Sandy's Shrimp Scampi and Zucchini Ribbons

I have been looking forward to having this recipe for weeks now, but each and every time I put it on my menu there are no zucchini to be found at my grocery store. It was 3 weeks of a zucchini shortage around here. Finally, I put it on the menu yet again and yippee the store had zucchinis!!!! This was wonderful, but I knew I was gonna love it, because it combined my two favorite things Shrimp and Zuccchini Ribbons. Sandy's blog doesn't disappoint yet again. Here website http://www.lighterrecipes.com of tons of wonderful recipes. If you haven't yet please go check it out!! I hope every enjoys this recipe as much I me and the hubby did!! The greatest part one pan to clean up! Enjoy!!!

Sandy's

Shrimp Scampi and Zucchini Ribbons

Ingredients:

8 oz shrimp, cooked, deveined, tails off - should cook down to 7 oz (1 Lean)

2-3 medium zucchinis or 270 grams (3 Greens)

1 tbsp light butter (1 Healthy Fat)

2 wedges light garlic and herb laughing cow cheese (1 Healthy Fat)

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

1 clove garlic, minced (1 Condiment)

1 tsp lemon (1/2 Condiment)

1/8 tsp salt  - optional (1/2 Condiment)

Dash or 1/16 tsp of pepper (1/8 Condiment)

1/2 tsp Parsley Flakes  (1/6 Condiment)

Directions:

Peel the zucchini with a potato peeler until you reach the core with the seeds. The seeds will make it mushy so try not to include them. (save the core for your salads or another use). I find that the best way is to weigh the zucchinis to get the best measurement. I peeled the zucchinis and weighed them until it reached 270 grams which is 3 servings of cooked zucchini. I find that when I use 3 servings of the cooked weight from the Vegetable Weight Conversion Chart, it comes pretty close to 1 1/2 cups after it is cooked. If you just measure 1 1/2 cups of  raw veggies, the veggies will shrink when cooked and you actually are cheating yourself.  Set aside.

Heat the butter in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the garlic, parsley, lemon juice, chicken broth, laughing cow cheese, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 3 minutes. Add zucchini ribbons and cook stirring frequently just until the zucchini is about to get soft about 2-3 minutes. Toss in shrimp and heat until warm. Serve. This sounds kind of strange but what I do is take the shrimp out and weigh them to see how much they shrunk and to make sure I am getting 7 oz. Mine shrunk to about 5.25 oz (3/4 Lean) so I added 1 oz of Sargento 2% Italian Cheese Blend (4.5 grams of fat) on top of my dish. I didn't have 8 oz of shrimp but only 6 oz so that is why I had less too. The cheese really completed my meal! Top with cheese if necessary. Enjoy!

1 Lean and Green Meal with 2.54 Condiments and 2 Healthy Fats

Tuscan Turkey w/Red Pepper and Green Bean Salad

I found this recipe in the Time Savor Gourmet Cookbook! This meal was wonderful. This salad is served cold and would be great as a summer salad with a steak, grilled chicken, or in this case turkey. I love my private chef (aka my husband). He seems to make everything taste so wonderful. I think there is a saying that everything tastes better when you don't have to cook it. LOL We only made a portion of the dressing that goes on the salad because it made way too much for just two servings. We also put the salad, after it was all mixed with the dressing, in the freezer to cool down quickly while we prepared, and cooked the turkey. Quick and easy meal that we will continue to have over and over through the summer. I hope everyone enjoys!!!

Tuscan Turkey Cutlets
2 tsp Roasted Garlic Oil
2 6 oz Boneless, Skinless turkey cutlets
2 tsp Tuscan Seasoning
Natural sea salt and pepper to taste

In a large frying pan, heat oil over high heat until sizzling. Place cutlets on a plate and sprinkle liberally with tuscan seasoning. When oil is hot reduce heat to medium and add cutlets to the pan. Cook for 3-5 minutes on each side, until turkey is thoroughly cooked. Remove them from the pan and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Serving: 2 lean and 2 healthy fat option


Balsamic Laced Red Pepper & Green Bean Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette

Salad:

2 C Medium red bell peppers, sliced thin
2 C Green beans, ends trimmed and steamed crisp tender
1/4 C Scallions
1/4 C Mustard Vinaigrette (Recipe follows)

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and toss to coat. Refrigerate and serve chilled.

