Simple dinner with minimal clean up. This sage roasted sausage & sweet potato uses a single plan and is delicious for a minimal amount of work. Roasting the sweet potatoes with sage and combining with balsamic brings forward a savory-sweet combination that pairs well with the sausage and broccoli.
For even cooking, it’s worth the time to flip over each of the sausage pieces so that they crisp up on both sides. Swap full fat sausage for low-fat chicken sausage – there are plenty of options at the grocery store and each 85 g link is typically going to have 7-8 g of fat and 12-13 g of protein. I’ve used Sabatinos (Costco) as well as Open Nature (Vons). You could also substitute extra firm tofu in this recipe for a plant-based protein source. Remove excess water from the tofu before baking by pressing.
It’s relatively straightforward to adjust the macros for this sage roasted sausage & sweet potato; if you are looking for lower carbs reduce to one potato and instead add an extra crown of broccoli. To reduce the fat, reduce the oil to 1 tbsp. total or instead make some home made ground turkey with sausage seasoning like the one I made for this recipe and combine with the sweet potato and broccoli at the end.
These healthy Cajun Louisiana red beans are an excellent source of protein and fiber. Perfect for batch cooking and freezing!
I appreciate recipes that require minimal time standing over a pot – set it and forget it. This healthy Cajun Louisiana red beans recipe requires a bit of prep time (beans should be soaked for at least 8 hours), but it’s truly low on attention and effort. I started the soak Friday night before bed, and forgot about them until I was ready to cook Saturday afternoon. The actual cooking takes 3 hours, but once everything is in the pot there is no need to stand near the stove.
Beans are important…..
Two key steps ensure the right consistency and texture. Firstly, rise and soak dry beans, don’t substitute for canned beans unless you are really slammed for time.Secondly, don’t use budget red beans – quality matters here. High quality beans picked at the right time (and not stored in a warehouse for long) will have a buttery texture. Having tried many brands now, Camellia’s comes out on top.
Cajun Seasoning
To save time, I use pre-made Cajun Seasoning, but you could also make you own (large batch, for multiple uses) by combining 3 tbsp. smoked paprika, 3 tbsp. salt, 2 tbsp. garlic powder, 1 tbsp. white pepper, 1 tbsp. black pepper, 1 tbsp. onion powder, 1 tbsp. oregano, 1 tbsp. cayenne, 1 tbsp red pepper flakes, 1 tsp thyme, 1/2 tsp basil, and 1/4 tsp cardamom.
I opted to use low-fat Andoullie chicken sausage. Eight links of sausage are cut into slices and thrown into the pot during the last 30 minutes of cooking. This dish can readily be made vegan by using meatless sausage or extra firm tofu (press or dry fry before adding 15 minutes before cooking is complete).
I keep the base recipe mild and stir in hot sauce or chili flakes before eating. Nandos is my favorite hot sauce for this dish. If you want to kick up the whole batch, add two diced jalapenos when you add in the onion and green pepper.
The dish pairs well with the classics (rice or cornbread) but also tastes great with cauli rice for a lower carb option.
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Skip takeout and stay on track with these easy high protein flatbread pizzas. Simple ingredients with no yeast or rise time. Ready to go in less than 30 minutes.
Left: Chicken + Roasted Poblano w/ Feta Middle: Chicken Sausage and Roasted Red Pepper Right: “Satay” Style with Green Onion, Chicken, Broccoli, Sriracha, and Peanut Butter Sauce
I’m very impatient so it was exciting to discover no-yeast pizza crust recipes that don’t require waiting time for dough to rise. Thishigh protein flatbread pizzas is an experimental merge of the many I’ve found online. The dough has only four ingredients – baking flour, plain nonfat Greek yogurt, baking powder, and Italian seasoning (optional). It takes only a few minutes to prepare. In fact, if you have all of the ingredients, making these pizzas is faster and less expensive than getting delivery.Up front: NO…these do not taste like what you can pick up in the Bronx. However, it is a way to stay on track in a healthier eating plan AND not feel like you need to wash your face and lie down after eating it!
A note about yogurt
IMPORTANT: use PLAIN GREEK YOGURT in this recipe. Regular yogurt is too watery to make proper dough. Roll the dough to an even thickness so that the edges don’t burn. One of the most valuable tools I use for baking is a beveled French Rolling Pin. It’s natural wood and there are no joints to clean so it’s more sanitary.
Don’t skip the step of uniformly spraying both sides of the formed dough with olive oil – this is important for a crispy outside texture. Further, you will be baking the crusts at high temp (500 F) so ensure the parchment paper is rated accordingly. The paper will slightly char regardless – this is expected.
The best part about homemade pizza is topping flexibility and you can make it a family experience where everyone prepares their own. Here I’ve made one large pizza but it’s straightforward to divide the dough into smaller portions for personal pizzas, or scale up to make additional pizzas.
Toppings
Beyond the pies shown here, other healthier topping possibilities include Canadian bacon, onion, jalapenos, turkey pepperoni, ground beef, and veggies. For cheese, I recommend using low-fat. Non-fat does NOT melt and you don’t want to feel like you’re eating little bits of white rubber. A less traditional but as tasty option is fat-free feta cheese – it’s an excellent protein source if the melty-cheesy texture isn’t as important to you. If you decide to add veggies such broccoli, make sure they are pre-cooked or roasted to remove excess moisture so the pizza doesn’t get soggy. Even when you take this precaution, a veggie pie may need additional baking time.
The tomato provides enough sweetness on it’s own so look for a marina sauce that has no sugar added and has about 60-70 calories per 1/2 cup. Swapping directly for tomato paste works great if you want a tangier taste. Stirring oregano or Italian seasoning and/or a bit of minced garlic into the sauce before spreading is great for extra flavor .
In addition to the more traditional pizzas, I played around with a Satay style as well! The sauce was made with peanut butter powder and water. Give it a go if you’re feeling adventurous.
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Super simple meal prep! These egg and sausage breakfast bites are a great on-the-go breakfast when you have limited time in the morning.
Egg white-only version (lower cal, lower fat).
In the morning, it’s all about fast and easy. These delicious egg and sausage breakfast bites are designed for bulk meal prep to get a high protein breakfast without extra fuss in the kitchen every morning. They provide the full flavor of sausage with a fluffy texture from the egg, and a nice finish with cheese baked on top. Pop in the microwave for 20 seconds, grab some fruit or toast, and go!
I made a pan of home made sausage crumbles to mix in these egg bites so I can control the ingredients and focus on eating less processed foods. The homemade sausage spice hits just the right flavor. To save time, make a large batch of sausage seasoning and store in the pantry.. If you want to kick it up a bit, red chili flakes are a great addition.
The secret ingredient to add deeper flavor is Peri-peri sauce which provides a mild peppery kick and light garlic flavor. I buy this one but there are many available on the market.
I’ve found the best molds to make these are 12 well silicone muffin pans. The egg bites pop right out after cooling. Be sure to place a metal baking sheet underneath for rigid support and heat conduction.
Egg White Bite Nutrition Comparison:
Starbucks Egg White & Roasted Red Pepper Sous Vide Egg Bites (2 bites): 170 kcal, 12g protein, 11g carbs, 8g fat
