Bright Line Eats

01/13/2024

meatballs in marinara with palmini noodles

I had a whole bunch of of different ground meat in my freezer that I decided to clean out and make meatballs!!

4oz of meatballs (1 protein), 2oz of marinara (condiment), and 8oz of Palmini noodles (8oz of veggies), with a 6oz salad & dressing this makes a complete BLE weight loss dinner.

3lbs ground meat (I used a combo of ground beef, pork Italian sausage and bison)
2 eggs
3oz Parmigiano Reggiano
2 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper
1 tbsp garlic powder
2 tbsp minced onion
2 tbsp Italian seasoning
1/2 cup of water
28oz jar of no sugar marinara sauce, I use Rao’s
1 tbsp of garlic powder
2 tbsp of Italian seasoning
Palmini noodles

Mix ground meat, eggs, cheese and spices and form 2 inch meatballs.

Brown meatballs on medium-high heat in a pan on the stove. Turn every 3-4 minutes until browned on all sides.

Remove meatballs from pan and set aside. Deglaze pan with water, making sure to scrap all the brown bits from the bottom. Add marinara sauce and spices and mix together.

Place meatballs back in sauce, make sure they are covered with sauce. Allow to come to a bubble, reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 20 minutes.

Drain and rinse Palmini noodles and cook in a pan on the stove over medium-high heat with a little olive oil. Cook until heated through.

Plate the noodles with meatballs and sauce on top!

About 8 servings

1 serving = 1 protein and 8oz of veggies with the sauce as your condiment

Enjoy!

12/18/2023

butter chicken

Butter chicken has been one of my favorite meals, and it can be perfectly adapted for Bright Line Eaters!

It does have both butter and heavy cream, but this will make over 8 servings, so it is perfectly acceptable to count the sauce as fat and condiment, which is what I do.

I portion this out 5oz of chicken/onions (I use a slotted spoon) and then 1.5oz of the sauce which I count as condiment and fat. With 6oz of cauliflower rice this will count as full protein, fat and 7oz of veggies for weight loss portioned BLE dinner.

For the butter chicken:
2lbs chicken thighs
6oz of Greek yogurt
2 tbsp minced garlic
salt & pepper to taste
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp chili powder
2 tbsp garam masala

For the sauce:
1/4 cup butter
1 onion, sliced
12oz tomato paste
20oz water
1 tbsp cumin
1 tsp ground ginger
1tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp garam masala
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Clean and cut chicken thoughts into bite size pieces. Place into a large bowl and add Greek yogurt and all the spice for the butter chicken portion. Place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, but up to overnight.

On the stove top in a Dutch oven melt butter over medium heat and cook onions until browned and translucent.

Add in tomato paste and water and mix together. Add in all the spices under the sauce portion and mix together. Pour in the heavy whipping cream and combine.

Add the marinated chicken into the sauce and coat thoroughly. Allow to come to a bubbly boil and then reduce to simmer. Cook for 20-30 minutes until chicken is cooked through.

Serve over cauliflower rice.

Makes at least 8 servings.

1 serving = full protein & fat, condiment and 1oz veggies.

Enjoy!

12/12/2023

Here’s another good batch prep meal. It also held up great in the freezer! I also tried palmini noodles for the first time and really enjoyed them too!! This recipe may seem super heavy, but if you…

12/05/2023

shredded buffalo chicken

This is a batched recipe great for meal prep and for freezing! I ate this with 11oz of roasted cauliflower and butternut squash, and with 3oz of tomatoes on the side. The sauce counts as a condiment and fat, but was delicious and nice on top of the roasted veggies.

2 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 onion, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup water
1 1/2 cups no sugar buffalo sauce
2 tbsp salt
2 tbsp pepper
2 tbsp dill w**d
2 tbsp onion powder
2 tbsp garlic powder
2 tbsp parsley
8oz cream cheese

Cut chicken into 2 inch pieces and chop onion.

Using the sauté setting on HI on your InstantPot sauté the onion in olive oil, seasoning with salt and pepper. Remove and set aside when translucent. Next sear the chicken until just brown on the outside, but not cooked all the way through, remove and set aside.

Deglaze the pan with the water and buffalo sauce. Then add in all of the spices, onion and chicken.

Cook on the high pressure setting after sealing the lid for 10 minutes. Allow to naturally release for 5 minutes and then release pressure.
While it is still hot, stir in the cream cheese.

Serve over roasted veggies or cauliflower rice.

Makes 8 servings

1 serving = 4oz of chicken and 2oz of sauce, which is full protein, fat and condiment.

Enjoy!

12/05/2023

This is a batched recipe great for meal prep and for freezing! I ate this with 11os of roasted cauliflower and butternut squash, and with 3oz of tomatoes on the side. The sauce counts as a condiment and fat, but was delicious and nice on top of the roasted veggies. Start by cutting up 2 1/2 lbs of chicken (I used breast) and one onion....

This is a batched recipe great for meal prep and for freezing! I ate this with 11os of roasted cauliflower and butternut squash, and with 3oz of tomatoes on the side. The sauce counts as a condimen…

11/30/2023

Have leftover pumpkin from Thanksgiving? Here’s a great recipe for a savory pumpkin soufflé. This counts as a whole protein and 1.5oz of veggies, and could really work for any meal of the day. Add 1 cup of canned unsweetened pumpkin purée to your food processor. Next add 8 oz sharp cheddar cheese, 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion, 1/2 tsp thyme, 1/4 tsp sage, 1 tsp chicken bouillon, 1/4 tsp salt....

