Peanutbutter Cup Shake

Holy YUM.

I've got all this hot chocolate to use, and I normally make coffee and throw the hot chocolate in there. But for some reason lately it seems to have an odd aftertaste. Like protein powder or something that I'm just not digging.

So I'm staring at my packet of Hot Chocolate mix for my evening meal, groaning at the thought of using it as coffee/mocha yet again. Then it hit me... Make a shake. And then it hit me even harder... Peanut butter cup shake!

Ingredients:
1 packet Medifast Hot Chocolate
1 Tbsp PB2 powder
6 ice cubes
2-4 ounces of water, depending on how thick you want your shake

Blend the ice in a personal blender until all chunks are gone. Add water, hot chocolate and peanut butter powder and blend until smooth.

Servings: 1
1 Medifast meal and 1/2 optional snack

Medifast "French Toast" Sticks

Okay - so the term "French Toast" is a little deceiving. French toast is usually slices of bread dipped in egg and browned in a pan. While you technically COULD do this with the slices, I didn't want to add more egg than a condiment worth, so I decided to consume as-is. And they were a fantastic, different treat that I will absolutely try again! But, if you prefer a more french-toasty french toast stick, feel free to dip them in egg beaters and brown 'em up! I'm sure they'd be even yummier!

Medifast "French Toast" sticks

Ingredients:
1 package Medifast Pancakes (Any flavor - I used Spiced Pancakes)
1/4 c liquid egg whites (I use Kirkland brand - 1/4 c=25 calories and <1 carb)

Optional: Walden Farms Pancake Syrup

Directions:
In a rectangular bowl, gently whisk together 1/4 cup liquid egg whites with one package of Medifast pancakes until combined. There will still be a few lumps. This is normal.

Microwave for 2 minutes, monitoring carefully to avoid boiling over. Allow to cool for 1 minute, remove from bowl. Slice into sticks. Serve with your choice of syrup.

Medifast calculations: 1 Medifast Meal, 1 condiment.
(Calculations do not include syrup.)

Heaven in a Brownie Tray

This is definitely a "once in a while" treat, since it uses up one MF meal, one condiment AND one optional snack, but it's SO worth it. You could easily cut out one of the two toppings, (i.e. JUST peanut butter or just cream cheese) and still have this decadent treat, but the combo of the two together is to die for. :) Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 Medifast Brownie Mix
3 tbsp water
1 wedge Laughing Cow Light cream cheese
2 tbsp PB2 Peanut butter powder
1 tbsp water

Mix the brownie mix with 3 tbsp water. Microwave 1 minute 30 seconds. Cut one wedge of Laughing Cow Light cream cheese into small slices. Place cream cheese slices on top of baked brownie. Spread around lightly. (If you're too rough, the brownie will pull up instead of the cream cheese spreading). In a small bowl, mix together 2 tbsp PB2 peanut butter powder with 1 tbsp of water. Adjust water to your desired consistancy. Spread the peanut butter over the cream cheese layer. The result can either be eaten warm, or frozen first.

Medifast calcs: 1 Medifast Meal, 1 healthy fat serving, 1 optional snack

Mu shu Chicken

Please ignore the little orange flecks - I accidentally bought coleslaw mix instead of just shredded cabbage. I picked them out before consuming to stay on-plan 100%

Ingredients:
8 oz raw chicken tenders, cut into thin strips (Should shrink to 6 oz cooked weight - 1 lean)
1 1/4 cups shredded cabbage (2 1/2 green)
1/4 cup chopped green scallions (1/2 green)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro (1/2 condiment)
1 tbsp Kikoman low-sodium soy sauce (1 condiment)
1 tsp oyster sauce (1 condiment)
1/2 tsp minced garlic (1/2 condiment)
1 tsp olive oil (1 healthy fat)
1-2 drops sesame oil

In a pre-heated sautee pan, sautee chicken in oil until cooked through. Add the cabbage, soy sauce, oyster sauce, minced garlic and sesame oil. Saute until cabbage softens a bit. Add in the scallions and cilantro and stir to combine. Serve immediately.

