Cuban Braised Beef Recipe

Cuban Braised Beef

My husband and I planned for a picnic at the park last night.  He wanted to practice some disc golf and I just like taking the kids to the park in the afternoon.  It tires them out enough so that they will sleep faster at night.

The problem was that I had also had to clean up the house and get everythig ready for the week.  So what's perfect for this kind of evening?  A meal that you "set and forget" -- not literally of course.

You basically put all the ingredients into a large sauce pan and let it cook for 2 hours.  Easy right?

I came across this recipe in one of my favorite magazines yesterday and I thought I'd give it a whirl.  The recipe calls for Flank Steak -- a lean but juicy cut.  It also called for some mangoes to top off the dish but that's off limits to us so I'm going to skip it.  For those of you in the Transition or Maintenance Mode, try it with mangoes. 

I served this over a bed of cauliflower "fried rice".  This dish is about 228 calories per serving. 

Medifast Lean and Green Recipe:  Cuban Braised Beef
Adapted from Real Simple July 2010

• 1 28-oz can diced tomatoes
• 1-1/2 lb flank steak (cut in half)
• 1/2 medium onion cut into wedges (we are allowed 1 thin slice of onion for our diet so try to only use 4 thin slices for this 4 servings recipe)
• 1-1/2 tsp Chili Powder
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup cilantro leaves

In a large sauce pan, combine flank steak, onion, chili powder.  Season with salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil.

Once boiling, lower heat and simmer for about 2 hours.

Shred and top with cilantro leaves.  If preferred, use Cauliflower "Fried Rice".

Chicken Wraps

Medifast Lean and Green:  Chicken Wraps

Once in awhile, I get a hankering for Chinese foods.  Unfortunately most of them are best eaten with rice or noodles.  While eating at PF Chang's last night, I was inspired to cook lettuce wraps -- my version of it.  I didn't try it with ground meat.  Instead, I made it with chicken breasts.

The result was quite tasty.  If you like ginger, I would advice adding a thin slice along with cooking the onions.  I skipped it because my husband and my kids don't like ginger and I can't eat all of this by myself.

Serves 4

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts thinly sliced
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
4 thin slices of onion
1 large red bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
3 tbsp soy sauce (lite/low sodium)
3 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp water
12 to 16 Lettuce leaves (about 2 heads)

Medifast Recipe:  Chicken Wraps

1. Season chicken with salt & pepper. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tbsp of oil over high heat then add chicken; cook, stirring constantly, until cooked throughout. Transfer to a plate.
2. Add remaining tbsp of oil to pan.  Add onion and bell pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until onion is tender and golden, about 4 minutes (reduce heat if browning too quickly).
3. Reduce heat to medium; add garlic and red-pepper flakes about 1 minute.
4. Stir in soy sauce, vinegar, and water; remove from heat. Add chicken and any accumulated juices; toss to coat. Serve in lettuce.

September Raffle #2: Medifast Brownies and French Vanilla Shake

Shake and Brownies ... how can you resist?  The second raffle will be for the followers of this this recipe journal.  To enter, simply follow by clicking on the this link on the left hand side of the website:

If you are already following, you will automatically be entered.

September Raffle #1

That's right!  There are two raffles this month.  Thank you for following my blog and Facebook page.

 

I will be giving away 2 boxes of Starbucks VIA(10 16-oz packets total).  I'm on maintenance mode now and I've replaced my Medifast Capuccino for breakfast with 8oz Starbuck VIA (50 calories).  Simply comment on ANY SEPTEMBER POST (including this one) on this website for a chance to win.

Details on the 2nd raffle will be posted shortly.

