In ST:S Weightlifting, we preach about how diet is what makes or breaks gains you make in the gym. Not supplements, not a miracle workout. Abs, muscles, and all things in that way are made in the kitchen.
Ill start this off. Lets try to keep this a recipe only thread.
Chris's Homemade Half-Calorie Granola
Ingredients:
6 cups old fashioned oatmeal
1/4 cup chopped almonds
1/4 cup chopped pecans
3 tablespoons Splenda
1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt
1/3 cup of sugar-free syrup
1/4 cup pure honey or sugar-free imitation honey
1/4 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup dried apricots
Pam nonstick spray
Step #1: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
Step #2: Prep dry ingredients. In a large bowl, toss the oatmeal with the almonds, pecans, Splenda, and salt.
Step #3: Prep wet ingredients. Add the syrup, honey, pineapple juice, and almond extract to your rolled oats mixture.
Step #4: Coat a flat pan or "jelly roll pan" with Pam and spread mixture evenly. (This might take a couple of pans.)
Step #5: Bake for 40 to 45 minutes at 300 degrees, stirring every 15 minutes so it all gets evenly toasted.
Step #6: After cooling, add cranberries and apricots.
Step #7: Store in zip-lock plastic baggies or sealed jar.
Yield: 10 half-cup servings for normal people, 5 servings for bulking bodybuilder types, 1 serving for Chad Waterbury
Tips:
• I like to use sugar-free syrup but prefer regular, natural honey to the artificial, sugar-free stuff. Reason is, most sugar-free syrups and honeys use sugar alcohols like maltitol or sorbitol. A little of these ingredients is fine, but too much and you'll... well, let's just hope you have big dog in the house to blame.
• Options: Try figs, apples, or whatever dehydrated fruits you prefer. Also, try playing with your nuts. You know, use walnuts instead of pecans or something. (What did you think I meant, perv?)
• Half-calorie granola is not only good as cold breakfast cereal, it can also be sprinkled over yogurt or added to protein shakes. Heck, I like it right out of the baggie for airplane food.
Italian Turkey Meatloaf
(Makes 8 portions)
Ingredients:
2.5 lbs extra lean ground turkey
1 small onion
1 small red or green pepper
2 ribs celery
1/2 cup zucchini (optional)
1/2 cup broccoli stems (optional)
1 Tbsp garlic chopped
Dried Spices:
1 Tbsp. dried thyme
1 Tbsp. dried basil
1 Tbsp. dried parsley
1 tsp. fresh ground pepper
1 tsp. kosher salt
4 egg whites
2 cups rolled oats
Method:
1. Cook all veggies until just done and soft, adding the garlic during the last minute or so of cooking (about 12-15 minutes total). Set aside to cool.
2. Pre heat oven to 425 degrees.
3. Put all ingredients together in a large bowl and mix well with your hands.
4. Rub 2 loaf pans liberally with olive oil or use silicone pans (works best). Fill loaf pans with meatloaf mixture.
4. Place pans on baking sheet to catch any drips and bake for approximately 35-45 minutes or until it reaches 135 degrees with a meat thermometer.
5. Remove from oven and let rest for at least 20-30 minutes.
6. Turn out onto a cutting board and slice into thick slices.
Per portion:
Calories 312
Fat 13g
Protein 30g
Carbohydrates 17g
Dietary Fiber 1g
To Serve:
Serve with roasted apples or pears for a delicious meal.
Chicken Apple Salad
Makes 2 portions
Ingredients:
10 oz. grilled chicken breast
2 small granny smith apples
1/2 red onion
1 red bell pepper
1-2 jalapenos
1 lime, juice and zest
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 handful fresh cilantro
Salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Cut chicken into strips, apple slices, red onion slices, pepper slices. Put all this into a large bowl.
2. Zest lime and add to bowl.
3. In small food processor add jalapeno, juice of the lime and process. Add olive oil and process. Pour this over the salad and mix. If you don't have a food processor, mince jalapeno with a knife and add to lime juice. Wisk in olive oil, then add to bowl with chicken.
4. Add lightly chopped cilantro and salt and pepper. Mix well.
5. Let this sit for about an hour for the flavors to mix
Per portion:
Calories 354
Fat 15g
Protein 30g
Carbohydrates 28g
Dietary Fiber 5g
To Serve:
Serve on top of a green salad for lunch. Great after it sits in the fridge for a day also. Make a large batch and eat for a few days.
Steak Chili
(for slow cooker or large pot)
Makes 8 portions
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 large yellow onions chopped
2 large green bell peppers chopped
1 large red pepper, chopped
1 cup chopped celery
2 pound top round or bottom round steak, cut into 1/2 inch cubes or smaller.