Medifast calcs: 1 lean, 3 green, 3 condiments, 1 healthy fat

Shrimp Lomein with Shritaki Noodles!

This is one of my all-time favorite recipes. Whenever I'm craving asian food, this is the dish I run to! 

Ingredients: 

1 package of Angel hair Shiritaki Noodles (2 green)

1/2 cup chopped celery (1 green)

1/2 Tbsp chopped green onions (1/2 condiment)

1/4 cup chopped ciilantro (1/4 condiment)

2 tsp olive oil (2 healthy fat)

1/4 tsp chopped garlic (1/4 condiment)

1 tsp oyster sauce (1 condiment)

1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce (1 condiment) (I use Kikoman low-sodium soy sauce, which has 1 carb per tbsp!)

7 oz cooked shrimp (1 lean)

Drain the shiritaki noodles in a colander. Rinse thoroughly. Place noodles into a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 1 minute. Return noodles to colander and rinse again. Spread on a stack of paper towels and blot dry. Set aside.

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil and garlic and saute until garlic softens slightly. Add celery. Stir-fry until celery softens a bit. Add the noodles, soy sauce, oyster sauce and shrimp. Stir fry until the shrimp is warmed. Add soy sauce and oyster sauce, and a splash or two of water or chicken broth if necessary. Stir fry until everything is heated through. Top with cilantro and green onions. Serve immediately.

Medifast Calcs: 1 leanest serving, 3 green servings, 3 condiments, 2 healthy fats

Note: If you have not used your optional snack, you can add more celery to the dish and count it towards your optional snack! Also, the shiritaki noodles I buy have 4 oz in a serving, 2 servings per bag.

Chocolate Covered Cherry Shake

Ingredients:
1 package Medifast Hot Chocolate
6 ice cubes
4-6 oz water
1 tbsp sugar free cherry syrup

Crush ice in a personal blender until you can no longer hear chunks. Add water and syrup, followed by the hot chocolate mix. Blend until smooth. Serve immediately.

Medifast calcs: 1 Medifast meal and 1 condiment

Milky Way Shake

Ingredients:
1 package Medifast Hot Chocolate
6 ice cubes
4-6 oz water
1 tbsp sugar free caramel syrup

Crush ice in a personal blender until you can no longer hear chunks. Add water and syrup, followed by the hot chocolate mix. Blend until smooth. Serve immediately.

Medifast calcs: 1 Medifast meal and 1 condiment

Garlic Parmesan Mashed Cauliflower

Garlic Parmesan Mashed Cauliflower

Ingredients:
4 cups grated raw cauliflower (8 green)
1/2 tsp garlic powder (1 condiment)
1/2 tsp ground white pepper (1/2 condiment)
2.5 Tbsp grated Parmesan Cheese (2.5 condiments)
4 Tbsp regular-fat cream cheese (4 healthy fats)

Combine the grated cauliflower, garlic powder and pepper in a microwave safe bowl. Cover and microwave for six minutes. Remove from microwave, add cream cheese and parmesan, and mash until  desired consistency. Serve immediately.

Serves 4
Recipe: 8 green, 4 condiments, 4 healthy fats
Per Serving: 2 green, 1 condiment, 1 healthy fat

***Recipe approved by Nutrition Support 6/3/13***

Cheesy BBQ Turkey Meatloaf

***Recipe approved by Nutrition Support 6/3/13***

Today I was feeling a bit sorry for myself. I've been making the same recipes over and over (because I love them). I realized that after almost four months, I needed to change things up a bit! I had just bought a package of 99% lean ground turkey and wanted to make something I could heat up straight from the microwave, since summer is such a crazy time around my house. Meatloaf and mashed potatoes came to mind! Here's my take on my favorite bbq meatloaf recipe that my grandmother handed down to me! 

