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1 Chef AJ s 21- Day Recipe Guide for Ultimate Weight Loss by Chef AJ Copyright 2015 by Chef AJ s Healthy Kitchen, LLC Note: The information presented in this Guide is for educational purposes only. It should not be considered as specific medical, nutritional, lifestyle, or other health- related advice for anyone and is not given as such. You should make medical, nutritional, lifestyle, or other health- related changes only under the care of your personal physician. 1
2 Chef AJ s 21 Day Recipe Guide for Ultimate Weight Loss One of the most important secrets to Ultimate Weight Loss is EAT YOUR VEGETABLES!!! We recommend that you eat at least one pound (before cooking) of non- starchy vegetables as your first food of the day. Now this doesn t mean that s all you can or should get to eat, we just want you to eat it first, at least for the first 21 days of the program. Eating vegetables for breakfast sets the tone for the day and helps fend off cravings for other calorie- rich, processed foods like sugar and flour products (refined carbohydrates) throughout the day. The Ultimate Weight Loss Program is not just about weight loss, it will also help those of normal weight who struggle with food addiction by eliminating food cravings and stabilizing brain chemistry. Nonstarchy vegetables are not only nutritional powerhouses, but when it comes to weight loss they take the Gold Medal. There are myriad studies in the medical literature which show that eating vegetables actually encourages weight loss. A study in Nutrition & Diabetes in October 2012 showed that increased vegetable and fruit consumption during weight loss effort correlated with increased weight and fat loss. Another study done at Tufts University showed that the people who ate the most vegetables were leaner and had lower BMI s. With an average calorie density of only 100 calories per pound, you simply cannot overeat on vegetables. Here is a partial list of non- starchy vegetables. Artichoke Artichoke hearts Asparagus Baby corn Bamboo shoots Beans (green, Italian, string, wax) Bean sprouts Beets Bok Choy Broccoli 2
3 Brussels sprouts Cabbage (Chinese, green, purple) Carrots Cauliflower Celery Chayote Cucumber Daikon Eggplant Greens (beet greens, collard, kale, mustard, turnip) Hearts of palm Jicama Kohlrabi Leeks Mushrooms Okra Onions Pea pods Peppers Radishes Rutabaga Salad greens (chicory, endive, escarole, lettuce, romaine, spinach, arugula, radicchio, watercress) Sprouts 3
4 Squash (cushaw, summer, crookneck, zucchini) Sugar snap peas Swiss chard Tomato Turnips Water chestnuts Yard- long beans There are more than 30 different non- starchy vegetables on this list, so you could conceivably eat a different vegetable every day for a month without repeating. How you eat them is up to you. You can eat them raw or cooked, steamed or roasted, plain or with a delicious topping. While one pound of vegetables may seem like a huge amount, and it is when it s raw, when you cook them, you greatly reduce the volume. For example, 2 average zucchinis weigh a pound and are mostly water and contain a mere 73 calories. When I slice them for steaming, I get between zucchini circles. With less than 24 bites of food, I ve already eaten my first pound! When you roast 1 pound of Brussels sprouts, for example, the yield is only 2 cups, which really isn t that much food. Here is my favorite way to roast vegetables. 4
5 BALASAMIC DIJON ROASTED BRUSSLES SPROUTS Recipe by Dr. Roy Artal Tastes just like candy. You will want to eat the entire 2 pounds all by yourself! Preheat oven to 400F. Trim the ends off of 2 pounds of Brussels sprouts and cut in half or fourths (depending on how big they are). Place in a large bowl and add 1/4 cup of your favorite low- sodium Dijon mustard or salt- free Stone ground mustard and 1/4 cup of your favorite Balsamic vinegar. Mix well until the veggies are completely coated. Bake on a piece of parchment paper or nonstick silicone baking mat for at least 30 minutes, stirring every minutes. If your Brussels sprouts are quite large or you prefer them crispier or more blackened, roast up to 30 minutes longer until they are done the way you like them. Make sure you stir them around every minutes. Chef s Note: A 4% acidity vinegar like Napa Valley Naturals Grand Reserve is preferred. You can also steam vegetables in a pot on your stove, cook them in an electric pressure cooker or even eat frozen vegetables cooked in the microwave. If you are not used to eating a lot of vegetables you may not like them at first. Did you know that we actually develop taste preferences for what we habitually eat? So the more you eat them, the more you ll like them. And as your start experiencing Ultimate Weight Loss and your food cravings start diminishing, you WILL LOVE them because of what they do for your figure and your brain chemistry. When I first started eating vegetables for breakfast over 3 years ago, I had to put a tahini dressing on my greens to choke them down. Then I realized that high- fat tahini was not conducive to weight loss, so I switched to flavored balsamic vinegars. They come in myriad flavors, are delicious, have no fat, sugar or salt and contain almost no calories. In Los Angeles where I live, we have stores where we can actually taste all of the flavors. If you have such a store near you, please check it out and sample all of the flavors. You can also find delicious flavored vinegars at almost all grocery stores now. If not, you can still buy them online and at Amazon. Here are some of my favorite brands:
