My Eating Clean Journey

You are here: Home / Archives for phase 3

Spaghetti Squash Noodle Bowl with Lime Nut Sauce

If you have never tried Spaghetti Squash, you don’t know what you’re missing.  It’s so versatile and you can treat it just like you would any other pasta.  It’s a great low-carb, gluten-free alternative but even if you aren’t following a special diet, give it a try.  You’ll be thanking me.  

If you need steps on how to bake one, stop by my blog post on that.

spaghetti squash noodle bowl collage

Spaghetti Squash Noodle Bowl with Lime Nut Sauce
Serves 4
Write a review
Save Recipe
Print
Ingredients
  1. 1 large spaghetti squash
  2. 2 cups of kale, chopped
  3. 2 shallots, peeled and sliced
  4. 3 T sesame seeds
  5. 2 T basil, chopped
  6. 1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets, steamed
  7. salt and pepper
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
  2. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place the spaghetti squash on it bake in the oven for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it rest for 15 minutes, to cool. When it's cool enough to handle, cut the squash in half and remove the seeds from the inside and discard. Take a fork and scrape the "strands" from the inside of the squash. Place in a bowl. Add the kale on top of the squash so the steam can slightly wilt the kale.
  3. Toss the squash and kale together and divide evenly into four serving bowls. Top each bowl with 1/2 of the cauliflower, sesame seeds, basil and shallots.
  4. Drizzle with the Lime Nut Sauce and serve.
Notes
  1. low-carb, paleo, phase 3 Omni Drops Program
My Eating Clean Journey http://www.myeatingcleanjourney.com/
peanut sauce ingredients

 

Lime Nut Sauce
Serves 4
Write a review
Save Recipe
Print
Ingredients
  1. 1 tsp ginger, dried (or 1/2" of fresh, peeled and minced)
  2. 2 tsp of garlic (or 2 cloves, peeled and minced)
  3. 2 tsp chili garlic sauce
  4. 2 T almond butter
  5. 1 lime, juiced
  6. 1 T apple cider vinegar
  7. 2 packets of Sweetleaf Stevia
  8. 1 1/2 T Bragg's Liquid Aminos
  9. 1 tsp sesame oil
  10. 1/2 cup olive oil
Instructions
  1. Mix all of the ingredients in a blender and blend. Serve on top of the Spaghetti Squash Noodle Bowl or as a salad dressing.
My Eating Clean Journey http://www.myeatingcleanjourney.com/

Eggplant Parmigiana Low-Carb Style #EatClean

The last two years I have been growing Eggplants in my garden.  This past weekend we started the planning process of our garden for this year and again, we’ll be planting many varieties of eggplants.  Yesterday I planted radishes and spinach.  Growing your own vegetables and being so close and in semi-control of your own produce (I need to give Mother Nature part of the credit), is a great feeling.  I can’t wait until July through September when I can pick my vegetable for my dinner and minutes later be enjoying it on my plate.

Today’s recipe is spotlighting these magnificent, purple vegetables called the eggplant.  We’ve all heard of Eggplant Parmigiana but this recipe won’t be coated with a thick high-carb bread crumb, instead I used crushed almonds to give it that nice crunchy, yumminess (is that a word?).

 

eggplant parmigiana

 

Eggplant Parmigiana Low-Carb Style
Serves 4
Low-Carb, Phase 3 of Omni Drops Program
Write a review
Save Recipe
Print
Ingredients
  1. 2 large eggplants
  2. 2 eggs
  3. 4oz finely grated parmesan
  4. 4oz almonds, finely chopped or ground
  5. 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
  6. 2-4 T Coconut oil
  7. salt and pepper, to taste
  8. 2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
  9. 3 scallions, chopped
  10. 1 T cilantro, minced
Instructions
  1. Slice eggplants lenthwise. Sprinkle sea salt onto the slices and set aside for 30 minutes to help draw out some of the moisture from the eggplants. Using a paper towel, wipe the eggplants to remove the water and some of the sea salt.
  2. Using a whisk, mix the eggs and the salt and pepper in a deep plate. Mix the cheese, almond and garlic in another deep plate.
  3. Heat the 2T of the coconut oil in a pan. Dip the eggplants into the egg mixture and then into the dry ingredients, until well coated. Place them into the hot skillet and fry on both sides until they are a golden brown. You may need to add extra coconut oil after your first batch.
  4. While they are cooking; mix the tomatoes, scallions and cilantro in a small bowl.
  5. Top the golden brown eggplants with the tomato salsa and serve immediately.
My Eating Clean Journey http://www.myeatingcleanjourney.com/

