High Protein Low Fat Chili

There are not many better meals there for High Protein and Low Fat goodness then Slow cooker chili done right.  Here is my recipe below for your Crock Pot.

  

• 2 pounds lean ground beef
• 2 (16 ounce) cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 2 onions, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and stir in ground beef. Cook and stir until beef is crumbly, evenly browned, and no longer pink, about 7 minutes. Drain and discard any excess grease.
2. Combine ground beef, kidney beans, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, onions, bell pepper, garlic, chili powder, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on Low for 10 hours, or High for 4 hours.

Crock Pot Meatloaf

Just a quick tip for those crock pot meatloaf recipes out there.  I used my normal meatloaf tin and use whatever recipe is your favorite for the oven.    Just set you tin inside your crockpot and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4.  This helps keep it in a loaf instead of it going all over the place with the tin.  

Recipe I used

2lbs Ground Beef

2 eggs, beaten

3/4 C milk

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

3 slices bread, crumbled or torn into small pieces

1/2 C diced onion 

1 envelope dry Ranch Dressing mix

1/2 C ketchup

Directions:

Mix eggs, milk, salt, pepper, and bread crumbs. Allow to soften (about 20 minutes). Combine this mixture with ground beef, onion, ranch pack, and ketchup. Cover the top of the mixture with additional ketchup.

CC

Crockpot Ham

Easy Crock Pot Ham

Cant get much easier than this.  All I did was take my frozen smoked ham and stuck it in the crock on High.  Pour a can of peaches and a can of oranges over the top.   4 hours on high and 4 hours on low.  Pour a little Agave over the top at the end.

CC

Rhubarb Protein Bars

Crust:

1/2 cup chopped nuts

1 1/2 cups rolled oats

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups Vanilla Protein Powder

1 cup butter

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Filling:

3 cups chopped rhubard

1 1/2 cups sugar substitute

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 cup water

Combine all ingredients for crust and mix until crumbly. Pat half of the mixture into a 13x9x2 inch baking pan.

To prepare the filling, combine rhubarb, sugar substitute, cornstarch and water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until mixture is clear.

Pour filling over crust. 

Sprinkle with the remaining crumb mixture.

Bake for 20 minutes at 350°F. 

Allow to cool before slicing into serving sized bars.

CC

Spaghetti Lasagna

Have you ever wanted to make Lasagna but not had lasagna noodles on hand?  One thing we always have on hand in our house is spaghetti noodles.   Instead of going through an entire lasagna recipe go ahead and use whichever one is your fave and I will just share the trick of making your spaghetti into lasagna.  Cook your noodles like normal and then proceed to drain and rinse them in cold water.  Now split them into however many layers you would like in your pan but do this into separate bowls.  Take 1 egg and mix it into each bowl of noodles and mix it up.  Now its time to layer your dish.  The egg will act as a coagulant to turn those spaghetti noodles into lasagna ones.  Go ahead and layer it as follows.....  Noodles sauce cheese noodles sauce cheese noodles sauce cheese until your pan is full.  This is a fantastic change up to normal spaghetti or lasagna.......

CC

Smoked ham fajitas

New quick invention from last night.   Take some of your leftover holiday ham and cut it up into cubes and throw in a pan with onions and green pepper.  Saute that in olive oil with a little garlic and pepper seasoning til the ham has a good crispy bark but not burned.   Use the mix and throw on a tortilla with shredded cheese and your fave hot sauce (i use sriracha).   When you crisp up the ham it almost gives it a bacony flavor which is outstanding.....

CC

Dunk Dynasty

DUNK DYNASTY

The WNBA just got a little more exciting.......

Morning Eggs Ideas

Are you looking for some different ways to change up those boring morning eggs?  Eggs are a great way to start your day as they give you the protein you need to get you going along with some healthy fats in the yoke.  Here are two ways to change up your scrambled eggs or egg whites in the am.

1)  As soon you take your eggs out of the pan add some cottage cheese along with your shredded cheese.  Not only does this give you tons of flavor but it spikes up your protein content along with giving that Casein Protein that cottage cheese contains.  (Casein is a long digesting protein that gives your muscles fuel for hours)   

2)  Make a breakfast burrito with a wheat tortilla.  Instead of adding sour cream with your hot sauce try plain greek yogurt.  I honestly cant tell the difference between light sour cream and greek yogurt.  Not only does this give you the flavor and cooling contrast with the hot sauce but it adds lots of protein that will get you going for the day!  

Sausage Minestrone Soup

Heres a great recipe for a slow cooker soup.  Healthy, Hearty, and Delicious.

