Enhanced Medifast Meals: Shamrock Shake and Green Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

Who needs a little Luck o' the Irish? With St. Patrick's Day coming up tomorrow, I'm sure many of you are feeling like you are missing out on classics like the Shamrock Shake or other green goodies.

Wait no more! I have put together recipes to make a Shamrock Shake (with vanilla shake packet) and green mint chocolate chip cookies (chocolate chip packet). So now you can have your goodies and still be fully compliant on the 5&1!

And if you are like me, I LOVE ice cream sandwiches, so there will be an option with the cookies to make it into an ice cream sandwich.

SHAMROCK SHAKE

Ingredients:

Medifast Vanilla Shake Packet
6 oz unsweetened Silk Almond Milk
Peppermint Extract
Green food coloring
1 cup crushed ice

Directions:

1) Add crushed ice, shake packet, 2-4 drops of peppermint extract and a few drops of food coloring to blender.

2) When ready to blend, add the almond milk.

3) Blend until a milkshake consistency.

4) Pour into a glass and ENJOY YOUR SHAMROCK SHAKE!


GREEN MINT CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Ingredients:

Medifast Chocolate Chip Packet
Peppermint extract
Green food coloring
2 Tbsp water
OPTIONAL: parchment paper
                      1 Tbsp lite cool whip

Directions:

1) Blend packet mix, extract, food coloring and water in a bowl.

2) You can either make it in the provided tray for one cookie OR make 2 cookies and place on parchment paper.

3) If you are making in tray, spread out in tray and microwave for 1:15 then let cool for 3-5 minutes.

4) If you are making 2 cookies, place equal blobs on parchment paper and spread with fingers to make cookie shape. Microwave for 1:15 and let cool for 3-5 minutes.

5) If you want to make an ice cream sandwich, add 1 Tbsp LITE Cool Whip to the bottom of a cooled cookie. Then place the other on top and voila! A delicious ice cream sandwich!

Wishing you all a wonderful St. Patrick's Day! Hopefully this will provide you with great ideas to get into the spirit and still stick with your health goals!

Zoodles alla Carbonara with Bechamel sauce

Lately, I've been craving Spaghetti Alla Carbonara, so I figured that I would try to make that with zucchini noodles. And since I had some leftover ground beef, I decided to put that in there. If you want more of a true carbonara with just the turkey bacon, I will have that version posted as well. Now as you may know, this dish comes in a creamy white sauce. To still make a creamy sauce, I decided to make a white bechamel cheese sauce. And the result was delish! I would love to know what you think of this recipe, so please feel free to comment after you make it.

INGREDIENTS:

Version 1:

1.4 oz raw 93% ground beef (Leaner protein)

2 extra lean turkey bacon slices

3 Tbsp egg beaters

1/2 cup light shredded mozzarella cheese

1 1/2 cup zucchini noodles

1/2 cup Silk unsweetened almond milk

Version 2:

3 extra lean turkey bacon slices

2/3 cup egg beaters

1/2 cup light shredded mozzarella cheese

1 1/2 cup zucchini noodles

1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk

Additional herbs and spices (add to taste):

salt (minimal)

pepper

chili powder

garlic powder

onion powder

herbs de provence (or any other favorite herbs)

DIRECTIONS:

1) As the bechamel and other ingredients take about the same amount of time to make (10 or so minutes), start the bechamel first.

2) In a small pot, add in almond milk and bring to low boil for 1 minute. 

3)Add in cheese and bring to low boil. Season with small amounts of all spices listed above to taste. Boil and stir frequently until cheese is melted and set on low heat. Then stir occasionally. 

*The sauce is done when it is more creamy than watery. Make sure you don't overcook the sauce so that it is just cheese.

4) Now start with the meat (assuming your zucchini is already spiralized and measured). Cut turkey bacon into small pieces and add to greased pan with ground beef. Place on medium heat.

5) Once the beef is browned, add in zucchini noodles.

6) Let the zoodles saute for about one minute in the pan then add a small amount of water (1/8-1/4 cup). Let them cook in the water for about 1 minute and then you can mix the meat and zoodles together.

7) It's time to check on the sauce. It should be more creamy than watery at this point. If so, just keep warm until the zoodles are finished.

8) When the zoodles and meat have absorbed most or all of the water, place on medium-low heat. Add in egg beaters and stir. Then lightly season the zoodles and meat (salt, pepper and garlic powder). You should see crumbly pieces of egg once everything is mixed in and cooked.

9) Add in the sauce, mix well and remove from heat.

Voila! You now have a great new zoodles dish!

Enhance Medifast Meals: Toast and PB&J sandwiches

One of my clients came up with a great idea and shared with me. She loves toast in the morning or for lunch and decided to make pancakes and pop them in the toaster afterwards. I came up with my own take and divided the mix into 2 different containers, microwave them and then stick in the toaster oven. Voila! Toast! Or if you are like me, you can make it into an awesome PB&J sandwich.

Here is my recipe:

INGREDIENTS:

1 Medifast Pancake Packet
1/4 tsp baking powder
3 Tbsp water

optional add-ons:

-1 Tbsp PB2 (mixed according to package)
-1 Tbsp Walden Farms fruit spread
-cinnamon and stevia
-I can't believe it's not butter (spray or spread)

DIRECTIONS:

1) Mix the packet, baking powder and water in separate container.

2) Divide up mix equally into 2 ramekins or paper trays.

3) Microwave for 1:15. Pull out and remove from trays.

4) Put in toaster at a medium toast. Watch the first few times so you don't burn. (Everyone likes their toast a little different!)

5) When toasted to your taste, remove from toaster and either eat plain or with additives. As I said before, I like to use half of my optional snack (1 Tbsp of PB2) and Walden Farms Fruit Spread to make myself a PB&J. But you can put whatever you like on there! Another great option is either some light butter spread or a cinnamon and stevia mixture.

That's it! Enjoy your toast!