1000-lb Best Friends' Favorite Foods

Potato Salad

Meghan is a potato lover and potato salad is one of her favorite dishes.

Cauliflower "Potato" Salad

Here's a healthy twist on traditional potato salad from Taylor Rizzo, RDN, LDN.

INGREDIENTS:

• Cauliflower, cooked until soft
• Celery, diced
• Onion, diced
• Pickles, diced or you could use dill relish (not sweet)
• Dill weed, to taste
• Celery salt, to taste
• Mayo, til good and covered
• Mustard, to taste
• Boiled eggs, cut up to bite sized pieces

INSTRUCTIONS:

Mix it all together in a large bowl, careful not to over-mix the cauliflower or it will get mushy. You can serve it cold or hot; whatever your preference.

Tacos

All the best friends love Mexican food, and tacos are a favorite dish among them.

Lettuce Wrap Tacos (4 Servings — 2 Tacos Per Serving)

Taylor suggests swapping out that taco shell for lettuce wraps to create this healthier version.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb. of ground turkey OR 2-3 chicken breast cubed into 1-inch pieces
• 3 tbsp homemade taco seasoning
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper

Combine in a bowl, store in airtight container or plastic baggie.

• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 yellow onion thinly sliced
• 1 red and 1 green bell pepper thinly sliced
• Olive oil (for cooking)
• Salt (to taste)
• Romaine or butter lettuce leaves, separated and washed
• Additional toppings, optional (measurements are per taco):
  • 2 tbsp of corn salsa:
    • 2 cups canned corn kernels, drained
    • 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
    • 1/8 cup diced red onion
    • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
    • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
    • 1 teaspoon sugar
    • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, and you are ready to enjoy!

• 2 tbsp tomatoes chopped
• 1/4 avocado OR 2 tbsp simple guacamole:
• 4 ripe avocados
• Juice of 2-3 limes (I like more lime, so I usually put 3 or more)
• 2 tsp salt (to taste)

Mash all ingredients in a bowl together for a deliciously simple and classic guacamole dip or topping.

• 1 tbsp of low-fat shredded cheese
• 1 tbsp of your favorite salsa or hot sauce
• 1 tbsp plain Greek yogurt (in place of sour cream)

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Spray a large pan with cooking spray and add protein of choice. Cook protein of choice until completely cooked through.
• Season with homemade taco seasoning and add 1/3 cup of water, cook until sauce has thickened, and every piece of protein is coated
• In a separate pan, heat up 2 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat. Add sliced onions and peppers and 2 tsp of salt, saute over medium heat until onions and peppers begin to caramelize and soften (about 7-10 minutes depending on how thick the slices are and how crowded the pan is). Assemble your favorite topping options.

ASSEMBLE YOUR TACO:

Lay 1 leaf of the butter lettuce down, add your prepared protein and vegetable as the base of your taco, top with your favorite toppings, and enjoy!

EXTRAS: Can serve with 1/4 cup of fat-free refried beans on the side and/or 1/2 cup of cauliflower rice.

Pizza

Pizza is Ashely's delectable treat of choice.

Homemade Personal Pizza

Instead of ordering a pie, make Taylor's version of a thin crust personal pizza using a whole wheat tortilla!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 10-inch whole wheat tortilla
• 1/8 tsp granulated garlic
• 1/4 tsp parsley (fresh or dried)
• 1/2 cup homemade pizza sauce (or you can purchase your favorite No Sugar Added pasta sauce from the grocery store)
• Homemade pizza sauce:
  • 1 28 oz can tomato puree
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large garlic clove, minced
  • 1 small shallot, minced (about 2 tbsp)
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 1/4 tsp dried thyme
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (omit if you do not like spice)

Make the sauce:

• Heat oil in a pan over medium heat, add shallots and saute for 1-2 minutes until they start to soften. Add minced garlic and cook another 1-2 minutes until they are fragrant. Add the spices and toast for 20 seconds, add the tomato puree. Cook on medium low heat for about 10 minutes to let all the flavors come together, remove from the heat and season with a pinch of salt and pepper to taste.

• 1/2 cup low fat shredded mozzarella cheese AND/OR 3-4 1/2 inch slices of fresh mozzarella
• 2 tbsp grated parmesan
• Optional Toppings:
  
  • 1/2 cup fresh spinach leaves
  • 4-5 slices of fresh mushroom
  • 2-3 tbsp chopped bell peppers
  • 3-4 basil leaves
  • 1/8 cup olive slices
  • 5-6 slices turkey pepperoni
  • 1/4 cup ground Italian turkey sausage (or ½ of a link sliced)

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (not essential but it will help your pizza get a bit crisper in the oven).
• Spray your tortilla lightly on both sides with cooking spray. Lay on prepared baking sheet.
• Sprinkle the garlic powder and parsley all over the crust (giving a little more love to the crust to give it some extra flavor).
• Add sauce and spread thinly and evenly over tortilla.
• Add cheese, and your favorite toppings.
• Bake in oven for 5-10 minutes until you reach your desired level of crispiness and bubbliness.
• Enjoy!

EXTRAS: Top with some crushed red peppers or pickled jalapenos for an extra spice kick! Make sure to pick at least 1 vegetable to put on your pizza, and if you want to add more than one meat, cut each meat portion size in half to keep portions controlled.

Fried Chicken

For Vannessa, there's nothing like a cripsy helping of fried chicken.

Oven-Fried Chicken (4 Servings)

Taylor recommends skipping the deep-fry and baking this deliciously crispy chicken in the oven instead.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half lengthwise to make 4 pieces
• 2 cups of low-fat buttermilk
• 1 cup of whole wheat flour (can also use almond flour)
• 3 tbsp paprika (divided)
• 1 1/2 tbsp all-purpose seasoning (Lawry’s salt free blend is a favorite) (divided)
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (omit if you do not like it spicy)
• 1 1/2 tsp black pepper (divided)
• 1 1/2 tsp salt (divided)
• 2 tbsp olive oil

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle 2 tbsp olive oil on the parchment paper-lined baking sheet and spread around the pan.
• Mix buttermilk, 1 tbsp paprika, 1/2 tbsp all-purpose seasoning, 1/2 tsp black pepper, and 1/2 tsp of salt in a large bowl. Place chicken breast pieces into bowl and cover. Marinate for at least 30 minutes, overnight in fridge if possible.
• In a separate bowl mix together flour and the remainder of the seasonings.
• Remove chicken from bowl and pat dry with paper towel to remove excess marinade (a small amount of marinade left is fine, just don’t want it dripping).
• Roll each chicken breast piece in the flour mixture to give it a light coating. Place on prepared baking sheet. Spray the tops of the prepared chicken breast with a light spray of cooking oil.
• Place in oven for 20 minutes, flip, then back in the oven another 20 minutes until cooked.
• Enjoy!

EXTRAS: Serve as chicken tenders with sugar-free barbecue sauce or sugar-free ketchup OR serve with a lemon wedge, some cauliflower mash on the side, and your favorite roasted vegetable for a more traditional fried chicken feel.

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