Mushroom and Jalapeno Burgers with Pimento Cheese

Burger Deluxe!

When I saw this recipe on Food Done Light, I knew I had to modify it for Medifast.  It combines a lot of great flavors and textures, with the earthiness of the mushrooms, the slightly sour spiciness of the pickled jalapenos, the meaty goodness of the beef, and the creamy, cheesy topping. 

When I first tasted this burger, I was a bit underwhelmed. Then when I grilled up another one the next day, wowza!  The flavors had time to blend and develop, so I would definitely recommend mixing these up the day before.  The first two times I made this burger, I put it on an Oopsie Roll.  Tonight for a change of pace, I put it on top of a spinach salad tossed with Walden Farms Bacon and Ranch dressing.  This was a definite improvement.  The strong flavor of the spinach contrasted nicely with the flavors in the burger.  The Oopsie Roll doesn't have a strong taste, so it didn't work as well.  Maybe next time I will try adding some garlic powder to the Oopsie Rolls.

The original recipe calls for two slices of center cut bacon, which aren't allowed on the weight loss phase of the Medifast plan.  Next time I make these, I will add a little liquid smoke to imitate the smokiness of the bacon.  I also omitted the diced onion called for in the original recipe and substituted onion powder.  Next time I will try adding the diced onion, because I think it will improve the texture of the burger.  I will also increase the amount of jalapenos, or try Serrano peppers.  It wasn't spicy enough for my taste.  The yogurt-cheese topping was tasty, but I think a bleu cheese topping would also work well with these burgers.  Stay tuned for version two!

Ingredients

1 lb 93/7 ground beef
2 cups mushrooms
1/2 tsp onion powder
2 tbsp pickled jalapenos, diced
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
2 tbsp fat-free Greek yogurt
2 tbsp diced pimento
1/4 cup reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp onion powder

Instructions

Dice mushrooms.  Saute mushrooms in a nonstick skillet (use a little pan spray if needed) until the mushrooms release their liquid.  Drain off liquid from mushrooms.  In a large bowl, combine ground beef, mushrooms, onion powder, pickled jalapenos, salt and pepper.  Mix well, and divide into four portions.  Form into patties.

In a small bowl, combine yogurt, pimento, cheddar cheese, garlic powder, and onion powder to make the cheese topping. 

Grill burgers to desired degree of doneness.  Top each burger with a quarter of the cheese topping and allow cheese to melt slightly.  I found it easiest to microwave the burger for 20 seconds to melt the cheese.

Serve on an Oopsie Roll with two more green servings, or on top of two cups of greens with some additional protein (to bring calorie total for lean to 250-350 calories) for a complete lean and green meal.

Makes 4 servings
Per serving, 194 calories, 9.9 grams fat, 787 mg sodium, 1.8 grams carbohydrates, 25.1 grams protein

Cheesy Layered Taco Bake

Hotdish Adventures

This is one of my favorite make-ahead Lean and Green recipes, based on a very popular recipe from Sandy's Kitchen.  This dish provides about 2/3 of a lean serving and about 1/2 of a green serving, so I like to use it as a base for a taco salad, or top it with an over-easy egg for breakfast.  If you're in Maintenance, you could add some black or pinto beans into the meat mixture. 

If you are making this ahead of time, bake the base layer and top it with the meat and cheese.  Bake it again to melt the cheese and heat everything through when you are ready to serve.  I haven't tried freezing it yet, but it should freeze well.

Ingredients

1/2 cup 1% milkfat cottage cheese, blended (1/3 lean)
1/4 cup Eggbeaters (1/8 lean)
1/4 cup milk (4 condiments)
3 cups reduced fat shredded cheddar or Mexican cheese, divided (3 leans)
1 lb 93% lean ground beef - about 11 oz cooked (2.2 leans)
1 packet taco seasoning mix
2 cans Rotel diced tomatoes and chiles, drained (about 4 greens)

Directions

Brown ground beef and drain fat. For a fine, even texture, mash the beef with a potato masher while it is cooking.  Add taco seasoning and prepare as directed on package.  We usually do this ahead of time, and make multiple batches of taco beef for other dishes or for the freezer. 

Blend cottage cheese until smooth.  Mix in Eggbeaters and milk.  Spray 9 by 13 pan with cooking spray.  Spread 2 cups of shredded cheese over the bottom of the pan.  Pour the cottage cheese mixture over the shredded cheese, covering the bottom of the pan evenly.  Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes, until lightly browned.

Mix Rotel tomatoes with the taco beef. If the chiles in the Rotel tomatoes are too spicy for your taste, you can use petite diced tomatoes instead.  Spread meat/tomato mixture over the baked cheese layer.  Top with remaining cup of cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes until the meat filling is hot and the cheese topping is melted.

