Easy Recipes

When I was a kid this was served at very special meals. My mother made hers plain. I had no idea how incredibly fabulous this meat could taste until I started adding the meat rub!

I love a steak while I am on Plan ZReduction. I have pretty much perfected my technique using a cast iron skillet but learned this method by asking a French restaurant how they did theirs.

Chris, VP Anger Management, loves his food spicy. He invented this sauce to go on sandwiches.

This dish can be as easy as 3 ingredients and 3 minutes! I am going to describe a pre-cooked version of the shrimp dish and one you cook yourself. I am also going to give you spice mix options.

This recipe can be made in a pinch when you take advantage of the pre-cut produce in the grocery store. That way if you are cooking for just yourself you don’t buy a lot of ingredients that will go to waste. It’s a little more expensive by the pound, but it’s cheaper overall not to have the leftovers if you aren’t going to get to them in time to eat them before they spoil. 

Fennel has a distinct flavor, but when it's roasted, the flavor mellows. If you like fennel, this recipe is great, and it's very easy to make.  

Cabbage is one of the foods that's unlimited on ZReduction, so it's the perfect food to nosh on when you're hungry between meals. Dieter Brenda sent us this versatile cabbage recipe, and it's scrumptious. Eat it with dinner, or as a snack. Or, add a sliced onion and use it as a substitution for noodles that’s healthy and delicious. Or, try adding chicken broth and your favorite seasoning to turn this a brothy side or a simple soup.

Dieter Debbie has mastered air fried veggies on ZReduction, and shared this with the Plan Z Facebook group. It's simple, and delicious and can be ready in a jiffy. We're posting it here for everyone to enjoy. Thank you, Debbie!

I found a recipe very similar to this one about 15 years in an old Southern cookbook. I have made a few changes to “Zola-fy” it. This goes over BIG at any party, and it's so simple!

In addition to being crunchy, satisfying and delicious, pumpkin seeds are a nutritious snack. You can buy shelled pumpkin seeds in the grocery store (also know as pepitas), but when pumpkin season rolls around, you can buy a fresh pumpkin, scrape out the seeds, and toast the whole seeds yourself. YUM! 

I discovered cinnamon water in Costa Rica. Try adding pear slices – it makes a wonderful summer treat.

Smash burgers are all the rage. Step into a brew pub and you’ll likely find a smash burger on the food menu.

These are NOT the huge, 8oz burgers we’ve been fed in the past. These are a thinner burger that’s usually six ounces or even less. You can always make your burger with two patties and bring it back to huge but more popular is to just make your burger with one patty.

Shrimp cocktail is a simple snack on ZReduction. If you plan to eat it regularly, you might want to consider making your own cocktail sauce. It's quick, easy and delicious.

This soup is a staple at Chinese restaurants. It is filling, delicate and delicious. Unfortunately, one of the ingredients in most restaurant egg drop soup recipes is MSG. The recipe below is an MSG-free version of the traditional classic, so it won't taste exactly the same, but we think it's just as delicious.

Another Happy Healthy Holidays classic. This is so easy it almost feels like cheating.

A spicy and refreshing salsa can jazz up any dish. Dieter Lois shared this recipe for her ZReduction-friendly salsa verde. She whipped up a batch to put over her eggs, but this would be good on just about anything.

A no sugar variation of my caramelized pears recipe. Still very yummy!

Chris’s cousins sent us a HUGE box of fruit as his get well wish. There are only two of us, so in order to use the fruit I have had to get creative! Oh, my, these are yummy!

This recipe was submitted by Plan Z coach, Pearl. She loves kale and makes this recipe often.

This is my favorite, simple way to cook salmon. If you want to jazz it up you can also make my tzatziki sauce. Yum.

A traditional Waldorf salad has grapes or raisins and lots of walnuts -- but it doesn’t have to. This one worked great as a side dish. Be sure to cut your fruit portion for this meal in half.

My favorite technique for cooking low-fat burgers is to quickly sear the burger and finish it by roasting it in the oven. Here’s the recipe for seared burgers that are then oven-roasted.

This will go well with beef burgers or even ground chicken breast burgers or grilled chicken breasts; even a steak.

Traditional orange juice is not allowed on Plan Z because when you remove all the pulp (the fiber) what's left is a whole bunch of sugar. But, if you have a magic bullet or a high-powered blender, you can enjoy a liquefied, blended orange - as long as you blend the whole orange and don't strain the pulp.

I am a huge fan of English shortbread. When I traveled a lot in England on business, the hotel usually left a package or two by the coffee maker. I used to make that my little breakfast while I worked at the desk.

A delicious sauce to pair with your favorite dessert.

Dieter Sarah eats tuna salad to help her lose weight on ZReduction. This is her "magic" recipe.

This delicious recipe was submitted by dieter Nicole. She served it with pork chops and roasted tomatoes. Thanks, Nicole for the inspired dish!

If you don’t use liquor in your cooking you can leave that out. You can also flavor them with stevia flavorings. You could have coconut, vanilla or other flavors.

Since leafy greens are unlimited you can double (or triple) the amount of greens used in this recipe if you want to make it stretch.

When you are in the ZReduction portion of Plan Z you will not be eating the skin of the chicken or any of the dark meat. Breast meat only.

No need to salt them. No need to season them. They will be delicious and have PLENTY of flavor. 

Pears and chocolate go great together. Who needs candy apples when you've got these?

This delicious recipe was submitted by Plan Z dieter Bruce. Bruce says, "We saw this sixteen years ago on a trip to visit our daughter in-law. They keep it from day to day and just add to it when more is needed."

These cookies are SOOOO good. And no flour! Just be careful what peanut butter you buy and be sure to order the sweetener ahead so you are prepared to bake and eat.

This is an easy and tasty meal that comes together in a jiffy. Big Yum!

You could also add some of this roasted garlic to a batch of cooked green beans or asparagus for a nice flavor combo.

If you miss soda but know in your heart that it’s bad for you, try a recipe like this one.

Sinfully delicious...with only three ingredients.

The parfait is a serious twist on a Cooking Light recipe I came across, so I need to give them credit but I also wanted you to know it's light and rather healthy.

Raspberry coulis is often used by dessert chefs to decorate your dessert at a restaurant. They put a swirl of it on your plate or maybe drizzle it over the top of the dessert. You can be fancy or plain as you wish.

This chicken is super moist and yummy. The ranch dressing gives it a gourmet feel without any work at all!

I would not drink this all day while on ZReduction, but a couple of glasses should be fine.

Once you get your system cleaned out with ZReduction and you stabilize in ZReboot, you can “go a little wild” once in a while and venture out into the world of a bit of sugar. I took a recipe that called for an entire cup of syrup (yep, you read that right) and totally redesigned so it could be eaten in ZReboot 3.5.

The touch of nutmeg in here really makes the dish. Try this as a substitute for mashed potatoes. It’s really quite delightful

Dieter Rebecca first had this warm and rustic side dish while in Ireland on a road trip in 1994. These mushrooms where in every Irish B&B Dieter Rebecca visited. She loved the recipe so much she recreated it for Plan Z! Hope you enjoy.

This recipe works for breakfast or for dessert. Really satisfying! A great treat and super fast!

This crust can be used with any kind of a savory dish. This is going to be a super-popular recipe.

This is a must try, a wonderfully light and healthy dessert.

This dish takes no time at all. All you have to do is crust it and toss it in your oven. Come back later, and your entrée is ready! I served mine with sautéed spinach with garlic and tomato.