17-day diet – Page 2

stuffed zucchini

i stumbled upon the recipe for stuffed zucchini from good ‘ole pinterest. all the ingredients fell right into the 17-day diet guidelines so i whipped it up for an easy weekend meal. i was so giddy while eating the first bite, it was so damn good. i actually took the filling out and mixed it into my rice and it was to.die.for. thank you kayotic kitchen for this yummy recipe!

ingredients:

1 TB fat-free sour cream

1/4 – 1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp curry powder

10 grape tomatoes finely diced

1 tsp italian seasoning

2 zucchini

1 onion

cheese

pepper

directions:

preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

rinse your zucchini. slice in half length-ways. spoon out the guts until you have an empty boat.

dice your zucchini pulp, tomatoes and onions.

in a skillet saute the onions with 1 tablespoon olive oil or butter until translucent. add in curry and mix for 30 seconds. spoon onions into the bowl with zucchini and tomato. add in seasonings and sour cream. mix until combined.

take your zucchini boat and spoon filling in. top with your cheese of choice. i used reduced fat parmesan and a sprinkle of cheddar.

bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees. turn the broiler on and cook for another 5 minutes until the cheese starts to get brown and bubbly.

i served the stuffed zucchini with a 1/4 cup of brown rice. next time i make this i plan on adding quinoa into the filling mix. DELISH!

chicken “taco” lettuce wraps

another recipe i made up for the 17-day diet. it really curbed my craving for mexican and i was full after two wraps. i had roasted a chicken one day and used the shredded meat for two recipes. honestly, it was the perfect amount for three wraps each and a little chicken, olives, avo and cheese for payton.

ingredients:

1/2 of a roasted chicken, shredded
1 packet taco seasoning
3/4 cup hot water
1/2 can sliced black olives
10 grape tomatoes, sliced
1/2 avocado (again not on cycles 1 or 2 but we splurged for some healthy fat)
6-8 pieces of boston lettuce
2TB fat-free cheddar cheese
2 TB fat-free sour cream + 1/2 tsp tapatio

directions:

combine hot water and taco seasoning in a small bowl. mix until combined. in a skillet, add in shredded chicken and taco seasoning, bring to simmer and reduce heat until most of the liquid is gone. remember, you’re just reheating the chicken and letting the flavors soak into the chicken.

to assemble: lay lettuce on plates, add chicken and remaining ingredients. top with sour cream/hot sauce mixture. enjoy!

super easy and fast weeknight meal. you won’t even notice the taco shell is missing. . .promise! serve with black beans if you wish. 🙂

the meal plan

i have been asked several times, what exactly are you eating? so i figured i would share my weekly meal plan. since i am starting week three tomorrow i finally mapped out what i am eating for the entire week. yeah, it might change that day but at least i have it nailed down based on the foods i have purchased or already have on hand. this should make for an easier week and for less temptation to jump ship. if you have any questions about recipes or anything let me know and i will be happy to share them. you’re going to notice the green tea after every meal, it’s to help burn fat. on top of the tea i am drinking a minimum of eight glasses of water.

Week 3 of 17-Day Diet:

Meal Plan

Even Days: Accelerate Plan (Cycle 1 Plan)

Odd Days: Activate Plan (Cycle 2 Plan)

Monday 1/23:

Breakfast: oatmeal / egg whites / orange / green tea

Lunch: chicken salad / ½ cup brown rice / yogurt / green tea

Dinner: ½ cup split pea soup / yogurt / green tea

Snack: veggies / homemade hummus

Tuesday 1/24:

Breakfast: egg whites w. turkey sausage / grapefruit / green tea

Lunch: super salad w. chicken & hard boiled egg / green tea

Dinner: sesame tilapia / roasted cabbage / yogurt / green tea

Snack: smoothie

Wednesday 1/25:

Breakfast: Dr. Mike’s power cookie / pear / green tea

Lunch: chicken / black bean & corn salad / green tea

Dinner: grilled steak / baked potato / roasted asparagus / green tea

Snack: 1 cup raspberries w. yogurt

Thursday 1/26:

Breakfast: Kefir smoothie w. blueberries & blackberries / green tea

Lunch: tuna lettuce wrap / green tea

Dinner: baked zucchini parm / Spaghetti Squash / green tea

Snack: orange / yogurt

Friday 1/27:

