Today I’m thrilled and excited to present a recipe (plus a spin-off of my own) that Trish initially shared with bootcampers over a year ago. Despite not being terribly creative myself, I’d had the same idea/goal but with poor execution (see my former blog link below). This recipe however was JUST what I wanted and is really quite amazing! HIGHLY recommended!

MD Friendly Spaghetti Pizza Pie (http://paleomg.com/almost-5-ingredient-pizza-spaghetti-pie/)

• 1 large spaghetti squash
• 1 lb spicy turkey sausage, remove casings (or ground turkey/chicken)
• ½ diced yellow onion
• 1 cup no-sugar spaghetti sauce*
• 1 tsp dried basil (I generally just add a bunch of Italian seasoning)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2-3 whisked eggs
• Optional pizza toppings (think diced bell pepper and mushrooms, maybe artichokes or black olives, which will add a little fat)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut squash lengthwise and place cut side down on baking sheet and bake 20-25 min (or see my blog link below for the faster cook method I always use!). Reduce heat to 350 when the skin gives when you press on it. Remove threads into 8×8” baking dish and set aside (feel free to cut it open and let it cool while doing the next step). Place a large pan over medium heat. Brown sausage or ground turkey/chicken with onion. Saute in any other diced veggies. Add spaghetti sauce and seasonings. I also always add some nutritional yeast flakes to add a cheesy flavor. Add mixture to the 8×8 dish and mix well with squash. Add whisked eggs to dish and mix it all together until you can’t see the eggs anymore. I might sprinkle on a little more nutritional yeast flakes too. Place in the oven and bake 1 hour or until the top has slight crust and doesn’t give if pressed. Rest 5 min before serving. Makes 4 protein/veg servings.

Past blog to see my own attempt at this concept and how to save time when cooking your squash: http://www.wemeltyou.com/friendly-feasting-things-spaghetti-squash/

*As of May 2015, I’ve been researching no-sugar-added spaghetti sauces. It seems Ragu may have quit making theirs, unfortunately. Classico’s tomato and basil is no longer qualified, but they have two current options without added sugar: a roasted garlic and spicy red pepper sauce. The former is at the Bloomington Walmart and the latter is in Bedford but not here locally. I’m hoping this changes. Keep your eyes on labels and don’t assume ingredients don’t change! The sauce will have sugar grams in the nutritional info (naturally in tomatoes) but may not have sugar listed in the ingredients. Companies are sneaky about hooking us on a product, then randomly deciding to add sugar! Hunts makes a less exciting no-sugar-added option in a can.

MEXI Version!!!

I love Mexican food and once had cooked up a big crockpot of ground turkey with salsa and Mexican spices when I was in a hurry to have protein ready and on hand. I wasn’t sure how on earth to use it all up and decided to try it in this pizza pie recipe. I think I like it even better!

Follow the same recipe and process as above, but in the skillet cook:

• 1 lb ground turkey/chicken
• Diced veggies like above
• 1 cup salsa and/or no-salt-added tomato sauce (add more as needed for sauciness!)
• Mexican and other seasonings to taste: cumin, chili powder, cayenne, garlic, etc.

Add this mixture to the squash threads in the 8×8 dish, stir in the whisked eggs just like before, and bake. YUMMY!

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do, and a big thanks to our General Manager, Trish, for first sharing it! This is definitely one of my go-to options for a DELICIOUS meal, plus I get to cook once and eat four times. If you come up with another version, let me know! Until next week, feast Italian, feast Mexican, and as always…FEAST ON!!!

~Coach Lauren

Every time I find a recipe with bananas, I do one of three things:

1. Ignore the recipe because I hate bananas
2. Ignore the recipe because we can’t have bananas
3. Find a banana sub because I think the recipe is worth it

I’ve really started to enjoy the crispiness of waffles over the last few years, so I subbed canned 100% pumpkin puree in this recipe. Unfortunately, Primers can now have bananas, but not oats. Sorry guys – something to try post-bootcamp, perhaps!

Blender Waffles http://vegweb.com/recipes/blender-waffles-rolled-oats

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup water
• ½ Tbsp Splenda
• ½ tsp vanilla
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ cup pumpkin puree

Preheat waffle iron according to manufacturer’s directions. Combine all ingredients in blender. Blend until smooth. Pour batter into waffle iron. Cook according to directions. Makes 2 carb servings. Consider adding cocoa, cinnamon, or other extracts/free flavorings in addition to or in place of the pumpkin. Add a couple scrambled O3 eggs and breakfast is served!

Tada! A Meltdown-friendly waffle! Perfect for Level 2’s 2-carb meal on Day 1s because you could have this whole recipe to yourself! Feast crispy, feast from an iron, and as always…FEAST ON!!!

~Coach Lauren

Looking to try something very different? Have a load of asparagus on hand this spring? I found this recipe for a lower-fat guacamole. That’s right, no avocado…so it probably can’t technically be called a guacamole but perhaps more of a dip. Dunk raw veggies in this uber green mix to help you get in even more veggies to keep you full and keep fat portions at bay.

