Spicy Steak Fajita Lettuce Tacos

Spicy steak fajita lettuce tacos -
Saute bell peppers and onions in chicken broth. When the broth is cooked down, add steak and a tablespoon or two of salsa and cook till the steak is done. Make lettuce cups (out of romaine lettuce) fill with salsa and steak fajita mixture.

Breaded Chicken over Sauteed Kale HGC Phase 2

Breaded chicken over sauteed kale -
in a baggie crush 2 melba rounds add some cayenne, salt & pepper and garlic powder. Add your chicken breasts to the baggie to coat them with the mixture.
Place chicken in a tin foil tent and bake at 400 for 20 min. During the last minute open tin foil and broil on high to crisp. Place over kale sauteed in chicken broth. So good.

Steak Over Sauteed Kale - HCG Phase 2

steak over sauteed kale. Saute a big portion of kale in chicken broth, season with s/p, cayenne, garlic powder, and whatever else sounds good. Saute steak, season with s/p and place over the kale. 

You could eat it just like this... I made a little sweet and tangy sauce/dressing that I poured over all of it - Dijon mustard, a little water and a packet of stevia. So good.

Creamy Strawberry Treat

Creamy Strawberry Treat - 
4 strawberries in a blender with a
splash (about 1/8 cup) of milk + about
1/2 cup of water +
vanilla creame stevia +
ice.

Wow, seriously so good. Tastes like cheat...and at about 20 calories per glass...is so good for you too!

Cottage Cheese Strawberries And Blueberries HCG Recipe

1 cup (non fat) cottage cheese sprinkled with powdered stevia. Add strawberries and blueberries. Very filling and delicious. This counts as a protein serving.

Blueberry Slushy Treat - HCG Recipe

Yummy Blueberry Slushy Treat

 1/4 cup blueberries, ice, water, liquid vanilla cream stevia - AMAZING.

Sauteed Shrimp Salad - HCG Recipe

Sauteed shrimp salad.

Ingredients
Shrimp
Vegetable Broth
Season - with what ever sounds good.
Spinach Salad (leaves)

Dressing - Made of a little milk, chalula hot sauce, stevia, dill, garlic powder and s/p.

Directions
Saute shrimp in vegetable broth, season with what ever sounds good. Place over a big spinach salad with a dressing made of a little milk, chalula hot sauce, stevia, dill, garlic powder and s/p.

Sauteed ground beef over shirataki noodles HCG Phase 2

Ground Beef
Onion,
Garlic,
Chopped Tomatoes,
Zucchini,
Bell Pepper,
Garlic Powder,
Salt & Pepper to tast
Shirataki Noodles

Sauteed ground beef ( or chicken or turkey) drain the oil, rub the beef on a paper towel, add back to the pan with a little onion, garlic, chopped tomatoes, zucchini, bell pepper, garlic powder, s/p. Put over shirataki noodles. Fantastic and filling.

Ground Beef Sauteed Vegies, over Noodles - HCG Phase 2

Ground beef sauteed with onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, garlic powder and oregano over noodles. A staple on this diet!

Shepherds Pie - HCG Phase 2

Shepherds Pie ~ 


2+ cups of Cauliflower

a few whole garlic cloves 

Ground beef

Red Bell Pepper

Zucchini 

Chicken broth

Salt and Pepper.

Stop what you are doing and make this! This is truly AMAZING.
Cut up 2+ cups of cauliflower, place in baking dish or on tin foil with a few whole garlic cloves and bake at 400 for 20 minutes. Saute ground beef, red bell pepper, and zucchini or just throw it all on the George Forman Grill if you have one...so easy.) When cauliflower is done... place in blender with chicken broth...add chicken broth slowly to get it to the mashed potato consistency ( and they really do taste just like mashed potatoes, you cannot tell the difference.) Add salt and pepper. Mix everything together. This is one of the best P2 meals I have ever come up with. If you don't make this tonight you are missing out.

Garlic Mashed Cauliflower - HCG Phase 2

Garlic Mashed Cauliflower

Place 2+ cup of chopped cauliflower in tin foil with a few whole cloves of garlic and s/p. 

