I'm mainly concerned that I may make a dish that counts as neither a green or a red meal, but is a combo of both.
I'm not sure, but I'm thinking that it's a matter of checking which ingredients are free, which are syns and which are healthy extras.
As examples, here are a few of my favorite recipes. My guess is that the oven baked chicken tenders don't fit in SW OR it does fit, but I have to count the cornflakes as a syn or a healthy extra (or does it even count at all?), but that the smoothie is both a red & green day, the yogurt chicken is a red day and the black bean soup is a green day. Let me know what you think.
{Oven-Baked Crispy Chicken Tenders}
2 cloves smashed garlic
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1/2-1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 cup nonfat buttermilk (or yogurt)
1 lb. chicken tenders
1 1/2 cups crushed cornflakes
Combine the garlic, spices & buttermilk/yogurt. Add the chicken & turn it in the marinade. Refrigerate for 1 hr. Drain the marinade and cover each chicken tender in the cornflake crumbs. Arrange the chicken on a baking sheet and bake @ 400F for about 15 minutes. It's mostly a red day, but I'm not sure if the cornflakes qualify as a syn or a healthy extra.
{Blueberry Banana Smoothie}
1 cup orange juice
2 cups frozen blueberries
1 banana
Blend it all together.
Does blending count as liquifying? I know you're not supposed to liquify your fruits. Also, 142 ml of orange juice is 2.5 syns (on green and red days) so 1 cup OJ is about 4 syns. If I count the syns, it seems that I can still have it. I think it qualifies for either a green or red day.
{Yogurt Marinated Chicken}
1/2 cup plain fat-free yogurt
3 cloves minced garlic
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon canola oil or olive oil
1 teaspoon chili powder
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger or 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
4 -6 boneless chicken breasts
I mix everything together, marinate it overnight, dump it in a pyrex dish and bake it until it's done. It seems like a red day recipe.
{Black Bean Soup}
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 celery ribs, finely chopped
1/4 large red bell pepper, finely chopped
2 small chicken bouillon cubes
1 -1 1/2 cup boiling water
4 cups black beans in their soaking juices
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 of the juice of a lemon
Combine the first 6 ingredients and simmer for 10 minutes. Add 1 cup of beans, salt & cumin. Simmer for 5 more minutes. Blend everything in the pot with an immersion blender. Add the rest of the beans. Combine the cornstarch with the water & lemon and add it to the soup. Stir it until it's as thick as you want it to be & serve. My boyfriend likes me to make this dish a complete protein by adding 2 cups of cooked pearl barley. I think this counts as a green day recipe since it's a zero syn on a green day and a .5 syn/28grams on red days.
My official SW start date is March 1 and I want to hit the ground running. I really appreciate all your input!