Cauliflower Bread Sticks - HCG Phase 2 & 3

Cauliflower Bread Sticks



Ingredients:
1 cup raw grated cauliflower or 100 grams (2 Greens)
1/4 cup egg (whites for Phase 2) substitute * you are able to add up to 2 oz of additional protein per Nutrition Support
1 cup shredded or 4 oz 2% light mozzarella, divided (1 Lean)(leave off for Phase 2)
Garlic salt and Italian seasonings, to taste

Marinara Sauce
1/2 cup Italian diced tomatoes - less than 5 g of carbs per serving (1 Green)
You can also use Walden Farms Marinara Sauce, but 1/4 cup is considered to be 2 condiments and is not a vegetable. You would have to add a third of veggies to your meal if you choose this option.

Directions:
Puree Italian diced tomatoes in a small chopper. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350. Mix cauliflower, 1/4 cup egg substitute, and 3 oz or 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella together in a bowl until combined. Line a 9 x13 loaf pan with parchment and lightly spray with Pam. Pour mixture into pan about 1 -1/2 inch deep. (It is okay if the mixture does not cover the entire pan). Bake at 350 for 30 min or until set. Lift the edges of the parchment and place bread with parchment on to cookie sheet. Carefully use a spatula to lift the edges of the dough off the parchment and flip the dough. Bake for an additional 15 minutes at 450 degrees. Take out of oven and with a pizza cutter, slice strips through set dough. Separate slightly. Sprinkle with garlic salt, Italian seasonings and 1 oz or 1/4 cup 2% reduced fat mozzarella or three cheese blend. Continue baking at 450 degrees for about 10 more minutes until cheese is melted. Serve with marinara sauce.

1 Complete Lean and Green Meal, No Healthy Fat Required

Found on Sandy's Kitchen: Cauliflower Bread Sticks

Artichoke W/Dipping Sause HCG Phase 2

Need a great snack idea? Try an artichoke! Steam artichoke for 40 minutes. Make a dressing out of a little milk, Dijon mustard, cayenne pepper, garlic powder and salt and pepper. Really good and satisfying. Don't eat the heart. :-)

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.

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

Mache and Persimmon Salad | seasonal recipes for everyone

Mache and Persimmon Salad
Serves 4
2 small shallots
2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon sugar (or stevia)
½ teapoon kosher salt
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil (or HCT oil)
2 Fuyu persimmons
4 oz. piece of Parmigiano Reggiano
8 oz. mache
freshly ground pepper
To make the dressing, whisk the shallots, vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, sugar and salt together. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, whisking constantly to make an emulsified dressing. Set aside.
Cut the ends off each persimmon. With a paring knife, slice off the skin, removing as little flesh as possible. Using a mandoline, cut each persimmon into thin slices. (Alternatively, slice thinly using a sharp knife.) Set aside
Using a peeler or a knife, shave thin long strips off the block of Parmigiano. Set aside.
Place greens in a bowl and toss lightly with the vinaigrette. Divide the slices of persimmon evenly among the plates. Top each with a generous handful of greens. Top with the cheese shavings. Crack pepper over each salad and serve.

Found on:
Mache and Persimmon Salad | alexandra's kitchen — seasonal recipes for everyone

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

Baked Vidalia Onion

"Baked Vidalia Onion"

1 Vidalia Onion (med. sized)
Sea Salt
Pepper
Remove the outer layers and roots from onion. Wrap in foil. Bake in Preheated oven at 350 degrees for at least one hour. Remove from foil and season with salt and pepper to taste.
servings=1 vegetable