6 They come in an amazing array of flavors from Cinnamon Pear to Espresso Fudge. Some of my favorites are Wild Blueberry, Orchard Peach, Jalapeño Lime and Pecan Praline. You are bound to find several that you love and they will make you morning vegetable eating something you will really look forward to. There are also a wide variety of salt free seasonings that will enhance the taste of your vegetables. My favorite is Table Tasty available at You can use CHEF AJ in the coupon code box for 10% off of your order or a free sample. Costco and Trader Joes sell some delicious salt- free blends as well and most grocery stores carry a variety of Mrs. Dash salt- free seasoning blends. The Southwest Chipotle is my favorite. It is always best to wait until you are truly hungry to eat because when you are truly hungry even vegetables taste good. One of the mottos of the Ultimate Weight Loss Program is, If you are not hungry enough to eat vegetables, then you re not hungry. When you are truly hungry, any food will satisfy your hunger. When you require a specific food to satisfy you, that s a craving and cravings are almost always a sign of addiction. Eating vegetables are almost magical for annihilating food cravings, so long as you are also abstaining from the foods that are causing them which are the REFINED carbohydrates like sugars, flours and alcohol, caffeine, dairy, excessive salt and high- fat foods like oils, nuts, seeds and chocolate. Eating a pound of vegetables will not keep you full for very long as they are mostly water, so when your hunger returns, and it will, eat something else such as fruit, starch, or a combination. One of my favorite things to eat for my second breakfast is Anytime Oats. Here is the recipe: 1/2 cup gluten- free oats 1/2 cup unsweetened plant milk ANYTIME OATS 1 large apple, grated on a hand grater or mandolin 1/2-3/4 teaspoon cinnamon (more or less to taste) Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Enjoy immediately or refrigerate and enjoy the next day. This will keep for up to 24 hours. Keeping in line with the principle of calorie density that is taught in this program, a mere 1/2 cup of oats turns into a large volume of food (2-4 cups depending on the size of your apple) 6
7 which is a delicious, satisfying meal, snack or dessert that tickles your taste buds and fills your belly. Other examples of what to eat after you eat your vegetables are fruit, a sweet potato or a raw salad with beans. Research shows that most people don t eat 7 different breakfasts, 7 different lunches and 7 different dinners every week. Most people have their favorites and repeat them. You will find your new favorites with your new way of eating and repeat them often. Until you do, I have provided 21 different entrees that you can eat for lunch or dinner. Many can be frozen into individual portions for quick meals and lunches to take to work. Remember to always make more than you can eat. Never bake just one potato, bake a tray of potatoes. When you cook rice or beans in your Instantpot, cook a big batch of both as they freeze well. It s perfectly alright to buy canned, salt- free beans or frozen rice. It s just cheaper if you cook them yourself. Buying an electric pressure cooker will make your life and meal planning so much easier. I recommend the Instantpot, available at Amazon and Using my name, AJ, in the coupon code box, you will receive a $50 discount on the Instantpot.com website. Leftovers from dinner can be eaten for lunch the next day and frozen for a quick meal later. For even faster weight loss, I highly recommend you eat a second pound of non- starchy vegetables before dinner. (Hey, I m eating 4 pounds of veggies a day, so you guys really CAN eat 2 pounds). In the live Ultimate Weight Loss Seminar we have a Biggest Winners Panel where we interview people who have lost between 30 and 200 pounds on my Ultimate Weight Loss Program and have kept it off for at least a year. One of the questions that audience members always ask them is what has made the most difference in their short- term and long- term success, and the answer is always the same. EATING VEGETABLES FOR BREAKFAST!!! The one thing that everyone resists is the very thing that is going to make the most difference in your ability to not only lose weight, but to finally annihilate your food cravings and overcome your food addiction once and for all. During the first 21 days of the program, I recommend that the only dessert you eat is fresh fruit, or fruit sorbet made in the Vitamix, Champion juicer or Yonanas machine from either fruit only or fruit and a little unsweetened, nondairy milk to help facilitate blending. For breakfast I always recommend you wait until you are truly hungry to eat instead of eating by the clock. When you are truly hungry, even vegetables taste good. A Cinnabon, a Starbucks Iced Mocha, some fresh ripe fruit and oatmeal will always be appealing, but when you are really experiencing true hunger (and not emotional hunger), the veggies will actually taste good. When your hunger returns, and it will, then move onto some more calorie- dense 7
