Thanks for the updated recipes! I am always looking for something different, and the pancakes sound great!

I had them for breakfast today. Honestly, I was not sure if they would keep me in the Zone, but I had really good satiety well into 4-5 hours. My kids ate them, too. My daughter would not even eat lunch because she was still full from the pancakes.

Thanks for the compliment, Mari!

Live and learn! I tried the pancakes, but my own version with - ahm - cooked steel-cut oats that i had in my fridge. DON'T DO THEM THIS WAY! At least, not if you want a pancake. I used all of the standard ingredients (other than my oat replacement) Zoned for 2 servings, so I would have one for work tomorrow. They ended up being way too moist, although they cooked, and tasted very good with my apple-cinnamon topping I would not call them a "pancake." Oh well. The really good thing is that they held me for 4 good hours! I have to buy some old-fashioned oats for future use to make them the regular way.

Anyway, something good that came from "my version" with steel-cut oats, is because of the moisture, they would make an excellent frittata baked in the oven with a little baking powder added, and some veggies such as onion, pepper, mushrooms, italian seasonings, etc. I am sure the possibilities are endless as to variety so I am going to experiment. Could even top with a sprinkling of turkey bacon, since I made mine 2 blocks each, or add regular cheese in place of the cottage cheese for an Italian frittata with a little sauce.

Anyway, just a suggestion for some variations to the original recipe. Thanks, Cran...

LOL!

If you don't want to buy the old fashioned oats, then you can still use steel cut oats. Just grind them up coarsely in a coffee grinder.

I have to laugh because this recipe was developed from another recipe that I had once, it was a recipe that I found on the "old" zone website, called "bed and breakfast waffles". But, there was a major problem with the recipe, the portion of oats called for was the portion one would normally use for cooked oats, although the directions did not say to cook them. Anyway, I had written in to question the recipe, and they told me to cook the oats first. I was skeptical, but I tried it anyway. Talk about a disaster in my waffle iron!

So, I had to adjust the recipe, because the amount of dry oats would have been way too much for the Zone. This is what I came up with.

I am glad that it worked for you! And, the good thing is that now we have a new recipe idea!

SOUTHWESTERN SPAGHETTI SQUASH

1 1/2 cups spaghetti squash (1.5 C)
1/8 cup black beans (0.5C)
1/4 cup salsa (0.5C)
1/2 cup onion (0.5C)
lean ground beef (also ground turkey or chicken)
1 tsp peanut oil (adjust this depending on the fat content of your meat)

Heat oil in saute pan. Saute onion and the ground meat, then add the spaghetti squash. Saute for about a minute, then add the beans and salsa, simmer until cooked through.

Optional, if you want to use the spaghetti squash as a "spaghetti base", then don't add to the saute pan... just add the rest of the ingredients to the saute pan and then top the spaghetti squash with the meat mixture.

I also like to season my spaghetti squash if I eat it like spaghetti, so sometimes I will use a southwest seasoning blend for a recipe like this.

In addition, if you want additional veggies, you could cut back on the squash to 1 cup (1 carb block) and then add some green/red peppers to the mixture.

I made up a "spur of the moment" salad today, and it was especially satisfying.  I thought I would share it with you!

CURRIED CHICKEN SALAD
Ingredients:
2 oz cooked chicken breast, cubed
1 red pepper
chopped onion (to taste)
1/4 cup chickpeas
1/2 cup grapes, halved
1/3 cup greek yogurt (check label for exact amounts, this was a 1-block protein serving for the brand that I used)
dash of olive oil (can also try it with some walnuts)
Seasoning: cinnamon, cumin, curry powder, turmeric

Add the chicken, red pepper, chickpeas and grapes to a serving bowl and mix.  In another small bowl, add the yogurt and the seasonings, mix thoroughly.  Add yogurt mixture to the chicken mixture. 

I would consider adding some chopped celery, too. 

BLUEBERRY MUFFINS


8 egg whites
1 1/3 cup old fashioned oatmeal, dry
1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp + 1 tsp (or 4 tsp) cooking oil
chopped walnuts
2 tsp baking powder
blueberries
28 grams plain or vanilla protein powder

I was tinkering with this recipe, and it may not be quite right yet for "perfect" zone balance, but I baked these up for my kids and they devoured them! Only comment was that they were not very sweet (which is just fine with me!).. Just wanted to post so that it was recorded; I can always come back and make adjustments as needed.

Grind oats until floured. Add baking powder and protein powder, set aside.