Thoughts on Self Image and Zucchini Pizza

I’ve always heard that the negative thoughts in your head could harm you and harm your weight loss efforts.  I think there is another type of thought you can have that can also possibly cause you harm – thoughts that you aren’t as big as you really are.  Now that I’ve lost 44 pounds and I look at myself in the mirror, I still can’t believe I’ve lost 44 pounds.  I feel like I currently look like what I have always thought I looked like.  Imagine if someone who is severely obese doesn’t recognize that it’s gotten that bad.  That was me.  Even more unusual is the thought that once you’re obese, it’s hard to picture yourself anything but that.  I know I still have a ways to go to hit my goal weight and I should be celebrating the weight loss that I’ve already lost (went from a size 20 to a size 14 pant) but I still look at myself as being obese, therefore I find it semi-hard to celebrate my weight loss.  I wonder if I’ll ever not categorize myself as not obese, even when I’m at my goal.

I’d love to hear from others who have gone from being severely obese (also known as morbidly obese) to being at their goal weight.  What are the thoughts in your head?  How do you push through and stop looking at yourself as being fat?

 

zucchini crust

 

Yesterday was Friday and in the past we’d celebrate it with ordering pizza.  Now that we can’t do that, I decided to make our own pizza with the crust made from zucchinis.  It was so delicious and just as good as our cauliflower crust pizza.

You can top your pizza with whatever you’d like but in anticipation of Cinco de Mayo coming up, I went with a Mexican themed pizza.

mexican pizza with zucchini crust

Zucchini Pizza Crust
Serves 4
A great low-carb option for a pizza crust. If you're following the Omni Drops Program, it's for Phase 3.
Write a review
Save Recipe
Print
Ingredients
  1. 2 medium zucchini, shredded (about 2 cups)
  2. 2 eggs
  3. 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
  2. Line a baking sheet or pizza stone with parchment paper.
  3. Shred your zucchini. With your hands, squeeze the zucchini to remove excess water. Add the eggs and cheese; mix well. Your hands work really well for this step.
  4. Spread the "dough" onto the pan/stone making sure you spread it evenly. If the middle is thicker than the ends, the ends could burn before the middle is cooked. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the crust is cooked. Remove from oven and top with your desired toppings.
Notes
  1. Depending on your toppings, oven times will vary for putting it back in the oven. I topped mine with Pepperjack Cheese and Taco Meat and baked it for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from oven and top with shredded lettuce, scallions, tomatoes, jalapenos and cilantro.
My Eating Clean Journey http://www.myeatingcleanjourney.com/

Cinco de Mayo Roundup with #Foodelicious – Spaghetti Squash Taco

Are you following the Omni Drops Program or another low-carb diet and wondering what you’re going to enjoy on Cinco de Mayo (May 5th)?  This recipe is phase 3 friendly.  I love Mexican food and have really missed eating it while following this plan.  Last week a friend of mine shared this recipe with me and I knew I had to make it.  If you haven’t tried Spaghetti Squash yet, you must.  I love it and it’s a great alternative to spaghetti or just any carb in general. In this dish I layer the spaghetti squash, taco meat, tomatoes, onions, peppers and pepperjack cheese.  Enjoy and please let me know if you make this and what your opinion was.  I love comments.  🙂

Also, don’t forget to check out the other great Mexican inspired dishes below.

Spaghetti Squash Taco

Spaghetti Squash Taco
Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with this Mexican inspired low-carb dish
Write a review
Save Recipe
Print
Ingredients
  1. 1 Spaghetti Squash
  2. 1lb Ground Beef
  3. 1 Tomato, diced
  4. 1/2 Onion, diced
  5. 1/2 cup, Pepperjack cheese, shredded
  6. Jalapeno pepper (or other type of pepper), diced
  7. 2T Taco Seasoning
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place the spaghetti squash on a cookie sheet and place in the oven. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for about 15 minutes or until it's cool enough to handle. Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Using a fork, shred the squash into threads that look like spaghetti.
  2. Cook the ground beef in a pan until browned. Add in the taco seasoning and 1/4 cup of water. Mix well and remove from heat.
  3. Layer the squash, taco meat, tomatoes, onions, peppers and cheese. Top with Cilantro (optional)
My Eating Clean Journey http://www.myeatingcleanjourney.com/

cinco clip art

My #Foodelicious friends and I all got together to show you some other great Mexican dishes you can enjoy on Cinco de Mayo.  Be sure to jump along to and visit all of them.  Friend them on facebook, follow them on Pinterest or sign up for their newsletters to stay in touch with them and their other delicious recipes they share.