8 foods like fruit, sweet potatoes, whole grains or legumes. Please note that not everyone wakes up hungry. Some people don t get hungry until lunch time. If that should happen to be your pattern, that s okay. Just make sure that the very first food of the day is your one pound of non- starchy veggies. I have never woken up and experienced hunger, even when I weighed almost 200 pounds. When I wake up, I drink a cup of hot water with lemon and cook my veggies. That way they are ready when I am hungry. If you fail to plan, plan to fail. On the days that I go spinning at the gym, I take them with me to eat when I get off the bike, because after I sweat and burn 600 calories, I am starving and they taste amazing!!! Then I come home and I either eat some Anytime Oats, a Japanese or Hawaiian sweet potato or leftovers from the night before. Even though I am a professionally trained chef, I purposely keep my meals really simple now. That way, I actually do have time for other important things like exercise and meditation. With the Instantpot, I no longer have to spend hours on food prep or slaving over a hot stove. I know that many people like variety, but variety is really the kiss of death for the food addict. There is a concept called sensory specific satiety which explains that for every new food we introduce into a meal, we eat way more food. Sometimes up to 40% more!!! So we usually have just one or two things at dinner, such as a hearty soup, chili or stew over potatoes or rice, and of course a salad or veggies. My 2 personal favorites are my Red Lentil Chili over baked Yukon Gold potatoes and the Chipotle Bean Burgers with sweet potato fries and Ultimate Sauce. Both of these entrees I have served to company who were regular people, and they loved them. Even the co*ke drinking, Flaming Cheetos eating and smoking crew, on my new television show Healthy Living with Chef AJ, LOVED both of these dishes. Here are 21 delicious, filling entrees that are the favorite of my friends and family. You do not have to eat them in the order they are listed but you may want to try them all so that you can find your favorites. If you find one you love, feel free to repeat it often. 8
9 DAY 1 THE STUFFED POTATO MEAL MEXICAN STUFFED POTATO 2 Potatoes (any kind, I prefer Yukon Gold) 1-15 ounce can of salt- free Pinto beans (or 1.5 cups of your favorite beans) 8 ounces of frozen corn Salt- free salsa or Pico de Gallo Cook potato however you normally would (bake, steam, pressure cook, microwave). Heat up the corn and beans and stuff the potato with them and top with salsa. Add jalapenos and cilantro, if desired. Chef s Note: For others not practicing UWL, add sliced avocado or guacamole. ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK SWEET POTATO 2 Orange Sweet Potatoes 1-15 ounce can of salt- free black beans (or 1.5 cups of your favorite bean) 8 ounces of broccoli or kale Yummy Sauce (p. 24) or Ultimate Sauce (p. 25) Cook potato however you normally would (bake, steam, pressure cook, microwave). Steam the vegetable of your choice and heat up the beans. Stuff the potato with the beans and veggies. Add a topping such as salt- free salsa, oil and tahini- free hummus, Yummy Sauce or Ultimate Sauce. Chef s Note: Whenever you bake potatoes, don t just bake one or two. Bake several so that you will have leftovers for this quick meal or snacks. Make a potato bar and let everyone stuff their own potatoes. Even regular people like this. We eat this a few times a week varying the type of potato, bean, veggie and sauce. The possibilities are endless. 9
10 DAY 2 SWEET POTATO AND YELLOW SPLIT PEA SOUP 1 pound yellow split peas 1 large onion, chopped 1 pound carrots, sliced 1 celery heart, sliced 2 large sweet potatoes, cubed 8 cups boiling water 6-8 cloves garlic, pressed 4 teaspoons dried parsley 1-2 Tablespoons salt- free seasoning* 1 teaspoon dried basil 1 teaspoon dried rosemary 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 teaspoon celery seed 1 teaspoon smoked paprika 1 bay leaf *My favorite is Benson s Table Tasty available at Place all ingredients in an Intantpo Electric Pressure Cooker. Cook on high for 8 minutes. Alternately, place all ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours. For a $50 discount go to and use code AJ. Chef s Note: Serve over brown rice and/or raw or cooked spinach or other greens. Or stir in some greens right after releasing the pressure. 10
11 INGREDIENTS (Sauce): DAY 3 PORTABELLA MUSHROOM STROGANOFF, REVISTED I have updated and enlightened this classic recipe from UNPROCESSED by swapping the high- fat tofu and tahini for beans and removing the tamari ounce can of cannelloni beans (rinsed and drained) or 1.5 cups of cooked beans 1/2 cup water 4 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice (include zest from lemon) 2 cloves garlic 3/4 of an ounce of pitted dates (approximately 3 Deglet Noor) 1 inch piece of fresh ginger - approximately 1/2 of an ounce (more or less, to taste) Place all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. INGREDIENTS (Filling): 1 red onion, minced 1 pound portabella mushrooms, sliced 1 teaspoon oregano Chopped Italian parsley, for garnish Water sauté the onions until translucent. Add mushrooms and sauté until they become limp and moisture has evaporated. Stir in oregano. Pour sauce over and mix well. Garnish with fresh parsley. Chef s Note: This is delicious served over steamed greens or brown rice, or both. Be sure to make extra rice so that you will have it for leftovers. You can freeze cooked rice in individual serving sizes. Save 4 cups for when you make the bean burgers. 11
12 DAY 4 MUSHROOM CHILI Adapted from a delicious recipe by Jocelyn Graef author of The Low- Fat Herbivore 1 large onion, diced 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 pound of mushrooms, sliced 1 pound Portabella mushrooms, diced (or your favorite mushroom) ounce cans of salt- free diced tomatoes (I like the Muir Glen fire roasted) 1-15 ounce can of salt- free kidney beans 1-15 ounce can of salt- free black beans 1-15 ounce can of salt- free pinto beans 1 pound frozen corn, defrosted 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1 teaspoon dry mustard ½ teaspoon oregano ½ teaspoon thyme Place all ingredients except for the corn in an Intantpot Electric Pressure Cooker and cook on high for 6 minutes. Release pressure and stir in corn. Alternately, place all ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours. To cook on the stove, sauté onions, garlic and mushrooms until onions are translucent and mushrooms are cooked. Add remaining ingredients and cook until liquid has reduced to your liking. Stir in corn until heated through. Sprinkle with chopped parsley or chopped scallions. Chef s Note: 1 can of beans is approximately 1 and ½ cups. This is delicious over a baked potato or brown rice. 12