I decided to throw these into individual containers so I can just grab one and stick it in the microwave. My apologies for the non-artistic pictures :) 

Ingredients:

20 oz 99% Lean ground turkey (2.25 lean)

2 tbsp Walden Farms Original BBQ Sauce (1 condiment)

1/2 c Egg Beaters (.25 lean)

6 oz (1 1/2 cups) shredded moderate fat cheese (1.5 lean)

1 Tbsp chopped onion (1 condiment)

1 clove of garlic, minced (1 condiment)

1/2 tsp ground black pepper (1 condiment)

1 Tbsp fresh chopped parsley (1/4 condiment)

2 packages Medifast Garden Veggie Crackers, crushed (2 optional snacks)
1/4 cup Walden Farms Original BBQ Sauce (2 condiments)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Crush the crackers in the sealed packages, set aside. Combine the turkey, 2 tbsp bbq sauce, egg beaters, cheese, onion, garlic, pepper, parsley and crackers in a medium bowl until the mixture comes together. Press into a pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Brush with the remaining 1/4 cup of bbq sauce.  I used a 8x11 glass pan because I love lots of top with little "loaf".

Bake in pre-heated oven for 40-50 minutes until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees in the center. (Mine took 40 minutes and was 140 when I took it out. I undercooked a bit in order to avoid it being overcooked after re-heating)

Serves 4

Recipe: 4 lean, 6.25 condiments, 2 optional snacks

Per serving: 1 lean, 1.5 condiments, 1/2 optional snack

Serve with a side of Garlic Parmesan Mashed Cauliflower and 1/2 cup steamed green beans for a full L&G (Nutrition Support approved the combo for a full lean & green + 1/2 snack)

BBQ Salmon

BBQ Salmon

Ingredients:
7 ounces of raw salmon filet, skin removed
2 tsp liquid smoke (1/2 condiment)
2 tsp kikoman low-sodium soy sauce (1 condiment)
2 Tbsp Walden Farms Original BBQ Sauce (1 condiment)
1/4 tsp minced garlic (1/4 condiment)
1/4 tsp onion powder (1/4 condiment)
scant sprinkling of cracked black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut off a piece of foil twice the size of the filet and lay it on a baking sheet. Spritz the foil with cooking spray. Lay the fish in the center of the foil. Pour the liquid smoke, soy sauce and bbq sauce over the filet. Sprinkle the minced garlic, onion powder and cracked black pepper over the filet.

Wrap tightly and bake at 350 degrees 20-30 minutes until the fish flakes easily.

Medifast calculations: 1 lean, 3 condiments

Recipe approved by Nutrition support May, 2013.

Chile Rellenos

***Recipe approved by Medifast Nutrition Support May 2013.***

Sorry it took me so long to get this post written! Life is always crazy in the summer around my house. I had wanted to get a better picture for this recipe, but I haven't made the recipe again. I had SO many people asking for the recipe I figured I should just get it up there and update this post when I take a new (prettier) picture. Also, the picture below is the recipe without chicken. They will be a bit fatter with the chicken in there :)

I have been craving Chile Rellenos since I started Medifast, but figured there was NO way I'd be able to find a recipe that met the Medifast guidelines because rellenos are traditionally stuffed with cheese, then batter dipped and fried to a crispy golden brown and topped with a green tomatillo sauce. Personally, I prefer my non-fried version, and really, I didn't miss the sauce at ALL (but you could add tomato sauce etc to this and deduct it from your green).

Then, out of nowhere, the idea came to me: whipped egg whites. So I set off trying to figure out how to make a savory meringue. I was a little baffled at how I'd "batter-dip" the rellenos into the meringue, but I figured I'd deal with that later. 

I know the recipe seems odd with the egg whites, but trust me, these are AMAZING. (I ate this every day for four days until the leftovers were gone, and I'm STILL craving it).

Chile Rellenos

Ingredients:
12 whole green chiles (canned)
6 egg whites
3.5 ounces cooked, finely shredded chicken
12 oz part-skim mozzarella
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a bowl, mix together 10 ounces part-skim mozarella cheese with 3.5 ounces cooked, shredded chicken, 1/2 tsp garlic powder and 1/2 tsp onion powder. Set aside.