Beef Carnitas – Mooshu Jenne
Tequila Sunrise Jello Shots – I Love My Disorganized Life
Shrimp Stuffed Poblano Peppers – Little Family Adventures
Roasted Vegetable Chili – Foody Schmoody
Spaghetti Squash Taco – My Eating Clean Journey
Potato Tostadas – Lydia’s Flexitarian Kitchen

 

 

Zucchini Pizza Boats

 
Zucchini Pizza Boats
 
4 zucchinis, cut in half
1 lb ground beef
1 onion, diced
1 sweet bell pepper (I used a red one)
cheese, of your choice (I used cheddar)
pizza seasonings
sugar-free pizza sauce
 
Preheat your oven to 350.  Cook your ground beef, onion and bell pepper in a pan.   Add in the pizza seasoning and mix well.
Place your zucchini halves on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.  Spread some pizza sauce on each zucchini half and then top with the cheese and hamburg mixture.  Bake approx. 15 minutes.
 
I didn’t hollow out the zucchini but next time I’ll take a spoon and scoop some of it out and mix it in with the hamburg mixture.  These were really good.
 
Serves 4
 
Phase 3 – Omni Drops Program

 

Purple Cauliflower Pizza Crust

Here’s the long await Cauliflower Pizza Crust recipe.  If you’re trying to cut carbs, this is a great alternative.  My husband and I really enjoyed our pizza, we split the veggie one and our son, who said it was “okay”, ate the chicken one.  Which, by the way, he ate the whole pizza.  So it couldn’t have been that bad.  Feel free to top the pizza with whatever you’d like.  We used a blend of cheese and vegetables for one and cheese, veggies and chicken for the other.

If you make this, I’d love to know what you thought of it.

 
Cauliflower Pizza Crust
 
Ingredients 
Cauliflower, 1 head, cooked and then riced (or process in a food processor)
Egg, 1 large 
Cheddar Cheese, ½ cup, shredded 
Italian Seasonings, 2 tsp
Garlic Powder, 2 tsp
Today you can buy such fun colors of cauliflower.  For this recipe I chose purple cauliflower.
 
 
 
Rice or finely chop the cauliflower (I used a food processor and pulsed it until crumbly).  Add the egg, cauliflower, and shredded cheese.  Mix well.
 
 
 
Pour the mixture onto a cookie sheet or pizza pan/stone and form into a circle.  
Sprinkle with the Italian seasonings and garlic powder.
Bake at 450 for 15 to 20 minutes
 
Remove from oven and add desired pizza topping such as organic no-sugar red sauce, mushrooms,
green pepper, onions, cheese, etc. Bake until brown and cheese is bubbly, about 10-15 minutes.
 
Phase 3 for Omnitrition, Omni-Drops Program
 
 
 
 

Mini Cheesecake Bites with Strawberries

 
Mini Cheesecake Bites with Strawberries
 
Ingredients:
6 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
2 T Stevia
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
 
Heat oven to 350f.  Spray a mini muffin tin or use mini liners.  Blend the cream cheese and ricotta until creamy.  Add in the stevia, egg, egg yolk and vanilla.  Blend until well mixed.
Pour 1/2 of the batter into your muffin tin.  Mix the cocoa powder into the rest of the batter and top off the muffin tins with the chocolate batter.  Using a toothpick, swirl the chocolate.
Place your muffin tin on a baking sheet with sides.  Place in oven and pour water into the baking sheet until the water is 1/2 way up the sides of the muffin tin.  Bake until the cheesecake is puffed and set (you’ll see cracks in the top), 18 to 20 minutes.  Remove from the over and water and allow to cool at room temperature.  Refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours.
Serve with Strawberries.
 
Phase 3 of Omnitrition Diet with Omni Drops

 

Garlic Cream Sauce with Chicken and Spaghetti Squash (and how to roast a squash)

 
Before you can make the Garlic Cream Sauce with Chicken and Spaghetti Sauce, you need to  roast a squash.   I don’t cut mine in half as it’s so much easier to slice after it’s baked.
 
