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Super easy, so yummy! The kids can help with this one! Makes for EASY clean-up too!

This was my first family-style Zone meal that I made. This recipe makes 5 servings of a 3 block meal.

Ingredients

5 flour tortillas
12 oz. package of firm tofu
5 oz. grated jack or cheddar
1 1/2 C. eggplant, peeled and diced (approx. 1/2 eggplant)
1 C brocolli, chopped (approx. 5 florets)
1/3 C diced yellow onion (approx. 1/4 med. onion)
1 1/3 C. diced zucchini (approx. 1 whole zucchini)
5 thick slices avocado (1/2 of a large avocado)
2/3 tsp. olive oil
5 tsp. sour cream
Cilantro
 
Start by cutting the tofu in half lengthwise and laying on papertowels. Lay 2 more papertowels on top and set a heavy saucepan on top to press the moisture out. Let the tofu sit for about 10 minutes or so.Cut tofu into small 1/4 squares.

Add the oil to a non-stick pan. Add the tofu and season to taste with cumin, red pepper, or any other spices you like. Add vegetables. Cook about 5-7 minutes. If you need more moisture in the pan to keep the food from sticking just add a few TB. of water.  Add cilantro if desired.

When making the burrito you can choose to have the avocado and sour cream as your fat or you can just have avocado and double it which is a much better choice.

Roll the burrito up and enjoy your green burrito.

If there are any problems with the addition of this meal I'm sure someone will let me know.

I do almost all of my cooking by eye so I apologize for the lack of measurements in this recipe. This lasagne recipe leaves out grains and cuts out some fat by replacing ricotta cheese with tofu. Trust me, you'll never know the difference.

Ingredients:

Zucchinni
Homemade meat sauce
Variety of diced veggies
1 package of silken tofu
8 oz. mozzarella cheese
1 egg
Salt
Pepper
Basil
Oregano

To make "ricotta" mixture, blend silken tofu and grated mozzarella together with a fork. Add egg, salt, pepper, basil and oregano to taste. Set aside.

Slice zucchinni lengthwise into thick 1/2" slices. Prepare a hearty, beefy sauce however you like. Spread some sauce on the bottom of a casserole dish. (I use 9x12) Then layer some zucchinni to cover the bottom of the dish. Add a bunch of diced up veggies like carrots, mushrooms, eggplant or whatever else you like. Then layer half of the "ricotta" mixture. Add another layer of zucchinni and the remaining 'ricotta' mixture. Layer zucchinni again, spread some sauce on top. Keep repeating by adding more diced veggies and layers of zucchinni until the dish is complete.

Bake for about 30 minutes at 375 degrees or until heated through.

Another good variation if you want to leave out the 'ricotta' mixture is to make a nutty pesto with walnuts, basil, garlic, olive oil and fresh spinach. Put this in place of the 'ricotta' mixture.  

I found this recipe in yesterday's newspaper. It is lighter version of the classic, but with a little "tweeking" it would be a great "family friendly" zone recipe. I haven't tried it yet, but will try it this week.

We all know potatoes are full of carbs. But I love me some comfort food...pot roast with some mashed potatoes...yummy!

Instead of using mashed potatoes, I have opted for steaming celeriac (celery root) and then pureeing it in a food processor. Adding just a tablespoon of olive oil gives it a whipped consistency but you really don't even have to do that.

Now you aren't going to fool anyone that celeriac is potatoes....there is a mild celery taste but with just a little bit of salt and pepper and some juices from your roast, you'll be loving your low carb mashed 'potatoes'.

Here are some basic celeriac nutrition facts:

1 serving (155g) has only 9g of carbs, 0g of fat and no sugar. Whereas the same serving of potatoes has 33g of carbs, 0g of fat and 3g of sugar.

One large celery root makes approximately 4 servings.

I know this seems so simple and easy but let's talk about omlettes for a minute.

I started eating omlettes every morning after I had been eating cereal for years...decades. I always had this awful feeling of hunger shortly after eating cereal and often I would just eat more bread. Once I started eating omlettes, I was cured from this insatiable hunger and could manage my need for more food.

With a husband and three children all at home it seems like I must be wonder mom to get omlettes cooked up every morning. But I'm not.

