White Bean and Grilled Chicken Soup

I made this soup a few weeks ago with prosciutto (what the recipe called for) but I wanted to go with a leaner meat this time. I tend to want a little more flavor in my soup, so I may try spicy turkey sausage next time. However, this is a really good basic soup. To make: heat 1 TB olive oil in a large pot and add 1/2 chopped yellow onion, 2 cloves garlic, 2 sliced celery stalks, and 1 large carrot sliced into pot. Saute until onion is translucent and add 1 cup water, 1 can (16 oz) of chicken broth, 2 can cannellini beans (undrained), 12 oz pre-grilled chicken cut into small pieces, 2 bay leaves, salt and black pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to let simmer for about 35-40 minutes. I figure each pot makes about four 3 block servings. You will need to add fat to balance unless you use turkey sausage. Post thoughts to comments.

Pita Crusted Chicken

This is a very family friendly recipe that is frequently requested in my house. To make the coating blend one whole wheat pita into crumbs. Add to the crumbs, 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper. Cut 2 large chicken breasts into large strips. Roll the strips in whole wheat flour, then dip into egg whites and finally coat with pita mixture. In a large skillet heat 1 TB olive oil over med-high heat and brown chicken strips on both sides. Place on cooking sheet and place in 350 degree oven for about 20-25 minutes.
Pita crusted chicken- 3 blocks
3 oz chicken (3 blocks protein)
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce (1 blocks carbs)
2 cups mixed green salad with kidney beans, pecans, crushed croutons and olive oil dressing (2 blocks carbs/ 3 blocks fat) Post thoughts to comments.

Chicken Cacciatore

This is another great recipe sent in by Whitney Stoner of CFSCC. One of my favorites!!! This will make one 3 block and one 4 block meal so it is perfect for two. If you are cooking for a family, double the recipe. This is a great one for the crockpot!!!
To make: brown boneless, skinless chicken breasts in 1 tsp olive oil until browned and remove from pan. Add another tsp olive oil to pan and add 1 large red bell pepper sliced, 1 chopped yellow onion, 2 cloves garlic chopped, and 1 can stewed tomatoes. Simmer for a few minutes and then add 4 cups sliced mushrooms and 4 oz white wine. Simmer until it has reduced and then add back in the chicken breasts. Cook on low for another 20-25 minutes or until chicken is done. Serve with your choice of 2 carb/ 1 fat side to balance. Post thoughts to comments! Thanks again Whitney and keep em' coming!!!

Turkey Meatloaf

There are so many varieties of Zone meatloaf ! It is a staple of a lot of Zoners because you can have a good portion size. To make: Mix 1 pound lean ground turkey, 1/2 cup crushed tomatoes (pureed), 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, 2 slices of Orowheat Light bread (1 soak mine in a little milk to soften), 1 egg, garlic powder, 2 TB Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper to taste. Mix together ingredients and put into a small bread pan. Bake at 350 for 55 minutes to 1 hour. Let stand for about 5 minutes before serving.
Turkey Meatloaf- 3 blocks
4 1/2 oz meatloaf (3 blocks protein)
1 1/2 cups green beans ( 1 block carbs)
2 cups mixed green salad with garbanzo beans, goat cheese, pecans and balsamic vinegar dressing (2 blocks carbs/ 3 blocks fat) Post thoughts to comments.

Steak and Pepperjack Sub

This is favorite of my husbands and it is very simple to do. Saute 1 green bell pepper sliced and 1 red bell pepper sliced in 1 tsp olive oil. On a cooking sheet put whole wheat rolls open faced with 1/2 slice pepper jack cheese. Place 1/4 of the peppers, 3 oz sliced steak, and the other 1/2 slice of pepper jack on the roll. Bake at 400 degrees until cheese is bubbly and roll is crisp. Serve with 1 block carb/ fat side of your choice to balance. Post thoughts to comments.

