I thought I would take a few minutes and see if people might be interested in sharing their favorite hi protein recipes.... I was getting ready to make a grocery list and thought I would get others input first… maybe if we share some recipes/ideas, you could help us all? Sometimes it's nice to try other things and check out other's input.

Crab cakes. I use 1 container (17 grams Protein, 0 carbs) of the refrigerated claw meat, add one egg, squeeze of lemon juice, tsp. worcester sauce, finely diced celery and onion, salt & pepper, tsp. of Old Bay seasoning, tsp. of hot sauce. Just stir ingredients and make small patties. Take i tsp. olive oil and spread in teflon skillet and lightly brown on each side. So simple and easy.

Meatloaf. Use ground turkey or 90% lean ground beef. I would say for 1 lb. ground meat, add about as much (about 3/4 cup) chunky Salsa (the more the better). You have to keep adding Salsa until you can still form a meatloaf. This is the only meatloaf I have ever liked. You can make mini meatloaves in muffin pans. Cook them and freeze for a quick thaw meal later.

Rotisserie chicken - for chicken salad. I add chicken, boiled egg, lowfat mayo, ground nutmeg, salt & pepper, diced celery, and about 1/4 cup canned crushed pineapple (in juice). Nutmeg is the key to a great taste.

Have fun!

BBQ Meatloaf

1-1.5 lb lean ground beef, add shredded parm cheese, chopped onion, one egg and garlic powder. Add 1-2 TBSP BBQ sauce to meat and mix well,

(I found some low sugar BBQ sauce after MUCH search that is only 3 sugars per 2 TBSP.)

Form into loaf or into muffin cups. Mix a bit of salsa or low sugar ketchup with a couple teaspoons more of BBQ sauce. Bake at 350 until desired doneness. top with sauce and bake to set.

SUPER good stuff. an old favorite. pre surgery i used to add crushed croutons too, but not worth the carbs now.

I have a few on my pinterest board.

http://www.pinterest.com/jdlk0664/gastric-sleeve/

My new one is Veg Lasagna. Instead of Pasta, I use thinly sliced eggplant. For filling in between the layers I use Italian sausage, sliced zucchini, sliced mushrooms, and ricotta. I liberally sprinkle with mozzarella. I layer with low carb pasta sauce or Trader Joe's Arrabiata Sauce (naturally low carb). I saute the vegs first and cook the sausage beforehand, so it is done faster. It only takes about 30-45 minutes at 400 degrees to finish up if you precook your sausage and vegs.

Note this is low carb and not low fat. Good for those of us following low carb/high fat plans. Very satisfying and stores/freezes well. The whole family likes it. No one misses the pasta.

I saw a recipe on Rachel Ray this week that looks yummy!!!

INGREDIENTS

• 4 6- to 8-ounce pieces chicken breast, butterflied then pounded very thin (an 1/8- to 1/4-inch thick)
• Olive oil, for drizzling plus 1 tablespoon
• Salt and pepper
• 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 1 teaspoon granulated onion
• 1 teaspoon fennel seed
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 pints grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
• A fat handful of basil leaves
• 1 pound ball fresh mozzarella, very thinly sliced or shredded using a fat-toothed box grater

PREPARATION

Drizzle chicken with oil in a shallow dish and season with salt, pepper, granulated garlic and onion, fennel seed, red pepper and thyme. Marinate a few minutes

Preheat a large griddle pan or grill pan over medium high heat. Preheat broiler as well.

Heat a skillet with a lid over medium-high heat with a tablespoon of olive oil, a turn of the pan. Add sliced garlic and stir a minute; add tomatoes and season with salt. Cover pan to trap heat and cook to soften tomatoes for 8-10 minutes, shaking pan occasionally. Add basil to sauce and stir to wilt.

Grill or griddle-cook the chicken a few minutes on each side then transfer to baking sheets. Top chicken with sauce and then mozzarella cheese, as if it were a small pizza. Broil to brown and melt cheese.

PRESENTATION