Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce

So, I used to love pasta & now I LOVE spaghetti squash, but I have missed (only a tiny bit), alfredo sauce.   There are so many uses for cauliflower that I didn't know until starting with Take Shape for Life!  Next time you are in the mood for something creamy, give this recipe a try :)...

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:

Sauté 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).

Medifast Oatmeal Cookies

I LOVE my medifast oatmeal, I do add a little more water than directed & a little bit of almond or soy milk...however some of my clients don't love it as much as I do...so this is a recipe several people have used to turn their oatmeal into cookies :) 

This recipe is for use with your medifast oatmeal packet & is from Sandy's Kitchen :)

Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:

1 pkt. oatmeal (I use maple brown sugar) - 1 Meal

1/4 tsp cinnamon (1/2 Condiment)

1 pkt splenda (1 Condiment)

1/3 cup water

1/8 tsp baking powder (1/4 Condiment)

1/2 tsp vanilla (1/2 Condiment)

1 tbsp PB2 prepared :) (1Tbsp PB2 & 1/2 Tbsp water mixed)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all the ingredients together and let sit for 5 minutes. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or spray with cooking spray. Drop by spoonfuls to make 5-6 small cookies. Bake for 12-15 minutes.

1 Meal with 2 1/4 Condiments and 1 Snack

Beef Pad Thai

Beef Pad Thai (Spaghetti Squash)

Ingredients:

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

1 cup cabbage, shredded (2 Greens)

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

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

4 tbsp Bell Plantation 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 (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:

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

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.

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

I seasoned the steak with McCormick's Grillmates 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.

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

Coat a large non-stick skillet with cooking spray.  Add spaghetti squash, cabbage, and sauce . You could add the beef as well, but I waited until the end after dividing the veggies into three portions. 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.

3 servings with 1 Lean, 3 Greens, 2 Condiments (3 if using the Montreal Steak Seasoning), and 1 Snack per serving (No Healthy Fat required)

*From Sandy's Kitchen*

Cauliflower "Potato" Salad

Chop and rinse one large head of cauliflower--or 2 smaller sized heads (chop to however big you like your potato chunks)

Boil Cauliflower until it reaches desired softness

Add the following to the cooked cauliflower
      4 boiled eggs
      4 large pickles
      Salt, pepper, and seasoned salt (or suddenly salad seasoning) to taste

Mix the following sauce:

    1/3 cup olive oil mayonnaise
    3 Tbs mustard
    1 Tbs fat free sour cream
    1/2 packet of ranch dressing mix (the powder :)

Pour sauce over the top and stir until mixed.

Chill and serve....

Just a warning, this salad is yummy but it does have a strong smell :)

4 servings, each with 1/4 lean, 3 greens, 1 fat, 3 condiments.
An easy side would be grilled or baked chicken with light spices.

Easy Cole Slaw

1 (16 oz) bag of shredded cabbage (I've also used coleslaw mix & remove carrots)
1/4 cup light olive oil mayo
4 packets of "Truvia" sweetener or other non-calorie sweetener
3 Tbs light almond milk
2 Tbs vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Combine all ingredients and mix well...tastes best if refrigerated for a few hours, but I've also eaten it right after mixing :).

Make 4 greens, 1 healthy fat, & 3 condiments, still need to add your lean

No-bread zucchini cheese pizzas with fresh basil

Yes, these low-carb beauties tasted as good as they look! Sooooo good.  We took LARGE zucchinis fresh from our garden and sliced them up for these bread-less pizzas.

You can serve these pizzas with a lean protein of your choice. For example, we added baked chicken with marinara sauce on top (in the upper right of the photo).

Makes 2 servings.

• Cut up a large zucchini into rounds.  This is the “bread” of the pizzas.  Slice them about 1/2 inch thick or so. Place zucchini rounds onto a lightly oiled baking sheet.
• Add pizza sauce to the tops of each zucchini round. We prefer Muir Glen brand.
• Add shredded mozzarella cheese to the rounds.
• Add some fresh chopped basil to the rounds.
• Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for approximately 12 minutes or until the cheese is started to get browned.

*recipe from "Coach Breanne"

Cauliflower Bread Sticks

Slightly adapted from The Examiner

Ingredients:
1 cup raw grated cauliflower or 100 grams  (2 Greens)
1/4 cup egg substitute * you are able to add up to 2 oz of additional protein per Nutrition Support
1 cup shredded or 4 oz 2% light mozzarella, divided (1 Lean)
Garlic salt and Italian seasonings, to taste

Marinara Sauce
1/2 cup Italian diced tomatoes - less than 5 g of carbs per serving (1 Green)
You can also use Walden Farms Marinara Sauce, but 1/4 cup is considered to be 2 condiments and is not a vegetable. You would have to add a third of veggies to your meal if you choose this option. 

Directions:
Puree Italian diced tomatoes in a small chopper. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350. Mix cauliflower, 1/4 cup egg substitute, and 3 oz or 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella together in a bowl until combined. Line a 9 x5 loaf pan with parchment and lightly spray with Pam. Pour mixture into pan about 1 -1/2 inch deep. (It is okay if the mixture does not cover the entire pan). Bake at 350 for 30 min or until set. Lift the edges of the parchment and place bread with parchment on to cookie sheet. Carefully use a spatula to lift the edges of the dough off the parchment and flip the dough. Bake for an additional 15 minutes at 450 degrees. Take out of oven and with a pizza cutter, slice strips through set dough. Separate slightly. Sprinkle with garlic salt, Italian seasonings and 1 oz or 1/4 cup 2%  reduced fat mozzarella or three cheese blend. Continue baking at 450 degrees for about 10 more minutes until cheese is melted. Serve with marinara sauce.

1 Complete Lean and Green Meal, No Healthy Fat Required

Creamy Buffalo Chicken Bake a.k.a. Buffalo Chicken Dip

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)

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.

*I also love to use my favorite Buffalo Wild Wing sauces to give it different flavors :)

Slightly adapted from Melissa Aka Want2BeThin789

Asian Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients:

14 oz 93% fat free lean ground beef - should yield 10 oz cooked (2 Lean)

3 cups of shredded cabbage or bagged cole slaw mix (6 greens)

1 tablespoon soy sauce (3 condiments)

2 teaspoons packaged szechwan seasoning mix (3 condiments) *See note below

Add any additional water

iceberg lettuce leaves (optional)

Directions:

Get a wok (or non stick pan) very hot. Cook the meat and break it up into very small pieces. When its no longer pink, add the cabbage and pour the sauce over mix. Continue cooking on high heat just until the cabbage starts to wilt. I sprinkled red crushed pepper on it.

2 Servings with 1 Lean, 3 Greens, and 3 Condiments per Serving

*recipe from Sandy's Kitchen