Recipes for Protein Dishes

Make any of these Protein dishes a meal with Protein Salads , Neutral Salads ,  Vegetable Recipes , Protein Breads , Protein Party appetizers, and Protein Desserts 1 and 2 .

Chicken & Turkey

Cheesy Pigs On a Blanket

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a food processor, pulse 1/2 cup Atkins Bake Mix and 1/4 cup toasted ground pumpkin or sesame seeds until combined.

Add 3 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces and pulse until mixture resembles corn meal.

Pour 1/3 cup chicken or vegetable broth, 2 tablespoons sour cream and 1 egg over dry mixture and pulse just until combined. Pat dough into a flat disk on plastic wrap. Chill at least 1 hour. (You can skip the chilling process but the dough will be stickier and more difficult to work with.)

Pat dough evenly over the bottom of a 8 inch by 8 inch pan that has been oiled first. Cover dough with one layer of sliced hot dogs. Top hot dogs with 1 cup shredded cheddar, Swiss or Parmesan cheese.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted into center of crust has no dough clinging to it.

Chili Chicken Nuggets

Cut  boneless, chicken breasts into 1 inch squares. Marinate overnight or all day in bottled red sugar-free pasta sauce and chili powder (1 tablespoon per cup of sauce).

Preheat broiler. Remove chicken from sauce and roll in ground pork rinds.

Broil on foil or parchment lined and greased cookie sheet for four minutes (until tops are lightly browned). Turn and brown for three to four minutes more.

Serve with one or more dipping sauces:

• Garden Dip
• Sweet Red Pepper Dip
• UnDiet Dried Tomato Pasta Sauce with a couple dashes of hot sauce added

Dairy

Simple Zucchini Lasagna

Trim and thinly slice 4 medium zucchini. Lay zucchini slices on baking sheet. Spray or brush with oil. Place under preheated broiler for one to two minutes until zucchini is crisp-tender. Layer in rectanglar baking dish:

1/4 cup pasta sauce (1 to 1 & 1/2 cups pasta sauce)

one layer zucchini

sprinkle sea salt, black pepper and your choice of Italian seasoning over zucchini layer

1/2 cup shredded mozzerella cheese (2 to 3 cups shredded mozzerella cheese)

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (1 to 1 & 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese)

1/2 cup ricotta cheese (2 to 3 cups ricotta cheese)

sprinkle sea salt, black pepper and your choice of Italian seasoning over ricotta layer

Continue layering ending with a layer of Parmesan cheese. Place in a 350 degree oven and bake for thirty to forty minutes until cheese on top is hot and bubbling.

Spinach "Lasagna" Rolls

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a 12 x 2-inch baking dish.

Combine in medium bowl and mix well

1 egg

2 cups ricotta cheese

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

Stir in 10 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry.

Spoon 1/4 cup red sugar-free pasta sauce to cover bottom of baking dish. Place 1/4 cup spinach mixture on a Protein Crepe; roll lasagna around mixture and place seam side down in baking dish. Repeat with remaining spinach mixture. Pour 1 & 1/4 cups red pasta sauce over top of noodle rolls; sprinkle with 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese and 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese.

Cover baking dish with foil and bake 35 to 40 minutes until hot and bubbly. Remove cover and bake 5 minutes until cheese is lightly browned.

Ricotta Gnocchi

My friend Karina gave me this recipe after one of our long Saturday morning telephone conversations about food and cooking. She was sure I would love it and that it would be a nice solution for my search for a Protein pasta. She was right.

Place a large pot of filtered water over high heat and bring to a boil while sauteing 2 & 1/2 pounds greens (kale, mustard greens, spinach, chard ... ) until tender but not falling apart. Use your hands or press greens in a colander to squeeze out as much moisture as possible then finely chop. Add 1 egg, 2/3 cup Parmesan cheese, 1 & 1/4 cup ricotta cheese, a pinch of nutmeg, sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste. Place 2/3 cup whole grain or soy flour in a shallow dish. Press your hands into the flour to coat palms then roll the dough into peanut-sized logs. Dredge logs in flour. Drop logs in batches into boiling water and allow to cook until the balls rise to the surface. Remove gnocchi with a slotted spoon to a pasta bowl. When all gnocchi are cooked toss with melted butter and 2/3 cup Parmesan cheese.

