South Beach Diet

Chris and I started back on this diet Monday.  We originally tried it 7-8 years ago.  I lost 35 lbs, can’t remember the number Chris lost but remember it to be quite a bit.  We really like this diet, it’s supposed to cause you to lose belly fat first and 8-10 lbs in the first 2 weeks of phase 1.  Phase 1 mainly consists of lean meats, vegtables, eggs, low fat cheese and nuts.   I made a big pot of Turkey and White Bean Chili on Monday night for dinner.  Crustless Quiche for breakfast Tues and today.  Pesto Chicken, Stuffed Tomatoes and Roasted Asparagus for dinner last night.  Walnut Crusted Chicken with spagetti squash and steamed brocolli for dinner tonight.  Today I roasted some chicken breasts and made a bunch of chicken salad(chicken, low fat mayo, lots of dill, lemon juice, red onion, celery and Truvia to sweeten) for the next several days lunches.  The only dessert were having during phase 1 is sugar free jello.  I’m trying to keep recipes as simple as possible.  Eating string cheese and walnuts or almonds in between breakfast and lunch and between lunch and dinner helps keep us full.  It really helps to plan ahead and be prepared to prevent cheating.  I’ve also always like to keep a container of some sort of soup in the fridge each week for the nights I don’t feel like cooking.  Recipes below:

Turkey and White Bean Chili from South Beach Diet Quick and Easy Cookbook

Ingredients

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, roughly chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 lb turkey cutlets, cut into 1/2-inch pieces. (I used lean ground turkey)

1 tbsp chili powder

1 tsp ground cumin

1 (15-oz) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

1 (14.5-oz) can Mexican diced tomatoes(I used 2 10 oz cans of Ro-tel diced tomatoes with lime)

1 cup lower-sodium chicken broth

1 tsp Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
Add turkey, chili powder and cumin; cook, stirring often, until the turkey is no longer pink inside, about 5 minutes.
Add beans, tomatoes with juice and broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until flavors blend, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Pesto Chicken from South Beach Diet Quick and Easy Cookbo0k

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/2 C pesto

2 oz. shredded part skim mozzarella cheese (1/2 C)

salt and pepper

Heat oven to 375 degrees

Season chicken with salt and pepper.  Spread 1/4 cup of the pesto in a 9 x 13 baking dish.  Lay chicken breasts over pesto in an even layer and spread remaining pesto on top of chicken.

Cover baking dish with foil and bake chicken until cooked through – 20-25 minutes.  Uncover and top with cheese.  Bake until cheese is melted, 5 more minutes.

Stuffed Tomatoes from South Beach Diet Quick and Easy Cookbook

Ingredients: 4 plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise 3 ounces shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (1/2 cup) 1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh basil leaves 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese 1 garlic clove, minced Salt and freshly ground black pepper	Enlarge Image
Directions: Heat oven to 400° F. Scoop out the inside of each tomato half with a melon baller and roughly chop the scooped pulp. Combine tomato pulp, mozzarella, basil, Parmesan, garlic, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Place tomatoes, cut side up, on a baking sheet. Spoon in tomato mixture and bake until cheese is melted and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Serve warm.

Crustless Quiche(allrecipes.com(

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 5 eggs, beaten
• 3 cups shredded Muenster cheese=I used swiss and cheddar jack
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9 inch pie pan.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft. Stir in spinach and continue cooking until excess moisture has evaporated.
3. In a large bowl, combine eggs, cheese, salt and pepper. Add spinach mixture and stir to blend. Scoop into prepared pie pan.
4. Bake in preheated oven until eggs have set, about 30 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

 

Walnut Crusted Chicken my own recipe

1/2 c very finely chopped walnuts

1/2 Tablespoon italian seasoning

parm cheese

4 chicken breast

marinara sauce-I used Paul Newman’s

Season chicken breasts with garlic powder, salt and pepper.  Mix walnuts with italian seasoning, 1 T parm cheese.  Press chicken breasts into nut mixture.  Brown in 1 Tablespoon of olive oil for 2 mins per side.  Top with small amt. of marinara sauce. Bake in 375 oven for 40-45.  I served these over spagetti squash  I roasted alongside the chicken.

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