Nutritious, Delicious, Romantic and Budget Friendly

You know how you usually think of lobster as a very special and expensive treat?  Well, not this year.  Since people consider lobster to be a luxury food, demand is way, way down this year, and supply is way, way up thanks to really good oversight of fishing practices.

More supply + less demand = cheaper lobster.

It’s actually cheaper than steak right now.  So, my fiancé (will be my wife tomorrow!) and I have been taking advantage.

This weekend we went to Harris Teeter and got 8 lobster tails for about $21.  (A year ago I think that one lobster tail in a restaurant was $20.)

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Feet In The Street and Low Carb Crepes

First I would like to thank everyone who came out to my 20min Fat Loss Solution Bootcamp last Saturday.  Thanks!   We’re doing the drawing on Friday.

Doing that bootcamp was a lot of fun and I’m seriously considering adding 1 or 2 to my offerings on a regular basis.

This is my 56sec video montage of the event:

Low Carb Crepes

You will never believe what these things are made of (in a good way).  Me and my fiancé had a pre-wedding shower this weekend, and one of the things that she made for the event were these low-carb crepes that nobody suspected were low-carb.

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Josef’s Fiance Presents: Veggie Spaghetti

Q: When is spaghetti a vegetable?

A: When it’s a spaghetti squash!

We all know that we will have less body fat, better health, and more energy with fewer processed carbs in our lives. The spaghetti squash offers a way to improve your physique and eat a yummy old favorite at the same time. Try this as a side dish with your favorite protein, or add ground turkey, beef, or imitation meat to the sauce for a complete meal.

Ingredients

1 medium spaghetti squash
Salt & pepper to taste
1 jar pasta sauce (with no sugar added)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450? F. Chop squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and slimy gunk; be thorough and get it all.
2. Spray lightly with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Place cut side down on a baking sheet and roast for 30-40 minutes.
3. Let the squash cool approximately 5 minutes. Scrape the tines of a fork across the insides to separate the “spaghetti,” scoop out, top with sauce, and enjoy.

Nutrition Facts

Number of servings depends on the size of your squash. Per 1.5 cup serving with 1/2 cup sauce including some olive oil is 150 kcal.

Josef’s Breakfast Fiesta

One night I was hungry, and I needed a new recipe for newsletter #29. So, I looked in my fridge and found eggs, spinach, avocado, turkey bacon, salsa and an orange, and asked myself, “How can I make something yummy and quick with this stuff?” With my hodgepodge of ingredients I created what I am now calling a “Breakfast Fiesta” because it was vaguely Tex-Mex and it was freakin’ awesome.

Ingredients

1/4 cup sliced ripe avocado	80 kcal
1/4 cup salsa	18 kcal
2-3 cups spinach	20 kcal
1/2 to 1 orange	43-86 kcal
1 or 3 whole eggs	70-210 kcal
2 or 3 egg whites	17-51 kcal
2 or 4 pieces turkey bacon	40-80 kcal

Instructions

1. Begin cooking turkey bacon. While bacon cooks, begin wilting spinach in the pan that you will be cooking your eggs in.
2. Add eggs and scramble with spinach. Flip turkey bacon.
3. Cut up avocado, and add to eggs. Cut up 1 to 3 slices of the turkey bacon and add to eggs.
4. Turn off heat under eggs, and mix well. Transfer to plate and top with salsa, and serve with remaining bacon and orange.

Nutrition Facts

Large version (3 whole eggs + 2 egg whites + 4 pieces turkey bacon 1 whole orange) = 1 serving @ 511 kcal (yes, it is ok for a man to eat a breakfast that large—the more muscle you gain the more food you can eat without gaining body fat and the easier it is to lose body fat.)

Small version (1 whole egg + 3 egg whites + 2 pieces turkey bacon + 1/2 orange) = 1 serving @ 332 kcal

Josef’s Quick and Easy Mock mashed Potatoes

After I dropped my 45 pounds of body fat I thought that mashed potatoes would be off-limits to me. And they are. BUT, I have found a really, really good substitute for them made of cauliflower. Before you turn up your nose, give them a try. You won’t believe how good they actually taste.

Ingredients

1 small head cauliflower, quartered & steamed	66 kcal
2 tbsp butter	204 kcal
3-5 cloves of garlic, chopped	20 kcal
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Steam cauliflower for 5-8min. While cauliflower is steaming, sauté the garlic.
2. Place everything into a food processor and process until all chunks have been removed. This may take some stirring.
3. Enjoy.