Have leftover pumpkin from Thanksgiving? Here’s a great recipe for a savory pumpkin soufflé. This counts as a whole protein and 1.5oz of veggies, and could really work for any meal of the day. Add …

10/21/2023

louisiana red beans and cauliflower rice

Mom says “This one pot meal is great when you want to batch cook on the weekend. Start early because it needs to cook for at least three hours. The recipe for Creole Seasoning is included too if you want to make your own.”

This makes 6 servings, each serving is 4oz of protein and 6 1/2 oz of veggies (including a 4oz serving of cauliflower rice). Add 7 1/2 oz of salad or other vegetable and you have a complete BLE weight loss portion dinner.

6 slices bacon, chopped
1/2 large yellow onion
1 medium green bell pepper, diced
3 ribs celery, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz cubed ham
12 oz andouille sausage, sliced
2 tbsp Creole seasoning
4 cups chicken broth
4 cups vegetable broth
3 bay leaves
16 oz small dried red beans
24 ounces cauliflower rice

Cook chopped bacon in a Dutch oven. Remove and drain on a paper towel.

Remove all but 1 tbsp of the bacon drippings.

Add bell pepper, onion and celery to bacon drippings and sauté. When vegetables are tender, add minced garlic. Cook until vegetables are almost translucent.

Add cubed ham, sliced sausage and creole seasoning to the vegetables.

Sauté for another 3-5 minutes.

Stir in chicken broth. Loosen the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Stir in red beans, vegetable broth, bacon and bay leaves. Bring to a low boil. Reduce heat immediately and simmer for 2 hours with the lid on the Dutch oven. Stir occasionally to make sure beans aren’t sticking.

After 2 hours, remove about 1 cup of the beans from the pot. Mash the beans and stir back into the pot to make a thick and creamy sauce. Let simmer for another 30 minutes to one hour, stirring occasionally.

Cook cauliflower rice according to package directions. Serve bean mixture over rice.

creole seasoning

1 1/2 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp garlic powder
1/2 tbsp onion powder
1/2 tbsp Cayenne pepper
1/2 tbsp black pepper
1/2 tbsp white pepper
1/2 tbsp oregano
1/2 tbsp basil
1/2 tbsp thyme

Mix together well.

Makes 6 servings

1 serving = 4oz protein and 6.5oz veggies

Enjoy!

10/21/2023

Mom says “This one pot meal is great when you want to batch cook on the weekend. Start early because it needs to cook for at least three hours. The recipe for Creole Seasoning is included too if you want to make your own.” This makes 6 servings, each serving is 4oz of protein and 6 1/2 oz of veggies (including a 4oz serving of cauliflower rice)....

Mom says “This one pot meal is great when you want to batch cook on the weekend. Start early because it needs to cook for at least three hours. The recipe for Creole Seasoning is included too if yo…

10/13/2023

smash burgers

1 lb ground beef
1 tsp salt
Freshly ground pepper
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 large yellow onion
1 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
Cheddar cheese

Mix ground beef, 1 tsp salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

Form into 4 large thin burger patties.

Put patties on parchment paper.

Place another piece of parchment paper on top and press to spread the patties out even more.

Spread Dijon mustard over one side of burgers.

Dice onion. Add butter to large skillet. Melt butter on medium-low heat. Add onion and 1/2 tsp salt. Stir onions frequently until they are caramelized. Add balsamic vinegar and cook another minute. Set onions aside.

Place burgers in skillet, Dijon mustard side up. Cook over medium heat for 4-5 minutes, continuing to press burgers down with spatula. Flip burgers. Cook on this side for a minute or two.

Top with cheese and melt for a minute. Top with onions.

Makes 4 servings

1 serving = full protein, full fat, and weight of onions for veggies

Enjoy!

10/13/2023

These make a great dinner and pair perfectly with jicama or carrot fries! One burger is full protein and fat for your lunch or dinner! Pair this with veggies and you have a BLE compliant meal. Start by combining 1lb of ground beef, 1tsp of salt, freshly ground black pepper and 2 tsp garlic powder. Use your hands to combine spices and meat....

These make a great dinner and pair perfectly with jicama or carrot fries! One burger is full protein and fat for your lunch or dinner! Pair this with veggies and you have a BLE compliant meal. Star…

10/06/2023

baked chicken breast nuggets

Baking the chicken with the little bit of butter on the top give them a slightly crisp “skin” and a great flavor! Pair these with the jicama or carrot fries and you have a healthy version of the “4-year old” dinner!!

Olive oil cooking spray
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 tsp salt
Black pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tbsp butter, cut into small squares

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Lightly spray a baking dish with cooking spray.

Cut the chicken into 2-3 inch nuggets. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels.

Transfer the chicken to the baking dish.

Mix salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano and Italian seasoning. Season chicken on both sides.

Place a tiny square of butter over each nugget.

Place a sheet of parchment paper over the chicken. Tuck the edges so that the paper is snug around the chicken.

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until internal temperature registers at 165 degrees F.

The chicken breasts can be cooked whole. Increase cooking time to 30-35 minutes.

Makes 2 servings

1 serving = full protein and 1/2 fat

Enjoy!

10/06/2023

Baking the chicken with the little bit of butter on the top give them a slightly crisp “skin” and a great flavor! Pair these with the jicama or carrot fries and you have a healthy version of the “4-year old” dinner!! This makes 2 servings. 4oz will be your full protein and half your fat! Enjoy! Start by mixing your spices in a bowl....

Baking the chicken with the little bit of butter on the top give them a slightly crisp “skin” and a great flavor! Pair these with the jicama or carrot fries and you have a healthy version of the “4…