Hi Everyone!

I'm starting this thread to share my meals, snacks and recipes. I'll include specifics where it's critical to the integrity of the dish. Otherwise I'll leave it up to you to choose the amounts of the ingredients to suit your block needs and personal balance. I don't often use formal recipes for meals, but when I do, I'll include the recipe.

I'll include lines of asterisks (********) in the posts that contain recipes and meal/snack info, so they can easly be spotted among the other comments and replies in this therad

Cheers!

We love this taco burger salad. It's like the one in TOXIC FAT, but I add my own twist.


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TACO BURGER SALAD


1. Saute minced garlic and a fair amount of chopped onion in olive oil. Add a medium or hot salsa, black beans, a little water and the Tex/Mex seasonings of your choice. Simmer.

2. While the mixture simmers, in another pan saute a burger made of 4 oz ground turkey mixed with 1/4 cup salsa.

3. Plate the meal as follows: Place the burger on a huge bed of shredded iceberg lettuce. Sprinkle with a 3 crushed whole grain corn chips. Top with the bean mixture, a little bit of shredded low fat Mexican blend cheese, a dollop or two of plan yogurt or low fat sour cream, diced tomato, chopped scallions, sliced jalapeno, and a little bit of sliced olives.


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You'd be surprised how many traditional high carb dishes you can make Zone friendly while still retaining the same look and delicious taste! :-)



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ZONED NACHOS


Think of "Nachos Bel Grande" at Taco Bell and then make it this way:


1. Put a thin layer of browned ground turkey flavored with chili spices and taco sauce (use a low carb one) on a small dessert sized plate and top with a sprinkle of a low fat shredded Mexican cheese blend; Sargento is very good. You can keep some prepared ground turkey in the fridge to use for nachos. Zap quickly in the microwave to warm it.

2. Top with a diced tomato, chopped scallions (we simply hold the scallions over the food and snip them with a kitchen scissors), a small dollop of plain yogurt or reduced fat sour cream and another small dollop of guacamole. Drizzle a little taco sauce on if you'd like, as long as it's very low carb type.

3. Crumble 2 to 4 Nature's Promise low fat whole grain corn chips on top.


Eat with a fork.

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It's delicious! You can make it 3 times that size and have a whole meal of it.

Here's a favorite breakfast smoothie at my house. When you make it you'll see why my family refers to it as brownie batter. It's based on a recipe in a Zone book.



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SUE'S BROWNIE BATTER SMOOTHIE

I'll add some specifics about the brands I like best in it for flavor and consistency, but no special brands are needed. It's a 3P, 2C, 5 F meal.

(tweaked to meet my needs of 3P, 2C, 5F, and to include inflammation lowering ingredients)

Ingredients:

1/5 frozen organic (OG) banana

1 generous block frozen OG dark cherries, about 1/3 cup or 12 big cherries (I use Cascadian Farms, Trader Joe's or Columbia River Organic's, because I can't stay in the Zone as well with other other brands of cherries.)

1 huge heaping T raw cacao (chocolate) powder, about 1/8 cup (not dutched, which means not treated with alkali)

3 blocks Zone Protein Powder (3 scoops)

1/2+ tsp. turmeric (refer to info in The Anti-Inflammation Zone)

a very generous amount of cinnamon (cinnamon stimulates the efficiency of insulin)

a scant 1 tsp. alcohol free glycerin based almond flavoring

1/8 to 1/4 cup of chocolate soy milk, just to help it blend better (I use "West Soy Unsweetened Chocolate Soy Milk" because it has barely has 1g insulin stimulating C to each P block)

1T Zone OG olive oil




Directions:


Blend with an immersion blender, or process is a small food processor. Makes one very thick and delicious chocolaty breakfast and keeps me in the Zone very well (I'm carb sensitive). Sometimes I'll also add a tablespoon or two of plain yogurt.

You can also divide it into thirds thirds and freeze to eat for quick snacks (that makes three 1 block snacks with the same drop a carb and add fat adjustment).


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Enjoy!

This is delicious for a bedtime snack.



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COLD RASPBERRY CHOCOLATE SOUP

Slightly mash 1 cup raspberries with a fork. Add 1/2 cup West Soy Unsweetened Chocolate Soy Milk, ½ block protein powder and a few drops lemon juice. Mix well and let stand a minute or two to thicken. Garnish with 1/2 to 1 tsp. peanut butter.

For peach soup, use fresh peaches, vanilla protein powder, vanilla or almond flavored soy milk, and Macadamia nut butter.

Tips:

Fresh or frozen (thawed) fruit thickens it better than canned.


Peanut butter, almond butter, or Macadamia nut butter all work well in both the raspberry and peach soups.


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I prefer West Soy unsweetened soy milks because they don't contain the additional carbs found in some soy milks. West Soy unsweetened is available plain and also in vanilla, chocolate, and almond flavors.

This is one of my favorite lunches to bring on day trips to the beach. It makes a great snack too!