Back at 400 for 20 minutes. 

Blend in blender by adding chicken broth in slowly to get the mashed potato consistency. 

Serve with sautéed steak and tomatoes ( I sprinkled a little curry on the steak while it was cooking for an interesting added flavor) Delicious.

Creamy Chicken and Roasted Veggie Soup - HCG Phase 2

Creamy chicken and roasted veggie soup. 

Place in an open dish or tin foil - cauliflower, red bell peppers, zucchini, a clove of garlic, and broccoli with a little seasoning. 

Roast/bake for 30 minutes at 400. 

At the same time...also bake some seasoned chicken breasts. 

Throw it all together with chicken broth in a blender. Finish it off with cilantro or raw shredded cabbage and cayenne pepper. Delicious.

Cumin Lime Chickpeas - HCG Phase 3

Every winter, after weeks of eating hearty soups and stews, I start craving something really light and fresh. I just get sick of all of the super cooked down hot food. I want bright, I want it to taste like SUNSHINE. You know what I'm sayin'?

So today I threw together this quick salad with a couple of cans of chickpeas that I had hiding in the back of my pantry. It's really fast, easy, and bursting with fresh flavor!

Lime juice can sometimes have a slightly bitter bite to it, so if you're not into that or limes just aren't available in your area, this salad would be just as delicious with lemon juice. If you want to cut the price in half, cook your own chickpeas from dry. I haven't done it but I'm sure it's just as easy as cooking any other bean... especially if you cook them in the slow cooker!

Another interesting twist to this salad would be to add a touch of honey and chopped jalapeno. Unfortunately, I didn't think of that until just now as I was typing this. Someone try it for me and let me know how it is! Thanks!




Total Recipe cost: $3.79
Servings Per Recipe: 6 (about 1/2 cup each)
Cost per serving: $0.63
Prep time: 15 min. Cook time: 0 min. Total: 15 min.

INGREDIENTS		COST
2 (15 oz.) cans	chickpeas (garbanzo beans)	$2.18
1/2 medium	red onion	$0.51
1/2 bunch	cilantro	$0.39
2 cloves	garlic	$0.15
1 medium	lime	$0.25
2 Tbsp	MTC oil	$0.22
1 tsp	cumin	$0.05
1/8 tsp	cayenne pepper	$0.02
1/4 tsp	salt	$0.02
TOTAL		$3.79

STEP 1: Empty both cans of chickpeas into a colander and rinse with cool water. Let the chickpeas drain as you prepare the rest of the salad.

STEP 2: Remove the cilantro leaves from the stems and then roughly chop. Dice the red onion. Place both in a large bowl.

STEP 3: Prepare the dressing by squeezing the juice from one lime into a bowl and adding the olive oil, cumin, cayenne pepper, and salt. Finely mince two cloves of garlic and add them as well. Stir everything to combine. Taste and adjust salt to your liking.

STEP 4: Add the drained chickpeas and the dressing to the bowl with the cilantro and onion. Stir to combine and then serve! The flavor intensifies the longer it sits so, refrigerate before serving for a stronger flavor.

Step By Step Photos

I had a couple lonely cans of chickpeas in my pantry, so what better to do with them than add my favorite flavors...


Cilantro, lime, garlic, and onion! This really is my favorite combo. Anytime I need something to taste fresh and vibrant, this is what I reach for.


Rinse the chickpeas in a colander with cool water to remove all of that canned flavor. I'm sure making fresh chickpeas from dry would not only be more inexpensive but the flavor would be even more clean and fresh. Note to self: make fresh chickpeas.


Remove the leaves from the stems of the cilantro and then give them a rough chop. The leaves pull off easily so this should take no more than a minute or two.


Dice the red onion and place it in a bowl with the cilantro.


Squeeze the juice from one lime into a bowl and add the olive oil, cumin, cayenne, and salt. Mince the garlic and add that as well.


Stir it all up and now you've got a delicious cumin dressing. Give it a taste and adjust the salt and any other ingredients as you see fit.