I spend a few hours on Sunday, or whatever other day offers me the time and desire to cut, chop, cut, chop and grate. I get everything out of the fridge and cut up enough omlette ingredients for the week, including grated cheese.

I only eat a 2 egg omlette and I load it up with veggies. What I put in the omlette depends on what is on sale and in season.

Things I love to put in my omlettes:

Brocolli
Zuchinni
Red or Green Bell Pepper
Green Onions
Mushrooms
Asparagus
Left over sauteed vegetables from the night before
Salsa
Cilantro
and of course a little bit of cheese
Some raw red cabbage sprinkled over the top of a cooked omlette is really good too

I use a little bit of coconut oil to cook my omlette in. It keeps it from sticking to the pan and gives it a really nice flavor.

For all of you non-cooks out there, I'll give you a simple run down of how to prepare an omlette.

First get out your container of pre-chopped vegetables that we talked about above. Throw them in a pan with a a few tablespoons of water in it and cook them to desired tenderness or crunchiness. While the vegetable are cooking crack open 2-3 eggs into a bowl (I use a 2 cup measuring cup) and mix the eggs. Place cooked vegetables on a plate.

Add a tablespoon of coconut oil to a warm pan and turn the heat down to medium. Allow the coconut oil to melt and then add the eggs. Tilt the pan to make sure the eggs spread out of the whole pan. Fancy chefs probably have an omlette or pancake turner but I use a good 'ol spatula. Once the egg has cooked nearly all the way through, loosen the edges and attempt to flip. Or just let it continue to cook on low heat until there is no runnies....this might just take a bit longer.

Throw in your cheese and vegetables on one-half of the omlette, flip the other side over to close it up and viola! You've got yourself an omelette.

If you aren't a breakfast person you can try this for dinner too! My kids love having breakfast foods for dinner....they must think it's a wacky, kid kind of day when we flip these around like that.

These are great - so many things you can do with them. Freeze great - so make a bunch and stock the freezer.  Depending on the size you make them - 1 - 2 meatball counts as 1 block protein.  They are even great cold - perfect for lunch on the go!

Serves 2

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, each about 4 ounces, cut into 1-inch chuncks
Herbamare (or your favorite all-spice)
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
Olive oil cooking spray
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 medium asparagus spears, cut into 2-inch-long pieces
4 cherry tomatoes, halved
4 teardrop tomatoes, halved (use cherry tomatoes if you can't find teardrops)
1 large portobello mushroom, stem and gills removed, cut into 8 to 10 1-inch pieces
6 scallions, white part only, sliced diagonally
3 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons dry white wine
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons minced fresh basil

1. Season the chicken lightly on both sides with Herbamare, salt, and pepper, and set aside.

2. Coat a saute pan with olive oil cooking spray.  Put 1 teaspoon of the olive oil in the pan, and heat it over medium heat.  Add the asparagus, cherry and teardrop tomatoes, and mushroom, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the tomatoes soften.  Add the scallions and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes longer, or until softened.  Transfer the vegetables to a bowl.

3. Heat another teaspoon of the olive oil in the pan, add the chicken, and cook for 1 minute, or until it begins to brown on one side.  Turn the chicken with a spatula, and cook for about 5 minutes longer, stirring and turning, until the meat is evenly browned.  Transfer the chicken to the bowl with the vegetables.

4. Spray the pan again with cooking spray.  Put the remaining teaspoon of olive oil in the pan, add the garlic, and saute for about 1 minute, until golden.  Stir in the chicken broth, wine, and lemon juice, and bring the contents to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer for 3 minutes.  Use a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan and mix them into the broth.  Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir well.

5. Stir the chicken and vegetables into the pan and cook, stirring gently, until heated through.  Stir in the basil, season to taste with more salt and pepper, and serve.

Per serving: 12 grams carbohydrates, 26 grams protein, 7 grams fat

I get the skinless boneless frozen salmon at Costco. They are all ready cut into 3 to 4 oz. portions and vacuum wrapped individually. They are easily thawed out in cool water just make sure to leave them in there vacuum wrap, takes about 10 minutes.

I haven't calculated the "blocks" on this - but it fits nicely in the zone! Our whole family loves this. Makes 6 - 8 servings. Great leftovers.