Balsamic & Mustard Vinaigrette:


1/3 C Balsamic Condimenti
1/3C Spicy brown mustard
4 tsp Roasted garlic oil
3 T Chicken broth
2 tsp Garlic Seasoning
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp sea salt

Place all ingredients in the large bowl and whisk for 2-3 minutes until a thick vinaigrette forms and all ingredients are incorporated. Makes 1 cup vinaigrette. Store in an airtight container, refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Serving: 1C Salad with 1 tsp vinaigrette is 2 green and 1 healthy fat option

Doctors Visit

I just visited my doctor today. I couldn't wait to see him I had not started the Medifast diet the last time I was in his office. I had lost 42 lbs since the last visit. I couldn't wait to see his face.I have been going to this doctor for years about my PCOS. He had watched me try everything to lose weight with medications, exercise and diet. Nothing seemed to work. I found Medifast over 3 months ago and just jumped head first into the program. So he walked into the room and said well don't you look different. I happily said yes and told him to look at my weight. His eyes about bugged out of his head when he had seen how much I had lost. He asked what I have been doing and I told him about Medifast. I even took my recipe binder in with the rules and regulations over our lean and green meals to show him how simple it was. He was amazed how easy and how much of the lean and green you could have. I told him that he should let his other PCOS patients know about it and maybe it would work for them. I want everyone out there to know how easy this is if you just try. He was so excited for me and told me to not to come back for 3 months and we would see then where my weight was at. He kinda looked at me and said jokingly "my little girl is growing up she doesn't need me anymore and thats a good thing" LOL...I love my doctor he is just a caring old clown. I guess we will see what the scale says in 3 months. Hopefully, I am 30 lbs lighter. I have been averaging about 10 lbs a month of weight loss and I hope that continues for the duration of my weigh loss journey. I am hoping to hit my goal weight around christmas or the new year. What a great gift to myself and my husband...a new me!!!!

Yoga and Tanning

Well I started Yoga back this week. I plan on doing yoga about 3 times a week. I might start doing Zumba on Sundays. I have a friend that is dying to go to Zumba, so I just ordered smaller Yoga pants and plan on starting Sunday if they get here. I am doing the Namaste, Shiva Rea Daily Energy on Discovery Health and I am doing Stretch X and Yoga X from P90X. My reward for losing over 40 lbs is that I started tanning in a Bronzing bed. I love the relaxation that comes from tanning. I am so pasty white usually so to keep from burning so much in the summer I will tan a little bit. Since I have lost all this weight we plan on doing more things outside in the summer so I'm starting with my base tan now!!! I hope I continue to lose about 10 lbs a month. I would like to be down at least another 20 lbs by my birthday in July. I am trying Sandy's

Italian Turkey Sausage with Spaghetti Squash except I am going to mix it up a little probably take away the fennel seeds, add some more Italian seasonings and use chicken instead!! I will probably post pictures and the adapted recipe tonight or in the morning. Take care!!

Stuffed Portabello Mushrooms

This recipe is out of the Medifast Cook book. I love mushrooms but I guess I don't care for Portabello mushrooms. LOL I had two mushroom caps for my dinner last night and only was able to get through one and half of the other. The overwhelming taste of dirt kept creeping up in my mouth. I think I will try to find some large white mushrooms and just stuff tons of those next time. LOL I was hoping that this would become a favorite of mine but I just didn't care for the taste. If you are a portabello mushroom lover this recipe is for you because the filling is wonderful and cheesy. I am down 41 lbs in about 3 months. I have to keep going at this and finding new recipes is the one way that I keep things interesting and how I keep on track. I am building a recipe book not only for the time that I am on Medifast but for the continuation of my life. This to me is not a diet....IT IS A LIFE STYLE CHANGE!! I wish continued success for all that deal with weight the way I and many others have. We can do this one recipe at a time!! :-)