13 DAY 5 CHIPOLTE BEAN BURGERS Adapted from and inspired by a recipe from the Whole Foods Market website 4 cans salt- free black beans, rinsed and drained (or 12 cups cooked beans) 4 cups cooked brown rice 4 cups cooked and mashed sweet potato ounce can salt- free fire roasted tomatoes 1 cup red onion, chopped 8 cloves garlic, minced 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped (approximately 1 cup) 1 large carrot, finely chopped (approximately 1 cup) 1 bunch cilantro 12 tablespoons nutritional yeast 4 Tablespoon no- salt- added chili powder 1 Tablespoon SMOKED paprika 1 Tablespoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon chipotle powder Preheat the oven to 400 F. Drain the can of tomatoes and sauté the onion in the liquid until soft. Add the chopped carrot, bell pepper and garlic and sauté until soft and cooked, about minutes. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat or piece of parchment paper. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and stir to mix. Chill. Make patties out of ½ cup of the mixture. Place patties on the baking sheet and bake, for 30 minutes. Flip and bake for another minutes. Makes 24 burgers. These freeze well. Chef s Note: Serve with all the fixings such as sliced tomatoes and onions and salt- free condiments and use large butter lettuce leaves or potato waffles as buns. 13
14 DAY 6 RED LENTIL CHILI 1 pound of red lentils 8 cups of water ounce cans of salt- free tomatoes, fire roasted preferred 1-6 ounce can of salt- free tomato paste 10 ounces of chopped onion (approximately one large) 1 pound of red bell pepper, (approximately 2 large) 3 ounces of dates (approximately 12 Deglet Noor) 8 cloves of garlic, finely minced 4 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar 1.5 Tablespoons Parsley Flakes 1.5 Tablespoons Oregano 1.5 Tablespoons salt- free chili powder 2 teaspoons SMOKED paprika ½ teaspoon chipotle powder (or more to taste) ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or more to taste) Blend the dates, tomatoes, red bell peppers and garlic in a blender and blend until smooth. Place all remaining ingredients in an Instantpot electric pressure cooker and cook on high for 10 minutes. Alternately, place all ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Chef s Note: This is delicious served over a baked Yukon Gold potato or brown rice. Recipe may be halved. 14
15 DAY 7 BROCCOLI BISQUE Inspired by a recipe from Mary McDougall 1 and ½ pounds of broccoli 1 and ½ pounds of Yukon Gold potatoes 6 cups no- sodium vegetable broth 1 large onion, chopped 8 cloves of garlic 1 Tablespoon dried dill 4 cups unsweetened almond milk 2 tablespoon Dijon mustard Place all ingredients except for the almond milk and mustard in an Instantpot electric pressure cooker and cook on high pressure for 6 minutes. Release pressure and add the almond milk and mustard and blend with an immersion blender, or in the blender, until smooth. Chef s Note: Delicious over brown rice. I have also made this soup with asparagus in place of the broccoli and it was incredible! 15
16 DAY 8 BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND QUINOA CHILI Recipe by Wendy Solganik of 1 1/2 pounds cubed butternut squash (if you've got a Trader Joe's near you, that's 2-12 ounce bags of cut butternut squash) 1 large red or yellow onion, diced 2-15 ounce cans of salt free black beans (or 3 cups of cooked beans) 1 cup uncooked quinoa 1 Tablespoon minced garlic ounce cans fire roasted, diced, no salt added tomatoes 1 teaspoon dried jalapeno pepper (I got this ingredient at Penzey's) or 1 jalapeno pepper, deseeded and diced 1.5 Tablespoon salt- free taco seasoning 1 teaspoon cumin 2 Tablespoons chili powder 3 Tablespoon Benson's Table Tasty or other salt substitute 1.5 cups no- sodium vegetable broth, plus at least 1 more cup 3 cups frozen corn kernels Optional garnishes: scallions, cilantro Place all ingredients except for the corn into an Instantpot electric pressure cooker and stir. Cook on high pressure for 15 minutes. You can do quick or natural release, it doesn't matter. Once cooked, add corn and stir. Add as much or as little additional vegetable broth to achieve the desired consistency for your palate. It's great really thick and yummy without added broth, but nice also with a more stew- like consistency. 16
17 DAY 9 Sweet Potato Chili with KALE! There is no dish that can t be improved by the addition of kale! 2 pounds of sweet potatoes, diced (no need to peel if organic) 1 large red onion (approximately 10 ounces), finely chopped 2-15 ounce cans kidney beans (rinse if not salt- free) or 3 cups cooked beans 2 red bell peppers, seeded and finely diced ounce cans Muir Glen salt- free fire roasted tomatoes 1 Tablespoon salt- free chili powder 2 teaspoons SMOKED paprika (makes a difference when it s smoked) ¼ teaspoon chipotle powder (or more to taste) 8 ounces of Lacinto Kale, finely shredded like cabbage for coleslaw 3 cups of orange juice Place all ingredients except for the kale in an InstantPot electric pressure cooker and cook on high pressure for 7 minutes. Release pressure and stir in the kale. Alternately, place all ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours. 17
