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Recipes

Philly Cheese Steak Casserole

April 20th, 2020 by Debbie Martilotta

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 lbs lean grass-fed ground beef
  • 2 bell peppers
  • 1/2 yellow onion
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
  • 4 slices organic Provolone cheese
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon hot sauce
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9×9 baking dish with non-stick spray.
  2. Dice the peppers and onions into bite-sized pieces. Mince the garlic.
  3. Add the ground beef to a skillet and cook over medium heat, crumbling as it cooks.
  4. When beef is broken apart, but still pink, add the peppers, onion, garlic, and seasoned salt. Continue cooking, stirring often, until beef is cooked through and vegetables have softened a bit.
  5. Drain grease from the skillet and pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish.
  6. Tear the cheese into small pieces and place over the beef mixture.
  7. Add the eggs, cream, hot sauce, and Worcestershire sauce to a mixing bowl and whisk well to combine.
  8. Pour the egg mixture over the beef and place the dish in the oven. Bake for 35 minutes or until the eggs are set.
  9. Let sit 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Makes 6 servings. Per serving: 366 calories, 23g fat, 33g protein, 5g carbs, 1g fiber

Courtesy of That Low Carb Life

How Much Protein Should I Eat Daily For Weight Loss?

February 5th, 2020 by Debbie Martilotta

Decades of scientific research on weight loss have uncovered a few key pieces of information on what helps people successfully win the battle of the bulge.

  • First, we know that while exercise is important, a person’s healthy eating habits likely matters more for weight loss than the hours they spend in the gym.
  • Second, when it comes to dieting, there is no single best one for losing weight; many diets can work quite well as long as total calorie balance is accounted for.
  • Third, dietary protein is one of the key “levers” in a diet that increases the likelihood of someone’s ability to lose weight.

This article is going to cut through a lot of the noise surrounding protein and tell you how much protein you should be eating to lose weight and some of the things you should consider when planning your diet.

WHAT IS PROTEIN?
Protein is an important macronutrient that is involved in nearly all bodily functions and processes. It plays a key role in exercise recovery and is an essential dietary nutrient for healthy living. Protein and amino acids are primarily used to create bodily tissues, form enzymes, and cellular transporters, maintain fluid balance, and more.

HOW MUCH PROTEIN PER DAY TO LOSE WEIGHT?
If you want to lose weight, aim for a daily protein intake between .73 and 1 grams per pound. Athletes and heavy exercisers should consume 1-1.5 grams per pound if aiming for weight loss.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF PROTEIN IN WEIGHT LOSS?
Dietary protein can be an important part of a diet that is intended for weight loss. While there are many benefits to dietary protein, there are four main areas that have direct effects on weight loss:

  • Satiety
  • Lean mass
  • Thermic effect of food
  • Storage as body fat

Let us take a deeper dive into each of these topics.

PROTEIN HELPS YOU FEEL FULL LONGER
One of the biggest things that impede weight loss is hunger.

People are far less likely to stick with a nutrition or diet plan if they experience high levels of hunger.

Protein is the most satiating of all the macronutrients.

Several different lines of research have all pointed to the same thing: higher protein intakes tend to provide more satiety and less hunger.

For example, in one study, high protein snacks allowed people to go longer between eating and also caused them to eat less at subsequent meals.

Another study showed that including protein into a glass of water decreased hunger compared to water alone.

Depending on the source of protein, there does appear to be minor differences in the exact amount of satiety that protein provides, however these differences are minor and don’t really make a meaningful impact for most people.

Currently, there is no consensus on the optimal level of daily protein intake in one’s diet with regard to staying full. However, roughly .82-1.32 grams of protein per pound appear to provide substantial benefit on satiety.

PROTEIN PRESERVES LEAN BODY MASS
In addition, protein has another benefit on weight loss: it helps preserve lean body mass during periods of caloric restriction.

One study compared the effect of low protein intake (1.0 grams per kilogram per day) to high protein intake (2.3 g/kg per day) on lean body mass over a short term caloric deficit. On average, the low protein group lost about 1.6 kilograms (3.5 pounds) of muscle mass while the high protein group only lost 0.3 kg (0.66 pounds) of muscle mass.

Currently, most evidence suggests that .73 grams of protein per pound are a recommended daily target for protein intake to spare lean body mass loss during periods of weight loss.

PROTEIN INCREASES THE THERMIC EFFECT OF FOOD
The thermic effect of food is the “cost” of digesting your food.

Essentially, it takes some energy to break food down, digest it, and turn it into energy. Protein has the highest “cost” of all three macronutrients.

While the total effect that the thermic effect of food has on daily energy expenditure and weight loss is small, it is not meaningless and is important to note.

In one study, a high protein diet increased the thermic effect of food by roughly 6-8 kcals per hour when compared to a low protein diet, which may translate to ~50-75 calories per day.

