*** The delicious "cut-friendly" recipe thread ***

[Emma-Leigh]

Inspired by Insight, I thought I would share something I make many variations of... And today I wanted something pretty low cal.... so -->>

Spinach-Wakame-Mushroom-Shirataki-Cheese-Egg-Thing

Reheat frozen spinach in microwave. While cooking - place wakame and mushrooms in a mug and pour over boiling water. Allow to rehydrate. Rinse noodles.
Add all above together - squeezing out excess water then place above ingredients into a griddle pan on medium heat. Stir frequently so as to prevent sticking.
While that is cooking, separate eggs and whisk until firm. Fold through protein powder.
Spread egg mix over ingredients and stir lightly to coat pan.
Turn heat down and allow egg mix to firm, then flip and cover with cheese, pepper and potassium salt. Fold and allow to continue to cook through.


Using about.caloriecount.com and their recipe analysis (hence the codes)
Recipe
100g frozen spinach, cooked and drained weight [11464]
10g wakame, dry weight [104334]
10g dried mushrooms, dry weight [11268]
100g shiritaki noodle, rinsed [128705]
4 egg whites
10g pea protein (used soy on recipe analysis - much the same macro's) [16122]
30g low fat cheddar cheese [1168]


Nutrition Facts
Calories 246
Total Fat 3.6g
Total Carbohydrates 20.4g (Dietary Fiber 9.4g)
Protein 36.7g
^

If you wanted more fat/ protein then add a whole egg or two... It also goes really well with a dollop of peanut butter....

[BNR]

subbed, great info

[scotties123]

So lately I've been trying to come up with some meal ideas to get a little meal variation. I found a can of Rosarita Spicy Jalopeno Refried Beans in my closet and checked the nutrtion. Apparently it's pretty good for cutting because serving sizes are based on half a cup and very little is used to get a flavorful spread. Might be a good option for those (like me) that love spicy food.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1/2 Cup
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Amount per Serving

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Calories 100 Calories from Fat 15


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 2g 3%
Saturated Fat 0.5g 2%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 580mg 24%
Total Carbohydrate 18g 6%
Dietary Fiber 5g 20%
Sugars 1g
Protein 6g 12%

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Calcium 4%
Iron 8%

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Est. Percent of Calories from:
Fat 18.0% Carbs 72.0%
Protein 24.0%

[SicilianFool]

I just got really bored and wanted to come up with something new with my oats.

I took a little bit of splenda and dissolved and boiled it in water, to make like a simple syrup. Afterwards I soaked my oats a bit just until they could be packed into a ball. I took the syrup and mixed it into the oats and then rerolled the balls. Finally I rolled them in my protein powder. Idk if this idea was posted somewhere in here but these things are pretty awesome and 1 pretty much gets rid of any junk food craving I have.

[JIAR]

this is making me hungry lol

[patouk]

Anyone got any more good ideas.

I bought some of them noodle things yesterday, wanting to use them tonight. Anyone got any good suggestions what to have with them?

[scotties123]

Anyone got any more good ideas.

I bought some of them noodle things yesterday, wanting to use them tonight. Anyone got any good suggestions what to have with them?

Bought them today as well and gave them a try for lunch. All I can say is that it I have never felt so full from so few calories lol. I bought some celery to go with it. Here's what I did:

1 cup chicken broth (15 cals)
1 full bag Shirataki noodles (40 cals)
1 stalk celery (20 cals)
4oz chicken breast (120 cals)
Put the noodles in a pot by themselves for about 5 minutes, just to get a little cooked, then threw in the broth and celery, brought it to a boil for about 10 min, and that's it. In about 15 minutes I had a very filling meal that totaled under 200 cals and still got about 30g protein from it. I hope the soy from the noodles doesn't have too many negative effects because I'll be eating these every day lol.

I also bought some low cal Ragu pasta sauce (~15 cals/half cup) and low fat shredded Mozarella cheese (15 cals/half cup) to make a spiggetti type of dish when I want to mix things up a bit. That should total about 300 cals with 6oz chicken.

[jcosley]

This has been put on here but I have modified the protein pancake a few ways.

Blueberry Protein pancake (with blueberries):
2 scoops vanilla whey
1/2 cup egg whites
splenda to taste
Blueberries (1/2 cup)

Whisk ingredients and then add to a pan that has been sprayed with PAM. Put blueberries on top....cook and flip (shut the burner off when you flip) I use Walden Farms Zero cal/carb pancake syrup or Smuckers Sugar Free syrup.