Variations - top with home-made or store-bought:

•  Red Bell Pepper Pasta Sauce
• Dried Tomato Pasta Sauce
• pesto
• ratatoulie
• Olive Paste thinned with some of the pasta water and a little extra-virgin olive oil

Eggs

Scrappy Scrambled Eggs

You'll have to figure the carb count based on what veggies you use, but no matter what you choose it should be minimal enough to be used even in the induction stage of a high protein diet.

Heat butter in skillet over medium heat until it starts to bubble. Add eggs, squeeze tofu (equal to about 1/2 of the amount of eggs) through fingers over skillet or add egg whites equal to half the amount of the whole eggs, sprinkle with pepper, stir until well mixed, then allow to cook until the eggs begin to set. Stir, allow to set. When eggs are almost done sprinkle with sea salt and grated or crumbled cheese and leftovers. Cover, turn off heat and allow residual heat to continue cooking the eggs until they are set but not dry which should be just a couple of minutes.

Cheese:

• cheddar
• cream cheese
• edam
• feta
• gouda
• jack
• mozzarella
• parmesan

Leftovers:	Meat:	Cooked Vegetables:	Raw Vegetables:	Misc:
	sausage bacon ham chicken turkey meat balls meat loaf, crumbled	asparagus bell pepper broccoli corn mushroom onion spinach zucchini	basil chives cilantro green onion parsley sage tarragon thyme tomatoes	sesame seeds tofu raw baked fried meat substitutes dairy substitutes any sauce

Ground Meat

Inside Out Cabbage Rolls

Use a large, deep pot for this dish so that while you're simmering the stew it won't spatter all over your stovetop.

Saute 2 cups chopped onion and 2 cups chopped cauliflower over medium high heat in a little butter or extra-virgin olive oil until the onions are translucent. Sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper while sauteing.

Add 4 cups chopped cabbage and continue sauteing until the cabbage is lightly browned and just beginning to lose it's crispness. Sprinkle with a little more sea salt and black pepper while sauteing.

Add 1 pound ground meat (turkey, chicken, beef, or pork). Continue sauteing until the meat is browned and no longer pink. Sprinkle with a little more sea salt and black pepper while sauteing.

Stir in a one pound jar of pasta sauce and a one pound can of chopped tomatoes. Turn heat down to low. Simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally until vegetables are tender, about one hour. The finished dish should be dry enough to serve on a plate, but still very moist.

Garnish with crumbled feta or shredded dairy mozzarella cheese and finely diced red bell pepper or tomato.

Bacon

Bacon & "Potato" Casserole

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook 1/2 pound bacon (preferably turkey) until crisp. Drain off fat and break into large pieces.

Place 1 recipe Mashed Cauliflower in a well oiled shallow baking pan. Sprinkle with one pound cheddar cheese(preferably low fat), shredded, 2 eggs,cooked bacon, and1 cup mayo(preferably soy mayo).Stir to mix into cauliflower. If you'd like to freeze this casserole do so now, otherwise bake for 25-30 minutes, until heated through.

When baking frozen casserole, place in refrigerator the night before so it can thaw overnight and through the day. If it's not completely thawed, that's okay. Bake 30-40 minutes at 350 degrees until heated through.

Variations:

• Use cooked cubed ham in place of the bacon
• Use soy bacon or ham in place of the meat bacon and diced or mashed potatoes in place of the mashed cauliflower.

Green Beans & Bacon

Fry 6 strips bacon (preferably turkey) until crisp. Drain off fat and crumble the bacon back into pan. Stir in

2 pounds fresh or frozen green beans

1 onion, chopped

14-16 ounce can tomatoes, sliced or chopped with juice

pinch of crushed red pepper

Bring to a boil. Lower heat to low, partially cover and simmer for about 20 minutes until beans are crisp-tender. Taste and add sea salt if needed.

Warm Spinach & Bacon Salad

• 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 large sweet onion (try a vadellia onion) sliced thin
• 4 ounces pancetta or thick-sliced bacon, diced
• 4 ounces shitake or white mushrooms, sliced
• 1 head frisee, chicory, red leaf, Boston or Romaine lettuce

Dressing:

• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 10 oz. fresh spinach

Bring 1-1/2 quarts water to boil in medium saucepan. Remove from heat; stir in 1 teaspoon vinegar and half the onion slices. Let stand 1 minute; remove onions and drain on paper towels.