Also, don't post anonymously or I wouldn't be able to contact you if you win

Pork Chops with Green Beans and Peppers

Medifast Lean and Green:  Pork

Serves 4

• 4 bone-in pork chops (5 oz each)
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 cup green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths
• 1/2 cup scallions, whites thinly sliced and green parts cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 jalapeno (optional), thinly slice
• 2 cups roasted yellow or red peppers

Medifast Lean and Green Recipe:  Pork Chops with Green Beans

1. Preheat oven to broil.
2. Roast pepper for about 15 minutes and set aside to cool.
3. Cut peppers into 1 inch squares.
4. Heat a large skillet over high. Season pork chops on both sides with salt and pepper. 
5. Add 1 tablespoon oil to skillet and swirl to coat. Add chops and cook until golden brown, about 4 minutes per side, flipping once. Transfer chops to a serving platter, cover loosely with foil, and let rest 5 minutes.
6. Wipe skillet clean and heat over medium-high. Add 2 tablespoons oil, green beans and scallion whites.  Cook, stirring occasionally, scallions are soft and green beans are crisp-tender, 3 minutes. 
7. Season with salt and pepper. Add jalapeno (if using) and scallion greens and cook, stirring frequently, 1 minute. 
8. Add peppers and cook until warmed through.
9. Serve pork chopse which vegetables on top. 

Do-It-Yourself Medifast

All diets have one thing in common.  From Medifast to Nutrisystem to even the silliest banana diet.  It's simple really.  Eat less.  The less calories, the more weight loss.

The great thing about Medifast is that you know you are still getting your daily nutritional requirements so it saves you research time and effort.  However, I've been seeing a lot of posts lately about people having to stop their Medifast diets due to the economy and job loss.  It's always so sad to me because I'm on the verge of doing that myself.  I suppose one can come up with Medifast subsitutes or Medifast alternatives by simply following the rules.

So, in an effort to help people with their weight loss,  I plan to add a section on my blog for "Do-It-Yourself Medifast" by counting the calories and nutritional information.  It will not be Medifast approved so use your own discretion.  If you have any to contribute, please do so. 

The first step is to share with you the site I use to look at nutritional information based on ingredients:
http://caloriecount.about.com/cc/recipe_analysis.php?process=resubmit&count=67

To those interested, please either subscribe to my RSS feeds or Follow me on google as I will not be posting these recipes on my Facebook page. 

Let's help each other stay healthy and lose weight!

Different Ways of Ordering Medifast

So, I've found out there is more than one way to order from Medifast.  I'm a V.I.P. member right now which means I get 2 weeks free for the first two months and 5% discount every month after that. 

Now, I'm finding out more about Take Shape for Life and BeSlim.  Both of which I believe offers 5% discount.  Take Shape For Life also has a FREE health coach.  I'm not sure about BeSlim. 

I'm not sure yet what the merits are to having a health coach FREE or not.  What I'm really interested in is finding out what discount TSFL and BeSlim offers.

Chicken with Spinach and Tomatoes

Chicken with Tomatoes, Spinach and Capers

Medifast Lean and Green Recipe
Serves 2

7 oz diced tomatoes in juice, drained
1/4 cup tbsp fresh parsley (1 tbsp if dry)
1 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 tablespoon jarred capers, drained
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (6 to 8 ounces each)
1 cup fresh spinach

1. In a bowl, stir together tomatoes, parsley, 1 tablespoon oil, lemon juice, and capers. Sprinkle with some salt and pepper if desired.
2. Split chicken breasts in half horizontally. Cover with plastic wrap and pound lightly with a meat mallet.  If you don't have a meat mallet, use the bottom of the pan.  The goal is to flatten chicken so it would cook evenly
3. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Cook chicken about 1-3 minutes per side making sure that it's cooked.  Remove from skillet and set aside.
4. Add spinach to the now empty skillet and; season with salt and pepper. Cook and stir until heated through (stopping when leaves just about wilted). 
5. Top chicken with tomato mixture and serve with spinach.

Goal Met!!! Thank you Medifast!

I have finally met goal today!  I am moving to transition mode.  Because of this, I have decided to also change domain names to expand my recipes.  I will keep in mind that the bulk of my readers will be Medifasters and most recipes will still try to meet the guidelines.  However, I want to expand it to people who are also trying to lose weight but not in Medifast.

This is a lifestyle change for me.  I want to come up with more recipes that will help me maintain my health and my weight.

Beef Steak Salad

Medifast Lean and Green Recipe

Most of you probably have a favorite bed of greens topped with some lean meat.  Here is a recipe you might want to add to your list. 