Whip the egg whites on high with 1/2 tsp of cream of tartar, 1/2 tsp garlic powder and 1/2 tsp onion powder until stiff peaks form. This took about five-ish minutes for my Kitchenaid stand mixer.

Spray a 9 x 13 glass baking dish with cooking spray. Spread half of the whipped egg whites on the bottom of the pan.

Carefully remove the canned chiles, split down one side and place a tablespoon or two (depending on the size of the chile) onto the opened chile. Fold the chile around the filling and press the filled chile into the mixture, lining them up like you would an enchilada. Make sure to press the chile into the eggs so the eggs envelop the sides of the chile. Repeat the process for the remaining 11 chiles, lining them up like you would if you were making enchiladas.

Spread the remaining whipped egg whites over the chiles and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes. Remove from oven, increase the temperature to 450 degrees, remove foil and return to the oven for another ten-ish minutes until the cheese on top is bubbly and the eggs are browned a bit. (See above picture).

This is best served fresh from the oven (let it sit a few minutes to let the cheese settle before serving). However, reheated leftovers are amazing too.

Servings: 4 (3 chile rellenos = 1 serving)

Medifast calculations (per serving): 1 lean, 1.5 green, 1.25 condiments

Recipe Copyright 2013 Shelley Watters

Pesto Salad Pizza

***Updated 5/3/13 to reflect NS approved cauliflower crust recipe changes***

My love affair with salad on pizza started in elementary school. Every Friday was "Pizza Day". For two bucks, you'd get two slices of pizza and a pile of salad with ranch dressing. I'd ignore the confused/disgusted stares as I piled the salad onto the slice and devoured it. Man, I loved Fridays when I was a kid....

Fast forward many, many years. I'd forgotten all about the salad pizza stuff until my husband and I went out to eat at California Pizza Kitchen. They had two pizzas that had salad on them. Instantly I was transported back to gradeschool. I HAD to have them. The first was a pear and Gorgonzola pizza with hazelnuts, topped with spring mix tossed with a blue cheese ranch dressing. The second was a "California Cobb" pizza with chicken, bacon and topped with shredded iceberg tossed with mayonnaise and topped with a fan of avocado slices. 

They were my favorite treat for a long time. Then they discontinued the first, then the second. While this was good news for my waistband and wallet, it made my heart sad. 

I figured out how to copy the Pear and Gorgonzola pizza, but can't have it on the Medifast plan. I do plan on doing a healthy version once I'm on maintenance, but for now we'll just focus on what I CAN have on-plan.

I decided to make a pesto pizza, and realized that I didn't have any other veggies to top my pizza but lettuce. So I decided to make it into a salad pizza so that I meet my Lean and Green guidelines. And it turned out spectacular!

Pesto Salad Pizza

Ingredients:

Crust:
1 cup grated cauliflower (2 green)
1/4 cup egg beaters (1/8 lean)
3/8 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella (6g fat/oz) (3/8 lean)


Pesto:
1/2 cup basil (1/2 condiment)
1 tbsp Parmesan cheese (1 condiment)
1 clove of garlic (1 condiment)

1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella (1/2 lean)

Salad:
1 cup shredded Iceberg lettuce (1 green)
1 tbsp Walden Farms Ranch Dressing (1/2 condiment)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a 1/4 sheet cake pan with parchment paper.

Grate 1 cup of cauliflower and place in a medium-sized bowl. Add 1/4 cup egg beaters, 1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese. Mix with a spoon and spread on the parchment. Spread it as thin as possible, avoiding holes in the mixture. Bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes. The crust will be browned and look a bit like a quiche looks on the top.

Meanwhile, pulse the basil, garlic and parmesan in food processor. With the lack of olive oil, the resulting pesto will be a bit grainy rather than smooth like true pesto, but I'm okay with that. I actually prefer it! Remove the baked crust from the oven, spread pesto over the crust and sprinkle 1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella on top. 

Return the pizza to the oven under the broiler (500 degrees) until the cheese melts and is bubbly (this happens FAST so watch it carefully!!!)

While the cheese is melting, in a small bowl toss the shredded lettuce with the Walden Farms Ranch dressing. Set aside. 