Blueberry Protein pancake (withOUT actual blueberries):
2 scoops vanilla whey
1/2 cup egg whites
3-4 tsp Walden Farm Blueberry pancake syrup
splenda to taste

Fiber Protein Pancake:
2 scoops vanilla whey
2 tsp flax meal
1-2 tsp psyillium husk
1/2 cup - 3/4 cup egg whites
splenda to taste

These pancakes are all low in carbs, so if you want extra carbs with these, I suggest adding: OATS, Wheat Germ, etc....to them.

[Emma-Leigh]

Protein Powder Cookie
Ingredients
1/2 scoop whey protein powder
1/2 tsp approx. of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray
1 splenda packet
splash or two of water
pumpkin pie spice (optional)

Directions
- Mix protein powder, butter spray, splenda, and water in a bowl with a fork until it forms a ball (You might have to work at it for awhile or adjust how much of each ingredient you use).
- Microwave for 25-45 seconds until it puffs up and cooks like a cookie.
- Sprinkle with pumpkin pie spice if desired.

Nutrition
Depends on whey - roughly:
Calories 65
Total Fat 1.0-1.5g
Total Carbohydrates 2.5-3g
Protein 10.5-12.5g

[thrashertm]

Here are my favorite cutting recipes, which I eat daily on the way to a 16000-1700 calorie diet (100 calories mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks)

Sweet potato pancakes - these are so filling I can usually skip my morning snack.
1/2 cup oatmeal (regular old fashioned, not instant)
1/3 cup egg beaters
2 tbsp cottage cheese (1% or less)
1/2 of a medium sweet potato, or 1/3 of a large (already baked, peel on)
1 scoop of vanilla protein powder
1/2 cup of water or so, until batter become smooth
1 tbsp nutmeg and 1 tbsp cinnamon
blend it up and fry with no calorie olive oil spray. I put 1/2 cup of blueberries on it, and Walden Farms pancake syrup

Without the blueberries, it's 459 calories with 50g of protein. This is extremely filling, and I'm not sure you'll be able to eat the whole serving.

Quick breakfast oatmeal
1/2 cup regular oatmeal (microwave w/ 1 cup water for about 2 min)
1 tbsp natural peanut butter
1 scoop chocolate protein powder (could probably sub vanilla and then add some cinnamon)
1 tbsp cocoa powder (10 calories)
1 serving of instant non sugar pistachio or chocolate pudding
406 calories with 33g of protein with the cocoa and pudding.

Alternate approach: on the oatmeal breakfast - Same ingredients, but instead don't cook the oatmeal. Instead, mix the other ingredients into a nice smooth goo. I use thick oats for extra chewy.

Ultimate cottage cheese snack -
1/2 cup 1% or fat free cottage cheese
1 serving of Jell-o instant pudding - I like Pistachio, Vanilla, and Butterscotch for this. Chocolate is nasty for this.
1 packet of Equal sweetener
(optional: 1 tbsp of natty peanut butter)
(optional: cinnamon)
mix in water until you reach the desired consistency
209 calories with the pb.
You can also make this with greek yogurt and lemon or banana pudding, leave out the PB, and add in a 1/2 cup of blueberries or raspberries!

Desert Snack
Mix 2 tbsp raw cocoa powder Herschey's Special Dark is the best (20 calories) with 2 packets of Splenda or Equal, mix with and 1.5 tbsp of water. Mix thoroughly and eat with a spoon. It's rich, so I eat it very slowly in tiny bites. If you don't add too much water, the consistency will be like frosting.

For Middle Eastern salad dressing (Google fattoush salad) This is under 400 calories usually.
mix 1 part lemon juice (I get it from the bottle) and 2 parts water, with sumac powder. Sprinkle some sumac powder on the salad too. Sumac powder is $4 a pound, and can be had from any good middle eastern grocer or online. Calories for this are very minimal.

Another option - mix 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar with 1 packet of Equal sweetener (can usually be picked up free from restaurants) with 1 teaspoon of dijon mustard. I normally will put this on mixed greens, some red onion, green/red pepper, and chicken breast. For a bonus, add fruit like strawberries, blueberries, raspberries. I normally eat 1/4 of a large sweet potato and splash some dressing on this as well. This is <500 calories.

[Wendal]

Thank you so much for this thread!

[KyleSlim]

I'm going to have to try that banana ice cream thing lol

You speak just like my ex-professor at my university hehe!! so formal!

I have used few recipes from an amazing site, which I will post in so that everyone can check it out.

