Stuffed Chicken Breast

Here is a quick and tasty protein recipe. These can be made ahead of time and they are portable for lunches and snacks. As far as the seasonings, experiment with your favorite fresh herbs and spices. I used garlic powder, oregano, and thyme for this batch.

12 min prep time, 30 min cooking time

• Large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1-2 Tbsp tahini per chicken breast
• Chopped tomato
• Shredded spinach
• Seasonings to taste

With a sharp fillet knife, slice the chicken breasts lengthwise, making a pocket to stuff. Spread the tahini in each chicken pocket. Fill with the spinach and tomato, or other veggies of your choice. Add any seasonings, close the chicken breast, and place in a baking dish. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Zone info: 1 oz chicken = 1 protein block, 1 Tbsp tahini = 5 fat blocks, carb content minimal





Slow Cooker Red Cabbage

Red Cabbage Revisited! A little over a year ago, in my first batch of recipes for the Performance Menu, I introduced Scandinavian Red Cabbage. I have experimented with this recipe since then, always looking for a faster, more convenient method. This version is done in the slow cooker, and by adding sausage (or other meat), we can make this into a complete meal. If you use sausage, be sure to look for brands that don't contain nitrates.

12 minutes prep, slow cook on low 5+ hrs

• 9 C shredded red cabbage
• 4-5 sausages, cut into bite sized pieces
• 1/2 apple, chopped
• 1/4 C dried currants or 1/2 C fresh currants
• 1/2 C water
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• Pepper


Add all of the ingredients to the slow cooker. Cook on low 5 or more hours. This is tasty hot, or you can chill it for later.

Zone info: (protein and fat will vary here depending on what the sausage you use contains. You'll have to figure that part up yourself- remember that 7g protein = 1 protein block, and 1.5g fat = 1 fat block) Before the sausage is added, this recipe yields 4 servings at 2 carb blocks, 7 fat blocks



Gazpacho

Got some fresh veggies from the garden? Here is a quick chilled summer soup you can whip up to take advantage of the summer's bountiful harvest (unless your gardening skills are similar to mine, and then you can always fall back on the neighbor, or even the market).

Gazpacho is Spanish in origin, and can take many forms. Here is a basic recipe. Don't be afraid to deviate from this recipe, you can use whatever you have on hand.

10 minutes

• 2 C tomato sauce (Pomi strained tomatoes are excellent)
• 1 1/4 C chopped red bell pepper
• 1 C chopped cucumber
• 2/3 C chopped red onion
• 1/4 C chopped cilantro
• 1 chopped garlic clove
• 2 Tbsp lime juice
• 1 Tbsp dried basil
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp cumin
• Olive oil, optional

Mix all ingredients in a bowl, except the olive oil. Refrigerate for one hour. Add olive oil to meet your fat block needs, if desired. Serve cold.

Zone info: 4 servings at - 1.5 carb blocks (if olive oil is used, 1/3 tsp olive oil = 1 fat block)






3-Minute Chicken

This is a good quick meal that is perfect for leftovers, or if you are the planning type you can convert that cold lump-o-chicken-breast into a hot meal in minutes.

• Chicken breast
• ¼ - ½ head of cabbage
• Olive oil
• Marinara sauce (low sugar)
• Fresh basil leaves
• Black pepper

Grab a chicken breast and slice it as thinly as possible lengthwise. Turn the strips 90* and cut the strips into small cubes. You can control the texture at this point by either finely mincing the chicken or leaving it in larger cubes. Now thinly slice ¼ - ½ head of cabbage. Place chicken and olive oil in a pan with as much olive oil as you need to satisfy your fat block requirements. Add 1-2 cups of the low sugar marinara sauce of your choice. Heat thoroughly on high heat. Serve garnished with fresh basil leaves and toped with ground black pepper.

Zone Info: This is a build it as you need it recipe. Chicken is 1 block protein per oz. ¼ head of cabbage and ½ cup of marinara sauce each equal 1 carb block and of course 1/3 tsp. of olive oil is 1 fat block.





Home Made BBQ Sauce

Those of us in the northern hemisphere still have some summer grilling before us. For those of you in the Southern hemisphere… well, who am I trying to kid. Anywhere, anytime is a good time for BBQ! Unfortunately most off the shelf BBQ sauces are loaded with sugar and wheat in the form of soy and teriyaki sauce. Yummy to be sure but they offer both an insulin spike and a gut bomb. What’s a health conscious griller to do? Make your own! I’ve tinkered with this a bunch this last summer and I have what I think is a pretty good base to which you can add nearly any spice combo. OK, I hear the murmurs of disbelief… Don’t worry, I’ve got The Duck!

The base of this sauce is one part El Pato (http://www.mexgrocer.com/brand-el-pato.html) and one part Valentina (http://www.mexgrocer.com/brand-valentina.html) picante sauce. One cup total is a pretty good amount for 1lb (400-500g) of meat. This base sauce is awesome and can be used as-is but some of my favorite additions include:

• Curry Powder (1 Tbsp/cup)
• Cumin Powder (1 tsp/cup)
• Black Pepper (1 Tbsp/cup)

This is just a start to give you some ideas for your own experimentation. To use the sauce give this procedure a shot:

Add your evenly sized meat to a hot, clean grill. Turn the flame to the lowest setting and cook the meat on a middle rack if you have multiple levels on your grill. Cook the meat on the first side for around 5 minutes and then turn the meat. Brush the sauce onto the freshly cooked side of the grilled meat. Repeat this process every 5 minutes, thoroughly coating the meat with each rotation. Cook the meat around 20 minutes for every inch of thickness for pork and chicken. You can cook beef much less if you desire a rare or medium rare finish. If the meat is browning too quickly move it to the top rack of your grill. A major mistake in grilling is trying to cook too quickly! Take your time, brush in the sauce, and you will be stunned with the results.