Lemon Garlic Shrimp

One of the EASIEST recipes ever made with shrimp and stuff you probably already have in your pantry. Serve the shrimp by itself on pure protein days or inside a lettuce wrap on protein veggie days!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb shrimp, deveined
• 1/4 lemon
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a pan, heat cooking spray on medium.
2. Add garlic and cook until fragrant.
3. Add shrimp and squeeze the lemon over the shrimp.
4. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook until shrimp is cooked through.
5. Optional: add pepper flakes if you like it spicy.

 

 

Creamy Chicken with Toasted Parmesan

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts, cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes
• 6 oz plain Greek yogurt
• 1/2 tsp garlic salt
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 4 tbs parmesan
• dash of black pepper & chili powder

Directions:

1. Preheat oven 375 degrees.
2. Mix chicken breast, Greek yogurt, garlic salt, onion powder, Italian seasoning, and 2 tbs parmesan in a bowl.
3. Pour the chicken into a oven-safe dish and bake for 35 minutes.
4. While the chicken bakes, combine remaining parmesan, black pepper, and chili powder in a small bowl.
5. Lay parchment paper on a baking sheet and spoon the parmesan mix into 2 mounds onto the parchment paper.
6. Use the back of the spoon to flatten the mounds. Add the parmesan to the oven during the last 5-8 minutes of the chicken’s baking time until the parmesan is golden brown.
7. Plate the chicken and crumble the parmesan on top.

 

 

Chicken Fajita Strips

I have some issues with chicken. I hate prepping it and I hate even more to cook it. I’m always so paranoid of undercooking it that I end up overcooking it. Either that or I cut it open several times during the cooking process to check if it’s done. Yes, amateur cook is I.

I eat it because I know its health benefits but rarely ever order it when I go out. To be perfectly honest, I think chicken is plain and boring. So, when I find an easy chicken recipe that tastes good, it’s like finding a four leaf clover.  Below is one of those recipes. It is semi-homemade so the prepping and cooking process is quick. Also, I find that cutting the chicken into strips, seasoning it, then cooking it seals in the juices much better than cooking a whole chicken breast.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb chicken breast
• 1 packet chicken fajita seasoning
• 1/2 white onion, sliced
• 8 oz roasted red peppers (from the jar)
• 1/2 tbs minced garlic
• cooking spray

Directions:

1. Slice chicken breasts into 1-inch strips and place in a bowl.
2. Spray the chicken with cooking spray for one second and add the fajita seasoning (leave 1-2 tablespoons of seasoning for the vegetables). Use your hands to rub the seasoning into the chicken.
3. Preheat a pan over medium heat or indoor grill at 350º with cooking spray.
4. Place the chicken strips on the cooking surface and cook for about 2 minutes on each side. Set the chicken to the side.
5. Preheat a pan over medium heat with cooking spray. Add garlic and saute until fragrant.
6. Add onions and 1/2 of the remaining seasoning and cook until they begin to soften. Stir in roasted red peppers and the rest of the seasoning and cook for 1 minute.

I left my vegetables separate from the chicken but you can add the chicken into the pan with the vegetables to combine and reheat the chicken. You can also use fresh bell peppers instead of the canned. Of course, you would have to cook fresh bell peppers for a bit longer. Omit the vegetables for attack phase or pure protein days.

If you want to add some oat bran to the meal, consider eating this dish with some oat bran tortillas. Recipe here.

Chicken w/ Rosemary Cream Sauce

Ingredients:

• 4 chicken breast halves
• 1/2 cup fat free chicken broth
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1 tsp fresh rosemary – minced
• 1/2 cup fat free half and half
• salt and pepper
• cooking spray

Directions:

1. Heat pan over medium heat with cooking spray.
2. Season both sides of chicken breasts with salt and pepper.
3. Add chicken to pan and cook for 3 minutes per side.
4. Add green onions, wine, and rosemary and cook for 30 seconds.
5. Add chicken broth and cook for 2 minutes.
6. Stir in half and half and cook for 2 minutes.

Note: This is a thin, light cream sauce. If you prefer your sauce thicker, dissolve a tsp or two of cornstarch in hot water and add it to the sauce. Heat it to the simmer and take it off the stove to thicken.

 

(Source: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/chicken-with-rosemary-sauce-10000000491533/)

 

Corned Beef & Cabbage

This is an adapted corned beef and cabbage recipe I made with tri-tip. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1.5 lb tri-tip roast (fat trimmed)
• 5 large wedges of cabbage
• 1/2 large white onion quartered
• 1 tbs pickling spice
• 3 tbs kosher salt
• 1/8 cup splenda brown sugar
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp black pepper

Directions:

Simply combine all ingredients in a crock pot and add water to barely cover the roast. Set the crock pot on low for 8 hours.

Cinnamon Roll Pudding

Quite a while ago I posted a Gingerbread Biscotti and Chocolate Chip Dip recipe inspired by Chocolate Covered Katie. The dip is a deeelicious, protein-filled dessert made from cream cheese and, surprisingly, tofu! Well, this time around, I made a small additional tweak to the recipe and made a cinnamon roll inspired pudding. YUM. I make enough to refrigerate and have it as a treat for several days to come!