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CHOCOLATE TOFU

In a food processor of blender process 1 tub extra firm tofu (5 P) with a little water (not too much or it will be runny, I prefer it on the thicker side), 1 1/2 to 2 T cocoa powder (fiber accounts for most of the C in cocoa powder), 1 2/3 tsp. olive oil (or 2 1/2 tsp. of either peanut butter or almond butter), and 2 tsp. fructose. Process until is a smooth consistency. Then process longer and the texture will become silky smooth. Makes 5 blocks of 1P, 1F each (contains negligible C). Balance with fruit for the C. If you want to pay the price of these, tart red pie cherries (canned in water) go best with this. Also good with it are fresh blackberries.

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This is a nice lunch when having guests, especially ones who doubt they can be satisfied with a Zone balanced meal!


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COLD SALMON LUNCH

(a 3 block Zone meal)

Handful of torn lettuce

3 ½ oz cooked salmon flaked....a bit over 2P
(salmon was previously baked with minced garlic on top)

dressing for salmon:
1T Lite Canola Mayo (Spectrum brand)....2F
1heaping T yogurt
snipped fresh dill and ground black pepper to taste

scant ¼ cup low fat cottage cheese....a bit under 1P
1T guacamole....1F
4 lower fat whole grain corn chips....½C
1 medium tomato chopped....½C

¼ cup chick peas....1C
(roast chick peas in garlic powder and onion powder on stovetop, if desired)

½ cup grapes....1C

Stir dressing into salmon and place on lettuce. Top cottage cheese with guacamole and tomatoes and use as dip for teh chips. Place chick peas on plate with salmon. Serve grapes for dessert.


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Enjoy!

These are delicious! They're great to use in a snack, and an addition to a salad or just about anything.


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ROASTED CHICK PEAS


Sprinkle chick peas with onion power and cook over low to medium heat in a nonstick pan until slightly browned.


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This is a dish I've brough to our extended family Easter dinner. For an autumn/winter version skip the marinated pineapple and roast fennel, sweet onion, chunks of celery stalk, carrot chunks, and a little bit of yam and apple.



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FENNEL AND SWEET ONION WITH PINEAPPLE



Place canned pineapple chunks (8 to 10 chunks for each fennel bulb used) in a thin layer of fresh squeezed lime juice, and set aside to marinate while the veggies bake.

Cut equal amounts of large sweet onions and fennel bulbs into large, but bite sized wedges. Put in glass baking dish, lightly salt, and drizzle with light olive oil. Cover with foil, and slit to vent. Bake at 375 to 400 till soft (20 to 30 min???), and uncover to “roast” for the last 15-20 min.

When done cooking, remove pineapple from marinade and place on top of veggies.


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This is great for a meal or a snack (divide int thirds for 3 one block snacks).



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SAUSAGE, ASPARAGUS, APPLE SALAD

(one meal, 3P/2C/4F)


Ingredients:

mild Italian chicken sausage, enough to yield about 20g protein, or 1 ½ links “Nature’s Promise” brand from Stop and Shop (cooked, chilled, sliced) 3P

scant 1 ½ cups asparagus (steamed, chilled, cut bite sized) <1.5C

¼ Granny smith apple (sliced thin across width of the apple) 0.5C


for dressing:

1 1/3 tsp. extra virgin olive oil 4F

2 teaspoons fresh squeezed lemon juice minimal C

18 to 1/4 tsp ground coriander

salt and pepper


Directions:

Mix dressing ingredients. Toss with sausage, asparagus, and apple. Season with salt and pepper.

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This was inspired by the cold foods bar at our Whole Foods Market.



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ZONED EASY COLD CHICKEN AND ARTICHOKES

(serves 2; 3P, 2C, 4F each)



Ingredients:

6 oz raw boneless skinless chicken breast that has been cooked (seasoned as you wish during cooking, Italian seasoning is very good with this) and chilled, cut into large bite sized chunks
1 can artichoke hearts (plain, not marinated), drained
1 can heart of palm, drained
2 roasted red peppers (from the jar) cut into large bite size strips
2 small to medium sized tomatoes cut into wedges
Small handful of baby greens (optional)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
pinch of gray salt
pinch of pepper

one pear, cut in half

Mix together all but pear, and chill. Split between two plates and serve ½ of the pear with each for dessert.


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Swedes (rutabagas) make a very tasty veggie side. We had them last night with chicken and veggies.

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CHICKEN AND VEGGIES

Place boneless skinless chicken breasts in a baking dish and cover with bite sized chunks of sweet onion, celery, fennel and carrots. Sprinkle with seasonings. My choices of seasonings are usually onion powder, garlic powder, celery seed, poultry seasoning and paprika. Pour a little chicken broth over it, enough to cover the bottom of the dish to 1/4 inch deep. Cover with foil, vented, and bake in a 350 oven until chicken is cooked through and veggies are tender. Drizzle with EVOO and serve as is, or for a nice soup cut up the chicken and add along with the veggies to a pot of chicken broth plus more of the same seasonings and some S&P. It's a great comfort food on a cold winter day. A small handful of Zone Fusilli Pasta, or a tablespoon of steel cut oats or barley thrown into the soup pot adds a nice touch.