Remove from the pizza from the oven, cut into six slices, top with the salad and enjoy!

Recipe makes 1 serving.


L&G Calculations:
1 Lean
3 Green
3 Condiments

Medifast Broccoli and Cheese Grilled Cheese

Here's another recipe I found on Cody's New Beautiful Me blog that I adapted to fit with what I had on hand. I would never in a million years order the cream of tomato soup (I can't STAND tomato soup). But I did have some cream of broccoli soup, and I really, really wanted to try the grilled cheese sandwich.

Like with the breakfast sandwich, I chose to use the Kraft Free Single as my cheese option. Rather than being part of my lean, it counts as two condiments for one slice. Again, I'm okay with this. Use your own discretion regarding the cheese choice for this recipe, though. If you chose a cheese with fat, make sure to deduct it from your lean.

Again, other recipes I've found do not count the egg beaters as part of your lean. I didn't either. Again, use your own discretion with this recipe. (If you're making more than one of these per day, or in combination with other recipes using 2 tbsp egg beaters (such as the breakfast sandwich) be sure to deduct the Egg beaters from your lean.)

Medifast Broccoli and Cheese Grilled Cheese

Ingredients:

1 Medifast Cream of Broccoli Soup
1/4 cup Egg Beaters (1/8 lean)
2 Tbsp water
1 slice Kraft Free Single

Spray non-stick spray into the wells of a sandwich maker and pre-heat. In a small bowl, mix together the egg beaters and water. Pour the mix into a pre-heated sandwich maker. It should fill all four little triangles. Close the maker and cook for three (3) minutes.

Once the "bread" has cooked, remove from the sandwich maker and place half a slice of cheese between two squares.

Medifast calcs: 1 Medifast meal, 1/8 lean, 2 condiments

Medifast Breakfast Sandwich

So like many other people on Medifast, after a while on the program, you just need some variety. So I went searching for recipes to "tweak" my Medifast meals. 

I came across Cody's New Beautiful Me Blog, and her recipe for a breakfast sandwich using the pancake mix. While it looked delicious, I really didn't want to use up that much of my lean on one of my medifast meals.

I searched the Medifast Nutrition Support forums and discovered that you could use 2 Tbsp of Egg Beaters on one of your Medifast meals and not count it towards your lean. Because really, one lean serving of Egg Beaters is TWO CUPS. So two tablespoons is like, 1/18th of your lean or something. 

Anyway...

I also discovered Kraft Free singles at the grocery store. On the Nutrition Support boards, they said one slice of Kraft Free singles would count as two condiments. There's a lot of sodium in one slice, so use them sparingly if you chose them as the cheese portion of this breakfast sandwich. If you use low or moderate fat cheese for this recipe, remember to deduct it from your lean for the day. I have been using the Kraft Free singles for a few weeks now and haven't seen it impact my weight loss at all, so I'm happy to count them as two condiments. I also only use one slice per week (either as a grilled cheese sandwich or this breakfast sandwich) and need to use up my package! :)

For a McGriddles-type sandwich, add one tbsp of sugar free maple syrup (1/2 condiment). Remember to deduct it from your condiments for the day.

Medifast Breakfast Sandwich

Ingredients:

1 package Medifast Spiced Pancakes
1/4 cup water (2 oz)
2 Tbsp Egg Beaters
1 slice Kraft Free Single

In the shaker bottle, mix 1 package of Spiced Pancake mix with 2 oz water. Shake 6 times. Set aside.

Spray a small ramekin with cooking spray. Pour 2 Tbsp Egg Beaters into ramekin and microwave for 1 minute or until set. Tip out onto plate.

Pour the pancake mix into the ramekin. Microwave for 1 minute and 30 seconds. Tip out onto another plate. Slice the pancake in half.

Place the cooked egg and a Kraft Free Single onto one half of the pancake. Top with the other half of the pancake.

I like to dip the sandwich in 1 Tbsp sugar free maple syrup. (Add 1/2 condiment to the totals below if you choose to do this, however).