18 DAY 10 LENTIL TOASTADAS WITH CHILI- LIME SLAW Lentil taco meat 1 pound of dried lentils (green or black, not red) 4 cups water 10 ounces of sliced mushrooms (about 2 cups) 10 ounces of chopped onion (about 2 cups) 4 teaspoons roasted cumin 1 tablespoon oregano 2 Tablespoons Chili Powder 2 Tablespoons salt- free seasoning* (I prefer Benson s Table Tasty) 6 cloves garlic, pressed Place all ingredients in the Instantpot electric pressure cooker on high and cook for 8 minutes. Alternately, place all ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Chili Lime Slaw Shredded cabbage 1/2 cup water 1/2 cup lime juice 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (more or less, to taste) 18
19 Mix together water, lime juice and red pepper flakes. Pour over shredded cabbage and let marinate at least 15 minutes before serving. Drain excess liquid before topping the tostadas. ASSEMBLY: Take one tortilla and lightly swipe with guacamole. Heap on the lentil meat and top with the chili lime slaw. Garnish with chopped cilantro or chopped scallions, if desired. Corn tortillas BAKED TORTILLA CHIPS Make sure you get tortillas that are made only of corn or just corn and lime. Preheat oven to 400. Cut each tortilla into fourths. Place on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper or a Silpat silicone baking mat and lightly spray each chip with water. Sprinkle with herbs or salt- free seasonings, if desired. Bake for 10 minutes. Turn chips over and lightly spray again with water. Bake another 8-10 minutes until crisp. SWEET PEA GUACAMOLE Much lower in fat and higher in fiber than traditional guacamole 1-16 ounce bag of frozen peas, defrosted 3 firm Roma tomatoes, diced 1 bunch of cilantro, chopped 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely diced 1 shallot finely diced 2 cloves garlic, minced Juice of 1 lime, or more to taste Pinch of roasted cumin In a food processor fitted with the S blade, process peas until smooth. Transfer to a larger bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients by hand. Chill. ASSEMBLY: Swipe some faux guacamole on a tostado. Add lentil meat, slaw and salsa and jalapenos, if desired. 19
20 DAY 11 SWEET POTATO NACHOS Sweet potatoes (one per person) Assorted toppings such as salt- free beans, corn, chopped tomatoes, chopped cabbage or lettuce, chopped onion or chopped scallions, cilantro, jalapenos, salt- free salsa, sweet pea guacamole (Day 10). Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Cut sweet potato in uniform slices, approximately 1/4. Place on Silpat or non- stick baking sheet and sprinkle with smoked paprika. Bake for 20 minutes, flip over and bake for another minutes until done. These are the chip part of your nachos. ASSEMBLY: Place several sweet potato chips on a plate and fully load them with the beans, chopped tomato, corn, cilantro, onion, olives, jalapeno peppers or anything you would normally enjoy on your nachos. Chef s Note: I like to create a nacho bar and let guests build their own nachos. If you use organic sweet potatoes, there is no need to peel. There is lots of fiber and nutrients in the skin. Another great idea for a serve yourself night comes from Wendy Solganik, a UWL participant from Cleveland, who writes the wonderful blog Healthy Girl s Kitchen. She calls it CHIFAUXTLE (a take- off on the fast food Mexican restaurant chain Chipotle). Using brown rice a base instead of the sweet potatoes, she uses all the toppings listed above plus bell pepper slices (any color, cooked or raw) and every family member gets to make their own unique creation. You can buy brown rice already cooked or use leftover rice from another meal or that you have frozen. This fast, inexpensive, easy to make, Do- It- Yourself meal comes together in minutes and your family will love it! Thanks, Wendy! 20
21 DAY 12 GREEN SPLIT PEA SOUP 1 pound green split peas 1 large onion, chopped 1 pound carrots, sliced 1 celery heart, sliced 2 Large Potatoes, cubed 8 cups boiling water 6-8 cloves garlic, pressed 4 teaspoons dried parsley 1-2 Tablespoons salt- free seasoning* 1 teaspoon dried basil 1 teaspoon dried rosemary 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 teaspoon celery seed 1 teaspoon smoked paprika 1 bay leaf *my favorite is Benson s Table Tasty available at Place all ingredients in an Intantpot Electric Pressure Cooker. Cook on high for 8 minutes. Alternately, place all ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Chef s Note: Serve over brown rice and/or raw or cooked spinach or other greens. Or stir in some greens right after releasing the pressure. 21
22 DAY 13 ENCHILADA STRATA (Sauce) 1 red onion, chopped (approximately 10 ounces) 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1-28 ounce can salt free tomatoes, fire roasted preferred 2 tablespoons chili powder 1 teaspoon roasted cumin 3 tablespoons arrowroot powder 1 and ½ cups water Place the onion, garlic and liquid in a pot and cook 8-10 minutes until soft. Stir in tomato and spices and cook on low heat for 15 minutes. Add the arrowroot powder to a small amount of cold water and dissolve, then add to sauce and stir until thickened. (Filling) 4 cups of salt- free salsa 2.5 pounds of sweet potatoes, mashed 1 pound bag frozen roasted corn, defrosted One 4 ounce can of mild green chiles 2-15 ounce cans of salt- free black beans, rinsed and drained (or 6 cups of cooked beans) 2-16 ounce bags of frozen kale, defrosted with all of the liquid squeezed out. 12 corn tortillas 22
23 Peel sweet potatoes and boil or steam until soft. Process in a food processor fitted with the "S" blade until smooth and creamy. Place into a large bowl and stir in the salsa, corn, beans and kale. Mix well. I recommend using food service gloves so that everything gets fully incorporated. ASSEMBLY: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cover the bottom of a large baking dish with half of the enchilada sauce. A lasagna pan (10"x14" or 11"x15") is recommended. Place 6 tortillas on top of the enchilada sauce and then gently and evenly place the sweet potato mixture on top of the tortillas. Top with the remaining 6 tortillas. Pour the remaining sauce over the tortillas and bake for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with scallions and serve with sweet pea guacamole (Day 10). 23