2 Tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp. leaf oregano
2 Tbsp chopped fresh garlic
1 can (28 oz.) diced tomatoes
2 Tbsp tomato paste
4 Tbsp Chipotle pepper paste (comes in cans packed in adobo sauce, just puree to a fine paste)
1 cup water or stock
Salt and pepper
Chopped fresh cilantro
Method:
1. Salt and pepper meat and brown in a hot cast iron or heavy bottom pan with olive oil a little at a time, add to crock pot when done. (It does not need to be fully cooked at this point, just browned.)
2. Sautee onions in the same pan (without cleaning) 5 minutes. Add to crock-pot.
3. Sautee peppers (both colors) and add to crock-pot. Add garlic and spices to the pan and sauté about 30 seconds to 1 minute till fragrant
4. Add Chipotle paste and tomato paste and sauté a minute more, and then add some of the water or stock to the pan and stir off any brown bits (fond) from the bottom of the pan. Pour into the crock pot with the rest of the ingredients.
5. Add celery and can of tomatoes to crock pot with the rest of the water or stock and then turn on high until it comes to a light simmer. Turn down and cook for another 25-30 minutes if using top round. For bottom round cook for 1 1/2 hours total.
6. Add chopped fresh cilantro and garnish with sour cream and chopped red onions if desired.
Per portion without rice made with beef top round:
Calories 297
Fat 15g
Protein 27g
Carbohydrates 14g
Dietary Fiber 4g
To Serve:
Serve with brown rice for a complete meal
8.
Cranberry Orange Muffins
Makes 6 muffins
Ingredients:
Dry:
1 scoop Orange Metabolic Drive Protein Powder
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1 cup oats
2 tsp. baking powder
2/3 cup Splenda
Wet:
3 whole eggs
1 cup milk
1 Tbsp. vinegar (apple cider or white)
1 cup cottage cheese
2 Tbsp. pure vanilla extract
Garnish:
zest of 1 orange
1/2 cup dried cranberries
Method:
1. Pre heat oven to 350.
2. Using silicone muffin cups or regular lined muffin tins, spray lightly with non stick spray or rub with oil if not using liners.
3. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl.
4. Combine wet ingredients separately in a small bowl .
5. Add garnish ingredients to wet and fold in.
6. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients into it.
7. Gently mix together the wet and the dry ingredients until just combined.
DO NOT OVER MIX!
8. Fill muffin cups and bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until a knife comes out clean.
DO NOT OVER BAKE!
9. Let cool slightly, then remove from cups and eat warm. Muffins can be frozen and re-heated also.
Per portion:
Calories 189
Fat 6g
Protein 16g
Carbohydrates 20g
Dietary Fiber 3g
Full Frontal Frittata
Imagine, if you will, a pie.
Not a sweet pie, but a savory pie, a pie you could have for breakfast or dinner, a pie that's low in carbs, high in protein, and full of healthy vegetables.
Oh, you say, surely no such wondrous pie exists!
And I'd say, yes, yes it does exist, and it hails from Italy and is the granddaddy of the hearty omelet, only... tastier. It's called a frittata, and it's like slow wet sex on a thunderous Texas night.
Well, okay, maybe not that good. But it's mighty tasty. Let's make us one!
Ingredients:
4 omega-3 enriched whole eggs or 8 egg whites (3/4 cup of whites)
1 small yellow squash, sliced
1 small zucchini, sliced
1 tomato, sliced
4 ounces (1 cup) shredded fat-free mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup low-fat Feta cheese, crumbled
1 cup skim milk or Calorie Countdown milk
Reduced-fat Parmesan cheese
1 Tablespoon basil
1 garlic clove (minced) or dash of garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Pam cooking spray
Instructions:
1. Find your oven. It's probably near the microwave. Preheat that sucker to 375 degrees.
2. Toss your sliced squash and zucchini into the microwave for 6 or 7 minutes until tender. Spray a 9-inch pie plate or baking dish with Pam and line it with the nuked veggies.
3. On top of the veggies, toss in the mozzarella, tomato, and feta.
4. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, garlic, basil, salt, and pepper. Pour this into your pie pan over the cheese and tomato layer. Sprinkle the top with Parmesan.
5. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes uncovered. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before wolfing down.
Options:
Lots. This works great with whole eggs or egg whites. And pretty much any vegetable goes. I've used mushrooms, peppers of every kind, avocado, eggplant, spinach, and sun dried tomato to name a few. Basically, just toss whatever veggies you have in the fridge. "Frittata" is in fact Italian for "leftover user-upper." (That's a true fact I just made up.)
I've also made it with lean turkey sausage for a true "breakfast pie" experience. Just brown the sausage a little in a pan first and toss it on top of your veggie layer.
Get creative with this one!