Nutrition Facts

Makes 4 servings at 73 kcal per serving

Client Recipe: Brett’s Black Cherry Sparkle

As Jell-O likes to say, “every diet needs a little wiggle room.” They’re right—everyone needs some low- or no-calorie treats in their life that can nurture their sweet tooth without packing on fat. One of my clients, Brett T., came up with this simple, tasty, and very unique recipe. Oh, and yes, it’s KOSHER.

Ingredients

1 box sugar-free black cherry Jell-O
1 cup Coke Zero

Instructions

1. Follow the directions on the box, but replace the cold water with Coke Zero.
2. Optional: you can put a few tbsp of FAGE (or any other brand) of Greek yogurt on top for a little extra creamy, high-protein goodness.

Nutrition Facts

Each box yields 4 servings @ 10 kcal/serving (not counting yogurt)

Josef’s Super Quick and Easy Cheesy Mexican Wrap

If you’ve got 5min and access to a microwave then you can make a really, really yummy meal that won’t contribute to a pot-belly or thunder thighs.

Ingredients

1 low-carb wrap	50 kcal
1/4 cup fresh shredded “Mexican” cheese (cheddar, pepper jack, etc.)	114 kcal
1/2 cup chopped pre-cooked chicken	115 kcal
2-4tbsp cup no-sugar added salsa	15 kcal
1 large handful raw veggies (carrots, celery, pepper, etc.)	15 kcal

Instructions

1. Place chicken + cheese + salsa on a microwave safe plate, and microwave until cheese is melted – about 30-60sec.
2. Using a spoon or a fork (you don’t want to burn your fingers!), scoop contents of the plate into your low-carb wrap.
3. Enjoy with raw veggies – you’ve got to keep “it” moving!

Nutrition Facts

Makes 1 serving @ 309kcal per serving.

Josef’s Healthy Bacon Cheeseburger

Ingredients

4 oz. frozen lean beef patty	199 kcal
1 oz. cheddar cheese	113 kcal
1 leaf large-leaf romaine lettuce	5 kcal
Ketchup, mustard, BBQ sauce, or whatever you like	30 kcal
2-4 shakes Mrs. Dash Salt-free seasoning mix

Instructions

1. Turn heat up to med-high under a suitable pan. Cook burger and turkey bacon in same pan. Flip.
2. Sprinkle Mrs. Dash on the done side, and then place cheese on top. Cook until desired level of done-ness (medium, well, etc.)
3. Place on lettuce leaf, and top with condiments.
4. Enjoy with a few extra raw veggies.

Nutrition Facts

Makes one serving at 347 kcal per serving

Josef’s Fiance Presents: Sugar-Free, Quick & Easy Key-Lime Pie!

Summertime means key-lime pie. Summertime also means going to the beach and hanging out at the pool in swimwear that lets EVERYONE know exactly how well you’ve been eating and exercising for the past few months – Judgment day! My girlfriend, bless her, has figured out how to eat key-lime pie without getting squishy. Check out her super quick, easy and yummy recipe right here.

Ingredients

1 oz mascarpone	125 kcal
Lime juice to taste (better to put in less now and add more later)	1-5 kcal
Splenda to taste

Instructions

1. Mix everything in a small ramekin (or something similar).
2. Eat it.
3. Trust me. I was skeptical too, but it really is that good. Since it doesn’t have any sugar it won’t side-track your fat-loss efforts, or contribute to all of the health problems that refined carbs cause.

Nutrition Facts

Makes 1 serving @ 126-130 kcal per serving

Josef’s Mom Presents Her Butternut squash & Coconut soup

I like butternut squash. I like coconut. Together they are even better. This is a great appetizer or snack or even a side dish for a meal.

Ingredients

1 tbsp peanut (or coconut) oil	120 kcal
1 small onion, chopped	30 kcal
1 heaping tbsp Thai Kitchen green curry paste	10 kcal
1/4 cup white wine, sherry, or rice vinegar	97 kcal (75% boils off as alcohol)
1 tbsp Thai Kitchen red chili paste	50 kcal
1 cup veggie or chicken broth	10 kcal
1 can light coconut milk	320 kcal
6 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash (the equivalent of one small butternut squash)	380 kcal

Instructions

1. Chop veggies.
2. Sautee onion in oil until soft and translucent. Deglaze pan with wine, sherry, or rice vinegar
3. Add remaining ingredients. Simmer until squash is tender (the smaller the cubes, the faster this happens).
4. Puree and serve. (A hand mixer or food processor work best. A blender will do too.)

Nutrition Facts

5 servings at 188kcal/serving

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