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SMASHED SWEDES

Peel and cut small tro medium sized swedes into chunks. Boil in water, just until tender. Drain and mash with a little bit of milk and a tiny amount of honey. Stir in a small amount of raisins. Delicious!

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My husband's favorite way to eat leftover smashed swedes (but certainly not my favorite way!) is to heat a bowlful in the microwave and then stir in some cottage cheese.

wow. thank you , Sue! those all look good. Especially the cold chicken and artichokes, which I confess screamed for some cubed mozzarella....I guess sub out some of the chicken for cheese (low fat of course)

You're welcome Janet!

Yes, you could substitute cheese for some of of the chicken. You'll mostly see dairy products being used as comdiments in my meals because I don't eat much dairy.

Good stuff I can't wait to try the BROWNIE BATTER SMOOTHIE and COLD RASPBERRY CHOCOLATE SOUP

Let me know how you like them!

Hi Sue 2 questions, what would be a good sub for Soy-milk? Could you explain( cinnamon stimulates the efficiency of insulin) thanks

Hi hill!

A substitution for soy milk would be cow's milk, I guess. My meals are a drop a carb block balance, so cow's milk would provide the dropped carb. That wouldn't work for snacks like the raspberry soup.

Cinnamon has been found to stimulate the efficiency of insluin so you need less insulin to process sugars in the body. Barry Sears explains it in TOP 100 ZONE FOODS, and I've read and heard the same thing in many diet and nutrition books and lectures.

Hi Everyone!

I've just added more meals to the photo album in my signature, balsamic turkey breast with a veggie salad, portabello pizza and sausage, chicken enchilada salad, and salmon salad with tomatoes. To view the album scroll over the photo in my signature below and click when the link appears.

Hi!

Thought I'd paste this here from another thread where I just posted it:


Today I've had very a hectic day with a strenuous yoga class first thing in the morning, work (I work from home), an afternoon appointment, more work, and next will be an aerobic workout. Tonight I'll be watching the Biggest Loser. :-) Here's what I've been eating today (I have a 13 block day):

Breakfast: 1/2 Cocoa Crisp Dr Sears Zone bar and a Brownie Batter Smoothie

Snack after yoga: 1/2 Sweet and Salty Nut Crunch Zone bar

Lunch: turkey burger (made with almost fat free ground turkey, Tex-Mex spices, 1 teaspoon olive oil, and 1/4 cup hot salsa) topped with hot salsa, a little bit of shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese, a spoonful of yogurt, a couple crumbled corn chips and lots of jalapeno pepper slices (the very HOT kind in vinegar, from a jar); raspberries for dessert

Afternoon snack/pre aerobic workout snack: I just ate 1/2 of a Chocolate Fudge Zone bar (I loooove these!)

Dinner: (will be) stir fry of tofu, bean sprouts, celery, baby bok choi, onions, carrots, oil, garlic, ginger, scallions and Bragg's

Bedtime snack: undecided

I have heard the same thing about cinnamon, but on the other hand, there are no peer-reviewed studies out there that suggest that cinnamon really does what people claim. I read one that stated that a group of type 2 diabetics were studied and the group who used higher amounts of cinnamon did not decrease their insulin needs.

CC, I wonder if it has anything with the type of cinnamon you use ... there are so many different strengths. Personally, my cinnamon is VERY strong and HOT. I think that's why I liked it so much in the chili.

There are studies that have been done with people; please refer to these:

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/539016

http://www.news-medical.net/?id=518

Richard Anderson, mentioned in these articles, is the same peron who's earlier work with animals in regard to cinnamon and insulin is discussed by Barry Sears in TOP 100 ZONE FOODS.

Here's an old recipe of mine for a Zone friendly pizza, much like real pizza but without bread, though the crust does contain a bit of flour. I’d consider this a once in a while meal due to the flour and the whole eggs (higher density carb and AA).


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Zucchini Crust Pizza

Makes one pizza (about 12-14 inch). Serves four.

Crust Ingredients:

3 cups shredded zucchini
salt
3 whole eggs lightly beaten
¼ to 1/3 cup flour
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 to 2 T chopped fresh basil (or a lesser amount of dried basil)
dried oregano to taste

Toppings:

1 cup spaghetti sauce or pizza sauce
ground black pepper to taste
1 or 2 chicken or turkey Italian sausages, crumbled and browned
1 green pepper, sliced paper thin
1 onion, sliced paper thin
2 cups shredded low fat mozzarella

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350.

Lightly sprinkle salt on shredded zucchini, mix in, and leave for 15 min. Squeeze out water. Mix all crust ingredients and spread on pizza stone or 12 inch prepared pizza pan. Bake about 20 min or until top is dry to the touch and beginning to brown . Remove from oven and add toppings in the order listed. Return to oven and bake until cheese is melted. Serve with fruit for dessert.


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Hi Everyone,

hill has provided us with lots of additional interesting information about cinnnamon in this thread: http://www.zonediet.com/Community/F...fault.aspx