Day 2 Meal Plan

Our motor home has a small kitchen space and a smaller refrigerator and freezer than what we have at home.  Consequently, my recipes are usually for one or two people.  That way I don't have to worry about storing left overs.  Alexx likes the refrigerator at home not to be overflowing so this might make things more manageable when we come off the road as well.  But today's meal plan allows for leftovers so I can use them in my meal plan for tomorrow saving a bit of prep time.

Yesterday's meal plan included our favorite frozen custard recipe, but I have not tried preparing that in our motor home.  I will have to let you know if that works.  I might have to prepare the ice cream when we are visiting friends and share the goodies with them.  In the meantime, we will substitute a Carb Smart Bar when we aren't able to make the frozen custard.  See why this blog is so helpful!  I get to think about all this stuff before it gets into final print!  Don't forget to give me you ideas and feedback too!  It will only make the final product better!

PLAN AHEAD NOTE: The meal plan for today includes a roast for dinner so be sure to read the dinner plan as the meat will need to marinade during the day.

Day 2 Breakfast - 7:00 AM

Alexx loves omelets and I have a zillion ways to make them.  We are incorporating old favorites and new creations for the blog.  Eventually we will only include omelets that score a four.  Today's omelet is a work in progress.  He gave it a 3.5 but would like to see me add more spices to it the next time I prepare it.  I enjoyed the light flavor of it, but Alexx prefers bolder flavors.  See what you think using the recipe below.

With the omelet I served 1/2 cup sliced fresh strawberries and a 12 oz glass of ice water mixed with 1 package of Pro/Grade Genesis.
     (Alexx is not a fan of many vegetables and it's critical that he get the nutrients that he is missing.  I add vegetables as often as possible but there are days that he just sighs and asks if I would please serve fewer vegetables.  So I searched the internet to see if I could find a good supplement derived from whole foods that would give him the nutrients he needs from vegetables.  I found Prograde Nutrition which is a company not far from where my mother lived in Tampa.  It is the only "good tasting" green drink we could find that offers everything we need in a drink.  It has phytonutrients equivalent to 5-6 servings of deep green leafy vegetables.  If you are interested, you can find it at www.getprograde.com/green-drink.html.) (Update as of 11/12/13 - they have discontinued this product because apparently they weren't selling enough!)

Shrimp and Vege Omelet with Goat Cheese

Thaw under running cold water 2 oz shrimp and set aside

Grate 1 oz hard goat cheese and set aside
Mix the ingredients below and set aside while you saute the vegetables:
     2 eggs, I use Omega 3 Vegetarian Fed Cage Free
     1 Tablespoon coconut milk
     1 Tablespoon water
Prepare the veges:
     1 Tablespoon red onion, minced
     1 Tablespoon bell pepper (red or green), chopped fine
     1 Tablespoon zucchini, chopped fine
     1 Tablespoon mushrooms, fresh, chopped
Saute the above vegetables in
     1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
     1/8 teaspoon salt
     1/8 teaspoon white pepper
When onions are translucent add
     1/2 tsp dill, dried
     1/4 tsp herbs de provence (this is one of my favorite spice mixtures, but you could also sub oregano)
     and the thawed shrimp that was set aside
Remove sauteed mixture from the pan to a separate plate or bowl
Return skillet to the burner and pour in egg mixture
Add shredded cheese
When the cheese begins to soften and the egg mixture starts to set add the vege shrimp mixture and spread it evenly through the center of the setting egg mixture.
Fold the sides of the egg mixture over the vege/shrimp mixture carefully
Roll the omelet onto a plate and serve hot

Tip: if you want a spicy version you can substitute pepper jack cheese for the goat cheese.

Total Nutritional Information for Day 2 Breakfast:
Calories: 542; Carbs: 14g; Fat: 39g; Protein: 35g

Day 2 Lunch - 11:30 am

Alexx was a bachelor for a very long time and never cared much about cooking. His idea of a healthy meal was a peanut butter and bacon sandwich with a microwaved bag of cheesy broccoli.  When we got together he was happy to have all his meals prepared for him, but if I asked him what he would like for lunch, he would always ask for a sandwich.  When he converted to a low carbohydrate diet the food he missed most of all was bread.  Alexx could consume a loaf of bakery or homemade bread in one sitting without batting an eye.  Hating to see that sad face every time I made him a wrap or sandwich from a lettuce leaf instead of a tortilla or bread slice, I searched for something to bring back his smile.