Summer Squash Gratin

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The gratin turned out wonderful. A bit cheesy, a bit crunchy, and very filling. We’ll definitely be making this again – with all kinds of variations. This recipe called for zucchini, unfortunately they were out at the store so we used all yellow squash. The original recipe also suggested using eggplant for a different taste. This is a great adaptation from the original recipe. I was thinking I was gonna miss the panko bread crumbs the the Medifast Crackers did a great job. We cook so much with garlic now it is just easier to purchase the garlic already minced in the jar. If you use fresh garlic it will need to be sauteed so you might have to split up your spritzes of oil spray between your Z&S and your garlic. I hope you enjoy this recipe, I think I will wait and see if the store get more zucchini and try it in this recipe the way it should have been made. The yellow squash was excellent by the way just looking for different variations. ENJOY!!!!

Summer Squash Gratin

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 1 1/2 cups sliced medium squash

• 1 ½ cups sliced medium zucchini
• 1 ½ cups sliced medium tomatoes
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced (we used the already prepared garlic in a jar)
• 1 cup shredded cheese
• one package crushed Medifast crackers
• 10 second spray of oil, ½ teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon dried basil

This makes two servings

Per serving
½ Lean serving
3 vegetable servings
2 condiments
½ optional snack

Instructions

·        Begin by slicing the Z&S into 1/4" slices.  I sprinkled them with salt and about 9 spritz of oil and sautéed them, but broiling or grilling would work too. When they’re done they should be medium-crispy little chips.

·        While the Z&S cook, slice the tomatoes into 1/4" slices as well.

·        Preheat the oven to 350* at this point. Combine garlic with 1/2C of the shredded cheese and 1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil and mix well.

·        To assemble, use a 8 x 8 baking dish. Give it a quick spray and begin layering the Z&S. Allow each "chip" to slightly overlap its neighbor. Once you have a complete layer, sprinkle with some of the cheese, garlic, basil mix. Everything should be salted enough, but I recommend a healthy peppering.

·        Continue layering the Z&S and cheese until you run out – then layer the tomatoes on top. Combine the rest of the cheese with the medifast crackers and sprinkle over the entire dish.

·        Bake for 25 minutes.

NO DOUGH PIZZA

I have been wanting pizza since I started Medifast. I tried to love the Cauliflower pizza but I just couldn't. The crust to me tasted just like cauliflower. I also just found another recipe that combines the medifast crackers and eggs to make a dough. I will try that in a couple weeks and let you all know what I think. I think this was really good, I was not impressed with the Walden Farms sauce. I would recommend another low carb brand. Other than that the meal was really good. We had a small side salad to finish off the requirement for our greens. I hope you enjoy this it was a nice substitute for regular pizza. Don't forget if you want different toppings you can add them just keep them on plan!!!

No Dough Meat Crust Pizza

Ingredients
12.5 oz Lean ground beef
2 cups part-skim mozzarella cheese; shredded, divided
1/2 cup Walden Farms Pizza Sauce
2 thin slices of Onion
½ cup sliced green peppers

1 cup sliced mushrooms
½ cup sliced tomatoes

This makes 4 servings
Per serving
1 Lean serving
1 vegetable serving
1 condiment serving

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Meanwhile, brown the ground beef; drain.

3. Place meat in a mixing bowl and mix with 1 cup of mozzarella.

4. Spread the mixture into a circle on a round pizza pan or baking stone(I prefer the stone); and top with 1/2 cup pizza sauce.

5. Top with the rest of the mozzarella, optional toppings and seasonings.

6. Bake for about 25 minutes or until cheese is melted and browned.

Comments: Tastes like a pizza, cuts like a pizza, yet there is nodough....though do have a fork and knife on hand for eating purposes becauseit can get a little messy if eaten with hands only. I am a South Beachdieter with a love for Italian foods and this is what curbs my craving forpizza. I love mine with the turkey pepperoni slices, onion, green peppersand mushroom. Serve with a tossed salad or marinated veggies.