These are few I have tried

Frozen Banana Protein Ice Cream

Ingredients

* 1 frozen banana, cut into pieces before freezing
* 2 tbsp skim milk (or your favorite milk substitute)
* ½ scoop (16 g) vanilla whey protein powder

Directions

Add all ingredients to your food processor and blend until smooth and whipped-looking. Using a spatula, scrape “ice cream” into serving bowl. Enjoy!

Tip: If the banana gets mashed and stuck on the bottom of the container so the blades can’t get to it, just add a little more milk to get it moving.
Nutritional Info

Makes 1 serving

Calories: 181
Fat: 1 g
Carbs: 31 g
Protein: 14 g
--------------------------------------------------------------------

[robbie_vlad]

Here' something I made tonight that I use as a morning meal or a snack any other time throughout the day:

1 cup of Fat-Free Yogurt (vanilla is my favorite)
1/3 cup of raw oats
1 diced banana

Mix all three and enjoy.

300 calories
20g protein

[Rescueme23]

Great thread, In for later

[telxos]

4oz chicken breast, cut thin
1/2 cup uncooked brown rice, cooked
garlic
ginger
couple slices of white onion
olive oil
soy sauce
splenda or whatever

tbsp of olive oil in the pan with the heat on, add garlic, add ginger(or ginger powder) stir it around for maybe 10 seconds to infuse the spices in the oil, i throw in red chili powder too because I like stuff very hot. Add the chicken and fry it until done, add onions and cook them a bit..add the cooked rice, throw in some soy sauce, throw in maybe 2 packets of splenda..turn the heat on as high as the stove will go and keep stirring so nothing burns. Stir until the rice starts to clump up a bit.

Taste pretty much like chicken fried rice from a Chinese restaurant but basically like eating bland 4oz chicken breast and brown rice with a tbsp of olive oil.

[mcarthur33]

First off, this thread is awesome. Subbed.

Secondly, went out and got Shirataki noodles tonight. I made a package w/1.75 servings of Classico spaghetti sauce and a couple of pieces of 45 cal wheat bread (w/garlic bread powder & I can't believe it's not butter spray). I loved it because I'm full. Girlfriend hated it because the texture was not that great. It was just too chewy (for both of us). I'll continue to eat it, but I'm pretty sure she's out. If you guys have any tips on how to change the texture, let me know. Would it help if the noodles were boiled for a while?

Anyway,

Shirataki Noodle Spaghetti & Garlic Bread

1 pkg Shirataki Spaghetti Noodles (40 Cal)
1 serving (2 pieces) Sara Lee Delightful 45 Calorie Wheat Bread (90 Cal)
1.25 servings (1/4 Jar) Classico Spaghetti Sauce (62.5 Cal)

Total Calories = 192.5 Calories (And I'm Full)
Totals : Fat : 3.3g / 29.3 cals (17.5%), Carbs : 24g / 96 cals (57.4%), Protein : 10.5g / 42 cals (25.1%)

[nayr85]

During my last show prep I mixed Oatmeal, Cinnamon, Splenda Packet, and Egg Whites.

-Start out by putting a 1/4 cup dry oats with water in the microwave for about a minute.
-Next mix about 1 and a half tablespoons of cinnamon and a splenda packet.
-Then mix about 3/4 cup of egg whites
-Throw back in the microwave for another minute.
-Let sit for 5 minutes and enjoy.

** It is supposed to solidify a little bit kind of making it into a spongy oatmeal-- delicious it was kind of my crutch for those 12 long weeks ha

[Insight]

First off, this thread is awesome. Subbed.

Secondly, went out and got Shirataki noodles tonight. I made a package w/1.75 servings of Classico spaghetti sauce and a couple of pieces of 45 cal wheat bread (w/garlic bread powder & I can't believe it's not butter spray). I loved it because I'm full. Girlfriend hated it because the texture was not that great. It was just too chewy (for both of us). I'll continue to eat it, but I'm pretty sure she's out. If you guys have any tips on how to change the texture, let me know. Would it help if the noodles were boiled for a while?

Well, if I were you I'd go with the tofu shirataki noodles instead -- they were invented to make the texture more palatable. They're still extremely low cal and are like 40 cals for the whole bag. Big deal.

I do usually boil them first and I think it does help.

[jimhightower]

Good ground beef/turkey/chicken can be used for anything: tacos, burritos, etc.