Medifast Lean and Green Recipe

Serves 2

1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp ground cumin
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1/2 lb flank steak
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes sliced in half
1 tsp Newman's Own Olive Oil and Vinegar
1-2 cups arugula
Medifast Recipe

1. Combine chili powder, oregano, cumin, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Rub mixture evenly over flank steak
2. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add steak; cook until browned on one side, 5 to 8 minutes. Turn; cook until browned on other side, 5 to 8 minutes for medium-rare.  Remove steak from skillet; let rest approximately five minutes before thinly slicing.  Important to slice flank steak thinly.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together salsa and Newman's Own Olive Oil and Vinegar; season with salt and pepper.
4. Add arugula; toss to coat with dressing.
5. Serve with steak on top.

Chocolate Chip Muffin

Everywhere I read about Medifast recipes these days, there's talk of Chocolate Chip Muffins and how great they are.  So when I got my first shipment of chocolate chip pancakes, I immediately got to work.

Now, I haven't actually used it to make pancakes as it has just been one experiment after the other with the muffins.

The picture on the left is my first attempt. It was also my
first taste.

I don't agree that this Medifast meal tastes good. It's terrible. It does not taste like pancake. Once I got to the chocolate, it got better, I have to admit. But that's just the chocolate. The actual pancake tastes like paper.  This might be better suited as a substitute for bread ... a sandwich maybe ... just a thought...

Here are the instructions for the Chocolate Chip Muffin:  Spray ramekin with butter, mix pancake with recommended amt of water (do not overmix) and pour on ramekin.  Microwave for 90 seconds

When taken out of the ramekin, I noticed the chocolate
chips settled on the bottom.

The chocolate chip was the best part.  Otherwise, this was a complete disaster.

Next I tried to make one on the toaster oven.  Using the same instructions, I baked it at 350 degrees this time for 20 minutes.  This is what happened:

The right one is baked.  The left is microwaved.

Both still got eaten (hey, I don't like wasting food) but neither was satisfying.  Both were tolerable but not as delicious as everybody seems to be raving about.

I decided that I might have overmixed the first one because I used a whisk.  So I decided to try again.  

The one in front is the "not overmixed" muffin.  
It's sitting beside the other two to show how well it
rose.

While the texture was now better, there's still not much to be said about the taste;

Day 2.  More experiments.

This time I had to think more about my muffin.  What makes muffins rise?  What would stop my chocolate chips from sinking to the bottom?  

I decided to use some other condiments to help my muffins.  I used not 1 but TWO bags.  Now, I also used half an egg but if this wasn't an experiment, I would have used the whole egg and used FOUR bags. 

Here it is, the fluffy and soft muffins.  Finally!

Feast your eyes on this!

In the end, I suggest using the ramekins.  It ended up being soft and delicious (the sugar helped but I might switch to honey if it's allowed).  There will be more experiments.  I'll try not to put baking powder next time and try to get the crumbly, flaky texture that I love. 

Here is the recipe:

2 bags of Medifast Chocolate Chip Pancakes

2 bags of Sweet Leaf (or Splenda)

1/8 tsp baking powder

1/4 cup milk

1/2 egg (probably best if you use egg beaters)

Preheat toaster 400 degrees.

Mix dry ingredients well.

Add milk and egg

Mix but do not overmix.  If there are clumps, it's okay.

Pour into pans and bake for 15-20 minutes.

I'll keep you posted on other experiments.

Mobile Calorie Tracker

I always find myself wishing there is an iPhone app out for my Medifast journal out there.  Like you, I've seen the poll on the mymedifast.com site asking which Mobile Device I own.  Everytime I see it, I can't help but wish there was one.  It would be really helpful if I can add up my calories while I'm in a restaurant or at a family event or just any get-together.

So, I started researching available options for me out there.

I've looked at a few but the first that has caught my eye is a FREE mobile app called CalorieCounter.  I stress the word FREE because I like free stuff.  Dont you?

They make it so easy that you can text a food name and it'll come back with nutritional information for you.  I think it's the Medifast log "and then some!"  I'm going to give it a try for a few weeks and let you know how it goes.
In the meantime, care to share what you use for your "on-the-go" diet journal?