Add the drained chickpeas and dressing to the bowl with the cilantro and onion. Stir until everything is coated in dressing and then serve!


The salad will be even more intense the next day! ...if it lasts that long!

Found on - Budget Bytes: cumin lime chickpeas $3.79 recipe / $0.63 serving

5 MINUTES, 5 INGREDIENT PASTA! HGC Diet Phase 3 or 2

Found on Tumblr

5 MINUTES, 5 INGREDIENT PASTA! PERFECT FOR A DORM! ALL YOU NEED IS A MICROWAVE!

I Picked up a few extra things at Whole Foods the other night. I’m trying to focus more on eating cleaner. Just because it’s coming out of a microwave doesn’t make it unhealthy, well not in this situation!





Calories : 130 Carbs : 20 Fiber : 6g Protein : 15g Fat : 3g
Ingredients:

• 3 Oz Shrimp
• 2 Cups Fresh Spinach
• 1 Tbsp Parmesan (leave this out for Phase 2)
• 1 Bag Shirataki Noodles
• 1/2 Cup Roasted Garlic Sauce

Steps:

1. Microwave Shrimp, Spinach, and Roasted Garlic Sauce for three minutes
2. Rinse Noodles and Microwave for two minutes
3. Combine the sauce with the noodles
4. sprinkle cheese and pepper on top!

HCG Diet Carne Asada

Ingredients

HCG Diet Carne Asada - Delicious Mexican Recipe For Carne Asada Phase 2 Of The HCG Diet Plan.

• 4 ounces flank steak asada
• Tomatoes
• Sliced onion cut into thin strips
• 1 clove garlic chopped
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons orange juice (optional)
• 1/8 teaspoon oregano
• 1/8 teaspoon chili powder or to taste
• Pinch of cayenne pepper

Directions

Marinate meat in lemon juice and spices. Barbecue carne asada or cook strips in a frying pan with garlic and onion. Add chopped tomatoes during the last 5 minutes of cooking and enjoy with lettuce leaf mock tortillas and salsa.
Makes 1 serving (1 protein, vegetable)

Per Serving: 248 Calories, 32 g Protein, 10 Carbohydrates, 4 g Fat

Found Here:
HCG Diet Carne Asada :: Recipe Kitchen

A great healthy make-at-home lunch option!

Source: allyfit.tumblr.com via nd on Pinterest

Black Bean Salad with Corn, Red Peppers, Avocado & Lime-Cilantro Vinaigrette

This recipe was inspired by one of my readers, who sent me a fabulous Mexican Bean Salad recipe. Thank you, Ellen! It's perfect for entertaining because it's festive and you can make it ahead of time -- in fact, you should because it gets better and better the longer it sits. I made it last weekend when we had friends over for a cookout...everyone loved it.

I'll be honest with you, this salad involves a fair amount of chopping and fussing -- nothing difficult but it does take some time to put together. Please don't let that discourage you! It makes such a large amount, you'll be eating it for days, and it's incredibly substantial -- you won't need to serve much else with it. I made it with grilled chicken and roasted sweet potato wedges.



For the beans, make life easy on yourself and use canned. You could certainly buy them dried and soak them overnight but I don't think it's worth the time or trouble here. Just be sure to rinse and drain them well.



But since you're saving time on the beans, definitely opt for fresh corn. Canned is awful and frozen won't give you the crunch you need.



Fresh lime juice is also a must. If you don't already have one, get yourself an inexpensive citrus juicer like this one from OXO...it makes life in the kitchen soo much easier.



When you make this salad, you have to wait a while for the flavors to meld together. At first, it may taste a little too acidic...but give it a few hours in the fridge and the sharpness will mellow out.



Mark my words, this salad will keep you coming back for seconds and thirds -- it's addictive -- but everything in it's so good for you, I don't think you'll mind.





