OK, these are by FAR my newest and most favorite IP recipe!!! Delicious! This week was a hard one, one where I had to get pep talks from my support network and new recipes from Pinterest, but I'm happy to say I have not given up! This lady still has 30 more pounds to lose (lost 29 so far, yay)!

These require possibly 15 min prep, and only 15 min cook time, dinner in under half an hour! That's what I like to hear!

For this recipe, I used a base recipe found here, and added the Unrestricted IP Garlic and Herb Chips!

Ingredients:
4 boneless pork chops, fat trimmed
 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1  Unrestricted IP Garlic Herb Chips packet
 1 Tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
 1 Tbsp fresh parsley, minced
1/8 tsp. sea salt
 1/8 tsp. pepper
 1 Tbsp olive oil
Instructions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.   Rub mustard evenly over pork chops.  Combine IP Unrestricted GarlicHerb Chips, thyme, parsley, salt and pepper in a large bowl and dredge pork chops in panko mixture. Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat.  Add oil to pan and swirl
to coat.  Add pork chops, saute for 2 minutes or until golden brown.   Turn pork
over and place skillet in oven for about 8 minutes or until pork reaches 145
degrees in the center.  Enjoy!

 A lot of my instagram posts are of this meal, so I thought I'd finally put up the recipe. This is my go-to dinner on the fly, dinner for one, and lazy-day dinner. SUPER simple and SO tasty, even after I've had it 50x (well, maybe not that often but you know what I mean).

Ingredients: 
 
(2) Jennie-O Regular Turkey Burgers frozen (not thawed), once cooked = 7oz, (or if you have more time, fresh ground turkey, 1 egg, italian seasoning, 1/2c. shaved cauliflower) 

(2) eggs (4oz total)
(2) slices of Bacon (1 oz) ( I love Applegate Sunday morning style)
(3) c. spinach (My IP Coach said to add a little more than the required 2c. as spinach reduces down quite a bit when cooked)
  
(1)  T. minced garlic
(1 or 2) T. EVOO
S+P- to taste

 While this meal is fast, its best if your inner line cook comes to play! What I mean is, if you have some hekp in the kitchen this meal can easily be done in under 10 minutes. Now who doesn't have time for that?!

Directions:

1. Place frozen burgers with S+P to taste,  on George Foreman ( or cook in skillet, as you normally would a hamburger) with temperature on "2" or "Medium"
2. Meanwhile, warm large  skillet  on  "Medium" heat with EVOO. Once, EVOO has warmed and is coating entire pan, add minced garlic (You want to hear the garlic sizzle as you place it in the skillet, this is how you know your pan is hot enough).
3. Add spinach with S+P to taste to large skillet, reduce heat to "low" and cover for about 3 minutes. 
4. Check back on your burgers cooking on the George Foreman. Flip to other side, add S+P if desired. Continue cooking on medium for 2-4 more minutes.
5. Head back to your large skillet, remove cover. Using a turner begin to sautee the spinach accordingly to your taste ( some like very bright or dark spinach- I like mine in the middle). Once this has been done, remove spinach from heat. At this point usually place spinach in a large salad bowl.
6. Next, check on your burgers. If cooked to your liking, remove burgers and place them with spinach in bowl.
7. Next add bacon to George Foreman: note it will cook quickly since it has been hot cooking the burgers.
8. Cook bacon according to desired texture ( I like mine crispy and cook it for approximately 3 min each side)
9. In small frying pan, coat pan with PAM ( or EVOO spray is my preference) .
10. Crack both eggs into small frying pan, and cook according to desired texture. I like over-easy as the yolk pairs nicely with the flavors of this dish. Set aside, once done.
11. Remove your bacon from George Foreman, and turn off the appliance.
12. Assemble the bacon, spinach and turkey to your liking. I usually layer the spinach, egg, burger, bacon, etx (see pic above).
13. Enjoy!

I made this soup yesterday, and it was quite tasty! I’d say start to finish it took all of 20 minutes to throw together, which I LOVE! AND I have leftovers, "meals on the fly” as my husband calls them.

Original recipe can be found here , I adapted it and made it my own. 