RBFC9TQ3FDT4

New Medifast Coupon

WDSUM50 gives you $50.00 off purchase of $250.00. Expires 8/31/10.  

This one only requires $250 purchase as opposed to the $275 that AUG31G requires.

Click here to get to the official site. Don't forget to type WDSUM50 when asked for a coupon code at checkout

Zucchini Ribbons (Yet Another Pasta Substitute)

Zucchini Ribbons
(a pasta substitute?)

I love Farmers' Markets.  The vegetables and fruits are delicious.  I love the colors of food..  I love the people just coasting by.  As I was skipping down the street at the Farmer's Market this afternoon (okay, not skipping, probably just walking), a table full of zucchinis caught my eye.  I was reminded of the pasta substitute I've been reading on the boards lately.  So I decided to buy some.

When I got home, I was disappointed to find that two of the zucchinis I brought home were not good so it's probably best to talk first about how to pick the best zucchini.  First of all, bigger is not always better.  Pick a zucchini that is bright green in color, firm and wrinkle-free.  Once you have that down, you can't go wrong.  You can eat it raw and it will still be delicious.

Like I said before, I stole borrowed this recipe from a Medifast Official Site discussion board post.  So, if you want to see the original, just search for Zucchini Ribbons in the discussion boards.  I can't give you a link because you need to be logged in to see it.

Medifast Lean and Green Recipe

4 medium sized zucchini or however many to peel 1 cup full (peeled)
1/4 cup chicken broth

1 wedge Laughing Cow Cheese (or 2 tbsp Cream Cheese)
salt and pepper to taste

1. Create ribbons by running a peeler from end to end of zucchini.  Keep peeling until you see the seeds.  Do not include seeds.
2. In a medium-high skillet, pour the chicken broth and boil.
3. Once boiling (once hot), add the zucchini ribbons.  Allow to cook until soft.  About 3 minutes
4. Add cheese and mix until melted into the zucchini
5. Season with salt and pepper
6. Serve.

Zucchini Ribbons topped with tomato and MorningStar Farms Sausage Patties

Nutrition Facts do not include MorningStar Farms
Sausage which is 160 calories

Don't go thirsty, my friend!

Weighed myself this morning and I'm happy to report that I'm back to my weight before the boat incident.  The 2.2 lbs must've been water retention because I was drinking like crazy yesterday.  So, medifast tip:  Aways drink your 8 glasses a day!

Baked Eggs with Spinach

Baked Eggs and Spinach

This weekend was my wonderful husband's birthday.  To celebrate, I ordered some picnic food and and rented a boat down at Newport Beach.  We invited his parents and siblings and their children.  I prepared quite a lot of food.  I brought some Vietnamese Spring Rolls, Egg rolls, Bahn Mi (Vietnamese Sandwiches), Noodles with seafood, some snacks for the kids and fruits.  Yep!  Silly me.  I brought non-Medifast-Friendly foods.  To add insult to the injury, I was so busy that morning, I forgot to pack myself food.  Oh and did I mention, I brought chocolate cupcakes as well?

We got on the boat with only 100 calories of cappuccino in me that morning and it was already 12 noon.  I was hungry. You know where this is going, right?  My best efforts at trying to to pick the shrimps and pork off the spring rolls were in vain.  I finally succumbed to the temptation and ate two egg rolls.  Wait.  It didn't end there.  I also had myself some watermelon and noodles.  Oh, the shame!  It was my first non-OP day since I started this program so I figured it'll be okay.  I'm 2.5 lbs away from goal so I thought it would be okay.  I'll just skip some of the Medifast meals.  I thought it would be okay.

For dinner, we had so much left over that I decided to take all the meat out of the food and make myself another small Lean and Green.  I hate to see food go to waste.  I thought it would be okay.

The next day, I weighed myself and I gained 2.2 lbs! What?!?! Really?  Now, I'm racking my brain trying to figure this out.  I didn't eat much, I thought.  Is it the lack of water?  Is it the lack of vegetables?  Is it the two diet cokes?  Is the sugar in the watermelon?  What happened????  My first infraction and I paid dearly since it took me 10 days to lose those 2.2 lbs.