Medifast calcs: 1 Medifast meal, 2 condiments (2.5 if using syrup).

Crab-stuffed Mushrooms

Crab-stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients:
3.5 oz lump crab meat (1/2 leanest)
2 oz part-skim mozzarella (1/2 lean)
1 clove garlic, minced (1 condiment)
1 Tbsp green onions, finely diced (1/4 green)
1 Tbsp red bell pepper, finely diced (1/4 green)
1 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese (1 condiment)
1/4 tsp ground black pepper (1/2 condiment)
1/4 tsp dried dill weed (1/2 condiment)
1 1/4 cups mushroom caps (2 1/2 green)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Remove stems from mushrooms and wash and dry the caps. Place stem-side up in a rectangular glass dish that has been sprayed with PAM.

In a small bowl, combine crab meat, mozzarella, garlic, green onions, bell pepper, black pepper and dill weed in a small bowl. Stir gently to combine, trying to avoid breaking up the lumps of crab as much as possible. Fill the mushroom caps with the mixture, pressing it firmly into the caps, and mounding it on top. Sprinkle parmesan cheese over the stuffed mushrooms. Bake for 20-25 minutes in the preheated oven until the tops are lightly browned and the cheese has melted.

Servings: 1
Medifast calcs: 1/2 leanest, 1/2 lean, 3 green, 3 condiments

Medifast Buckeyes

Yep, that's right. Buckeyes!

I've got a thing for Reese's peanut butter cups, and my husband recently asked me to make him peanut butter balls. Which just increased my desire to have something, ANYTHING with peanut butter in it.

I did some searching of the Medifast forums and found that most people use and like the PB2. I was sad to discover that I could only obtain it by ordering it online (and paying shipping). I headed off to my local Whole Foods to see if they had any sort of peanut butter powder similar to PB2.

And as I stared at all the nut butters they had to offer, Just Great Stuff's organic peanut butter powder lit up on the shelf, like angels had shone a spotlight on it. It must have blinded me, because even with its $8.99 price tag, I still put it in my cart. Somewhere in the back of my brain, I figured that the price of the PB2 plus shipping would probably still be more expensive. (Although now that I'm writing the post, I remember that netrition.com has free shipping...)

Also, JGS's peanut butter powder contains coconut sugar, which has a lower glycemic index than cane sugar (PB2's ingredient), which, while it has 1 more gram of sugar than PB2, it has the same amount of carbs. Did I mention it's organic? ;)

Anyway, I came home, ripped open the jar and inhaled the peanut-y goodness, and decided that right then and there I HAD to come up with a recipe to incorporate it.

I make daily baggies with all my meals for the day as soon as I get my Medifast order, and I just so happened to have hot cocoa as my evening snack in the bag. I'm not sure if this recipe will work with the pudding, but believe me, I intend to try it!

**UPDATE** I tried it with the pudding, and while it works, it requires more water (I used two extra tablespoons). It had a bit of a funky gelatinous texture, but after freezing, it was pretty good. I still prefer the hot cocoa version.

Medifast Buckeyes

Ingredients:
Chocolate layer:
1 packet Medifast Hot Cocoa
3 Tbsp cold water

Peanut butter Layer:
2 Tbsp Just Great Stuff Peanut Butter Powder
1 Tbsp cold water

In two separate bowls, combine the powders and water. Whisk with a fork until completely smooth. Using four small cups (I use the Dixie 2 oz salad dressing cups), spread a layer of chocolate on the bottom of each cup. Follow it by 1/4 of the peanut butter. Top with the remaining chocolate.

Freeze until set, approx 1-2 hours. If using the Dixie cups, they should pop right out. If not, warm the sides with your hands for a few seconds and they will come out.