Black Bean Salad with Corn, Red Peppers, Avocado & Lime-Cilantro Vinaigrette
Printable Recipe

Serves 6 - 8

Ingredients

2 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
3 ears fresh corn, cooked, cooled and kernels cut off the cob
2 red bell peppers, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons minced shallots (you'll need one medium shallot)
2 teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons sugar
9 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (I like Colavita)
6 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon lime zest (be sure to zest limes before juicing them)
½ cup chopped cilantro, plus more to garnish
2 Hass avocados, diced

Directions

Combine all ingredients except avocados in a large bowl and mix well. Cover and chill for a few hours or overnight. Right before serving, add avocados and mix gently, being careful not to mash avocados. Garnish with a few springs of freshly chopped cilantro if desired. Serve at room temperature.

Found on:
Black Bean Salad with Corn, Red Peppers, Avocado & Lime-Cilantro Vinaigrette - Once Upon A Chef

HCG Diet Spanish Chicken Soup

HCG Diet Recipes - Delicious And Healthy Spanish Chicken Soup Recipe For Phase 2 Of The HCG Diet Plan.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

3.5 ounces chicken breast
1/2 can diced tomatoes (sugar free, low sodium)
1 jalapeno
1-2 tablespoon cilantro
1-2 teaspoon garlic salt
1 green onion
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
6 drops lemon Stevia
1 cup beef broth
1 cup water

Directions

In a small pot add beef broth, water, chicken, jalapeno (put two knife slits in pepper) and garlic salt. Remove pepper after about 5 minutes or taste broth to make sure it has a little flavor of jalapeno.
Cook chicken through and remove from broth, let cool and shred with fingers. Put tomatoes, cilantro, and a 1-3 inch piece of the pepper in blender. Pulse until creamy. Add puree to broth and simmer a few minutes over med heat. Lower heat to med-low, add chicken, green onion, lemon juice, stevia and vinegar. Simmer 10-15 minutes. Garnish with fresh green onion and cilantro.

Makes 1 Serving

Found on:
HCG Diet Spanish Chicken Soup :: Recipe Kitchen

Grilled Asparagus & Feta Salad

This grilled asparagus salad is the kind of wholly satisfying dish that makes you wonder if you might possibly be a very happy vegetarian. It's so simple, yet so good.

Like most vegetables, asparagus tastes better slightly charred and caramelized, and the direct heat of the grill is the best way to accomplish that. For this recipe, be sure to find nice, thick asparagus spears (the skinny ones will burn and get mushy) and get your grill nice and hot.



Coat the spears with extra virgin olive oil, kosher salt and pepper, then grill them until tender-crisp. Toss with crumbled feta and lemon zest and -- voilà -- you're done. Proof that simple really is fabulous.



Serve this salad room temperature with grilled fish, chicken or meat (particularly these Perfectly Grilled Chicken Breasts or this Grilled Flank Steak). Or try it on its own for lunch or a light bite...all you need to complete the meal is a hunk of warm crusty bread to sop up all the lemon-scented olive oil and feta.



As food writer Michael Pollan has so eloquently said:

Eat Real Food. Not Too Much. Mostly Plants.



I agree. Less Meat. More Vegetables. Grilled Asparagus. Amen.



Grilled Asparagus & Feta Salad
Printable Recipe

Serves 4 as a side

Ingredients

1 bunch thick asparagus, about 24 spears, ends trimmed*
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
⅓ cup crumbled feta cheese
1 teaspoon lemon zest**

Directions

1. Preheat grill to high.

2. Place asparagus spears in baking dish and toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt and pepper.

3. Put asparagus on the grill, making sure to place spears perpendicular to grates so they don't fall through. Set asparagus dish next to grill (do not clean). Cover and cook for about 3-4 minutes, until asparagus spears are nicely browned and tender-crisp. Remove asparagus from grill and place back in baking dish. Let cool, then transfer spears to cutting board and cut into 1½" pieces. Place cut asparagus back in dish, then add remaining tablespoon olive oil, feta and lemon zest; toss gently and season to taste. Serve room temperature or cold.

*To trim ends, bend one spear near its base to see where it naturally snaps off. Use a knife to trim remaining spears to the same length.