Ingredients

3 Large Potatoes chopped

5 Carrots chopped

1 pd lean sausage

1 can Garbanzo Beans

1/2 cup macaroni

1 onion

4 cups water

4 chicken bullion cubes

Basil

Oregano 

First step is to put your carrots, onions  and sausage in a pan and brown the sausage while you satay the veggies.  While you do that start your slow cooker on low and add your water and chicken bouillon cubes.  Stir those up along with your basil and oregano.  You can add the potatoes and beans as well.  After the sausage and veggies are ready to go add those too.  Now cook on low for four hours.  When you have a half hour left add your macaroni.  Make sure not to cook it for longer then a half hour or else it will suck up all the broth.  ENJOY

CC

Smoked Prime Rib

Smoking a prime rib is not as hard as you might think.  First of all Prime Rib is so good and flavorful by itself that you dont need to do anything to it beforehand.  All I did is set it out til it reached room temperature and seasoned it with salt and pepper.  Now comes the smoking.  You want to smoke it low and slow at around 225 degrees. 

Make sure to continue to check the internal temperature.  I like mine medium rare so I went for an internal temp of 135 degrees.  NOW make sure you take it out when it hits 125-130 since the temp will rise 5-10 degrees after you take it out of the smoker.  Here is a good chart to go by.

NOTE: If you ignore every other bit of advice I've given, please pay attention to this - For a perfectly cooked rib roast, invest in a good meat thermometer. Internal temperature, not time, is the best test for doneness and you don't want to blow this meal!

After you take it out remember to let it sit for 5-10 minutes before you slice it or else you will let out all the juices.  ENJOY

Notice the great dark pink smoke line on the outside!

Smoked Pork and Beef Ribs

3-2-1 METHOD

First you need to start off with a nice coat of rub on your ribs.  You can buy a pre made mix or make your own.  Both work very well.  After I remove as much fat trimmings as I can from my ribs I give them a nice thick layer of rub.  I myself make my own mix of paprika, brown sugar, chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, granulated garlic, and cayenne pepper.  After you have let the rub soak in for 30 minutes atleast it is time to put them on the smoker (you can just use a regular charcoal grill if you want) for 3 Hours.
(step one of the 3-2-1)

Make sure to get a really nice smoke on them at about 250 degrees.  After 3 hours take them out and they should be starting to break away from the bone.  Now its time to bake them for 2 hours at 250 degrees in the oven in tin foil.  (step 2 of 3-2-1)  I like to use agave, sugar, and margarine layered on the tin foil to keep the meat moist.  

Fold up your tin foil and throw those bad boys in the oven.

After 2 hours remove them from the foil.

Now it is time to grill them for 1 hour to get that grill flavor and also baste your sauce from the tin foil on top of them every 15 minutes.  (step 3 of 3-2-1)   6 hours all together you will have amazing tasting ribs!

I think I may need to purchase this rib rack below before I make another batch!

How much protein do you need?

While exact daily protein requirements vary by individual and goal, you need enough to maintain and build lean muscle mass. Aim to consume about one gram of protein per pound of body weight per day, divided among 4-6 meals. A diet this rich in protein will help you feel fuller for longer while refueling your muscles post-workout.

This goes for the person that is looking to lose fat and not lose any muscle that you have already built up.  Now if you are someone who want to make BIG gains in muscle you should try to hit 1.5-2 grams of protein per pound of body weight. If you are doing this make sure you split up your meals to at least 6 per day and 2-3 hours in between.  Here is an example with my current measurements.

Currently I weigh 270 pounds (6'6 & 12% body fat).  If I would like to maintain my muscle mass and lose fat I would look to eat 270 grams of protein per day.  So I would shoot for 45 grams of lean protein 6 times a day.  If you weigh 200 pounds you would want to eat 200 grams of protein a day.  33 grams 6 times a day.  

Now if you want to make BIG gains in muscle and you are happy with your body fat you would shoot for double that.  So me myself would attempt 540 grams per day with 90 grams per sitting 6 times a day.  A 200 pound person would go for 400 per day with 66 per sitting.

Don't forget your whey protein shakes as meal replacements a couple times per day to help achieve your protein goals!  

Here are some great examples of lean proteins to use.....

Chicken

Turkey

Lean Beef

Egg whites

Beans

Dairy

Protein Powder (Below is a link to a very good priced protein that I use everyday)

CC

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

If you are looking for a great snack or side thats healthy and tastes good look no further then Baked Sweet Potato Fries.  The Center for Science in the Public Interest rates sweet potatoes as the number one most nutritious vegetable because they such are so nutritionally rich.  I try to replace regular potatoes with sweet potatoes as much as possible.

Ingredients

Sweet Potatoes

Sea Salt

Olive Oil

Cinnamon

Start by preheating the oven to 450 degrees.  Now peel all the skin off your taters and cut them into french fry size.  Lay them on a baking sheet and be sure not to let them touch at all so they can get crispy.  Next drizzle them with olive oil and shake some sea salt and cinnamon over the top of them.  Bake for 10 minutes, flip them over, then bake for another 10 minutes.  And Enjoy!