Mission Tortilla Company creates a Carb Balance tortilla that has a net carb count of about 3grams. (http://www.missionmenus.com/Pantry.aspx) This has made a big difference for Alexx in satisfying his desire for bread.  It's not the same of course, but he much prefers it to a lettuce wrap for his lunch (although I still do throw in the occasional lettuce wrap sandwich.)  When we remember, we even bring the Carb Balance tortillas to the restaurant and he'll order fajitas but use his own wrap.

Day 1 lunch used a Carb Balance tortilla for his wrap, but today I cut the wrap in half and use it as the "bun" for his Boca Burger. (www.bocafoods.com)  Boca Burgers are soy protein burgers that are quick, easy, and contain very little saturated fat, so I prefer using them for a lunch and save quality ground beef for dinner recipes.  Topped with a slice of cheese and some mustard, this makes a satisfying sandwich for Alexx.

Boca Burger, 1
Carb Balance Whole Wheat 6" tortilla, 1
Mustard, 1 tsp
Provolone cheese, 1 slice
Alexx's "lovely salad" (see recipe below)
Chocolate Chip Cookie, 1 (from recipe on Day 1 Meal Plan)

Alexx's Lovely Salad 
This is the basic salad that Alexx enjoys.  The term "lovely salad" comes from my mom, whom would always tell us what we were having for dinner and then add, "and of course, a lovely salad."  It used to make us laugh that her salads were always "lovely", but indeed they were!  So we coined the term for any salad I make.  This happens to be a standard one that we can count on for a good balance of the nutrients Alexx needs in his meal plan.

Ingredients:

• Iceberg Lettuce (salad), .5 cup, shredded or chopped 
• Spinach, fresh, 1/8 cup finely chopped
• Fresh Kale Greens, 1 T finely chopped
• Hard Boiled Egg, 1 large diced
• Sunflower Seeds, without salt, 1 tsp
• Green Onion (fresh-1 stalk), chopped
• green pepper, fresh, 1/3 pepper, chopped
• Feta Cheese, 1 oz crumbled

Layer ingredients on top of the iceberg lettuce and top with any flavor Walden Farms dressing - no added calories, fat, or carbs in that dressing. This is one serving.

Nutritional Info per serving:
Calories: 200; Carbs: 6.9g; Fat: 14.9g; Protein: 12.3g

Total Nutritional Information for Day 2 Lunch:
Calories: 590; Carbs: 19g; Fat: 37g; Protein: 38g

Day 2 Snack - 3:00 pm 

The challenge in stocking an RV refrigerator and pantry is to keep the items few but still varied.  When we are at home I keep the refrigerator stocked with multiple kinds of berries - strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries - but when we are traveling, I just buy one package of berries at a time.  Fortunately, Alexx doesn't tire of limited variety (unless it's vegetables) so this week he is getting strawberries in a variety of ways.  For his snack today I mix the following ingredients together.

Cottage cheese, 1/2 cup
Almonds, slivered, 1 oz
Strawberries, 4 whole, sliced
Flaxseed oil, 1 Tablespoon
Cinnamon, ground, 1 tsp

Total Nutritional Information for Day 2 Snack:
Calories: 346; Carbs: 14g; Fat: 26g; Protein: 15g


Day 2 Dinner- 7:00 pm 

Depending on what we have planned for the day pretty much determines what I will be making for dinner.  If we are planning a site-seeing trip or a big hike for the day, my dinner plan will be quick and easy or something for the slow cooker.  The days we are traveling we usually get to the campground by 3:00 pm so we have time to set up camp and then I do something simple like the beefy blankets I made for the Day 1 meal plan.  The second day at the campsite we usually stay close by so we have time to get the lay of the land and can make plans for the rest of the week in that location.  So this is a good day to make a more involved dinner, plus I am planning for leftovers to incorporate in other meals.