24 Day 14 GRAIN AND VEGGIE BOWL with YUMMY SAUCE or ULTIMATE SAUCE Make or buy your favorite cooked grain such as brown, red or black rice or quinoa and your favorite steamed or roasted veggies. We have a chain in Los Angeles called Flame Broiler where we pick up veggie bowls with 2 cups of brown rice and 2 cups of mixed veggies, topped with scallions. We get it to go and bring it home and top with one of these 2 delicious sauces. These are ingredients you can easily make at home, find already cooked at many salad bars or get at almost any Asian restaurant. YUMMY SAUCE (And is it ever) Here is what 11 year old Evan from Maryland has to say about it It is SO GOOD! This recipe is amazing!!! I love the flavors, especially how it tasted over the veggies. His mother said, "This sauce is insane" ounce can of cannelini beans, rinsed and drained (or 1.5 cups of cooked beans) Juice and zest of 1 organic lemon (if the lemon does not yield 1/4 of a cup of juice, then add more lemon juice) 1/2 cup of water 2 Tablespoon of salt free mustard (I use Westbrae Stoneground) 1 clove or garlic 3/4 ounce of pitted dates (approximately 3 Deglet Noor) Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. If you are using a high- powered blender you can make this sauce warm to serve over rice and veggies. It is also delicious cold massaged into shredded cabbage for "Yummy Slaw. Chef s Note: There are endless variations to yummy sauce. Some of my favorites have been adding fresh ginger, fresh cilantro, scallions, fresh Italian parsley, fresh basil, crushed red pepper flakes, roasted garlic, jalapeno pepper, chipotle pepper, red bell pepper (roasted or raw), nutritional yeast,oil free sundried tomatoes and even wasabi powder!!! 24
25 ULTIMATE SAUCE This is THE ULTIMATE in sauces!!! 1-15 ounce can of salt free garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained 2 and ¼ cups of water, divided 2 ounces of pitted dates (approximately 8 small Deglet Noor or 4 of the larger Medjool dates) 4 tablespoons of lime juice, add zest if using fresh 1 tablespoon unsweetened, unseasoned rice vinegar 1 clove fresh garlic 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place garbanzo beans on a Silpat of piece or parchment paper and bake until golden brown, minutes. Place the cooked beans in a high speed blender with 1.5 cups of the water and remaining ingredients and blend, using the tamper to get it to blend evenly. Mixture will begin to emulsify quickly and thicken. Add the remaining ¾ of a cup of water slowly, no more than ¼ cup at a time, blending well after each addition. A high- power blender will warm the sauce for serving of veggies or grain and veggie bowls. When you refrigerate the sauce, it will become even thicker and be a great dipping sauce for your oven roasted French Fries or sweet potato fries. Chef s Note: It is very important that you always roast the beans first. It is the roasting that makes this delicious sauce taste like a Thai Peanut Sauce. It is also extremely important that you don t add all the water at once. 25
26 DAY 15 RAINBOW FIESTA RICE You can purchase all the ingredients for this festive dish at your local salad bar if you don't want to cook the rice or make the salsa. 1 pound cooked brown rice (approximately 4 cups) 1 cup Pico de Gallo salsa, or more to taste (Page 149 of UNPROCESSED) or your favorite salt free salsa 1 can salt- free black beans, rinsed and drained (or 1.5 cups of cooked beans). 2-4 cups of mixed vegetables (or your favorite salad bar fixings') - For a rainbow effect, I like to use shredded carrots (orange), corn (yellow), peas (green), red onions (purple) and the salsa is red. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl and chill. Hey, if you can't wait, well, then go ahead and eat it warm or at room temperature. Chef s Note: We like to serve this with a large green salad. As plant based pediatrician Dr. Jay Gordon likes to say, Every day, eat a salad the size of your head! 26
27 DAY 16 SUSIE S AUTUMN CHILI Recipe by Susie Krandel, RN www. EatforHealing.net 8 cups of water 1 cup Moong Daal 1 cup Split Chana Daal (Split Yellow Chick Pea) 3/4 cup Green Split Pea 1 large piece ginger chopped ½ cup no oil sun dried tomatoes 1 Box Pommi Diced Tomatoes (or 2 15 ounce cans of salt free tomatoes) 2 Carrots diced 1 Red Onion chopped 8 ounces chopped mushrooms 2 bay leaves 2 Jalapenos chopped fine or 1 Tablespoon dried jalapenos (optional) 2 Tablespoons Madras Curry Powder 1 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper (optional) 1 teaspoon Turmeric 1 Tablespoon Chili Powder (Mild or Medium) Place all ingredients in an Instantpot electric pressure cooker. Cook on high pressure for 20 minutes. You can adjust the spices. The Madras Curry is not spicy just tasty. After the soup is hot you can add greens, justclose the lid for 5-10 minutes, and let them just soften in the hot soup. There is no need to cook more. Garnish with fresh cilantro. Madras curry powder is available at ethnic markets and online at Chef s Note: My husband doesn t like spicy food so I made this without the ginger and cayenne (but used the dried jalapeno) and it was delicious over brown Basmati rice. 27