Serves 8
Per serving, 2/3 lean, 1/2 green, 2 1/2 condiments
247 calories, 13.3 grams fat, 904 mg sodium, 5.5 grams carbohydrates, 0.6 grams fiber, 27 grams protein

Moussaka Light

Mediterranean Adventures

Moussaka is one of my favorite Greek restaurant dishes, and is chockful of summery vegetable goodness.  However, it is traditionally made with a heavy cream sauce which more than offsets any nutritional benefit from the veggies.  I picked up some eggplants at the farmer's market last week, because I had been wanting to try this recipe for moussaka made with Greek yogurt, which was easily adapted for a Lean and Green meal.

Ingredients

7 1/2 cups eggplant, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices (15 greens)
1 tsp olive oil (1 healthy fat)
1 tbsp onion powder (6 condiments)
2 tsp minced garlic (2 condiments)
1 lb lean ground beef (4 leans)
1 1/2 cups canned petite diced tomatoes, pureed (3 greens)
2 tsp dried parsley (2/3 condiment)
1/2 tsp dried oregano (1 condiment)
1/4 tsp cinnamon (1/2 condiment)
1/2 cup EggBeaters (1/4 lean)
3/4 cup fat-free Greek yogurt (3/4 lean)
1 cup reduced fat shredded mozzarella cheese (1 lean)

Directions

Place eggplant slices on parchment-covered baking sheets and brush with olive oil.  Bake at 500 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until lightly browned.  Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees.

While eggplant is baking, brown ground beef.  Add onion powder, garlic, tomatoes, parsley, oregano, and cinnamon, and simmer until liquid is reduced.

Combine yogurt and EggBeaters in a separate mixing bowl.

In 9 by 13 baking pan, place half of the eggplant slices.  Spread meat mixture on top of the eggplant, and top with remaining eggplant slices.  Pour yogurt mixture on top.  Cover with shredded mozzarella cheese.  Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes.

Makes 6 generous servings
Per serving, 1 lean, 3 greens, about 1 2/3 condiments
237 calories, 10.3 grams fat, 213 mg sodium, 10.8 grams carbohydrates, 26.8 grams protein

Spicy Asian BBQ Stir Fry

Adventures in Asia

This recipe was an all-around winner:  easy, simple, and quick to prepare.  And the flavor - sweet, spicy BBQ with an Asian twist - is satisfying and delicious.  The soy sauce marinade tenderizes and adds flavor to the beef.  According to Nutrition Support, half of the marinade counts toward the recipe totals.  So in this case, we use 4 tsp soy sauce (2 condiments) to marinate the beef, but only count 1 condiment because the marinade is discarded when the beef is cooked.

Ingredients

14 oz beef eye of round - should yield 10 oz cooked (2 leans)
4 tsp low sodium soy sauce for marinade (counts as 1 condiment)
4 tbsp Walden Farms Thick and Spicy BBQ sauce (2 condiments)
2 tsp low sodium soy sauce (1 condiment)
1 tsp garlic powder (2 condiments)
8 oz package House Foods spaghetti-shaped tofu shirataki (2 greens)
1 cup bamboo shoots (2 greens)
1 cup shredded cabbage (2 greens)
1 tsp peanut oil (1 healthy fat)

Preparation

Slice partially-frozen beef against the grain into thin strips.  The thinner you can slice the beef, the more tender it will be.  Marinate the beef in 4 tsp soy sauce overnight.  If you want to prep several batches of beef ahead of time, you can freeze the beef/soy sauce mixture, and it will marinate as it thaws.

Instructions

Combine 2 tsp soy sauce, BBQ sauce, and garlic powder in small bowl to make sauce.  Rinse shirataki as directed on package.  Heat peanut oil in wok.  Remove beef from marinade; discard remaining marinade.  Stir fry beef in peanut oil.  Remove to plate.  Stir fry cabbage and bamboo shoots until crisp-tender.  Add shirataki, beef, and BBQ/soy sauce mixture.  Stir fry until combined and shirataki is hot.

Serves 2
Per serving, 1 lean, 3 greens, 3 condiments
321 calories, 10.0 g fat, 11.4 g carbohydrates, 4.8 g fiber, 45.6 g protein, 853 mg sodium

Luscious Lasagna Bake Redux

Adventures in Italy

I took another pass at the recipe for Luscious Lasagna Bake.  My goal was to make it lower in fat and easier to prepare, and contain all the protein and vegetable servings for a full Lean and Green meal.  With a few minor tweaks, I came up with something that had my vegetable-hating preschooler begging me to make it again.  The additional spinach and mushrooms really lend great flavor to the meat sauce.