The menu for Day 2 Dinner includes

• Alexx's Lovely Salad (recipe above) 
• Spinach Souffle
• Herbed Quinoa
• Roast Pork Tenderloin with Peanut Sauce

Spinach Souffle 

 Pretty much I have learned to disguise most vegetables for Alexx's palate.  If I add cheese to most anything he seems to like it.  I absolutely love spinach in almost any form, so I always have some on hand, and sometimes I make a dish more for me than for Alexx.  Such is the case with spinach souffle.  Alexx just gave this a rating of 3 so unless his taste for it changes, it may not make it to the cookbook.  I like it so much though that any leftovers I eat for breakfast.  Note: you can use fresh garlic and onion any of the recipes that include the powder form, but in the RV I find it easier to cook with powdered spices.

Ingredients:
5 ounces frozen spinach, cooked
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp fenegreek
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp shaved fresh nutmeg (you can use ground nutmeg, but I just love shaved fresh nutmeg)

Mix the above ingredients together until evenly blended.  Pour into a baking dish.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes depending on your oven.  At 30 minutes test to see if an inserted knife is clean when removed.

Nutritional Info per serving: (recipe serves 4)
Calories: 133.5; Carbs: 3.8g; Fat: 9.8g; Protein: 8.1g

Herbed Quinoa 

Yes, this is a grain and therefore not on Alexx's prescribed meal from his doctor, but sometimes we stray and test his glucose response to a food.  Alexx really, really misses starches and grains in his meal planning so I search to find ways to incorporate them.  If we keep the portions small enough and if there is enough fat in his meal, he seems to do okay.  With this meal plan his glucose test was actually lower one hour after the meal that it was before dinner. 
Ingredients:
1/2 cup cooked quinoa (follow directions on the package - I cook it in the microwave)
2 teaspoons dried basil leaves (when I make this at home I use fresh basil from my garden!)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
juice from 1/4 fresh lime (limes take up less space than bottled lime juice and it tastes better)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese, shredded
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Mix the ingredients together and microwave for 2-3 minutes until warm.

Nutritional Info per serving: (recipe serves 4 with 1/8 cup each)
Calories: 83.9; Carbs: 8.9g; Fat: 4.6g; Protein: 2.7g

Marinated Roast Tenderloin with Peanut Sauce
Make this marinade in the morning so the roast can be resting in it for 6-8 hours before baking.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup organic vegetable or chicken broth
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ginger, ground
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
2 Tablespoons cider vinegar
2 drops Tabasco hot sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon Worchestershire sauce
Braggs amino Acids - 4 sprays (optional)
Mix the ingredients and place in a sealed plastic bag with 1 pound of pork tenderloin and refrigerate.
After marinading, bake the meat in a small baking pan at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.  Test with a meat thermometer for doneness at 135 degrees internal temperature.  Remove the roast and let it sit for 10 minutes while you fix the salads and heat the Herbed Quinoa.  You should be able to bake the Spinach Souffle and roast the meat at the same time if your pans are small enough.  Mine fit perfectly side by side in the RV oven.

Serve with this Peanut Sauce:
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoons lime juice from a fresh lime
1 tsp chili sauce
1 tsp pure honey
1/4 tsp 5 spice seasoning
1/4 cup fresh ground organic salted peanut butter

The nutritional value calculated for this recipe does not allow for the majority of the marinade not being absorbed by the meat.  Consequently I find this nutritional information to be skewed.  The nutritional values for the peanut sauce, the meat, and the marinade are a combined calculation.

Nutritional Info per serving: (serves 4 with 4 oz of meat plus 2 Tbsp peanut sauce each)
Calories: 395; Carbs: 7.4g; Fat: 23.9; Protein: 37.3

Total Nutritional Information for Day 2 Dinner:
Calories: 813; Carbs: 27g; Fat: 53g; Protein: 60g

Day 2 Late Snack - 10:00 pm 
 1 Carb Smart Bar
1/4 cup walnut halves

Total Nutritional Information for Day 2 Late Snack:
Calories: 366; Carbs: 13g; Fat: 35g; Protein: 7g

Total Nutritional Information for Day 2 Meal Plan
Calories: 2,656; Carbs: 98 (14.29%); Fat: 191 (62.84%); Protein: 156 (22.88%)