2 cans black beans (drained)
12 oz. ground turkey
1 onion
1 tbs. vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 cans beef stock
1 small can tomato paste
1 tbs. thyme
1 tbs. basil
1 tbs. parsley
1 bay leaf
1 avocado

Saute the ground beef in a nonstick skillet. Chop the onion. When the beef is done, remove it, drain the pan, and saute the onion and garlic in the vegetable oil until the onion is translucent. Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Stir well to help blend the tomato paste. Simmer for 20 minutes, remove the bay leaf, garnish with slices of avocado, and serve. Serves 4.

Blocks: 4
Calories: 475
Carb: 44g (41%)
Protein: 31g (29%)
Fat: 16g (30%)

Yup, spaghetti omelet…trust me.

3 cups cooked spinach spaghetti
4 eggs
1 cup broccoli florets
4 tbs. Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 oz. protein powder
2 tbs. fresh chopped parsley
2 tbs. fresh chopped basil
1 tbs. butter
1 tsp. freshly ground pepper
pinch salt

Boil the pasta and steam the broccoli. Place the cooked, drained spaghetti in a bowl. Mix in the broccoli, parsley, basil, salt, pepper, protein powder and butter. When the butter is melted, stir in the cheese. While the mixture cools, stir occasionally. Beat the eggs, then add to the pasta. Spray a nonstick skillet with cooking spray, stir the spaghetti once more, then pour mixture into the skillet. Cook over medium-high heat. When the egg starts to firm up, flip the omelet. Serves 4 
 
Blocks: 3
Calories: 310
Carb: 27g (38%)
Protein: 23g (33%)
Fat: 10g (29%)

This is one of our family’s favorites. We eat it all the time in the winter. Even our normally picky kids love it.

1 1/2 lb. chicken breasts
2 large green peppers

2 cups onion
2 cups carrots
1 cup tomatoes
1 1/2 cups corn kernels
1/2 cup green chiles
1 qt. water
1/3 cup chicken broth
1 1/2 cups wheat flour
5 tbs. butter
6 cups milk
2 tbs. garlic powder
1 tsp. white pepper
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tbs. cumin
1 tbs. Cajun spices
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tbs. seasoned salt
2 tbs. onion powder
5 tbs. chili powder

Start by broiling the chicken. When cooked, shred or dice it, and place in a large stock pot. Dice the peppers, onions, carrots and tomatoes.

Note, we normally add the chopped veggies to the pot now. But if you’ve got picky eaters at home, you could always give these a quick shot in the blender first. It’ll grind them up so they’re unrecognizable, but they still give the soup a ton of flavor, and some added thickness as well.

Add in all remaining ingredients except for the butter, flour and milk. Bring to a boil, then let it simmer on a low burner.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. In another saucepan, heat the milk until steaming, then remove from the burner. When the butter is melted, slowly whisk in the flour. Avoid lumps. As the mixture becomes too dry to work with, slowly alternate adding the flour and the milk. When you’ve combined all of the butter, flour and milk, whisk this mixture slowly into the simmering soup. Let the whole thing cook on low for another 20 minutes.

Makes 10 servings. It will keep in the refrigerator for about a week, and freezes well.

Blocks: 4
Calories: 390
Carb: 36g (41%)
Protein: 28g (31%)
Fat: 12g (28%)

Another winter family favorite, and one batch will also provide for several brown bag lunches.

1 14 oz. can kidney beans
1 14 oz. can black beans
1 14 oz. can red beans
6 medium tomatoes
2 large white onions
2 bell peppers, green or yellow
3 cloves garlic
2 lbs. ground turkey
8 oz. tomato paste
1 cup chicken stock
3 tbs. red chile
3 tbs. basil
1 tbs. parsley
1 tbs. cumin
2 tbs. black pepper
1 chopped serrano pepper (seeded)
red pepper to taste
4 oz. shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Brown the meat in a nonstick skillet, and then place it in a large stock pot. Chop the tomatoes, onions and peppers, and add to the pot. Press the garlic and add it, as well as the other spices. At this point, add about 1 tbs. of red pepper.

In a bowl, mix the tomato paste and chicken stock until smooth, then add to the pot. Stir everything up, and cook on a medium stove for about 15 minutes so the flavors can start to mix. Give it a taste, and add red pepper as needed. Cook for about another 20 minutes, or until the kidney beans start to mash when you stir. Serve hot with cheddar on top. Makes 8 servings, and freezes well. 

Blocks: 5
Calories: 480
Carb: 45g (41%)
Protein: 35g (31%)
Fat: 15g (28%)

8 oz. chicken breast
2 cups chopped broccoli florets
1/2 cup bean sprouts
1/2 cup canned bamboo shoots (sliced)
2 medium tomatoes, sliced
1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tsp. sesame oil
2 tsp. vegetable oil
1 tsp. soy sauce
2 tbs. water
1 clove garlic, minced

Start by slicing the chicken into bite-sized pieces and sauteing in a nonstick skillet with the vegetable oil and 1 tsp. of the sesame oil. While that’s cooking, steam the broccoli lightly. Let both cool.

In a bowl, combine the broccoli, sprouts, bamboo shoots, tomato, rice and chicken. Mix the vinegar, the remaining sesame oil, the soy sauce, water and garlic together, and use as a dressing. Serves 4.

Blocks: 3
Calories: 320
Carb: 28g (40%)
Protein: 24g (33%)
Fat: 9g (27%)

This is a nice brunch item, and it also works great for the lunchbox.

