Low Carb Comfort

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Medical Weight Loss in Melbourne, FL

With fall upon us and the days getting shorter, our wardrobe isn’t the only thing we switch up. It’s now the unofficial season of comfort food. There is just something about this time of year with the holidays in sight that encourages us to gather with friends and family around a delicious warm meal. Comfort food gets its name for a reason, it makes us feel good. When enjoying it in the presence of our loved ones, it’s also good for the soul. These meals traditionally may be on the heavier side with an abundance of carbohydrates, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Below are a couple traditional comfort food recipes with a healthy makeover. Get the same yummy satisfaction and “comfort” from these tasty warm meals.

zucchini lasagna

Lasagna is a great hot dish that is perfect for company and screams comfort food. Swap out the traditional dense noodles for zucchini and you have a savory, healthy fall meal.

  • 3 small zucchini (peeled and sliced lengthwise with a mandolin)
  • ½ pound 90% lean ground beef (browned)
  • ½ pound ground turkey (browned)
  • 10 oz. part skim ricotta
  • 2 cups part skim shredded mozzarella
  • ½ cup reduced fat Parmesan cheese
  • 8 oz. fresh mozzarella
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon fresh chopped garlic
  • Pinch of salt and pepper
  • 1 large jar of your favorite sauce (make sure it’s low in sugar and sodium) or follow the homemade recipe below

Sauce : place everything in one pot, stirring occasionally. Let it simmer for about 20-30 minutes.

  • 1 can diced tomatoes, drained
  • 16 oz canned tomato sauce
  • 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
  • ½ cup dry red wine
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh garlic
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 tablespoon of olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon of onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place zucchini slices on a microwave-safe dish and cook for 2 minutes. They are full of moisture and you want to remove some of this before baking because it will make your lasagna watery if you don’t.  Take them out and pat them gently with a dry paper towel to remove excess moisture. Add the browned meat to your sauce.  In a separate bowl mix ricotta, egg, seasonings and Parmesan cheese.  Now we are ready to build! Make a thin layer of meat sauce on bottom of pan, make one layer of zucchini noodles (covering and slightly overlapping). Top zucchini noodles with meat sauce. Next place dollops of the ricotta mix across. Then sprinkle with some of the shredded mozzarella.  Repeat these steps until you have 3- 4 layers. When you finish the top layer, crumble the fresh mozzarella on top. Place foil over your lasagna pan and bake for 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 15-20 minutes until the cheese starts to brown.

beef tenderloin roast with celery root puree.

Nothing says comfort like a beef roast and potatoes. Choose a leaner cut of beef and try mashed celery root instead of traditional potatoes. Celery root also known as celeriac, is the root of the celery stalk that we eat all the time. Its looks are deceiving. Once peeled, a beautiful potato appearance is underneath. It has a similar taste and texture to a potato with not nearly the amount of carbs.

Beef Roast.

  • 5lb lean beef roast
  • drizzle of olive oil
  • ½  cup chopped carrots
  • ½ cup chopped mushrooms
  • ½ cup chopped onions
  • ¼ cup beef stock

Rub:

  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • ½ teaspoon brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Trim excess fat off roast. Pat rub on all sides of the roast, place in roasting pan. Drizzle with olive oil and cook for 15 minutes. Remove pan and reduce temperature to 325 degrees. Place vegetables and liquid in pan under the rack. Cook for an additional 40 minutes, add more time if you like it well done.

Mashed Celery Root

  • 2lbs celery root peeled and cut into ½ in. cubes
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon fresh garlic
  • ½ teaspoon parsley
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
  • 1 tablespoon butter.
  • Splash of milk

Place celery root pieces into a large pot and cover with water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and transfer to a bowl. Mix other ingredients in and mash.