28 DAY 17 NUTRIENT RICH BLACK BEAN SOUP 6 cups of no sodium vegetable broth or water 3-15 ounce cans of salt free black beans (or 4.5 cups of beans, divided) 1 red onions, peeled 4 cloves garlic 8 ounces of mushrooms 1 pound frozen spinach or kale, defrosted with the excess water squeezed out 1 large sweet potato, peeled if not organic 1 bag frozen corn, defrosted 2 ounces of sundried tomatoes (not oil packed) 1 Tablespoon Cumin 1 Tablespoon Oregano 1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder, or more, to taste 4 tablespoons lime juice, add zest if using fresh Place all ingredients except for the defrosted frozen greens in an Instantpot electric pressure cooker and cook on high pressure for 8 minutes. Release pressure and stir in the greens. Blend soup with and immersion blender or blend in a blender. If you like some texture, leave out some of the corn and beans and stir back in after soup is blender. Chef s Note: Garnish with chopped scallions. This is delicious over brown rice. You can easily make salt free vegetable broth in your pressure cooker using just scraps! 28
29 DAY 18 DREAM OF TOMATO SOUP REVISITED 1 pound of Roma Tomatoes 2 red bell peppers, seeded 15 ounce can of salt free cannellini beans, rinsed and drains or 1.5 cups cooked beans 1 clove garlic 6-8 large Basil leaves Juice of 1 lemon 2 ounces of sun dried tomatoes, not oil packed 1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder (or more, to taste) Place all ingredients in a high- powered blender and blend until smooth. By using a high- powered blender, the soup will become warm without having to heat it. Sprinkle with chopped scallions. Chef s Note: Delicious over brown rice or a baked potato. 29
30 DAY 19 BRAVO BURGERS My friend, Chef Ramses Bravo, Executive Chef at True North Health and author of BRAVO!, created these during the Iron Chef competition at Healthy Taste of LA 5. Given beans and cooked sweet potato as the secret ingredients, he came up with these tasty little gems. 1 large sweet potato (the light yellow ones, not the orange yams) 1-15 ounce can of salt free cannellini beans, rinsed and drained 1 shallot 1 bunch of Italian flat leaf parsley, stems removed Preheat oven to 400. Cook sweet potato using your preferred method. Let cool and remove skin. In a food processor fitted with the S blade finely chop the shallot and parsley. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl, using your hands until the mixture is fully incorporated, leaving some texture in the beans. Divide evenly into 4 patties and bake on a Silpat sheet or piece of parchment paper for 30 minutes. Flip burgers and bake for another 20 minutes until golden brown. Chef s Note: Eat as is, with your favorite sauce or in lettuce buns with all the fixings. 30
31 4 cups chopped onion 4 cloves garlic minced 7 cups water 1/2 teaspoon cardamom 1 teaspoon coriander DAY 20 INDIAN LENTIL VEGETABLE SOUP Recipe by Sharon McRae of Eat Well Stay Well, LLC - staywell.com Adapted from a recipe from 2 teaspoons ground turmeric 1-1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 2-1/2 cups red lentils, rinsed 3 carrots, chopped 1 jar Jovial Diced Tomatoes or 1 15 ounce can of salt free tomatoes 1/2 medium head cauliflower, chopped 1 ounce of dried mushrooms, crushed into smaller pieces (optional) Juice from 1 lemon 1 Tablespoon dried parsley 2 tsp sumac (optional) Place all ingredients except lemon and parsley and sumac, if using, in an Instantpot electric pressure cooker and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. Let pressure naturally, and then stir in lemon juice and parsley and sumac if using. Chef s Note: This is great over red rice, brown rice and raw or cooked greens. 31
32 DAY 21 POTATO TAQUITOS Recipe by Rebecca Martinez- Rocha who lost over 150 pounds on the Ultimate Weight Loss Program Filling: 1 large potato, cooked 1/8 teaspoon pepper 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic 1/2 teaspoon salt- free seasoning 1/2 teaspoon granulated onion 1 tablespoon water (or more if needed) 2 ounces cooked and chopped kale or spinach Filling In a large bowl, smash potato, add spices and greens and mix well. Set aside. Taquito: 12 Corn tortillas Heat tortillas and set aside (keep warm). Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread filling into a tortilla, roll and seal with a toothpick. Place taquitos on tray and bake for 20 minutes. Flip, bake another 20 or until crisp (be sure to watch to ensure they don t start to turn brown). Serve with Sweet Pea Guacamole (Day 10). 32
33 SAMPLE MENU Day 1 Breakfast (or meal number one if you don t eat breakfast) 1 pound of non- starchy vegetables, such as steamed zucchini, Balsamic Dijon roasted Brussels sprouts or frozen broccoli. Remember, if you aren t hungry enough to eat vegetables, are you truly even hungry? When you get hungry again eat either: Lunch Fresh fruit A WHOLE grain, such as Anytime Oats (p. 6) or cooked oats or another whole grain, either with or without fruit A cooked sweet potato or other potato A raw salad with beans Enjoy leftovers from the previous night s dinner or a large salad with a starch and an oil- free and fat- free dressing. Chef AJ s house salad includes all of her favorites such as Romaine lettuce, raw shredded carrots, raw shredded beets, raw shredded purple cabbage, red onion and pomegranate seeds. Then she adds a hearty starch to it such as leftover cooked rice, garbanzo and kidney beans or a sliced potato (sweet or Yukon Gold). Her dressing is flavored vinegar. Napa Valley Naturals Grand reserve is her favorite. She also loves adding fruit to her salad such as halved grapes, mandarin sections, or sliced apples or pears. When you have all these delicious things in a salad, it makes them delicious and interesting. Use whatever fruits and veggies you love to create amazing salads. Use different flavors and textures, too, such as celery for crunch, beans or potatoes for creamy, fruit for sweet, etc. Fall in love with your salads. Dinner Red Lentil Chili (p. 14) over a baked Yukon Gold DESSERT: Fresh fruit or frozen fruit pureed into an all fruit sorbet For even faster weight loss Chef AJ recommends eating a 2 nd pound of nonstarchy vegetables between lunch and dinner when you first experience hunger. Chef AJ s favorite is sugar snap peas which she enjoys either raw or lightly steamed. 33