BBQ'd Lamb Loin with Artichokes

This recipe was sent to me from Whitney Stoner of CFSCC. It looks delicious and fairly simple to make! It is about 1 block short on carbs, so you may want to add some more tomatoes or a 1 block carb of your choice to balance. To make: Drizzle soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, lemon pepper and Greek seasoning over a 3 oz lamb loin. Grill to desired temperature. Steam one large artichoke, gut and drizzle with balsamic vinegar, garlic salt and grill until crispy. Slice two tomatoes and drizzle with balsamic vinegar, place on a plate and set aside. On a cooking sheet place 1 oz sliced feta and top with 2-3 Kalamata olive slices,and a dash of oregano. Broil until golden and let sit for a few minutes. Place feta/olive melt on top of tomatoes.
Post thoughts to comments and a great big THANKS Whitney for the great recipe!!!

Zone Turkey Chili

This is one of the easiest recipes to put together and gives you lots of leftovers for lunch or another dinner. The portion above about 3 blocks, but you can easily cut that in half and have this with a salad. To make this: brown 1 pound of ground turkey in a pot, add 1 can tomato sauce, 1 can pinto beans, 1 can kidney beans and chili seasoning. Simmer for about 45 minutes. This has little or no fat, so you will need to add fat to balance.

Slow Roasted Pork Loin

We used the rotisserie setting on our grill to slow roast this pork loin roast, however, you could slow roast in the oven at a lower temp for 3-4 hours.
Pork Loin- 3 blocks
3 oz pork (3 blocks protein)
1 1/2 cups stir fried veggies (1 block carbs)
2 cups mixed green salad with kidney beans, Gorgonzola , pecans and olive oil dressing (2 blocks carbs/ 3 blocks fat) Post thoughts to comments.

Grilled Chicken

With the weather feeling like summer, we have been doing a lot of grilling. This is as easy as it gets. I cut 2 large chicken breasts in to strips and marinated in Teriyaki sauce. The zucchini is sauteed with onion and red bell pepper and about 1 TB olive oil until just tender.
Grilled Chicken- 3 blocks
3 oz chicken (3 blocks protein)
1 cup unsweetened applesauce (2 blocks carbs)
1 1/2 cups zucchini ( 1 block carbs/ 2 blocks fat from oil) (peppers and onions are negligible due to amounts) Post thoughts to comments.

Turkey Meatballs

A standby in my house! These make great leftovers for lunch so make extra!!!
Turkey Meatballs- 3 blocks
3-4 turkey meatballs (3 blocks protein)
1 1/2 cups steamed broccoli (1 block carbs)
2 cups salad with olive oil dressing (2 blocks carbs/ 3 blocks fat)
Post thoughts to comments.

Top Sirloin

Top sirloin is a pretty lean cut of meat so I like to use it both to grill and in other recipes.
Top Sirloin Dinner- 3 blocks
3 oz top sirloin cut thin (3 blocks protein)
1 1/2 cups green beans (1 block carbs)
2 cups mixed green salad (2 blocks carbs/ 3 blocks fat)
Post thoughts to comments.

Turkey Taco Salad

An oldie but a goodie! Enjoy!
Turkey Taco Salad- 3 blocks
3 cups mixed greens (1/2 block carbs)
3 oz turkey taco meat (2 blocks protein)
1/4 cup kidney beans (1 block carbs)
1 oz shredded cheddar cheese (1 block protein/ 3 blocks fat)
Hot sauce to taste. Post thoughts to comments.

Turkey Sausage Stir Fry

The turkey sausage adds a lot of flavor to this stir fry. I used broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, celery and red bell peppers for this, but use whatever veggies you like. Decase the sausage and cook until no longer pink. Add veggies and about 1/2 cup of chicken broth and cook until veggies are just tender. Measure out your servings before cooking so you know how many servings you have. The portion above is a 3 block serving. Post thoughts to comments.

Grilled Prawns

Prawns are quick and easy and full of great protein. These were grilled with a little tangy BBQ sauce and took about 5 minutes. Make sure you weigh the prawns you are using so you know how many you can have. Prawns are 1 1/2 oz per block of protein.
Grilled Prawns - 3 blocks
5-6 prawns (2 1/2 - 3 blocks protein)
3 cups mixed green salad with beans, hard boiled egg, almonds, crushed croutons and olive oil dressing (3 blocks carbs/ 3 blocks fat/ 1/2 block protein)
Post thoughts to comments.