Blend wet ingredients in a blender-eggs, cottage cheese, vanilla, oil. Then combine flour mixture and the batter, mix just until blended. Pour into muffin tin, and then spoon in fresh or frozen blueberries into each cup. Top off with chopped walnuts.

Bake in 350 degree oven for 20-25 min until they begin to turn golden brown. Knife or toothpick inserted should come out clean.

A nice option would be to add some cinnamon and/or nutmeg.

For those who really can't eat them without some sweetness, you could add some splenda before baking.

Do you have any recipes for chicken cutlets or meatloaf (with either chicken, turkey, lamb or lean beef). These are my families favorites. I would love to make them in the zone if possible.

I will do some digging for a meatloaf recipe. I have done meatloaf using garbanzo beans or black beans pureed up (as the sticking agent-in place of bread crumbs).

I use chicken in a lot of different dishes. Lately, I have been just parboiling the chicken cutlets and then using the cooked chicken in salads.

One idea that comes to mind is to top the cutlets with a spaghetti sauce, sprinkle with a small amount of cheese, and bake in the oven (kind of a chicken parmesan). Then, you can serve it with a variety of veggies.

I will take a look to see if I have some easy recipes to post for you!

Chicken with Green Peppers and Pineapple Salsa over Spaghetti Squash

3 oz chicken breast, cut into pieces or used whole - 3P
Mexican seasoning (or taco seasoning)
1 tsp olive oil - 3F
2 cups green pepper, chopped - 1C
1/2 cup Paul Newman's Pineapple Salsa - 1C
1 cup Spaghetti Squash - 1C

Season the chicken and saute in olive oil until cooked. Add the green pepper, saute until tender. Add the salsa, cook until heated through. Cook spaghetti squash and place 1 cup of the shreds on a plate, top with the chicken mixture, and enjoy!
This recipe is a 3 block recipe

I was looking at your muffin receipe - what is the block count overall?

Bozena, I calculated out the block count to be about 12 blocks, so each muffin works out to one block each. I was able to fill 12 muffin tins pretty easily. The kids loved them! And, they come out more moist than the traditional recipe found in the Zone books.

When I posted the recipe, I posted the "original" draft. Since that time, I have baked them again, but I do not remember if I had made any adjustments (if I did, I probably wrote that down on my recipe card at home). But, it should be pretty close, no major changes.

SHEPHERD'S PIE WITH CHOPPED CLAMS

4 cans Chicken of the Sea chopped clams
2 12-oz bags of Steam/Serve cauliflower
28 oz bag frozen green beans
1 15 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 cup 2% cottage cheese
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup 2% milk
8 tsp olive oil

Steam the cauliflower and drain off the liquid. Place in blender, add the milk and cottage cheese, blend until pureed. Stir in 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese.

Drain off the liquid from the cans of clams, add clams to a large bowl. Add the crushed tomatoes and olive oil. Mix together. Blend in the green beans. Spread the clam/bean mixture in the bottom of a 9 x13 baking dish. Layer the cauliflower mixture over the top. Sprinkle the remaining cheddar cheese over the top.

Bake in 400 degree oven for about 1/2 hour. Serves 6.

**note** the recipe makes a 3P-2C-3F meal. To complete the meal, you may add a block of carb, such as a piece of fruit, for dessert.

DIRTY "RICE"

2 teaspoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup white onion, diced
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 cup green pepper, diced
1 cup red pepper, diced
3 cups cauliflower, riced with your food processor or box grated
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon celtic sea salt
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon cumin
chicken or vegetable stock

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet
Add garlic, onion, celery, and peppers; saute until soft
Stir in riced cauliflower, adding thyme, bay leaf, salt, pepper, chili and cumin
Mix in small amount of stock (few tbsp at a time) just to blend the flavors together.

Makes 2 servings of 2 blocks carb and 3 blocks fat. Add your choice of protein and a block of fruit for dessert to round it off.

Portabella Stuffed Mushrooms

2 large portabella mushroom caps, stems removed
8 oz lean ground turkey (I used Jennie-O)
2 zucchini, chopped
1 onion, chopped
4 cups mushrooms, chopped
1.5 cups canned crushed tomatoes
2 tsp olive oil

Place mushroom caps on baking sheet, upside-down (like a bowl).

Saute ground turkey, then saute veggies in oil. Mix together, add the tomatoes.

Spoon over the mushroom caps, and bake in oven for 20-30 min until mushroom is cooked through.

It is a heaping mountain of food! Makes 2 3-block meals.