2 tsp. butter
3/4 cup onion
2 tsp. whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 cup 1% milk
2 cups cooked brown rice
3 oz. crumbled Feta cheese
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 egg whites
2 cups cooked spinach
6 oz. precooked shrimp
cooking spray
2 Tbs. grated Parmesan cheese

Steam and drain the spinach ahead of time. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Melt the butter in large skillet over medium heat. Chop the onion and saute it until translucent. Whisk in flour, salt & pepper, then gradually add milk. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook one minute or until slightly thick. It will want to lump and stick, so be sure to stir it constantly.

Remove the pan from heat and stir in the egg and egg whites. Mix well, then add the rice, Feta, spinach & shrimp. Pour the mixture into a 9″ pie plate coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, and bake at 400 for 35 minutes or until it sets. After it’s solid, broil it for 2 minutes or until golden brown. Serves 6 as a light lunch.

Blocks: 2
Calories: 205
Carb: 20g (39%)
Protein: 15g (30%)
Fat: 7g (31%)

Make a batch on Sunday night and you’re set for the week’s lunches.

12 flour tortillas
4 cups frozen hash browns
3 cups cooked spinach
3 lb. ground turkey
3 cups onion
3/4 cup sour cream
6 oz. lowfat Monterrey Jack cheese
2 tbs. fresh chopped cilantro
2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. black pepper

Dice the onion, and cook it with the ground turkey in a nonstick skillet, seasoning with the salt & pepper. When done, drain off any water or fat, and remove the turkey & onion from the skillet to a large bowl. In the skillet, cook the hash browns until done, but not browned. Add them to the bowl. Steam the spinach. When done, drain well, chop medium to fine, and add to the bowl, along with the cilantro and cumin. Mix well.

If you won’t be freezing the burritos, add the sour cream to the bowl and mix well. Place an oval-shaped handful of filling in the center of a tortilla, fold a side over and then roll the tortilla into a tube. Repeat for all of the tortillas. Place the burritos in a baking dish, topped with the shredded cheese, and bake at 350 until the cheese starts to brown.

This recipe will make 12 burritos. They’ll keep about 5 days in the refrigerator, or you can freeze them. If you plan to freeze them, don’t add the sour cream. Use it as a topping (1 tbs. per burrito) after heating. Makes 12 burritos.

Blocks: 4
Calories: 450
Carb: 38g (38%)
Protein: 31g (30%)
Fat: 16g (32%)

Same for this burrito…make a batch on Sunday night and you’re set for the week’s lunches.

12 tortillas
4 cups frozen hash browns
3 cups onion
3 lb. ground turkey
2 14 oz. cans black beans
8 oz lowfat shredded Cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups salsa
2 tbs. fresh chopped cilantro
2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. black pepper

Cook the onion & turkey together with the salt & pepper, then cook the hash browns. Mix the turkey & onion, hash browns, beans, cheese, cilantro, cumin and half of the salsa in a large bowl. Build the burritos, then top them in the baking dish with the other half of the salsa. Cook at 350 for about 20 minutes. Makes 12 burritos.

Blocks: 5
Calories: 520
Carb: 51g (42%)
Protein: 37g (31%)
Fat: 15g (27%)

1 head red-leaf or green-leaf lettuce
2 medium cucumbers
3 tomatoes
1 medium green pepper
2 cups spinach
1/4 cup green onion
1/4 cup onion
8 oz. whole-wheat croutons
6 oz. fat-free Italian dressing.

You don’t really need instructions on this one, do you? This recipe makes 6 servings. I made this with the fat-free dressing for two reasons. First, the stuff tastes pretty good, so I’d rather spend my fats on things where taste matters more. Second, in a lot of cases, entrees are hard to get into the zone by themselves. Keeping the salad low-fat makes it easier to fit into a complete meal.

Calories: 145
Carb: 23g (71%)
Protein: 5.5g (17%)
Fat: 2g (13%)

This is another great make-ahead breakfast or lunch, especially if you make these in the jumbo muffin tins. Pop the extras into a ziplock bag in the freezer, and you can just grab one on your way out the door to work. 60 seconds in the microwave, and you’ve got breakfast.

The fritatta:
4 eggs
1 small onion
4 tbs. chopped Jalapenos
2 medium potatoes (about 1 lb. total)
8 oz. turkey chorizo sausage
2 oz. shredded lowfat Monterrey Jack cheese
2 oz. shredded lowfat Cheddar cheese
3 tbs. fresh cilantro

The rest of breakfast:
1 14 oz. can black beans
2 tbs. sour cream
4 tbs. salsa
1 cup shredded lettuce
1 medium tomato, chopped

Clean and dice the potatoes, then boil them with the skins on until cooked. At the same time, fry up the sausage in a nonstick skillet. You shouldn’t need any added oil.

When the sausage is done, cut into small chunks. Drain the potatoes, and mix in a bowl with the sausage pieces. Chop the onion & peppers, and add them to the bowl.

Scramble the eggs in a separate bowl with the cilantro and a little salt & black pepper. When the eggs are well beaten, add to the other bowl, along with half of the cheese and half of the tomato. Mix everything well.

Spray either a muffin tray (Jumbo-sized if you have one) or a pie plate with cooking spray, and pour in the mix. Add the remaining cheese to the top, and bake at 350 until the top is set and a fork stuck into the middle comes out clean. This should take about 20 minutes. Serve with the beans, lettuce & chopped tomato, and topped with the sour cream and salsa. Serves 6.

Blocks 3
Calories 342
Carb 30g (39%)
Protein 23g (30%)
Fat 12g (31%)