Long story aside, this morning, I wanted to eat my Lean and Green for breakfast so I would have the whole day to burn it.  I prepared myself a classic French breakfast of baked eggs with spinach.  I would recommend possibly adding some tomatoes for an extra serving of vegetable but that's your call.  I didn't add it because I always like eating my tomato serving with my soup which I planned to eat this afternoon.

When you make this, don't be fooled by the orange color of the egg, it's actually well cooked.  If you're in doubt, poke it with a fork to see if your eggs run.

Medifast Lean and Green Recipe
PAM Cooking Spray
2 cups Spinach1 tsp Unsalted butter
2 eggs
1/2 tsp kosher salt or sea salt
1/8 tsp ground pepper2 tsp half and half

Serves 2

1. Boil water  over high heat.  Drop in spinach until it's bright green.  About 2 minutes. Drain and immediately rinse under cold water to stop cooking. 
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (use toaster oven if available)
3. Spray ramekins with PAM Cooking Spray
4. Fix a bed of spinach on the ramekins.  Add 1 tsp of unsalted butter.
5. Add 2 eggs on top.
6. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
7. Sprinkle Add 2 tsp of half and half
8. Bake for approximately 15 - 20 minutes.

Calorie Burn Essentials

I have to say.  This stuff really works.  I was stalled for 10 days and I drank this and my weight moved down almost 2 lbs.  Initially, I figured it was just because it was about time for my weight to go down.

So I use this everytime I stall for a prolonged period of time.  It's worked five time so far so I'm ruling out "coincidence".  I tried drinking Yogi Green Tea Blueberry Slim Life as well to test if it's the caffeine that helped.  I only drank 1 cup a day which I'm not sure is a sufficient test but it didn't make a difference whenever I stalled.

So anyway, I highly recommend it.  If you want to try one but is not due for your next order from Medifast, try to go to ebay.  I purchased a box for less than $8 with shipping.

This also tastes good.  It might be too sweet for me but I seriously don't mind it.

The image above is a property of medifast1.com

Yogi Green Tea Blueberry Slim Life - No No No

This tea has great taste but did nothing for me.  It did curb my appetite but I would sometimes end up not eating for 5 hours because I just wasn't hungry.  This is bad because when you get hungry, your body will store fat to defend itself.  So, I'm going with the Momentum Green Tea Infuser which I would recommend more.

Chocolate Mint Shake

This is an easy one that most of you have probably already tried but here are my preferred measurements.
 
1 packet Medifast Dutch Chocolate shake

1/2 tsp mint extract

1/2 cup cold water

1/2 cup ice

Pour ingredients in blender and mix!

Chicken Pinwheels

Chicken Pinwheels (or rolls -- I couldn't decide)

The recipe is for one serving but I actually cooked 4 of these for the whole family.  I called it pinwheels because I have kids -- kids like pinwheels. 

Make sure everything is cut thinly to make it easier to roll.  You'll need a sharp knife to cut the tomatoes cleanly .  As far as asparagus, I used 4 spears but the grocery sold this really thin asparagus so if you fee, you need less because you have the thicker kind, please use less.


You actually still have 1 more condiment left so drizzling it with more parmesan cheese halfway to baking it, is acceptable.  I chose to skip it and opted for a Laughing Cow Cheese.

Medifast Lean and Green Recipe
1/2 tbsp Olive Oil
1/4 tsp garlic, minced
6 oz Boneless Chicken Breast
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp Parmesan Cheese
1/2 tomato, cut in VERY thin slices.
4 asparagus spears

1. Preheat oven 375 degrees.
2. Cut the chicken across in half so you have a thinner chicken.  Put it between two saran wraps and pound it until you have less than half an inch and flat chicken.  Remember that you will be rolling it so make sure the chicken is not too thick.
3. Heat oil in medium-high heat.  Add garlic.
4. Season chicken with salt and pepper and place on skillet to cook for about 2 minutes.  Just enough to lightly brown it.  Cook one side only.
5. Remove from skillet and spread parmesan cheese on top on the uncooked side.
6. Spread tomatoes and asparagus evenly.  Roll and place in baking pan.
7. Bake for about 12 minutes (or chicken is 170 degrees)
8. (optional) Cut crosswise to make pinwheels.

