Itasca Meal Planning 101: High Protein Breakfast, Lunch & Supper Guide #5

Pizza Frittata

We made this egg-white bake variation last week and it was a smashing success.  The original recipe was in Delish magazine listed as a "cheap & easy" meal which I adapted heavily for our dietary and macro needs.  Next time I make it I am going to add finely chopped fresh broccoli and mushrooms instead of the olives and peppers.

Ingredients:

1 quart cage-free egg whites

1 clamshell organic spinach

1/2 jar salad olives

1/2 jar roasted red peppers, chopped

1 package pepperoni

8 oz package mozzarella cheese

onion powder

garlic powder

oregano

Instructions:

1.)  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2.)  Spray glass baking dish

3.)  Spread spinach in dish

4.)  Sprinkle olives and roasted bell peppers on top of spinach

5.)  Dust with onion and garlic powder

6.)  Heavy sprinkle of oregano on top

7.)  Layer pepperoni

8.)  Spread cheese

9.)  Cover with foil

10.)  Bake for 30 minutes, then remove foil; bake for another 10-15 minutes until middle of egg bake is "set" and no longer liquidy

11.)  Serve or put in fridge for the week

Hungarian Mushroom Stew

Ingredients:

1# cooked meat (we used a lean roast)

1+ Tbsp butter (the recipe called for 4 but we try to limit our fat intake per my fitness trainer)

1 #fresh mushrooms, sliced or soaked dried mushrooms (Hugo's has an excellent selection, Coborn's is more limited, Wal-Mart in PR no longer stocks)

2 c broth (homemade or store bought)

1 Tbsp tamari or coconut aminos (if you are avoiding soy)

1 Tbsp paprika

2 tsp dill

1 tsp parsley (recipe called for 1/4 c fresh)

1 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 c milk of your choice

3 Tbsp flour (we used GF all-purpose)

1/2 c low-fat sour cream

2 tsp lemon juice

Instructions:

1.)  Melt butter in lg pot over medium heat.  Add onions.  Saute until softened, then add mushrooms and saute for 5 additional minutes.

2.)  Stir in broth, tamari, salt, and spices.  Reduce heat to low.  Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

3.)  Whisk milk and flour together in separate bowl.  Stir into soup until blended.  Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stir occasionally.

4.)  Add sour cream, lemon juice, parsley (if using fresh), and lemon juice.  Stir over low heat until warmed, about 5 minutes.

Creamy Sesame Noodle Salad

Serves 4

I ripped this Taiwanese recipe out of a People magazine.  When I started working with my fitness trainer about 1.5 years ago, we eliminated pizza night (shocker--your naturopathic doctor loves pizza and occasionally included this in her diet) and decided to have pasta night on Fridays since most recipes can be adapted to be high protein and low-fat and veggie filled.  In addition, pasta dishes generally work well as leftovers which is a huge priority in the Oppitz household.  Every time I looked at this recipe, I thought it was served warm based upon the picture but it is actually served cold.  Since we were on the fence with this one, we did not double it but will absolutely double it in the future.  Our neighbor, Rachel, was visiting the night we made it and she also loved it!  As usual the following recipe has been adapted to suit my macro-nutrient needs and accomodate our dietary food allergies and sensitivities.  Who wouldn't love chewy noodles and crunchy vegetables in a rich, creamy sauce?

Ingredients:

1# cooked and shredded turkey breast (chicken or lean pork could absolutely work here; Cascade is allergic to chicken so we use a lot of turkey in our househould which we purchase at Clean Plate in Menahga or Harmony in Bemidji)

8 oz soba noodles (these can be purchased at Hugo's in PR, however they do contain gluten; 100% buckwheat soba noodles can be purchased on-line; Clean Plate in Menahga no longer stocks them; the original recipe calls for spaghetti noodles and GF spaghetti noodles can be purchased at most grocery stores now).

2.5 Tbsp black vinegar (this we ordered on-line long ago for a different recipe; this is not available locally; rice vinegar or rice wine can be substituted)

2 Tbsp tahini (available at most grocery stores; if you cannot do sesame, you could increase the PB or substitute sunbutter instead)

1 Tbsp organic peanut butter

2 tsp honey (original recipe called for granulated sugar)

1/4 c hot filtered water

3 eggs (we used egg whites)

sea salt

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil or cooking spray

1 large English cucumber, cut into thin matchsticks

1 large carrot, cut into matchsticks (we purchase organic matchstick carrots at Wal-Mart to make meal prep faster; also we add this individually as carrot is mildly allergic, especially to raw carrots)

1 bunch scallions (organic available at Wal-Mart, original recipe calls for 2-3 which I always think is ridiculous for such a small amount and try to add as many non-starchy veggies as possible to every recipe)

2 tsp chili oil, optional (also not available locally; Chris recently ordered several varieties since this chili crisp is really popular now; I really do not think it is necessary and just adds more fat to the overall recipe)

Sriracha (original recipe does not call for, but it was a wonderful condiment to add for additional spice)

Instructions:

1.)  Cook noodles according to package instructions until al dente.  Drain, rinse under cold water, then drain again.  Set aside.

2.)  Stir together vinegar, nut butters, and honey in a small bowl until smooth.  Slowly pour in hot water, stirring until smooth.

3.)  In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and 1/8 tsp salt.  Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium high heat.  Pour 1/2 egg mixture into skillet; cook, undisturbed, until bottom and edges are just set and no longer stick to skillet, about 30 seconds.  Flip and cook, undisturbed until bottom is set, another 30 seconds.  Using a spatula, roll the egg into a log, and transfer to a cutting board to cool completely, about 5 minutes.  Repeat with remaining egg mixture.  When egg rolls are completely cooled, slice crosswise into thin strips.  (Quite frankly I don't see why you couldn't just scramble the eggs to make this step less tedious).

4.)  Toss together noodles, cucumber, carrot, scallions, egg, and 3/4 tsp salt.  Drizzle with dressing.  Toss together until well combined.

5.)  Add sriracha and/or chili oil to your individual portion.