Avocado-Free Guacamole http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2012/03/08/avocado-free-guacamole/

• 8 oz asparagus (34-36 skinny spears, ends trimmed)
• 1 cup + 2 Tbsp peas (5oz frozen, thawed)
• 2 Tbsp veganaise
• Juice of ½ a lime
• 1½ tsp minced garlic
• ½ tsp cumin
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp diced red onion
• optional: 2 tsp dry cilantro
• optional: sweetener if desired

Steam asparagus until soft, then combine all (but onion) and blend until smooth. Stir in onion (or omit). Refrigerate until cold. Makes 2 fat servings (due to veganaise).

Sometimes we just have to think less traditionally when it comes to some foods, but you never know what great concoction you’ll come up with! Feast with dip, feast with pseudo-guac, and as always…FEAST ON!!!

~Coach Lauren

Heeeey Boootcaaaampers? Want a cupcake? Here on my blog Friendly Feasting, I try to share recipes that make this plan do-able, sustainable, and delicious. The vast majority of us have a sweet tooth so you’ll see lots of dessert recipes here, though some recipes come out just so-so. So some desserts are just best kept to a treat on a cheat opportunity. However, these came out pretty darn well! They use coconut flour as a base (¼ cup = 1 carb), which can be found at Sam’s Club now for $9.00 / 5 lb bag making it way cheaper than almond flour, which I normally use. Note that coconut flour absorbs a TON of liquid so don’t be surprised especially by the number of eggs in recipes. I’m finding this is the case in all coconut flour recipes I find…just think of it as extra protein!

Paleo Chocolate Cupcakes http://elanaspantry.com/paleo-chocolate-cupcakes/

• ¼ cup coconut flour (~90 cal)
• ¼ cup cocoa powder (~48 cal)
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp baking powder
• 4 large eggs (~280 cal)
• ¼ cup coconut oil (~468 cal) – I shorted mine by 1 Tbsp to save 117 cal
• 1/3 cup sugar-free syrup (~120 cal) – I added a little extra and maybe 1 Tbsp Splenda to help sweeten it. Primers – you’ll need to use an equivalent of Stevia

Pulse dry ingredients in a food processor. Pulse in wet ingredients. Line a muffin tin with liners. Scoop ¼ cup of batter in each. Bake 15-18 min at 350. Cool before serving.

I made 7 muffins from this recipe. Each muffin has less than: 1 Tbsp flour (carb), 1 Tbsp oil (fat), and 1/3 protein from eggs. On bootcamp, I recommend eating one as a dessert treat after a protein/carb (or better, your Level 1 carb/protein/fat) meal. Not for pick 2 snacks due to the carbs.

I don’t normally add calorie information but wanted to in order to show that our plan isn’t low-calorie as much as it is clean eating, which should encourage you not to overeat even Meltdown-Friendly treats. With 7 muffins, each has about 144 calories.

Next time, I might add a little unsweetened almond milk to add moisture and/or replace some of the oil/syrup. Another idea would be using unsweetened applesauce in place of the oil, a common substitute in healthy baking, in which case the recipe would have 2 full carbs to divide by 7 muffins but no official fat (aside from what’s in eggs). ¼ cup applesauce has about 26 calories – WAY less than the 468 in the oil! This swap makes each muffin closer to 80 calories and appropriate on any nutrition plan level at a carb meal.

Strangely not a fan of chocolate? Check out Elana’s vanilla cupcake version (same directions for when to eat it as the chocolate version):

Paleo Vanilla Cupcakes http://elanaspantry.com/paleo-vanilla-cupcakes/

• ¼ cup coconut flour
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/3 tsp baking soda
• 3 large eggs
• ¼ cup coconut oil
• 2 Tbsp sugar-free syrup
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract

In food processor, combine dry ingredients. Pulse in wet ingredients. Line cupcake pan with 6 liners and scoop ¼ cup into each. Bake at 350 for 20-24 min. Cool 1 hour. This recipe saves the 48 calories of cocoa powder but likely only makes 6 cupcakes having less batter volume (137-160 cal depending on 7 or 6 muffins).

Keep on the lookout for an additional picture of the vanilla cupcakes. My good 3P buddy Kim L. doesn’t like chocolate (I don’t understand) so I sent her this option and hope to have a picture from her to post here soon!

I hope this blog was informative but also gives you a clean-eating dessert option. While it’s nice to have a dessert now and again, we must not forget that the bits of extra cocoa powder, eggs, sugar-free syrup, and especially oil do add up quickly. Don’t fall victim! Remember that desserts are intended to be occasional treats! Be mindful of the choices you make to ensure you stick to the plan. The better your efficiency score on the plan, the better your results will be! Stay tuned for more Meltdown-Friendly recipes while you feast paleo, feast chocolate (or vanilla!), and as always…FEAST ON!!!

~Coach Lauren