P3 Barbacoa Salad

Leftover barbacoa is delicious on a salad! Like a taco salad only with a different flavor. Love it!

P3 Barbacoa-style Shredded Beef 

Start with a chuck roast. Anywhere between 2-4 lbs is fine. I usually go for bigger because I like leftovers to make more meals. Cut it in half and trim most of the visible fat. Place in slow cooker or instant pot.

In food processor or vitamix, puree the following:

1/2 Onion
1/4 cup Lime Juice

1/4 cup Tomato Paste
4 cloves Garlic
1 1/2 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
2 tsp Cumin
2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Oregano
1 tsp Cloves or Allspice

Pour the puree over the roast in the slow cooker. Pour about a cup of Beef Broth on top, and drop a few Bay Leaves.

Cook on low or "slow cook" in the IP for 7 hours. When it's done, shred it with two forks and put it back into the amazing sauce in the slow cooker that was created during cooking. Keep on low for another couple of hours to really soak up the flavor of the sauce.

Here is my husband's version of the barbacoa salad, all neatly organized. I just throw mine in the bowl. Ha.

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Easy Shredded Chicken

If you like to cook in bulk, you'll love this! You can cook up a whole batch of boneless skinless chicken breast and have it shredded and ready to throw on a salad, in soup, or season up for whatever you'd like to eat.

Use your mixer! I use my kitchenaid mixer but a hand mixer will also work. I can throw the hot cooked chicken breasts right in and the mixer shreds them up easily. The key is to do quick bursts of the mixer, don't just turn it on full blast or it'll throw the chicken right out of the bowl. If you're doing a large batch, put just a few breasts in at once, pulse it until you like the level of shredding, then dump it into a large bowl to the side and do the next few breasts. Repeat until it's all shredded.

You can cook large batches of chicken in a crock pot, but it takes hours to cook them. Still better than boiling, but not super fast.

THEN I got my Instant Pot. Hello! Now I don't even have to deal with boiling chicken anymore OR waiting on the crock pot! I can cook 5 lbs of chicken at once - I just throw it in the instant pot with some water, set it to pressure cook for 15 minutes, and walk away.

I actually keep cooked, shredded chicken in my freezer now so I can use it in recipes as needed. I even keep some seasoned with taco seasoning to use on a taco salad or in a lettuce wrap. So convenient!

Some recipes from this blog that you can make with precooked shredded chicken:

Chicken Fajita (P3)
Chicken Apple Slaw (P2)
Chicken Spinach Tomato Soup (P2)
Enchilada (just sub chicken for beef) (P2)
Chicken Soup (P2)
Chicken Chili (P2)
Chicken Salad (P3)

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P3 Creamy Garlic Salad Dressing

This dressing is very much like a caesar dressing, but it is vegetarian. I love it with lots of garlic!

I feel comfortable using this dressing on P2, in place of my milk allowance, but that it something you'll need to decide for yourself and test to make sure it doesn't cause a gain for you. It should be fine on P3 though for sure.

Creamy Garlic Salad Dressing

1 cup Mayonnaise (I use Hain Safflower Mayo)
2 Tbsp Lemon Juice (juice of one lemon)
2 cloves Garlic (or more) minced
1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 tsp Dijon Mustard
1/2 tsp Salt (or more, to taste)
1/4 tsp Black Pepper

Mix all ingredients well and refrigerate. It tastes best if it's made a little ahead of time.


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Salad Jars

Salads are a roller coaster for me. I love them, especially with lots of veggies cut up and a delicious homemade dressing. But they are so much work! I hate having to get out a bunch of different vegetables and the cutting board and knives just to make one salad. Enter pinterest and the Salad Jar. My life is forever changed! I can spend the time ONCE and have salads for the week. I feel better eating this good food and my time was spent efficiently. Win!

I recommend chopping lettuce and putting it in first, filling most of the jar. Then add whatever you like - bell peppers, red onion, cucumber, celery, grated cheese, raw pumpkin or sunflower seeds, etc. I love it all (except for the celery, ha).

For carrots and zucchini, the spirooli slicer comes in handy! 

I don't recommend chopping tomato and putting it in the salad jars, because they tend to get too wet for me and I don't like wet salad. If you don't care about your salad being wet, then go for it. A better option, in my opinion, is using grape tomatoes.

When it's time to eat, dump the jar into a big salad bowl, add dressing, and eat. If you need to take it with you to work or school, bring your dressing in a small container so it doesn't make a mess of your salad before you're ready to eat.

If you're on P2, you can do this idea too, just be sure to keep it P2 Friendly!

If you try this idea, please leave me a comment to let me know! What do you put in your salads?

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P3 Citrus Vinaigrette

This dressing is really good on a salad, and I think it would make a great marinade for chicken too.

Citrus Vinaigrette

3/4 cup Orange Juice
1/4 tsp Orange Zest
4 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
2 Tbsp EVOO

1/4 tsp Black Pepper
Liquid Stevia to taste

Mix all ingredients well, and shake before each use. When adding stevia, put about 10 drops and taste, and then add a drop or two at a time, mixing and tasting, until it's just right.