However, not all studies show this large of an effect, and the thermic effect of protein is not likely responsible for most of its benefit, but it may be the “cherry on top” of adequate dietary protein during weight loss.

PROTEIN IS HARD TO STORE AS BODY FAT
During periods of weight loss, there are often times where more energy is consumed than expended. As such, minimizing how much of that excess energy (i.e. calories) is stored as fat is important.

The body processes the three different macronutrients (i.e. proteins, carbohydrates, and fats) in very different ways.

Leaving out a lot of jargon and mumbo jumbo, in order for protein to be stored as fat, it goes through a much different biochemical process than either carbohydrates or fats.

This process makes it much harder for protein to store as body fat.

One study found that protein is stored as body fat with roughly 66% efficiency, while carbohydrates store with 80% efficiency and fats store at 96% efficiency.

During weight loss, overeating protein results in much less stored body fat than overeating on carbohydrates or fat.

While many different diets can be successful for weight loss, the protein content of a diet is one of the important factors to consider when planning a diet. Protein has been shown to promote satiety, help maintain lean body mass, increase the thermic effect of food slightly, and can reduce how efficient the body is at storing extra calories as body fat.

Courtesy of NASM.org

Cast Iron Whole Chicken

January 27th, 2020 by Debbie Martilotta

A simple and easy whole roasted chicken that is full of flavor, perfectly moist, and tender! This recipe is gluten-free, allergy-free, and paleo using a no-fail method for success. We think it’s just a fabulous way to up your protein and enjoy a home-cooked meal.

Ingredients:
•1 whole free-range, organic chicken, 4-5 lbs
•2 small Gala apples, chopped
•1 large shallot, chopped
•2 t oil (I use sunflower oil)
•1 1/2 t dried thyme
•1 t dried basil
•1/2 t garlic powder
•1/2 t onion powder
•1/2 t ground ginger
•1/4 t ground black pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375oF
2. Rinse and pat dry the chicken, inside and outside
3. Place chicken in a large seasoned cast iron skillet and stuff with chopped apples and shallot in the cavity of the chicken, place any extra pieces around the chicken in the cast iron skillet
4. Rub the outside with the oil, herbs, and spices
5. Roast in the oven for about 1 hour and 40minutes (about 20 minutes per pound) or until the chicken reaches a safe 180F
6. Remove from oven, cover with foil, let rest for 15-20 minutes before carving

Recipe from Strength & Sunshine

Zucchini Egg Nests

December 31st, 2019 by Debbie Martilotta

Ingredients

  • 3 large zucchini or 4 small, to yield 6 cups spiralized
  • 1 tsp salt, more to taste
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp onion powder
  • 1/8 tsp ground black pepper plus more to taste
  • Coconut oil, for greasing
  • 6 Farm Fresh eggs
  • Optional: Crushed red pepper, spices, fresh herbs like dill, cilantro, parsley for garnish

Instructions

  • Use a vegetable peeler or a spiralizer to slice the zucchini into noodles.
  • Place in a colander over a bowl and toss with sea salt until evenly coated.
  • Let the zucchini noodles sit for 20 minutes so they can sweat.
  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F, and use coconut oil to generously grease a 6-cup jumbo muffin tin or 6 ramekins that are at least 3.5 inches in diameter.
  • Use your hands to squeeze the zucchini noodles to release as much moisture as possible.
  • Place in a bowl and add garlic powder, onion powder, and ground black pepper.
  • Carefully separate the egg whites from the yolk. The easiest way to do this is to crack an egg into your hand over a bowl, then pass the egg yolk from one hand to another until the whites drip down between your fingers into the bowl.
  • Place the yolks on a plate, and add the whites to the zucchini noodles and mix together.
  • Divide the zucchini noodles into the prepared muffin tin cups or ramekins. Create a nest and leave an indent in the center.
  • Carefully place a yolk in the center of each zucchini nest.
  • Sprinkle with more salt and pepper.
  • Bake for 15-20 minutes until the yolks are cooked to your liking.

courtesy of What Great Grandma Ate

Scrambled Eggs with Tomatoes, Herbs, and Goat Cheese

September 9th, 2019 by Debbie Martilotta

Ingredients:
▪ 8 large organic eggs
▪ 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
▪ ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
▪ 2 tablespoons of filtered water
▪ 1 tablespoon clarified butter or ghee
▪ 1 small tomato, roughly chopped
▪ 2 ounces soft goat cheese
▪ ¼ cup fresh herbs (chives, thyme, parsley, dill, oregano), roughly chopped

Directions:
Step 1: In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, salt, pepper, and water.
Step 2: In a large nonstick skillet, warm the butter over medium heat until shimmering. Add the egg mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until the eggs form
soft curds, about 3 minutes.
Step 3: Fold in the tomatoes and remove the pan from the stove. Gently fold in the goat cheese and herbs, divide among four serving plates, and serve immediately.