5 slices  bacon -- (I used Applegate Sunday Morning brand, ah the good stuff)
3 stalks  celery -- chopped fine
1 large leek- chopped fine
1 pound  cauliflower- equals 1 LARGE head or 2 SMALL heads
32 ounces  chicken stock -- (homemade is best if you have it, otherwise I used store-brand Organic)
1 tablespoon  minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon  onion powder
1/2 teaspoon  thyme
1/2 teaspoon  sea-salt -- (or to taste)
1/4 teaspoon  pepper

 Cook bacon on George Foreman until crispy ( OR,  place chopped bacon in 3 or 4 quart saucepan, cook and stir bacon pieces until crispy)   Remove bacon onto paper towel, but keep the grease in the pan.  Add celery, leeks and cook, stirring, until tender.  Add cauliflower, chicken stock, garlic, onion powder, thyme, salt, and pepper.  Stir together and cook on low for 15 minutes or until cauliflower is tender. 

Place the soup into a blender, (I used a Ninja- love my Ninja!) and pulse until pureed.  Serve with bacon crushed bacon pieces on top. 

I wanted to make something quick and easy for dinner tonight, as yesterday I was in the kitchen ALL day cooking (non-IP foods: chicken pot pie, pumpkin cheesecake, whipped cream- for a dinner party- I probably gained weight just smelling the goodness, oh well!). I had ground turkey that needed to be used by same-day and decided to throw together some ground turkey meatballs. I’ve made these before, but this is the first blog post on ‘em. This is my own recipe,  but feel free to change up the spices, etc to your liking:

Ingredients:
16 oz free-range ground turkey (I opted for 85/15 for more flavor than my usual 98% fat-free)
1 finely chopped leek
3 T. fresh chopped parsley
1 t. dried italian seasoning
1/2 t. sea-salt
1/4 t. fresh cracked pepper
1/4 t. minced garlic
1/8 t. garlic powder
1 beaten egg
1 c. shaved cauliflower (raw, do not cook as it will change the consistency and this is what HOLDS the meatball together without the traditional use of breadcrumbs)
32 oz. organic tomato sauce ( I used basil I like the subtle flavor)- 
_____________________________________________

Directions:

1. Warm crockpot on low. 
2. Place 1/4 of tomato sauce in bottom of crockpot, covering entire base. 
3. Next, in small mixing bowl use hands to mix the following ingredients: ground turkey, leek, parsley, italian seasoning, garlic, garlic powder, cauliflower, egg, sea salt and pepper. Mix until all is blended well
4. Next, cut 2 slices of medium sized wax paper.
5. Scoop 2-3 T. of turkey mixture onto wax paper in middle, form a twist with the excess wax paper, this helps to create the meatball shape (see photo above).  Drop meatball into crockpot, do this until 1/2 of meatballs have been formed.
6.  Add 1/2 remaining tomato sauce. 
7. Repeat step 5 (finishing remaining turkey meatballs)
8. Top with remaining 1/4 tomato sauce
9. Cook in crockpot on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 2-4 hours. 
10. Serve with IP friendly pasta packet or I do zucchini “pasta”. Yum! 
 
Let me know how you like this, and what changes you made, if any for a tastier recipe!

Friends of ours are coming over for dinner this weekend, and I am at a total loss of what to make. Normally, I love entertaining but lately I have been stumped how to do so...successfully on IP.  I thought about making a separate meal for myself, and a fatty delicious meal for them-- but where's the fun in that? They stated that they could go for Italian... Any suggestions, IP friends? I know that they are not keen on certain spices such as dill & cilantro and are not into seafood (bummer). I was thinking a fall roast? Does that seem drab? I'd love to hear how others entertain while on IP!
 
I'll admit that most days I can say "no" to things I use to scarf down like: cheese, beer, pasta, cookies, pastries and pies-- but lately, I have been so cranky about it. I'll say no, and then get SO moody! My poor husband :)

Let me know your thoughts (and recipes, too) !

Okay, this week I tried the new “raved” about unrestricted chips. Honestly, I was fully expecting tasteless cardboard pieces of crap. Little did I know, that IP had just created something fierce! I paired these chips with my salsa on hand ( sugar-free, tomato free) red pepper and leek salsa ( recipe forthcoming). Hit.the.spot! BOOM! Try it out and let me know your thoughts!

I know, I know a SECOND beef recipe in less than a week! I’m turning into a beef-eating machine! Hey, I’m approaching IP month 3, people!  Time for new recipes to stay the course!


This was a labor intensive dinner, however it was well worth it as it has a lot of flavor to offer! Here’s the recipe:

(Serves 2)
Prep Time: 45 min + marinade time 5-24 hours
Cook Time: 30 min


Ingredients: 

Steak
- 20 oz Flank steak( if you can, buy the organic grass-fed type: it tastes delicious and you know exactly what you are eating)
1/2 cup tamari
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup lime  juice
1 teaspoon fresh parsley flakes
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
S+P generous amount (rub onto steak)

Curried Cauliflower Tortillas (recipe borrowed from


Directions: 

Marinade steak accordingly: 

1. In a shallow dish, whisk all ingredients, except S+P. 
   
   
2.   Pierce steak all over with a fork; I used a meat tenderizer. Then,  toss steak in marinade. Marinate at least 5 hours covered in refrigerator, turning once, can marinade up to 24 hours.
   