First, I took the sausage out of the recipe.  The Jennie-O Italian turkey sausage isn't that good, and adds a lot of fat.  Then I subbed out the ricotta with 1% lowfat cottage cheese, mostly because I didn't have any ricotta on hand.  But it had the benefit of reducing fat and calories, and made very little taste difference.  Then I reduced the cheese in the topping to 1/2 cup.  Didn't miss it at all in the final product. 

Beppo's Skinny Sister's Marinara

2 14 oz cans petite diced tomatoes (7 greens)
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic (1 1/2 condiments)
1 1/2 tsp onion powder (3 condiments)
3 tbsp fresh basil (3/32 condiment)

Combine tomatoes with garlic and onion powder in saucepan and cook over low heat for at least 30 minutes, stirring often, until sauce thickens. After the tomatoes cook down and soften, you may mash with a potato masher or puree in food processor if you like a smoother texture. Remove from heat and add basil.

Meat Filling

10 oz lean ground beef, cooked - about 1/2 lb raw (2 leans)
2 cups raw spinach, chopped (2 greens)
1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms (3 greens)

Add beef, sausage, and spinach to marinara and cook until spinach is wilted.  TIP:  Mash the ground beef with a potato masher as it cooks to create a fine, even texture.

Cheese Topping

1/2 cup 1% lowfat cottage cheese (1/3 lean)
1/2 cup reduced fat mozzarella cheese, shredded (1/2 lean)
4 tbsp parmesan cheese (4 condiments)
2 tbsp EggBeaters (1/8 lean)
1 tsp Italian seasoning (2 condiments)
1/2 tsp garlic powder (1 condiment)

Blend cottage cheese until smooth, if desired.  Combine cheese topping ingredients in a mixing bowl.

Additional Ingredients

3/4 cups reduced fat mozzarella cheese, shredded (3/4 lean)

Instructions

Put meat filling in bottom of 8 by 8 baking dish. Cover with cheese topping. Top with additional mozzarella. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.  Enjoy!

Serves 4
Per serving, 1 lean, 3 greens, 3 condiments
328 calories, 14.1 g fat, 11.4 g carbohydrates, 301 g fiber, 40.9 g protein, 538 mg sodium

Luscious Lasagna Bake

Carnivale Adventures

Lasagna originated in Naples, and is traditionally eaten on Carnivale/Mardi Gras/Shrove Tuesday as a final indulgence before Lent (the literal translation of Carnivale is "Farewell to Meat").  Here is my version, based on a very popular recipe from Sandy's Kitchen. 

The marinara recipe is based on the one in the Buca di Beppo cookbook.  Do not omit the fresh basil or use dried.  You can find pre-chopped basil in tubes in the produce area of most supermarkets.  Buca's marinara is my favorite tomato sauce, and it is super-simple to make at home.  While the marinara is cooking, brown the meats for the filling and prepare the cheese topping.  Or, to save time, I cook the entire 3-lb package of ground beef and use the rest for other recipes.

Beppo's Skinny Sister's Marinara

2 cans petite diced tomatoes (7 greens)
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic (1 1/2 condiments)
1 1/2 tsp onion powder (3 condiments)
3 tbsp fresh basil (3/32 condiment)

Combine tomatoes with garlic and onion powder in saucepan and cook over low heat for at least 30 minutes, stirring often, until sauce thickens.  After the tomatoes cook down and soften, you may mash with a potato masher or puree in food processor if you like a smoother texture.  Remove from heat and add basil.

Meat Filling

5 oz lean ground beef, cooked - about 1/2 lb raw (1 lean)
2 links Jennie-O hot Italian turkey sausage, removed from casings and cooked (1 lean)
1 cup raw spinach (1 green)

Add beef, sausage, and spinach to marinara and cook until spinach is wilted.

Cheese Topping

1/2 cup part-skim ricotta (1/2 lean)
3/4 cup reduced fat mozzarella cheese, shredded (3/4 lean)
4 tbsp parmesan cheese (4 condiments)
2 tbsp EggBeaters (1/8 lean)
1 tsp Italian seasoning (2 condiments)
1/2 tsp garlic powder (1 condiment)

Combine cheese topping ingredients in a mixing bowl.

Additional Ingredients

3/4 cups reduced fat mozzarella cheese, shredded (3/4 lean)

Instructions

Put meat filling in bottom of 8 by 8 baking dish.  Cover with cheese topping.  Top with additional mozzarella.  Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.  Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Serves 4
Per serving, 1 lean, 2 greens, 3 condiments
377 calories, 17.2 g fat, 13.5 g carbohydrates, 2.7 g fiber, 41.3 g protein, 831 mg sodium