Chicken Piccata

This recipe was sent to me by Kelly Greco of CFSCC. It sounds REALLY good! Lightly flour chicken breast cut in half. Brown chicken for about 3-5 minutes on each side over medium heat, then transfer to baking dish. Add 1/4 cup chicken broth to pan to deglaze, then add 2 TB lemon juice, 2 TB capers, 1/2 cup quartered artichoke hearts. Heat through and pour over chicken pieces. Place lemon slices over chicken and bake for about 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees. Serve with salad or side of choice. Weigh chicken to determine blocks of protein. Post thoughts to comments and THANKS Kelly for another great recipe!!!

Pork Chops with Apple Relish

The apple relish in the recipe adds a lot of flavor without a lot of blocks! In a small saucepan add 1 apple peeled and cut into chucks, 1 TB apple cider vinegar, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper. Cook over medium low heat until tender.
Pork Chops and Apple Relish- 3 blocks
3 oz pork chop (3 blocks protein)
1/2 apple relish (1 block carbs)
2 + cups of soyaki green beans with cashews (2 blocks carbs/ 3 blocks fat)
Post thoughts to comments.

Turkey Burger and Salad

Using ground turkey instead of beef allows you to have a larger burger, however, if you love the taste of beef make sure you adjust the amount you are using (or have what you want on a cheat day!!) I mix a little Worcestershire sauce, ketchup and shredded Parmesan cheese into my burgers for flavor.
Turkey Burger Dinner -3 blocks
1/2 whole grain bun (1 block carbs)
3 oz turkey burger patty (2 blocks protein)
1 slice Swiss cheese (1 block protein/ 2 blocks fat)
2 cups mixed green salad (2 blocks carbs/ 1 block fat)
Post thoughts to comments.

Zone Meatloaf

Meatloaf is always a great standby meal that is easy to Zone with ground turkey and allows you to have great leftovers for lunch the next day!
Zone Meatloaf- 3 blocks
4 1/2 oz meatloaf (3 blocks protein)
1 1/2 cups green beans (1 block carbs)
1 cup unsweetened applesauce (2 blocks carbs)
9 cashews (3 blocks fat)
Post thoughts to comments.

Grilled Chicken and Stir Fry

I put the drumsticks in a teriyaki marinade for about 2 hours before grilling them. There is not a lot of meat on drumsticks so you can generally have a couple, however, I added hard boiled eggs to the salad to bring the protein up that way.
Grilled Chicken- 3 blocks
1 drumstick- (1 1/2 blocks protein)
1 cup stir fried veggies (broccoli, cauliflower and red bell peppers)(1/2 block carbs)
2 cups mixed green salad with egg, kidney beans, goat cheese, and 3 crushed croutons (2 1/2 blocks carbs/ 3 blocks fat/ 1/2 block protein)
Post thoughts to comments.

White Bean and Prosciutto Soup

Because of the small amount of prosciutto in this soup I did not substitute it out. However, I think the next time I make it I will try it with grilled chicken. Having said that, I highly recommend trying this one! In a large stock pot add 2 tsp olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add 2 oz chopped prosciutto and saute for about 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup chopped onions, 3/4 cup chopped celery, 1/2 cup sliced carrots, 2 cloves of minced garlic. Saute all ingredients until soft. Add 2 cans cannellini beans (undrained), 1 cup water, 2 bay leaves, 1 can chicken broth (15 oz). Bring soup to a boil and lower to simmer for about 35-40 minutes. This makes 4 servings that are about 2 blocks each. Serve with a salad to balance. Post thoughts to comments.

Pita Pizza and Salad

Friday night is a perfect pizza night...it just takes a little adjusting!
Pita Pizza- 3 blocks
1 whole wheat pita pocket (2 blocks carbs)
1 TB pizza sauce (negligible)
9 turkey pepperoni (2 blocks protein/ 1 block fat)
1/2 oz shredded mozzarella/ 1/2 oz shredded cheddar (1 block protein/ 1 block fat)
Mixed green salad (2 blocks carbs/ 2 blocks fat)
I eat half the pizza (cut all the block counts in half) with the salad. If you want the whole pizza, eat that alone as your meal. Post thoughts to comments.

Happy New Year!!

Wishing everyone a happy and HEALTHY 2009!!! Happy New Year to you and yours...