This is how it looks on the baking pan.  Just keep them
packed so they don't unroll.  

Is that a wedge of Laughing Cow cheese I see?  Why yes!
Tip:  Laughing Cow is so yummy inside the chicken.  Try
it if you're okay with the calories.

Morning Star Sausage Patties

I decided to try the MorningStar Sausage Patties that I hear so much about.  I decided 2 patties are enough for one meal tonight.  That would be 160 calories with 6g of carbohydrates.

What beautiful packaging!  I was immediately caught by the delicious looking patties with promises of tasting just like its meat counterpart without all the fat that sausage brings (although, I must admit that I used to think that the fat and sodium was what made sausages good)

Opening it, I was already disappointed.  They were packaged in twos and they looked like cardboard.  They looked nothing like the scrumptious sausage that tickled my fancy.

Regardless, I don't like wasting food and thus, a decision has been made that this will be consumed tonight!

I was in a hurry so I whipped myself a small plate of arugula, spinach, cucumbers and tomatoes to eat with my microwaved sausage patties. 

I have to say.  It wasn't half bad.  It didn't have the texture of sausage.  In fact, it didn't even have the taste you would expect.  But if you let go of your expectations, it's not bad.  It has a "goodness" all of its own and it does deserve to have a home in my freezer.

Sushi Top - Huntington Beach

I found one item in particular that meets our Lean-and-green Medifast requirement.  When I go here, I order the Salmon Skin Salad.  I ask them to remove the carrots and the fish eggs (actually, I usually keep the fish eggs because I like the texture)  There's about one tbsp on the salad which is equal to about 12 calories.

My kids usually order plain, cold tofu which I eat once in awhile.

 Also, look at their seafood appetizers.  You can basically order from any of the selections of grilled fish.  On their specials, I found the Chilean Sea Bass to be the best!  I asked the discussion boards on the Medifast website and they told me that I can have up to 6 oz of Chilean Sea Bass.  I took home one of the sea bass from Sushi Top before and it weighed at 3.5 ozs.

Not Quite Pasta (A Low-carb Pasta Substitute)

Spaghetti Squash (Pasta Substitute)

I've been on this diet for awhile now and I'm starting to miss pasta and rice a lot.  So, I think it's about time to experiment with some substitutes.  So I visited the squash and zucchini section of the produce section yesterday and I thought I'd start with spaghetti squash.

The result was delicious.  It's a bit sweeter than real pasta and in my opinion, more pleasant.  This is a bit different from my typical quick-to-fix meals.  But preparation only involved cutting the squash in half.  The rest is waiting for it to cook.  I topped my "pasta" with grilled chicken.  For sauce, I used whatever I can find that doesnt involve cooking -- lemon, butter and parmesan cheese.  Voila!  What a satisfying meal!  The only bad thing was I ate all of it in less than 15 minutes recommended by Medifast ... oh well ...

The great thing about spaghetti squash is the low calorie.  1 cup is bout 42 calories only.  1 cup is a huge serving (see pic above)

Instructions:

Preheat oven 375 degrees

Cut Squash in half

Spray pan lightly with oil.  Place 2 halves face down.  Bake for 1 hour.

Enjoy!

Just scoop out all the contents to get your "pasta"

Top with your favorite meat or use your favorite
pasta sauce

August Raffle: The Blender Bottle

You might remember that I wrote a review on The Blender Bottle before.  Well, I found out that they now sell this at the Medifast Official Site as an alternative to the shaker jar.  So, this month, I will be raffling off The Blender Bottle.  Simply comment on this post or on the facebook page and I will randomly pick a winner on August 15 (using software -- I still have to find one ... i'm sure there's many available out there .... ).  Please make sure that I have a way to contact you if you win -- meaning do not post anonymously  on this website.  As for Facebook, I believe I can reach you by FB mail if I click on your name.

Good luck!