CC 

Shepard's Pie

Ingredients

1 can of corn

1 can of carrots

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 onion chopped

1 pound hamburger

Salt and Pepper to taste

2 tbsp granulated garlic

4 cups cooked instant mashed potatoes

Fresh Parmesan cheese 

Brown 1 pound of hamburger with chopped onion.  Then add carrots, corn, and soup.  Cook on low for ten minutes.  Now place in a baking dish atleast 9x9.   Preheat oven to 350.  Place cooked potatoes over the top of your mixture and sprinkle with fresh parm.  Cook in the oven for 20-30 min.   You can add green beans or other veggies to your mixture but I cannot due to family members likings...... HA....

Enjoy

CC

Smoked chili

Smoked Chili

Ingredients

1 pound of ground beef

1 pound of bacon

2 cans undrained kidney beans

2 cans undrained pinto beans

2 cans undrained chili beans

1 can undrained baked beans

1 chopped onion

1 can undrained tomatoes

Seasonings

3 tbsp chili powder

1 tbsp cayenne pepper

seasoning salt

pepper

3 tbsp granulated garlic

1 tbsp cumin

1 tbsp paprika

First start by seasoning the ground beef with seasoning salt and pepper.  Then start your smoker and smoke the bacon and beef for 2-3 hours at around 250-300 degrees.  While you are smoking the meat go ahead and get your crockpot started on low with all the rest of the ingredients.  Remember not to drain your beans for this will be the liquid that your chili will cook in.  When your meat is done smoking go ahead and chop it all up into small pieces and add it into your crock pot.  Go ahead and cook for another  4-6 hours pending how much time you have.  The longer it cooks the better it will taste.  You will never want to eat regular chili again.  

Enjoy

CC

30 Min. Muscle Building Workout

Are you looking to gain muscle but are short on time at the gym?  Here is a 6 day workout plan that I have used over and over again.  By working two opposite muscle groups you can get more done by super-setting and resting 1 minute in between each set.  For example.... on an arms day you can do 1 set of biceps, rest 1 min, 1 set triceps, rest 1 min, 1 set biceps, rest, triceps, rest. etc etc etc.....   That gives you the opportunity to do 3 sets of 3 different biceps exercises and 3 sets of 3 different triceps exercises....  If you stick to the 1 min rest time you can get this workout done in a half hour and it kicks your butt!  Again the key is that you are switching back and forth between 2 muscle groups.

Day 1 - Arms (triceps & biceps)

Day 2 - Legs and Shoulders

Day 3 - Back and Chest

Day 4 - Arms

Day 5 - Legs and Shoulders

Day 6 - Back and Chest

Day 7 - Rest

Below is the protein powder I have used for the last few years.... Works great!

Cottage Cheese before bed?

If you are looking to lose fat but not lose muscle, low fat cottage cheese is for you!  While you are dieting and watching every calorie you put in your body, do you worry about losing the muscle that you already have?  This is something I think about all the time.  Casein Protein is a very slow metabolizing form of protein that is found heavily in, you guessed it ....  cottage cheese.  Now if you are dieting and trying to lean up, try eating cottage cheese before you go to bed at night.  While you sleep at night you are not able to eat any meals to help replenish your muscles and keep them fed.   The casein protein in cottage cheese will slowly digest while you sleep and will help you not wake up starving like normal.  You can also buy Casein Protein Powder but who needs that when you can just eat cottage cheese!

Bacon wrapped smokies

This is pretty self explanatory but all you need to do is cut your bacon slice in half.  Then wrap around each smokie.  Lay them on a baking sheet and cook in the oven for about 30 minutes at 350.  If you want easy clean up use tin foil on the bottom of the pan.  You can eat them like this if you are hungry or you can put them in a crock pot with brown sugar for a couple hours til the sugar carmelizes for a sweet and salty flavor. Either way tastes great!  Of course this is a zero calorie meal!  (sarcasm)

CC

Smoked oyster dip

Ingredients

2-5 oz cans of smoked oysters

1 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup minced onions

1 tbsp hot sauce

1 cup shredded 5 Italian cheese mix

1 cup crushed ritz crackers

Mix together all ingredients other then crackers in small pyrex pan.  Sprinkle ritz crackers over the top and cook in oven for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.  Dip with crackers or pita chips.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Quite possibly the best dip around.  This Buffalo Chicken Dip is perfect for your football party next weekend or even save it for the super bowl.  Very easy to make and everyone will love it.

Ingredients

2 cups of cooked chicken breasts (can be canned or use a rotisserie)

1 cup of Franks Red Hot Sauce

2 blocks of cream cheese

1/2 cup of Ranch

1/2 cup shredded cheese

Mix together cut up chicken, hot sauce, cream cheese, and ranch in a square baking dish.  Next sprinkle the cheese on top.  Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.  Use tortilla chips to dip.

CC