   
3. In a cast-iron skillet, heat remaining tablespoon EVOO over high until smoking. Remove steak from marinade; cook until browned, 4 to 5 minutes per side for medium-rare. Rest, covered, 5 minutes.
   
   
4. In a saucepan, bring marinade to a boil; strain into serving dish
5. Serve with cauliflower tortillas, and your choice of roasted or sauteed veggies, delicious!

 Note: For curried cauliflower tortillas,  check out http://empoweredsustenance.com/cauliflower-wraps/.


Enjoy!



 

The other night, I was in the mood for something other than chicken, turkey and pork, so I decided to spice up my dinner with some seafood! Since it was just me, I was looking for a simple recipe to make in under 30 minutes. This recipe takes about 15 minutes and is SUPER easy to throw together.  I love shrimp and with the 8 oz of meat protein needed on IP, its a versatile food to add to any meal, or have as a meal itself.  I already had 4 oz of protein earlier in the day ( I know some clinics state this is fine, and other state you must have all at dinner: do what YOU want-- I have lost weight just fine by splitting my protein throughout the day) so I decided shrimp would be the perfect protein to have in a hurry and satisfy my hunger pains! 

Recipe:

                                                       1 T. minced garlic
                                                       2 leeks sliced (meat only; save greens for stock another day)
                                                       4 oz. peeled uncooked shrimp 
                                                        Squeeze 1/2  of sliced fresh lemon
                                                        1/2 t. IP sea salt (or hawaiian sea-salt if you have it)
                                                         1/4 t. fresh cracked black peppercorn
                                                         1 T. EVOO
                
 Directions:

  Heat skillet on stove at “medium” temperature. Let warm for 1-2 minutes. Add EVOO, garlic and leeks. Sauté garlic and leeks in oil until they become golden brown in color.  Next, add shrimp with sea salt and pepper. Cover for 1-2 minutes. Shake pan vigorously for 20 seconds. Remove lid, and flip shrimp. Cover for 1-2 minutes. Shake pan vigorously. Squeeze fresh lemon.  Turn heat to low. Continue to saute, until shrimp is lightly pink, and firm to the touch.  Serve with fresh veggies for a complete IP dinner ( I used local organic string beans, delicious)  and enjoy!

The husband was away tonight, so it was the perfect excuse to  portion my: vitamins, snacks, and meals to ensure a successful week! Oh, and let’s not forget I also was able to season my cast-iron skillets. A girl has gotta do what a girl’s gotta do! Priorities, ladies.

 In between my prepping, I managed to do some “faux-baking” as I call it, (i.e. instead of using heavy hitters loaded with saturated fats and calories such as: granulated sugar, butter, and cream- choose lighter options), and it always satisfies the sweet cravings.


Ingredients:
 2 Ideal Protein chocolate drink mix
2 T. EVOO
2 eggs, lightly whisked
 1 T. pure vanilla extract, 
2 t. baking soda, 
2 T. Walden Farms caramel syrup
2 T. Walden Farms Chocolate syrup 
pinch of pink hawaiian sea salt. 

Serves (2): Each serving includes 8 mini muffins or 6 mini muffins and 1 ramekin ( I was lazy and did not want to dirty a second muffin pan for a couple extra muffins)

Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix all items together, with exception of sea salt in large mixing bowl. Spray mini muffin pans with oil. Spoon mixture of muffin items into 3/4 of of each mini muffin mold top with a pinch of hawaiian sea salt, Bake for 8-10 minutes. 


Delicious! Enjoy!

This morning started with my daily frappe! While the mix-ins may change, I always start my M-F days (weekends are filled with the REALLY good stuff) with the IP Cappuccino packet. It's a quick way for me to have an unrestricted breakfast item  in between the hustle and bustle of the morning routine. Lately, I  have been having my Cappuccino blended as a Raspberry Mocha. Boy, does it hit the spot-- so delicious!
Here's the ingredients:
1. 1 IP Cappuccino packet
2. 5 oz. very cold water
3. (1) T. of Walden Farms No calorie Chocolate Syrup
4. 1 t. Raspberry Extract
5. 6-8 large ice cubes

Directions: Place all ingredients in blender, blend on low for 20-40 seconds. Perfecto! A delicious breakfast to take on the road or enjoy at home!