Nutritional analysis per serving: calories 250, fat 10 g, saturated fat 15 g,
cholesterol 359 mg, fiber 0.3 g, protein 16 g, carbohydrate 2 g, sodium 480 mg
Dr Hyman

Roasted Zucchini, Squash, Onions, and Tomatoes

August 14th, 2019 by Debbie Martilotta

Ingredients

  • 2 small zucchini (1 lb), cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
  • 2 small yellow squash (1 lb), cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
  • 1 med onion, cut into 1″ thick squares
  • 14 oz cherry or small Campari tomatoes, sliced in halve
  • 3 Tbsp olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced (1 1/2 Tbsp)
  • 1 1/4 tsp Italian seasoning (or your favorite dried or fresh herbs)
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup finely shredded organic Parmesan cheese
  • Fresh or dried parsley, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Line an 18 by 13 inch rimmed baking sheet with a sheet of parchment paper or aluminum foil.
  3. In a small bowl whisk together olive oil, garlic and Italian seasoning (if possible let rest 5 – 10 minutes to allow flavors to infuse into oil).
  4. Place zucchini, squash, onions, and tomatoes in a large mixing bowl. Pour olive oil mixture over top and gently toss with hands to evenly coat.
  5. Pour onto the prepared baking dish and spread into an even layer. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle Parmesan over the top of each.
  6. Roast in preheated oven 25 – 30 minutes until veggies are tender and Parmesan is golden brown.
  7. Garnish with parsley if desired and serve warm.

Recipe source: Cooking Classy

Zucchini Shrimp Scampi

July 30th, 2019 by Debbie Martilotta

Ingredients

  • 4 medium zucchinis
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 1 lb medium shrimp, or large shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • ¼ cup low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • fresh parsley, for garnish

Preparation

  1. Using a vegetable spiralizer or a coarse cheese grater, slide the zucchini down the grater, shaving off long strips. Rotate the zucchini constantly, grating all sides, until you reach the seeds in the center.
  2. Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large, nonstick skillet.
  3. Add the shrimp in and season with the salt, black pepper, red pepper (do not omit), and garlic. Sauté the shrimp evenly until they begin to show a pink color, about 3 minutes.
  4. Pour in the chicken broth and lemon juice, and let the liquid come to a simmer.
  5. Add the zucchini noodles and stir until everything is combined and the shrimp are fully cooked.
  6. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley leaves and serve.

Enjoy!
Serves 6

Curry Cauliflower Soup

July 30th, 2019 by Debbie Martilotta

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 1/2 cups halved and sliced onions
  • 1 teaspoon curry powder
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 2 cups of water
  • 4 cups chopped cauliflower
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups shredded zucchini, about 2 small

Instructions
Coat the bottom of a large pot with oil and place it over medium heat.

When the oil is hot, add the onion and curry powder, sauté until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the broth, water, and cauliflower, add the salt.

Raise the heat and bring the liquid to a simmer, stirring gently for 15 minutes.

Either blend the soup using an immersion blender or transfer it to a blender or food processor in batches. Blend until smooth.

Return the soup to the pot (if you took it out) and add all but 2 Tbl of the shredded zucchini, stir gently to reheat.

Remove from heat and ladle into 4 bowls and garnish with the reserved zucchini.

Grilled Salmon With Mustard Sauce

July 15th, 2019 by Debbie Martilotta

Ingredients
4 salmon fillets (about 6 ounces each)
1 lemon, cut in half
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Sauce
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, or
1 tablespoon dried dill
1 handful chopped fresh basil

Instructions

  1. Rinse the fillets under cold running water and pat them dry. Squeeze the juice from 1/2 lemon over the fillets, then season them with salt and pepper.
  2. Preheat grill or broiler.
  3. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce: Whisk together the mustard, olive oil, and dill in a small bowl. Add the basil and the juice from the other 1/2 lemon, mixing well.
  4. Grill the fish on high heat or broil until desired doneness, but do not overcook. Spoon the sauce over the fish and serve immediately.

Serves 4
Per serving: Calories 236, Fat 8.5 g, Saturated fat 1 g (32% of calories from fat), Protein 36 g, Carbohydrate 3 g, Cholesterol 88 mg, Fiber 1 g

from The Healthy Kitchen

Spicy Shrimp Ceviche With Cilantro

June 5th, 2019 by Debbie Martilotta

Ingredients

  • 1 lb peeled large shrimp, cooked
  • 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 2 chopped scallions
  • 1 diced red bell pepper
  • 1 cup chopped peeled jicama
  • 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
  •  1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

Combine ingredients; chill for 1 hour.
Serve cold. How easy is that!

Makes 8 servings (serving size: 1/2 cup)

Calories per serving 80
Protein per serving 12g
Carbohydrate per serving 3g
Fiber per serving 2g