Breakfast: Dr. Mikes power cookie / grapefruit / green tea

Lunch: hamburger / tomato slices / cottage cheese / green tea

Dinner: grilled pork chops / sweet potato / green tea

Snack: pear

Saturday 1/28:

Breakfast: greek omelet / orange / green tea

Lunch: salad / yogurt / green tea

Dinner: BBQ chicken / veggies / green tea

Snack: fruit & cottage cheese

Sunday 1/29:

Breakfast: oatmeal / egg whites / grapefruit / green tea

Lunch: fruit salad (cottage cheese & fruit on lettuce) / green tea

Dinner: turkey chili / salad / green tea

Snack: smoothie

crunchy barbeque chicken salad

if you’ve known me for a while (in real life) then you know that i have a niche for flavors and telling the spices/ingredients used in a dish. i like to believe that this is one of my god-given talents but helped along by my daddy growing up. when dieting this comes in handy because i can literally take items on the list and make something that is damn tasty. like this crunchy barbeque chicken salad. i guess my restaurant background also helps me think of yummy salads, too!

the ingredients:

1 head of romaine lettuce, chunky shred

1 jicama, peeled and sliced into sticks

1 pasilla pepper, seeded and julienned

1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into sticks

1 avocado, diced (this is not approved on cycle 1 of the 17-day diet, but we used it anyway)

1/4 cup fat-free cheese

4 baked chicken tenders

barbeque sauce (see recipe below)

cilantro dressing (see recipe below)

here’s how:

in a bowl add in the lettuce and dressing. with the dressing, a little goes a long way so use your best judgement. toss the lettuce to coat.

place lettuce onto a plate. layer the veggies, then cheese, and chicken. top the salad with a drizzle of the barbeque for some extra sweetness.

enjoy. super easy and quick for a week night meal, especially if you pre-slice the veggies and cook the chicken!

barbeque sauce:

(17-day diet adapted recipe)

1/4 cup low-sugar ketchup

a few dashes worchestershire sauce

1/2 tsp agave

1 tsp chili powder

mix all the ingredients together. you can marinate the chicken tenders with the sauce like i did and then bake them at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until they are cooked all the way through.

cilantro vinaigrette:

(my recipe)

1/2 cup packed cilantro

1 garlic clove

1-2 TB minced pasilla pepper

1 TB agave

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar (you could use white)

1-2 TB flax seed oil

1/2 tsp cumin

salt & pepper to taste

in a small food processor combine all ingredients and pulsate until you have a creamy, emulsified blend. you can adjust the agave/vinegar ratio depending on your taste. my dressing was slightly sweet, with a big cilantro kick and subtle kick of spice from the pepper.

balsamic roasted brussels & cauliflower

i have never been a real veggie fan but when they’re roasted vs. steamed i can consume a lot! i love when the natural sugars come out and caramelize the veggies, add in some balsamic vinegar and you get a punch of flavor with extra sweetness. i cannot wait until i can add in walnuts or heaven forbid some bacon because let’s be honest, brussel sprouts are so much better with bacon. But, then again, what isn’t better with bacon? this recipe isn’t from the 17-day diet cookbook, it just follows the guidelines. great for an afternoon snack or paired alongside lean protein.

here’s what you need:

1 head of cauliflower, trimmed and cut into bit sized pieces

1/2 pound of brussel sprouts, trimmed and cut in half

3 TB balsamic vinegar

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

1 TB flax seed oil (EVOO will work fine, too)

salt & pepper to taste

Here’s how:

preheat the oven to 350 degrees. in a medium sized pot bring water to a boil. once the water is boiling add the cauliflower florets and blanche them. this usually take 2 minutes at the most, you are not cooking them all the way through just softening them enough to speed the cooking process and to absorb the vinegar.

remove the cauliflower from the pot with a mesh strainer and place in bowl. next, blanche the sprouts for two minutes.

remove the sprouts with a mesh strainer and add into the bowl with the cauliflower. drizzle the veggies with vinegar, oil, garlic, salt and pepper. toss to coat.

transfer to a baking sheet and bake at 350 for 20 minutes, remove from oven and toss. return to the oven for an additional 10-12 minutes.

remove from the oven, place in container and enjoy immediately or place in the refrigerator.

so yummy! if you want to make them extra delicious add in some cooked bacon pieces and walnuts! this dish is great anytime of year but even better as a side to your Thanksgiving dinner!