Pork Chops with Lemon and Parsley

Pork Chops

It's that time of the week when my refrigerator is empty and I've run out of veggies.  This is the perfect dish for that.  This is a very simple meal that takes about 25 minutes to cook.  The recipe is for two servings. When cutting up lemon zest, try to avoid the bitter white part of the lemon.  I find that using my peeler gives me better control.
 
Medifast Lean and Green Recipe
Zest of 1/2 lemon
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1/4 tsp garlic, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 bone-in loin pork chops, (about 5 ozs each)

1. In a small bowl, combine lemon, parsley, garlic, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper. Set aside.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Season pork chops on both sides with salt and pepper. Cook in skillet until browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side.
3. Add 1/2 cup water to skillet; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover, and simmer gently until pork is cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer pork chops to a platter or serving plates; Sprinkle with lemon-parsley mixture.
4. Serve.  

Lean & Green Requirements
less than 3 condiments
1 healthy fat serving
1 Lean Serving

Zucchini Strips

Zucchini Strips

It's been hectic around here lately and all I've had time for are salads and even that requires some preparation.  So I decided to come up with recipes for meals I can store in the refrigerator and just eat when I'm ready.  Maybe even take with me on outings with my kids.

You can leave it in the refrigerator for up to a day.  I like the "kick" that red pepper brings and I almost always choose it over black pepper but you can substitute if you prefer.

The recipe is just one serving but feel free to double it up if you want to save some for later.

Preparation Time:  5 mins
Cooking Time: 15 mins

The Recipe
1 cup zucchinis (about 1-2 pcs), cut lengthwise into strips
1 tsp olive oil
salt and red pepper for taste
1/4 tsp garlic, minced
1/2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees.
2. Brush zucchini with 1/2 tsp of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
3. Roast in the oven for about 15 minutes (or slightly browned)
4. Mix remaining olive oil, vinegar and garlic.
5. Drizzle oil/vinegar/garlic mixture over the zucchinis
6. Top with tomatoes
7. Refrigerate for at least an hour.

Lean & Green Requirements:
3 portions vegetable servings
1 portion healthy fat serving
less than 1 portion condiment

Yogi Green Tea Blueberry Slim Life

This is the tea I decided to drink 8oz daily.  It has 35 mg of caffeine.  Medifast 5-and-1 allows for up to 300 mg.  According to Medifast FAQ, Essential1: Calorie Burn's combination of caffeine and EGCG works synergistically to boost metabolism, inducing thermogenesis and helping you burn calories, unlike caffeine alone. So, while I do not expect this Green tea will help, I will try it since Yogi Green Tea tea is specially formulated to support weight loss.  It's also a cheaper alternative :-)

Say What Now?

Three weeks into this month and I've only lost 3.5 lbs.  It's been kind of disappointing since I lost 16.3 last month. I've been on the same weight for 11 days now.  It's not going up.  It's not going down.  But 2 days ago, my new shipment came.  In it is my Calorie Burn Capuccino.  I drank it that same day for my evening meal.  No change the next morning.  I drank it again for breakfast the next day and the morning after, I lost 2.4 lbs.  Wow!  Joyful day!  Is that possible?

I'm now under the impression that I need to kick start my day with caffeine to help my weight loss.  So here's what I will try.  Since I only bought one box of Calorie burn to last me for 4 weeks, I will drink regular Medifast Capuccino today and drink 1 glass of [low] caffeineited green tea.  I will report to you if this helps me.

Vietnamese Beef Salad (Bo Luc Lac)

Bo Luc Lac

Prepare for this delicious recipe.  This is our favorite.  I have to warn you though that the substitute Sweet Leaf I use instead of sugar doesnt measure up to actually using sugar but this is delicious nevertheless.  As the name suggests (in Vietnamese), this is shaken beef.  So the secret to cooking is not to use any utensils.  You simply lift up your skillet and shake the beef around making the beef more tender (the garlic also helps with this as it has the power to tenderize meat).  You will love the aroma released every time you do this.  

I used watercress in this recipe but any green mix will do.  I just tried watercress for variety because I always eat spinach arugula and lettuce.  but the watercress is actually a lot more work because I separate the leaves out of the stems which are very bitter. 