**Use a fine or Microplane grater to zest the lemon. Simply rub the lemon in one direction against the blades, turning the lemon as you go. Be sure to remove only the yellow part; the white pith underneath is bitter.

Grilled Asparagus & Feta Salad - Once Upon A Chef

Spaghetti Squash

print recipe card

There are many varieties of squash available at the grocery store and farm stands. Spaghetti squash, also know as calabash squash or vegetable spaghetti, is really quite unique because when cooked looks like thin translucent strands of thin spaghetti. It has a mild, delicate flavor somewhat like that of yellow summer squash and watery texture.

Spaghetti squash has a rounded shape and can vary in weight and size. The ones I bought weighed almost four pounds and were about 9 inches long.

When you buy spaghetti squash, it should have a nice lemon yellow color. If it is green it means that it is under ripe.

Washing and Cleaning Spaghetti Squash

Begin by washing the squash with a vegetable brush under running water.

Dry it well so that it does not slip when you are cutting into the squash.

To cut spaghetti squash you need a big, heavy kitchen knife. Cut the squash in half, lengthwise.

Cutting the squash is the most difficult part of preparing the squash! It is like making that first cut into a melon, which can be tricky if you are not using a knife that can handle the task.

Once open, you can see there are seeds and stringy bits that need to get removed. (Just like with butternut squash or pumpkins.)

Using a spoon, scrape away the seeds and stringy bits….

…until the inside is clean.

Cooking Spaghetti Squash

I’m going to show you how to roast spaghetti squash in the oven and also how to cook it in the microwave. Normally these two cooking methods provide very different results. Roasting vegetables often makes them crispy and brings out their natural sweetness. Surprisingly enough, there is virtually no difference in the taste or texture when spaghetti squash is cooked in the oven vs. the microwave!

Oven Method:

Preheat the oven to 400º F ( = 200º C = gas mark 6-moderately hot.)

Drizzle a small amount of olive oil on cut side of the squash and rub it around with your fingers.

Sprinkle on some salt and pepper.

Place the squash, cut side down in an oven-proof dish.

Depending on the size of your squash, it will take approximately 35-45 minutes to get tender.

Microwave Method:

Place the squash in a microwave-safe dish…

…cut side down.

Cover the dish with plastic wrap…

…being sure to leave a steam vent.

Cook the squash on high for approximately 7-10 minutes - depending on the size of your squash and how powerful your microwave is. If you do not have an automatic turntable in your microwave, give the dish a turn every 3 minutes to ensure even cooking.

Remove the plastic wrap with a pair of tongs and be very careful of the built up steam.

Note: I do not recommend cooking the squash WHOLE in the microwave. Some recipes have you pierce the whole squash about 20 or 30 times with a knife (so the squash does not explode in the microwave). Then stick it in the microwave whole. It is very difficult to cut and remove the seeds and stringy bits from a steaming hot squash.

How to Make the Squash Look Like Spaghetti

Once you have removed the squash from the oven or microwave, check to see if it is cooked by sticking a knife into it. The knife should slide in easily.

If you have over cooked the squash it will taste fine but the texture will be creamy and you will not be able to make the spaghetti like strands.

Flip the squash over with a spatula so that the cut side is facing up. (Be careful as it will be very hot!)

The above photo is of the oven roasted squash

Using a dinner fork, scrape the flesh of the squash….

…moving gently around the shell….

…fluffing up the strands of squash.

Turning the squash into spaghetti strands takes about 10 seconds!

You can then serve the squash as is or remove it to a serving plate. It will be very hot so hold the squash in a dish cloth so you don’t burn your hand.

The above photo is of the microwave cooked squash

Decision time! What do I now do with this squash?

You can eat it as is or dress it up with your favorite spaghetti sauce.

I like to add some freshly grated Parmesan cheese, a drizzle of basil infused olive oil, and some salt and pepper!

Enjoy!

P.S. Just for the heck of it, I tried freezing the leftover spaghetti squash. WRONG! It turned into spaghetti squash mush. It tasted fine but the spaghetti texture did not hold up at all!

This recipe found on:
Spaghetti Squash > Start Cooking