would make one fabulous Fall side dish! It is lower in carbs and calories than butternut squash! Plus it has tons of fiber, beta carotene, iron, and vitamins so you can feel great about eating it too!

I cut the kabocha squash into cubes and peeled the skin off to show off that beautiful orange color, but the skin is edible if you decide to keep it on. Roasting it brings out the natural sweetness of the winter squash and adding a touch of sugar free maple syrup and cinnamon brings it over the top!

Roasted Maple Kabocha Squash

Ingredients:

4 ½ cups kabocha squash, peeled, seeded and

cut into 1-inch cubes * (9 Greens)

1 Tbsp olive oil (3 Healthy Fats)

2 Tbsp Walden Farms Maple Walnut Syrup (½ Condiment) 

1 tsp cinnamon (2 Condiments)

½ teaspoon salt (2 Condiments)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a medium sized bowl, toss the squash with olive oil, maple syrup, cinnamon and salt.

Arrange squash in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with non-stick foil. Roast for 15 minutes. Flip and roast for 15 minutes longer, until golden and tender.

Makes 3 Servings

Each serving provides

3 Greens, 1 ½ Condiments, and 1 Healthy Fat

* I found Kabocha Squash at Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, Sprouts, local Farmer's Markets and Asian grocery stores.  It is also known as a Japanese pumpkin. If you can't find Kabocha Squash, you can also use delicata or buttercup squash.

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Slow Cooker Southern Style Greens Beans

Here is a great way to enjoy this Southern classic green bean dish! It is one of my favorite side dishes growing up. My dad used to make these green beans regularly, but with real bacon and a whole lot of onion. He simmered it in a large skillet for 1 1/2 to 2 hours and let the flavors meld together. So delicious! I decided to use the slow cooker so I could just fix it and forget it. Either way works perfectly!

It only takes a short amount of time to prepare and a handful ingredients you may already have at home. Just throw the ingredients in the slow cooker and you will have tender, delicious green beans with tons of flavor. This makes a wonderful side dish that frees up precious stove top space when making multiple dishes during the holidays. Enjoy!

Southern Style Green Beans

Ingredients:

1 ½ lbs Fresh Green Beans (12 Greens)

⅓ cup chopped onion (5 Condiments)

1/2 tsp garlic powder (1 Condiment)

8 slices turkey bacon, cooked and crumbled *

1 ½ cups chicken broth (1 ½ Condiments)

¼ tsp black pepper (½ Condiment)

Directions:

Wash green beans, cut off the ends, and cut into 1 ½ inch pieces . Add green beans to the slow cooker.
Add 2 to 3 tbsp of chicken broth or water to a small non-stick skillet over medium heat and add onions. Saute for about 5 minutes or until onion is transparent, stirring frequently.
Add onion to slow cooker along with garlic powder, turkey bacon, broth, and pepper to the slow cooker stirring until combined.

Cover and cook on high for 3 hours to 4 hours or on low for 6 to 8 hours, stirring halfway through.

Makes 4 Servings

Each serving provides

3 Greens, 2 Condiments and 1 oz of protein

* Subtract 1 oz of protein from each serving to account for the turkey bacon

For example, instead of having 6 oz of chicken breast, you will have 5 oz of chicken breasts.

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