Medifast Lean and Green Recipe
Beef Marinade
3-5 ozs rib-eye or New York Strip
1/8 tbsp fish sauce
1/2 tbsp water
1/2 tbsp soy sauce
1/8 tsp sweet leaf
1/16 tsp black pepper
1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
1-1/2 tsp finely chopped garlic

Salad
1/4 tbsp vinegar
1 tbsp water
1/4 tsp sweet leaf
1/16 teaspoon black pepper
1 very thin onion slice (optional -- if added you would have a total of 4 condiment servings)
1/2 cup water cress (or any green mix)

Combine fish sauce, water, soy sauce, sugar, black pepper and marinate the beef. Marinate for at least 30 minutes.

Combine vinegar, water, sugar and black pepper for the watercress salad. Stir well. Add the onions. Toss well. Add the watercress to the bowl but do not toss. Keep the salad in the refrigerator while preparing the beef.

Heat oil in a large, heavy skillet over high heat until garlic sizzles at once. Add the beef and let it cook undisturbed for 1 to 2 minutes. Shake the pan turning the beef to the other side. Add garlic and continue shaking until evenly browned and done to your liking. The key is shaking the beef. There is no need to use any utensils to sear the beef.

Toss the watercress to coat it with dressing and arrange on a serving platter. Scoop us the steak and pile it in the center of the watercress salad. Serve.

Lean and Green Guidelines
1 Lean
1 Healthy Fat Serving
1/2 Vegetable serving
3 Condiment servings

Blender Bottle

The blender bottle that I ordered from Amazon arrived today. I first saw this at Sprouts Market and a bit intrigued by it. You see I've run out of Medifast bars but I needed something to take along with me on my daily outings with my kids. My Starbucks thermos has been doing a great job actually. It takes about 3 hours for the ice to melt.  The only problem is that there's never a guarantee that it was well shaken since I can't see through my thermos.  I usually find a big lump at the bottom. So when I saw the Blender Bottle, it seemed the perfect solution.  I like that it had a "whisk ball". Whisks have been the secret to my Medifast shakes and drinks at home.

So I filled my bottle with 16 ozs of water and 2 packets of dutch chocolate shake to last me 4-6 hours. It was great. I packed it in a zip-lock to make sure that it didn't leak all over my bag but I didn't need it. It was well sealed. There were no lumps at the bottom of my bottle but there was still a "grainy" feel indicating that the powder didn't blend as well as I would like. But I shook it a little more with every sip and it got better and better.  I recommend it for convenience. The translucent plastic also helped me see if there's a lump at the bottom and if it needs to be shaken some more. But overall, it's not any better than the Medifast shaker jar ... just prettier and easier to carry around.

Vanilla Pudding Raffle

I'm raffling off my one and only box of Medifast Vanilla Pudding. 

Here are the rules:
Email me between July 22-July 29 at mcsantos (at) yahoo (dot) com.  The 15th email will receive 7 FREE (1 box) Medifast Vanilla Pudding.  Your email will NOT be shared with anyone and will not be used by this website for any  purpose except to contact you if you win.  The box is unopened but I will remove it from the box so it can be shipped easily.  I will announce the winner on my Facebook page (see link to the left) and here on my site on July 30 so you can claim your prize if you're the winner.

Red Robin

Not very appetizing is it?  And oh so wrong.

I thought I'd blog some of the restaurants I've tried while on Medifast diet.  I live in Orange County California so if you live around here, I hope this is an excellent source for you.

Today, I tried Red Robin.  Believe me, I didn't think I'd find anything here but since the kids usually dictate where we get to eat .... well, here we are.

There was nothing in their menu that qualifies for Lean and Green so I thought I'd ask for a House Salad.  I asked the waiter what's in it because the menu didn't say.  He said lettuce, cucumber, tomato and cheese.  I said ok but no cheese and no dressing just give me olive oil and lemon.

This is what arrived at our table.  It had croutons and it had carrots.  So I did have to spend my time separating it out. 

I found nothing at Red Robin.  Let me know if you had the same experience.  If you have other restaurants that is Medifast-friendly you would like to share, please share.