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P3 Creamy Coleslaw

Coleslaw has been on my list of things to figure out for HCG Phase 3, because so many of the traditional recipes call for sugar.  Once again, liquid stevia comes through for me as a great sugar substitute. My husband even loved this coleslaw, and he isn't a big fan of it in general. Score!

Creamy Coleslaw

3 Tbsp Mayo (with no sugar)
2 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
8-10 drops Liquid Stevia
1/4 tsp Celery Salt
1/2 - 1 tsp Poppy Seeds
1 large head Cabbage, shredded

Mix all ingredients except cabbage together, and then toss with cabbage.  I recommend starting with half of the dressing, and then adding and mixing, so you don't end up with too much dressing.

On HCG Phase 2, if you do well using mayo in place of your milk allowance, you could make a side of this coleslaw on P2.

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P2 Taco Salad

This isn't going to be the same as it would be on P3, but it's pretty darn good if you're wanting tacos on P2.

3.5 oz Ground Beef
1 tsp Onion, minced
1 clove Garlic, minced
Spices of your choice, like cumin, chili powder, cilantro, etc.
2 cups Lettuce
1 Tomato, diced

Brown ground beef with onion, and add garlic toward the end. Add taco spices of your choice to taste. Serve over lettuce with diced tomato.

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P2 Chicken Apple Slaw

This was totally different from what I usually eat and I loved it!  It's almost a honey mustard flavor slaw, with the sweetness of apple and the protein included as well.  A great one-dish meal for the warmer weather.

Chicken Apple Slaw

1.5 cups Cabbage, shredded
3.5 oz Chicken, cooked and diced
1 Apple, diced
1 tsp Mustard
1 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
5 drops Liquid Stevia

Mix mustard, ACV and stevia in a container large enough to hold the other ingredients.  Add cabbage, apple and chicken and toss to coat.  Eat immediately or refrigerate for later.

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P2 Taco Salad 2 (rogue)

I eat ranch dressing on P2. There, I admit it. I know lots of other HCGers who also use my ranch recipe and continue to have great losses. Some count it as their milk allowance, and others just eat it in addition. Yum!

Taco Salad 2

3.5 oz Ground Beef
Spices of your choice, like cumin, chili powder, cilantro, etc.
2 cups Lettuce
1 Tbsp Ranch Dressing
2-3 Tbsp Salsa

Brown ground beef. Add taco spices of your choice to taste. Mix ranch dressing with salsa. Serve over lettuce.

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P2 Egg Salad

I keep hardboiled eggs in the fridge for times I have to go somewhere and didn't plan ahead for lunch, or if I just need something quick at home.

Egg Salad

4 Hardboiled Eggs (discard 3 yolks), finely chopped
1 Tbsp Milk, Mayo or Ranch, depending on your comfort with bending the rules
Squirt of Mustard
Salt and Pepper to taste

Mix everything up as desired and serve over lettuce leaves. Quick and yummy!


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P2 Cucumber Salad

Cucumber Salad

2 Cucumbers, peeled
1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1/4 tsp Salt
10 drops Liquid Stevia

Mix vinegar, salt and stevia together. Thinly slice cucumbers and marinate. The longer this sits, the better it gets.

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P3 Chicken Salad

This is another great recipe my mom made while I was visiting. I had some on a piece of flatbread, and later just ate it over salad greens. Yum! The kids loved this one too.

3 whole Chicken Breasts, cooked and chopped or shredded
½ cup Onion, finely chopped
½ cup Celery, finely chopped
1 Apple, finely chopped
½ cup Mayonnaise (just watch for sugar - my mom uses Duke's sugar-free mayo)
½ tsp Salt or to taste
¼ tsp Pepper or to taste
Garlic Powder – a pinch or to taste
Onion Powder – a pinch or to taste.

Mix together, chill and enjoy.

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P2 Strawberry Vinaigrette

I like salad ok, but I don't eat naked salad. My favorite dressing is ranch, and I have since been making a pretty amazing ranch dressing that I have been successfully eating on P2. However, in my first HCG round, I wanted to stick to all of the rules so I came up with a delicious strawberry vinaigrette that is great on any kind of salad, especially spinach. Throw on some sliced hardboiled egg and it's a fantastic lunch.

Strawberry Vinaigrette

1 lb strawberries, hulled (frozen is fine, just thaw partially)
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
juice of one lemon
15 drops Liquid Stevia

Blend all ingredients. Adjust amounts for your own taste, of course. Makes 20 oz.



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Ranch Dressing

This falls into a "YMMV" category - your mileage may vary. I have been successfully using this dressing on my salad during P2 and continued to lose weight. I use 1 Tbsp instead of the Tbsp of milk for the day. It covers a lot of salad nicely and is so delicious I look forward to it almost every day.

Ranch Dressing

1 cup mayo (regular mayo, I used Kraft brand - I tried healthier store-bought versions and they were never good.)
1 tsp ranch seasoning (some have msg, so watch for that)
1/4 - 1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 - 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 - 1/2 tsp paprika
black pepper to taste
1/2 - 3/4 cup buttermilk, to desired consistency

Mix all ingredients well.

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