Throw your spaghetti squash on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.  Bake in a 375 degree  oven for 45-50 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let stand 15 minutes.  When it’s cooled off,  slice the squash in half and remove the seeds with a spoon.  Then take a fork and scrape out the  flesh of the squash – this is the part that looks like spaghetti.
 
Now onto the rest of the recipe!
 
 

Garlic Cream Sauce with Chicken and Spaghetti Squash 

1lb boneless skinless chicken breast grilled and cut into cubes 
1 medium spaghetti squash cooked and seeded 
1 pint heavy cream 
8 oz cream cheese with chives 
1/2 medium white onion 
1 15oz can petite diced tomatos 
1/2 cup grated parmasean cheese 
1 cup cooked spinach 
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms 
1/2 tsp salt 
1 tbs oregano 
1 1/2 tbs garlic powder 
1 tsp lemon pepper seasoning 
 
Sauté tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms and onions in medium sauté pan.  In a separate
medium sauce pan, combine cream cheese with heavy cream and Parmesan 
cheese.  Warm on medium until the cheese melts, stir often.  If your medium sauce pan will fit all the ingredients, you that.  If not, use a mixing bowl and combine the chicken, vegetables and cheese sauce.  
Add in the seasoning and mix.  Serve the sauce over the spaghetti squash.Phase 3 – Omni-Drops Program through Omnitrition
 

Sloppy Joes with Cloud Bread

It’s almost two weeks into phase 3 of my Omni-Drops program.  I’m feeling great and have maintained my weight.  Yippee!  Two more weeks and my husband and I will be loading for another round of phase 2.  Meanwhile, I’m enjoying the larger variety of vegetables and the dairy – especially the cheese.

I’ve never been a big bread lover so not having the opportunity to eat that hasn’t really bothered me.  My husband is going crazy and when I mentioned to him that there was a low-carb substitute to bread, he was so excited.  I made what we call Cloud Bread.  It’s made with eggs, cream cheese and cream of tarter.  It’s puffy and soft, like a cloud.  I was really happy with the way they came out.  On the national Omnitrition Facebook group there have been comments made about the failure of being able to produce these.  I think the trick is in making sure you beat your egg white enough until they form stiff peaks.  If you’re not used to baking, then you might not know exactly what that means.

I found a really good blog post at:
http://bakingbites.com/2005/06/cooking-school-how-to-beat-egg-whites/ which talks about egg whites and making stiff peaks.

If you make these, I’d love to know how yours turns out.

 
Cloud Bread
 
Ingredients: 
3 eggs, separated 
3 tablespoons whole milk cottage cheese or 3 tablespoons cream cheese  (I used Cream Cheese)
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar 
1 (1 g) packet Stevia
 
Directions: 
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. 
2. Separate the eggs very carefully. There must be no yolk in the white. 
3. In one bowl, mix together the egg yolks, the 3 T. of Cottage Cheese OR 
Cream Cheese and the one packet of Stevia until smooth. 
4. In the other bowl add 1/4 teaspoon of Cream of Tartar to the whites and 
beat the whites on high speed until they are fluffy and form nice peaks. 
5. Very carefully fold the egg yolk mixture into the egg whites until mixed, 
but try and not break down the fluffiness of the egg whites too much. 
6. Spray two cookie sheets with Pam or other fat-free cooking spray. 
7. With a large spoon, “scoop” the mixture into 10 even rounds on the 
sheets (about the size of the top-half of the McDonalds hamburger bun; 
roughly 3/4 inch thick and 4 to 5 inches across). 
8. Bake on the middle rack. Here is when you have to watch them, because 
the cooking time the same on any two batches. It is somewhere around 1/2 
hour, but it could be less or more. You just need to watch them until them 
become nice and golden brown (again, the color of a McDonalds bun). 
9. Remove from the pans and cool on a rack or cutting board. 
10. While warm they are crumbly and similar to cooked meringue – but 
don’t let this fool you! Once completely cool, seal them in a ziplock storage 
baggie or a Tupperware over night. They will totally change their 
consistency, to something much more like bread – a softer texture that is 
nice and chewy. If you do not like softer chewy bread, then eat them as 
 
 
Thanks to Gillian Spence for sharing this recipe
 
 
So now that I have these beautifully golden Cloud Breads, what should I eat with them?  We decided on Sloppy Joes.
 
 
Sloppy Joes (click the link to a previous blog post with the recipe) 
 
Phase 3 Recipe for the Omni-Drops Program through Omnitrition