34 Make sure you eat enough at meals so that you don t need to snack. Eat all the food you want to the left of the RED LINE until you are comfortably full. Use these 21 days to practice eating when hungry and stopping when full. SAMPLE MENU DAY 2 Breakfast (or meal number one if you don t eat breakfast) One pound of nonstarchy vegetables such as green beans, roasted cauliflower or frozen spinach or kale. Did you know that when you defrost a pound of frozen greens and squeeze the water out, the volume is so small it literally fits in the palm of your hand? Remember, if you aren t hungry enough to eat vegetables, are you truly even hungry? When you get hungry again eat either: Lunch Fresh fruit A WHOLE grain, such as Anytime Oats (p. 6) or cooked oats or another whole grain, either with or without fruit A cooked sweet potato or other potato A raw salad with beans Leftover Red Lentil Chili (p. 14) over brown rice. Add a salad if you are still hungry. Dinner Chipotle Bean Burger (p. 13) with all the fixings (make these or the Bravo Burgers [p. 30] early as they freeze very well). Dessert: Fresh fruit or frozen fruit pureed into an all fruit sorbet Snacks: If you require snacks, then eat more non- starchy vegetables either raw or cooked. Always feel free to add a non- starchy vegetable to you dinner meal. Chef AJ likes to eat hers first before dinner so that she gets them in. If you are cooking for family members who do not follow the Ultimate Weight Loss program, don t make two meals. Just have them add their unhealthy foods to your meals, if they must. 34
35 Hear what other UWL participants are saying about the program: Hi, my name is Shayda and I started the UWL on January 12, I have lost over 100 lbs. and went from a size 1X to a size 6! More importantly, I'm no longer pre- diabetic, and I'm completely off all cholesterol and triglycerides meds. I no longer suffer from severe heartburn! The key to my success has been eating my 2 pounds of greens everyday as my first meal. So in a typical day, I start with my steamed greens, which could be broccoli, sugar snap peas or my favorite cruciferous vegetables from Trader Joes. My next meal when I'm hungry, I eat a large bowl of raw salad, which includes, shredded cabbage, shredded carrots, shredded zucchini, beats, baby kale or spinach, romaine lettuce, tomatoes, some fruit and with flavored balsamic. I once measured it and it was 8 cups, then I have 2 potato waffles or I have my favorite soup, nutrient rich black bean soup. By that point I'm pretty full! If I'm hungry later on I will eat steamed veggies, with a little soup. I keep it super simple! For me variety is the kiss of death! You can see my transformation on the back of the DVD box. This program works! Hi! I'm Sharon. While I may be one of the few people in the UWL group who does not suffer from food addiction, I have so many clients who do that I wanted to enroll in this program and learn more about it so I could help my clients. What was interesting is that even though I have never been overweight, this is exactly how I eat and now pretty much how I feed my family of 5, including 3 children (ages 12, 16, and 16). A typical day of food for me looks like this: Breakfast: Large salad with lots of leafy greens, broccoli spouts, sprouted beans, berries and pomegranate seeds (sometimes shredded apple too) with a purple, Japanese or regular sweet potato. Sometimes cooked veggies, too, if I'm extra hungry. I work out and do yoga in the morning, so my breakfast is usually at 11 or 12 when I start to feel hungry. I typically get hungry again at around 4:30-5:30, so we eat dinner then actually, the kids and I eat and my husband eats when he gets home from work. Dinners are always simple, generally Instant Pot meals like Chef AJ's Chili or Split Pea soup, or Indian Dal, sometimes veggie burgers or even just sweet potatoes, beans, and veggies thrown together, with or without a fat- free sauce (I can't wait to try the Ultimate Sauce recipe!!). I will sometimes make red, black or wild rice instead of the potatoes, and my kids will often eat the Mexican type bean dishes with Ezekiel sprouted tortillas or oil- free corn chips. They almost always eat hummus on Ezekiel Sprouted Bread for lunches, as well as snacks, and my son takes a green 35
36 smoothie in his lunch daily but doesn't seem to want it at home. The kids will also have some of the large salad I make daily as an after school snack or part of a meal. After dinner, dessert is almost always fruit in its whole form, usually apples, bananas and oranges, and sometimes frozen dark cherries or berries. For special occasions, I'll make banana berry "ice cream" and I will sometimes bake oat/millet based muffins for them.but that's definitely not an every night thing. I'm really impressed with the results of Chef AJ's UWL program and have been sharing some of these tips with my health coaching clients successfully as well. I think it's great that she offers so much support and I hope that everyone in the group takes advantage of it; it's an amazing value, especially given her vast amount of knowledge, experience, and genuine passion about the topic of food addiction, not to mention her own achievement in overcoming it! Thanks, Chef AJ, for all that you do. It's a privilege to know you and I'm honored to be part of the UWL group! 36