4 cups=1 serving

Medifast calcs: 1 Medifast Meal, 1 Snack

Veggie Quesadilla

Veggie Quesadilla

Tortilla:
1 cup cooked spaghetti squash (2 green)
1/4 cup egg beaters (1/8 lean)
3/8 cup reduced-fat shredded Mexican cheese (6g fat/oz) (3/8 lean)

1/8 tsp garlic powder (1/4 condiment)

1/8 tsp onion powder (1/4 condiment)

1/8 tsp ground black pepper (1/8 condiment)

1/4 tsp whole oregano leaves, crushed in your palm (1/4 condiment)

Filling: 

1/2 cup reduced-fat shredded Mexican cheese (6g fat/oz) (1/2 lean category)

1/4 cup canned green chiles (1/2 green - I'm assuming they fit under the "peppers" category?)

1/4 cup chopped mushrooms (1/2 green)

Topping:

2 Tbsp Salsa (2 condiments)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 

In a medium bowl, mix together spaghetti squash, egg beaters, cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper and oregano. Press into a parchment-lined baking sheet as thin as you can make it. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes.

Spread 1/4 cup of cheese over half of the baked tortilla. Spread chiles and mushrooms over the cheese. Top with the remaining 1/4 cup of cheese. Fold the tortilla onto the filling and return to the oven for 5-7 minutes until the cheese has melted.

Remove from oven, allow to set for 5 minutes before slicing into triangles. Serve with 2 Tbsp salsa.

Medifast calcs: 1 lean, 3 green, just shy of 3 condiments

Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps

There is a certain chain Chinese restaurant that makes amazing chicken lettuce wraps. They don't have the nutritional information on their menu, but from the oil dripping from the chicken, I'm going to guess it's one of the more unhealthy things on their menu, even with the guise that it's chicken and lettuce and thus good for you.

But, I do love them, so of course I had to figure a way to make a healthy version that fits on my Medifast plan. I love the crunch of the lettuce and the warm chicken and veggies. Like most of my healthier adaptations, I'm discovering I love the healthy version more than the original, and my scale is loving them too! :)

Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients:

6 oz cooked chicken breast, minced (1 leaner)
1/2 cup celery, diced (1 green)
1/2 cup shitake mushrooms, thinly sliced (1 green)
1 garlic clove, minced (1 condiment)
1 tsp soy sauce (1 condiment)
1/2 tsp oyster sauce (1/2 condiment)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (1/2 condiment)
1 tsp olive oil (1 healthy fat)
2 drops sesame oil (I put this into the olive oil when I'm measuring)
1 cup Iceberg lettuce leaves (1 green)

Soak the shitake mushrooms for around 30 minutes. Drain, but reserve the soaking liquid. Thinly slice the mushrooms.

In a large skillet, saute the celery, mushrooms and garlic in the olive and sesame oil until the celery is almost aldente. Add the chicken, soy sauce, oyster sauce and cilantro. saute for 2-3 minutes until everything is warmed through. Add 1/4 cup of the mushroom soaking liquid to thin the sauce.

Serve the chicken mixture in Iceberg lettuce "cups".

Tip: The mushroom soaking liquid is essentially mushroom broth. You can use this to make soup, etc. It's great stuff!

Medifast Calcs: 1 leaner serving, 3 green, 3 condiments, 1 healthy fat

Spaghetti with Meat Sauce

This was my first attempt at using Spaghetti squash, and I have to say, I'm hooked. The flavor of the sauce on the squash is absolutely amazing, and I really enjoyed the crunch that the squash has. I'm not a big pasta person, and I definitely didn't miss it at ALL in this dish. In fact, I prefer this to regular spaghetti! This is one of my favorite dishes now!

"Spaghetti" with Meat Sauce

Ingredients:

Sauce:
7 oz ground 93% lean turkey (should cook down to 5 oz) (1 lean)
1/2 cup diced celery (1 green)
1/2 cup diced italian tomatoes (with 5g carbs or less per 1/2 cup serving) (1 green)
1/4 tsp garlic powder (1/2 condiment)
1/4 tsp onion powder (1/2 condiment)
1/4 tsp dried basil (1/4 condiment)
2 tsp fresh grated parmesan (1/2 condiment)

"Spaghetti":
1/2 cup cooked spaghetti squash (1 green)
1/8 tsp garlic powder (1/4 condiment)
1/8 tsp onion powder (1/4 condiment)
pinch of fresh ground black pepper

Dice and saute the celery with the garlic and onion powder for a minute or so. Add in the ground turkey and the basil. Cook until the turkey is almost cooked through. Add in the tomatoes and simmer for 10 minutes.