Heat skillet 1 minute over medium heat. Add pancetta or bacon and cook until crisp. Stir in remaining onion and mushrooms; cook until softened. Stir in remaining vinegar, salt and pepper. Remove from heat; add olive oil.

Toss spinach, lettuce and onion in large bowl. Toss with warm dressing.

Sandwich Toppings

You must use a Protein Bread or Protein Bread Substitute .

• tuna salad
• ham salad
• chicken or turkey salad
• salmon salad (mix some flaked smoked salmon with cream cheese, add a little dill if you like)
• swiss cheese and ham, proscuito, pastrami, or roastbeef
• cabbage sauteed in butter, and corned beef or roastbeef
• Cabbage Relish (recipe follows) and corned beef, ham, proscuito, or pastrami
• bacon, lettuce and tomato
• cream cheese and cucumber
• cream cheese and smoked salmon, shrimp, crabmeat, or caviar

Cabbage Relish

• vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped
• 1 green or red pepper, chopped (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon each of ground cumin, ground coriander, ground turmeric, salt
• 1 small head green cabbage, shredded or thinly sliced
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar ( I prefer balsamic vinegar as it has such a rich, mellow taste. Try this. Smell the inside of the cap of a bottle of balsamic, then of regular vinegar. What a difference! Many people have told me that they don't like dishes with vinegar, yet they love my dishes with balsamic vinegar. If you don't have balsamic you may use any vinegar you like, it will just be much tastier with balsamic.)

Thinly coat pan with oil and heat until hot. Saute onion, garlic, jalapeno peppers, green pepper, spices and salt until onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and cabbage. Heat to boiling and reduce heat. Cover and simmer until cabbage is tender, about 12 minutes. Stir in vinegar.

Cabbage Relish is a great substitute for sauerkraut. Not that sauerkraut is bad for you, but I think Cabbage Relish is a more interesting flavor, much richer, less sour. It can also be served as a side dish with a carb or protein meal.

Fish

Flounder Fillets with Cheese

from Family Circle's "Quick Cooks" by Donna Meadow

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Fold 6 flounder or bluefish fillets in half crosswise; place in buttered or oiled pan. Mix 1/3 cup shredded Parmesan and 1/2 cup mayonnaise. Spread 1 and 1/2 tablespoons over each fillet. Bake 16 minutes.

Fennel Crusted Sea Bass

1 carb per serving. 4 servings.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a small dry skillet, toast 1 tablespoon fennel seeds over medium heat, stirring, until fragrant, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl to cool.

With a spice or coffee grinder or mortar and pestle, finely grind fennel seeds, 1/2 teaspoon sea salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Rub spice mixture on both sides of 1 pound of sea bass fillets, skinned and cut into 4 portions.

In a large ovenproof skillet, heat extra-virgin olive oil over medium-high heat. Add spice encrusted bass and saute until browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side.

Transfer skillet to oven and bake until fish is opaque in the center, 3 to 7 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley and serve  immediately, with lemon or lime wedges.

Tuna Strata

• 1 can 6 1/2 ounces tuna, packed in water, drained and flaked
• 2 tablespoons mayo
• 2 tablespoons mustard
• 8 slices Protein Bread
• 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese substitute
• 6 egg whites
• 1 1/2 cups soymilk or 3/4 cup cream and 3/4 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon hot-pepper sauce
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Stir together tuna, mayo and mustard in small  bowl. Place 4 slices of Protein  Bread in 8x8x2" square pan that's been sprayed with vegetable oil. Spread tuna mixture evenly over top of bread. Top with cheese. Cover with remaining bread.

Beat together eggs, milk, hot-pepper sauce and pepper in same same bowl tuna was mixed in. Pour egg mixture over bread. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake strata until until top browns and custard sets, 40-50 minutes. Cool 10-15 minutes before serving.

Variations:
Mexican: Substitute ground or shredded beef or turkey for tuna, Monterey Jack for Cheddar, and salsa for mustard.
Italian: Swap crumbled Italian sausage for tuna, Mozzarella Tofutti for Cheddar, and spaghetti sauce for mustard.
American:Replace tuna with cooked sausage and chopped sauteed onion.