Spanish Chicken (Crockpot-Style!)

I love this meal because I get to throw it in a crockpot and forget it. This is not only yummy but filling also. I got this recipe off of www.getskinnybehappy.com when I first started Medifast. We have ate it several times just because it is yummy and convenient. I hope everyone has had a wonderful weekend. Enjoy!!!!

• 4-6 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
• salt and pepper
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 cup frozen green beans
• 1 can (4oz.) sliced mushrooms
• 1/2 teas tarragon
• 1/2 teas savory
• 1/4 teas garlic powder
• 1 (16 oz) can stewed tomatoes
• salt and pepper to taste

Arrange chicken in bottom of crockpot. Add the onion, beans, mushrooms, tarragon, savory, garlic powder, tomatoes and salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low 8 hours.

Servings: 4 to 6

Mesquite Shrimp with Zucchini and Squash

This recipe is my main stay. I have went back to this recipe over and over in the time since I started Medifast. I love the spice that the Mesquite seasoning gives the shrimp. To make it simple I purchase the frozen and already peeled shrimp at the store but you could buy the fresh shrimp also. I cook mine on my George Forman Grill since it has been really cold in Missouri. As it warms up here I will be grilling them out side on some skewers on the grill, hopefully it will be soon. The zucchini and the squash are an excellent choice with this and it will being going in some tin foil on the grill out side too. I found this recipe on the Get Skinny Be Happy website. They have tons of other wonderful Lean and Green Recipes on this website that I have been using in my menu week in and week out.

Mesquite Grilled Shrimp

Prep Time: 5 mins

Cooking Time: 20 mins

Servings: 1

Ingredients

• 7oz. large shrimp
• 3/4 cup sliced zucchini
• 3/4 cup summer squash
• 1 tablespoon mesquite seasoning
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• oregano (if desired)

Directions

Place foil on grill. Spread zucchini and squash on grill and sprinkle with oregano. Brush shrimp with 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with mesquite seasoning. Grill turning once.

Chicken Parmesan For Two

Chicken Parmesan for Two


Adapted from Original Recipe from BigOven:

Yield: 2 , Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:
2 6 oz Boneless Chicken Breasts; halved (1 lean)
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese; grated (2 condiments)
1 teaspoon Oregano (1/2 condiment)
1/2 teaspoon Paprika (1/2 condiment)
2 teaspoon olive oil (1 healthy fat)
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, combine Parmesan, oregano, paprika,
and salt and pepper to taste. Line shallow baking pan with foil. Now dip the chicken in the oil and then dredge in the cheese mixture. Bake for 30 minutes or until chicken is completely cooked.

Hamburger and Green Beans

I have been doing good on my weight loss so far but a craving for a burger has been strong for the last couple weeks. So...we were supposed to have meatloaf with green beans but it turned into a hamburger and green beans. The sun was shining outside yesterday so we decided to grill a burger. We had sugar free ketchup, lite mayo, tomato, and a small slice of red onion on my burger. I finished the meal off with the rest of my green with green beans. I have to get in the groove of taking pictures of my food. I just devoured the burger because I was looking so forward to it. So...I took no picture to post on here. LOL I am happy that I am down another 2 lbs. That is a total of 36 lbs in 10 weeks. The best lifestyle change that we have done so far. I have to start back in at least 3 days a week with my yoga. I had been doing yoga for a week straight and then I pulled something in my lower back. I have been doing nothing for about 3 weeks now. I gotta get back into it because that is a intricate part into my lifestyle change. Learning a new way of eating is one thing but getting off my butt and exercising is also an important part also. I love yoga so that is the exercise of choice at this point. I hope my new recipes get approved soon by nutrition support. I found several new recipes to convert but I always need some advice from nutrition support to make sure I am not going off plan. Take care and good luck to everyone!!!