This traditional meatloaf recipe has a lovely texture, just the right blend of hearty density and tender, moist delicacy. Delicious with ratatouille and garlic mashed potatoes, and very simple to throw together. If you love meatloaf but are looking for a slightly more calorie-conscious version, check out my Meatloaf Muffins recipe instead.
Meatloaf Muffins
A handy way to meal-prep your protein portions for an On-Protocol week on The Balanced Burn, or for everyday eating! They taste equally good both reheated or cold, so they are a really low-fuss option for taking to work for lunch, and pack about 30 grams of protein per serving with less than 7 grams of fat and 5 grams of net carbs.
Braised Beef and Vegetables
Low Carb Chili Con Carne
This recipe is a modification of my original chili recipe (which you can find here) to drastically reduce the starchy carb content, making it suitable for eating during On-Protocol weeks during our 12-week weight loss program, The Balanced Burn.
The aim here was to maintain the same flavour and overall volume of food to make this chili just as satisfying as the original, but substituting chopped cauliflower for the beans to drop the carb content and adding in the previously-optional chopped greens to amp the veggie content up even more.
Again, chili purists will be up in arms over the inclusion of some of the ingredients, but this recipe ain’t about “chili perfection”, it’s about having a delicious meal option while pursuing a calorie deficit. 😉
Tex-Mex Shredded Beef and Master Stock
I’ve had a few requests for this recipe when clients have come into the house and smelled it cooking, so here it is!
The beef is poached in a flavourful stock until fork-tender, and then shredded for use in whatever dish you like - tacos or taco salad, burritos, nachos…it works well for all of them. It’s really simple to prepare, and can be ready in about an hour. The secret to the outstanding flavour is to make it repeatedly using the same master stock.
Coach JP's Famous Chili
Originally published in 2013 (the first recipe I published!) and last updated in September 2021, this recipe was overdue for another update based on some more recent tweaks.
I use a slightly unusual combination of spices and herbs in my recipe that gives the chili a real depth and complexity of flavour that takes it beyond any store bought chili I've ever had. Chili purists will balk at the inclusion of beans, and while this recipe *could* be made bean-free, it is intended to be a complete meal in a bowl, so a starchy carb element is a key component.
This is real, whole food with lots of protein, veggies and high-fibre starchy carbs, so it doesn’t really need any “pseudo-healthy” window dressing!
With the relatively high proportion of starchy carbs, this is best used as a post-workout meal, but if your carb intake is reasonable otherwise, go ahead and have this whenever. It can also be made ahead and the excess portions frozen for later use with good results.