Cinnamon Roll Pudding

Ingredients:

• 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup soft tofu
• 1/2 cup fat free cream cheese
• 3 packets of splenda
• 1 tbs splenda brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. Blend all ingredients together in a food processor or blender until smooth.
2. Refrigerate for a few hours for a nice thick consistency.

Chocolate Molten Lava Cake

Chocolate Molten Lava Cake

Ingredients:

• 3 tbs unflavored protein powder
• 2 tsp cocoa powder
• 1 egg
• 2 tbs splenda brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbs oat bran
• 1 tbs skim milk
• 1 tsp baking powder
• dash of salt
• 1-2 tbs sugar-free chocolate sauce

Directions:

1. Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
2. Whisk all ingredients together and pour into a souffle cup.
3. Bake for 15-18 minutes. (the outside rim should be cooked while the center remains very moist & melty)
4. Pour sugar-free chocolate sauce over cake and serve while hot.

Chicken Carnitas

Chicken Carnitas

Ingredients:

• 6 chicken leg quarters, skin removed
• 9 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/4 lime
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp lemon pepper
• 1/4 tsp pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven 425 degrees F.
2. Spray a large baking dish with cooking spray.
3. Place chicken legs in dish and top with more cooking spray.
4. Combine chili powder, salt, oregano, and 2/3 of minced garlic.
5. Rub mixture on chicken and bake for 45 minutes.
6. Remove chicken from oven.
7. Use 2 forks to remove chicken meat from bone within the same baking dish and shred.
8. Mix chicken meat with juices from the baking dish.
9. Preheat medium pan on medium heat with cooking spray.
10. Add remainder of garlic and cook until fragrant.
11. Add chicken meat along with garlic powder, onion powder, lemon pepper, pepper, and 2-3 squeezes of lime juice.
12. Cook chicken until it’s nice and brown and a bit crisp.
13. Optional: serve on some Homemade Dukan Tortillas.

Chili-Lime Chicken

Chili-Lime Chicken

Ingredients:

• 16 drumsticks, skin removed
• salt & pepper
• 1/2 cup lime juice
• 3 tbs chili powder
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 packet splenda

Directions:

1. Preheat oven 400 degrees F.
2. Pat drumsticks dry and season with salt & pepper.
3. Place drumsticks in a large baking dish.
4. Mix remaining ingredients in a bowl and pour over chicken.
5. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes.
6. Remove foil and bake for another 35 minutes, basting drumsticks with juices often.
7. Remove from oven and plate drumsticks. Top with rendered sauce and garnish with lime wedges.

(source: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/chili-lime-drumsticks-10000001909045/)

Vietnamese Shaking Beef (Bo Luc Lac)

As someone who’s Vietnamese, naturally I LOVE Vietnamese food. Unfortunately, since most Vietnamese dishes contain fish sauce (a very potent, salty sauce), Bob tends to not like it so much. Many non-Vietnamese people probably feel the same way. Even so, there are a few dishes that many people, regardless of their cultural background, seem to gravitate towards. One dish is called Pho, a noodle soup with a base made from cooking bone marrow, onions, and ginger. It takes many many hours to get the right flavors for the broth and is served with rice noodles and thinly sliced beef or chicken. Another dish you may have heard of is called Banh Mi. A French-influenced sandwich stuffed with a variety of meats and usually includes an asian mayo, soy sauce, and pickled carrots and daikon. Finally, there is the ever-so-popular Bo Luc Lac or “Shaking Beef.” A dish made with tender, cubed steak and usually served with rice and a vinaigrette salad.

My mom is an EXCEPTIONAL Vietnamese cook. Really, I’m not just saying that because I’m her daughter 🙂 Needless to say, I will never cook at her level by any means. She wakes up in the wee hours of the morning to make the perfect Pho broth and is constantly being praised left and right for her cooking. Well, I won’t be waking up at the break of dawn to cook any time soon but what I can do is make a Dukan-friendly version of this dish: Bo Luc Lac. Do NOT be afraid of the fish sauce, it really gives the dish a great flavor! In fact, one of the winners of Top Chef was a Vietnamese chef that was known to put fish sauce in ALL of his culinary creations!

Vietnamese Shaking Beef / Bo Luc Lac

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs lean steak, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbs splenda brown sugar
• 1 tbs oyster sauce
• 1 tbs low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tbs fish sauce
• 1/2 onion, sliced

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Refrigerate for 1 hour to allow steak to marinate.
2. Heat a wok/large pan on high heat with cooking spray.
3. Cook steak/onions in batches to avoid overcrowding the meat. Brown on all sides. (note: you want to cook the meat fast to get the nice brown color while keeping the meat tender)
4. Optional: Serve with some fresh, sliced cucumbers.

(source: http://www.skinnytaste.com/2011/05/vietnamese-shaking-beef-bo-luc-lac.html)