Based on preference of spice, but get a package of lean ground meat and add
small amount of chili powder, garlic powder, salt, onion powder, pepper, a bit of pepper/garlic paste or sriracha. Sautee with onions and mushrooms and also add some GREEN CHILI could be canned, this makes a huge difference and adds some great taste

[primestacks]

Tilapia w/ mixed veggies and rice. I'm not a chef by any means but I enjoy this a lot...

1 filet of tilapia spiced up with either lemon pepper or seafood rub.
1/2 cup brown rice cooked in chicken broth.
1cup frozen of frozen mixed veggies

I like to steam the veggies then throw them in with the rice. The chicken broth gives them a great taste.

[primestacks]

Egg and cheese quesadilla. Simple but delicious.

1 whole wheat tortilla
2 eggs
1/2 jalapeno
handfull of Sargento low fat mexican 4 cheese
salsa

Dice up the jalapeno and mix it in a bowl with 2 eggs. Cook the egg/jalapeno mix then put it on the tortilla. Add cheese. Fold in half and put in conventional oven on toast to melt the cheease and get the tortilla nice and crispy. Dip in salsa and eat!! mmmmm....

[mcarthur33]

Well, if I were you I'd go with the tofu shirataki noodles instead -- they were invented to make the texture more palatable. They're still extremely low cal and are like 40 cals for the whole bag. Big deal.

I do usually boil them first and I think it does help.

That's what I got. I didn't think there was any other type of Shirataki noodle. I didn't see anything that didn't say Tofu on it, at least. Anyway, I think I'll try boiling them.

[jcosley]

Spicy HOT Chili

Ingredients
1lb of Ground Turkey
1 Packet Chili Mix
1 Can Chili Beans
1 Can of Red Kidney Beans
1 Can of black beans
3 Can of Sliced Stewed Tomatoes
1 Small can of Tomato Paste
3-4 Jalapenos
¼ Onion

Prep
Dice jalapenos, onion.

Cook
Cook ground turkey in large pot in pan….add Cayenne pepper and chili flakes. After turkey is cooked enough mix in everything else into a crockpot. Add a pinch of salt and pepper for flavor. Let cook in crockpot until it is hot enough.

[jcosley]

Ok so I just made this recipe today and plan on trying it tonight....

NO BAKE COOKIES

Ingredients:
* 1 3/4 cups Splenda
* 1/2 cup skim milk
* 1/2 cup butter (or olive oil)
* 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (or chocolate whey protein)
* 1/2 cup crunchy natural peanut butter
* 3 cups quick-cooking oats
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
1. In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, milk, butter, and cocoa. Bring to a boil, and cook for 1 1/2 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in peanut butter, oats, and vanilla. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto wax paper. Let cool until hardened.

[hey420]

Hi everyone. I'm new here and I love food (that could explain my pear like shape lol).

I found this recipe online a few days ago and I made it for dinner on Friday movie night and it was amazing. Here it is.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons reduced-fat plain yogurt
1 1/2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce (if you like spicyness add more!)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 garlic clove, minced
1 pound lean ground turkey (get the leanest you can find...a bit more expensive but since it has lower calories/gram you can have MORE MEAT!!!)
4 Kaiser rolls, split (also, look around for low cal ones.)
Romaine lettuce (any type of lettuce will do)
Tomatoes

Directions:

1) In a large bowl, combine the onion, yogurt, hot pepper sauce, salt and garlic. Crumble turkey over mixture; mix well.

2) Shape into four patties, each about 3/4 in. thick. Grill, covered, over medium-hot heat for 6-8 minutes on each side or until no longer pink. Serve on rolls with lettuce and tomato.


Tips----
1) Before you start to make the turkeys into patties, rub a small amount of oil on your hands so the meat won't stick to your hands.

2) When the burgers are cooking, cover them so the burgers will come out nice and moist.

3) If you don't have a grill, putting them in a pan will work fine. Just make sure to use enough olive oil.

And here is the best part...the nutritional facts!

One serving equals 357 calories, 12 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 90 mg cholesterol, 766 mg sodium, 34 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 27 g protein.

I know...a bit high on the sodium but that's something I will live with for having a really good freaking burger!

Hope you all enjoy!

[mrpacijr]

I'm glad to see everyone is getting hip to the Shirataki Noodles I suggested. I still eat them on the regular, only thing I added differently lately is the chicken seasoning and a little bit of butter which doesn't change the calorie amount much at all but it does change the taste for the better. Of course you could always add garlic seasoning to them as well. And just in case you can't find them at your local store, many Asian Grocers usually carry them. And of course you can always order online...just google it.