Wash the squash and pierce the skin all over with a metal skewer. Microwave for 6 minutes, turn over and microwave for another six minutes. When done, let cool a bit then cut open, scrape out the seeds and discard. For the remaining flesh, scrape with a fork to separate the threads. My one small spaghetti squash will yielded around 2 cups of squash.

Place 1/2 cup of squash into a bowl. Sprinkle with garlic powder, onion powder, ground black pepper and a bit of salt.

Top with the meat sauce and stir to combine. Grate fresh Parmesan on top.

Note: This recipe makes a LOT of meat sauce for a relatively small amount of squash. I'd eat the sauce plain, so this is not a problem. You could always cut out the celery and increase the squash to 1 cup, but I love celery in my spaghetti sauce. :) You also could substitute Walden Farms marinara for the 1/2 cup Italian tomatoes and increase the squash serving further (remember to count the marinara as a condiment!)

Medifast calcs: 1 lean, 3 green, 2 1/4 condiments, no healthy fat required

Sashimi With Cucumber and Jicima Salad

I must start this recipe off with a disclaimer. I am NOT positive if this for sure meets the dietary guidelines for Medifast. I did my best with this one, but please use your discretion regarding this recipe. This recipe has NOT been run by Nutrition Support.

Medifast's guidelines provide COOKED weights for lean protiens. Because the yellow fin tuna sashimi is raw, I did an internet search to figure out about how much it cooks down. What I came up with as a consensus was that fish seems to cook down to about 70% its raw weight. With that assumption, I figured I could have ten ounces of raw tuna sashimi and still be in the acceptable range.

Oh, and in the picture, there is WAY more soy sauce in that little dish than the 1tsp soy sauce=1 condiment. Please know I did not use all of the soy sauce, but I also didn't measure it either. So I might have gone over in my condiments for this day.

I pay close attention to my scale the next morning after eating this meal, to see if it impacts my weight loss. So far (and I've had this meal about once a week since I started Medifast), I haven't seen any negative impact on my scale.

So, for me, this recipe works fine while on-plan. But again, please use your own discretion when using this meal in your Medifast plan.

Oh, and I LOVE this recipe. I'd eat it every day if I could. I found my sashimi grade tuna at my local AJ's with a sushi bar. Tuna is around 26.99/lb and Salmon is a bit less, I believe. I've also done this recipe with salmon, but only use 8 ounces for that. Be sure to keep it as cold as possible (but not frozen) until ready to serve. My AJ's provides courtesy ice and I always take advantage of that when I buy my sashimi.

And now I'm desperately craving this again... Off to AJ's! ;)

Tuna Sashimi with Cucumber, Palm Heart and Jicima Salad

Ingredients:

Sashimi:

10 oz sashimi grade Yellowfin Tuna (1 leanest serving, estimating that 10oz sashimi would cook down to 7 oz)

Salad:

1/2 cup hot house cucumber, cut into sticks (1 green)

1/2 cup jicima, cut into sticks (1 green)

1/2 cup palm hearts, sliced into rounds (1 green)

2 tsp olive oil (2 Healthy fats)

1 tsp soy sauce (1 condiment)

1 tsp red wine vinegar (1 condiment)

In a bowl, combine the veggies, olive oil, soy sauce and vinegar. I add a small dash of dried dill (less than 1/16th tsp). Refrigerate until ready to serve. 

Using a VERY sharp knife, slice the tuna against the grain into thin slices. The picture above is ten ounces of tuna sliced super thin. 

Serve with soy sauce for dipping, or to be extra sure you're sticking with Medifast's condiment guidelines, you could drizzle 1 tsp of soy sauce on the sashimi. Again, I'm a bit lax with the soy sauce measuring for this dish.

Medifast calcs: 1 leanest, 3 green, 2 healthy fats, 3 condiments (or more, depending on how you use the soy sauce).