[Il_Dago]

Tried making spaghetti with the shirataki noodles. Totally not ready to share with the rest of the class. Needs a lot of work. Main problems: My sauce needed to be thicker and the noodles needed to be rinsed more thouroughly to prevent sticking (maybe add some olive oil?). Will get back in the lab/kitchen this weekend.

[skateme]

Tried making spaghetti with the shirataki noodles. Totally not ready to share with the rest of the class. Needs a lot of work. Main problems: My sauce needed to be thicker and the noodles needed to be rinsed more thouroughly to prevent sticking (maybe add some olive oil?). Will get back in the lab/kitchen this weekend.

I've made spaghetti with them before and it turned out fabulous! I just rinsed the noodles in a colander for a minute or so using hot water. Then I squeezed the water out of them with paper towels (be prepared to use a lot) and then sprayed cal-free cooking spray (Pam but the HIGH HEAT!! one) into a pan and "dry roasted" the noodles for about 10 min. I'd shake and flip the noodles until I could hear squeaky noises. Once that was done, I used kitchen scissors to cut the long noodles into shorter more manageable strands (not too short though). At that point, I added the tomato sauce, garlic powder, etc until thoroughly heated and mixed. Finally, add the cheese. Mix/toss for 10-20 seconds.

packet noodles = 0 cals (although some links say its about 7 or so)
1 cup tomato sauce = 60 cals
1 tbsp garlic powder = 30 cals
1 egg (for protein) or 2 egg whites = 70 cals
0.5 cup - 1 cup cheese (I've used both 2% and fat-free. 2% definitely tastes better) = 90-300 cals
_____________________
250 - 460 cals

Absolutely awesome! I recommend fat-free cheese if you desperately want to cut cals.

P.S. you can thicken the sauce by either adding xanthan gum (not recommended) or using those stewed/crushed tomatoes. They are not as liquidy as straight up tomato sauce.

[Il_Dago]

I've made spaghetti with them before and it turned out fabulous! I just rinsed the noodles in a colander for a minute or so using hot water. Then I squeezed the water out of them with paper towels (be prepared to use a lot) and then sprayed cal-free cooking spray (Pam but the HIGH HEAT!! one) into a pan and "dry roasted" the noodles for about 10 min. I'd shake and flip the noodles until I could hear squeaky noises. Once that was done, I used kitchen scissors to cut the long noodles into shorter more manageable strands (not too short though). At that point, I added the tomato sauce, garlic powder, etc until thoroughly heated and mixed. Finally, add the cheese. Mix/toss for 10-20 seconds.

packet noodles = 0 cals (although some links say its about 7 or so)
1 cup tomato sauce = 60 cals
1 tbsp garlic powder = 30 cals
1 egg (for protein) or 2 egg whites = 70 cals
0.5 cup - 1 cup cheese (I've used both 2% and fat-free. 2% definitely tastes better) = 90-300 cals
_____________________
250 - 460 cals

Absolutely awesome! I recommend fat-free cheese if you desperately want to cut cals.

P.S. you can thicken the sauce by either adding xanthan gum (not recommended) or using those stewed/crushed tomatoes. They are not as liquidy as straight up tomato sauce.

Wished I'd read this before dinner. Could have tried that stuff. Regardless, I made my second attempt and this time it was much better. I used the wide fettuccine noodles this time with much better effect. Instead of sliced chicken, I used ground turkey and made a meat sauce. The thicker sauce helped a LOT!

I didn't count calories, since I'm just labbing here, but here's what I did:

1lb ground turkey, seasoned with garlic powder, onion powder and "tuscan blend" seasoning, browned in pan.

Generic jar of roasted herb pasta sauce. Seasoned with garlic, oregano, parmesan and a splash of Merlot.

Browned meat, sauce and seasonings go into pot to simmer while I take care of the noodles. Last time I just drained them, but this time I put them in a small pot of salted water and stirred them to separate until the water started boiling. Helped the chewiness a lot.

Noodles into bowl, a few pumps of spray butter to keep them from clumping, meat sauce over the top, fresh grated parmesan cheese over the bowl, stir it up and serve it up.

Much, much, much better than first attempt. I'll nail it soon. I'm leaving half the sauce in the fridge overnight to see if that will thicken it up enough for this purpose. I feel really good about it!

I guarantee that this is the Italian in me. I can't stand my pasta not being absolutely excellent!

[pbfanatic321]

Where do you guys buy your shirataki noodles? I checked Kroger and Meijers but none of them had it. I checked in the asian international section.