Open Face BreakFAST

Breakfast is my pace car in this race called life in regards to my daily eating habits.  If I start the day with the right combination of proteins and carbs I can usually keep on the track all day.  If I start off bad… it usually ends the day in a pile up on the freeway!

The mornings in my house are usually a blur. ( I could start my own Reality TV Show with the cat fights that take place between mother and daughter in the mornings) So between playing referee, Peacemaker and getting ready for school/work I make breakfast.  (Oh and don’t forget a few minutes for Facebook in there with COFFEE too.)  Time is often wasted (especially the Facebook part, but hey…) but I can make a healthy breakfast quicker than I can get in and out of a fast food drive-thru line during the morning rush and it won’t be unhealthy! (Or make a mess in the car!)

I vary my breakfasts but usually not every day.  I may eat this for a few days, then that for a few days.

Here is what I ate this morning-

1 slice whole wheat toast    (55 calories)
1 slice FatFree Cheese        (25 calories)
½ a Roma tomato, slice       (  8 calories)
1 large egg                           (70 calories)
¼ tsp red pepper flakes        (  0 calories)

       Total -                             158 calories

 

Toast the bread with the cheese on top in the toaster oven.   Cook the egg in a small skillet with red pepper flakes.  Put it all together and top with sliced tomatoes.

Enjoy and have a great day!

 

Pumpkin Porridge - Overnight Breakfast

Living in South Carolina, we do not get to experience bone-chilling cold all winter like other states - for that alone, I am thankful.  However, we do have our frosty, cold mornings on occasion and it so wonderful to awaken to the aroma of a hot breakfast permeating the chill in the air. 

This slow cooker breakfast fills the house with the smell of cinnamon, allspice, and pumpkin.  When you mix that with the magnificent life-giving aroma of the automatic coffeemaker you get a little glimpse of heaven I do believe.


This is a simple recipe, concocted by yours truly, was designed for my bride.  She is an avid oatmeal lover.  I am a stone-ground grits man by choice, but I partake of the oat if it is flavored and sweetened to my liking. (For example, I do like the Quaker Instant Oatmeal with Maple & Brown Sugar)  So... She loves oatmeal.  I love her.  We both love pumpkin.  I should be able to figure something out, right?

This is what I came up with:

Ingredients:

2 cups water

2 cups milk

¾ canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)

½ cup Splenda

1 Tbsp. Cinnamon

1 tsp. Allspice

1 ½ cups Steel Cut Oats

2 Tbsp. Honey

(Option- ¾ cup chopped pecans) I didn’t do it for this batch, but I will next time for just a little protein.

I know, many of you non-Irish southerners are asking right now, "What are Steel Cut Oats?"  In Ireland this is what is used to make porridge.  It is a little nuttier than instant or rolled and takes longer to cook.

 

So once you gather all your ingredients, this is what you need to do before you go to bed.

Prepare your crockpot (coat with cooking spray or use a crockpot liner)

Add all ingredients to the crockpot and mix well.

Cook on low for 4 hours.  (Make sure you have a crock that allows you to set the time to start, or one that switches over to warm to hold it for you.  Unless of course you only plan on sleeping for 4 hours.) 

Serve in bowls/mugs with a little extra honey drizzled over the top.

This recipe makes about six servings around 220 calories each.

 

Enjoy!

 

Shrimp and Grits Casserole (Personal servings)

Crock pot grits for breakfast plus broiled shrimp for supper can add up to only one thing…

SHRIMP AND GRITS FOR BREAKFAST!!        Yummy stuff!

I took the leftover grits and put them in a bowl adding a bit of salt and pepper.   I sautéed some chopped green pepper and onions in a little olive oil.  Chopping the leftover shrimp and adding it with the sautéed vegetables, I mixed all of it with the bowl of grits.

 

Spray two ramekins with Pam and sprinkle some sliced green onion into the bottom of the ramekins. (this will be the top when it is finished!)  Pack the ramekins with the mixture - then refrigerate.

Next morning, I preheated the oven to 350.  I placed a ¼ cup of grated cheddar cheese on top and baked for 25 minutes. 

Enjoy!  I did!!

Savannah Omelet

One long weekend many moons ago….

My bride and I ventured a few hours south for a relaxing getaway to Savannah, Georgia.  Savannah is the one of, if not the first, city to be laid out and planned with streets in a grid.  Savannah is an old, historic city with many sites for a history buff (me).  The city’s River-Walk district has boutiques and stores for a shop-a-holic (my bride).   It also has some wonderful eateries for both of our tastes!

We stayed in the historic district of downtown Savannah, and each morning we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast in the hotel restaurant.  As is our custom, we asked the wait staff what was their  signature  dish.  Their unanimous response was the Savannah omelet.  This became my favorite all time omelet.

This morning, Good Friday, is the beginning of SPRING BREAK for Natalie and I.  To celebrate a Savannah omelet was to be made – for me!

These days many of my favorites have been “slimmed down” to benefit my health and this dish has been as well.  Eggs are wonderful, but they do have quite a bit of cholesterol that I don’t need.  So to cut it back, I use 1 whole egg and two egg whites.  This takes the cholesterol from 655mg’s to 213mg’s for the eggs.

Savannah Omelet

Ingredients:

1 whole fresh egg

2 egg whites, fresh

3oz shrimp (appx 5 medium)

¼ cup red onion, chopped

¼ cup fresh mushrooms, chopped

¼ cup reduced fat cheddar cheese

½ Roma tomato, seeded and diced (topping)

1 green onion, sliced (topping) * - I didn’t have any this morning L

S & P to taste

Sautee onions and mushrooms in a small pan sprayed with non-stick spray and set to the side.

Lightly whip the egg and egg whites. ( I sometimes add a teaspoon of water, but not today)

Coat a medium frying pan with non-stick cooking spray and heat over medium low heat.  When pan is hot add egg mixture.

Lift edges and turn to allow all liquid to gain contact with pan to cook. As the egg firms, add the onions, mushrooms, shrimp and cheese through the middle section of the eggs.

After a few moments, fold one side of the omelet over the shrimp and cheese.  Then flip over from the bottom of the shrimp and cheese to finish the fold.  Let sit a minute, then flip entire omelet one turn and wait a minute.

 

Plate omelet and top with chopped tomatoes and sliced green onion.

 This heart healthy breakfast comes in at 300 calories, 10 carbs, and 12g fat.

Enjoy!

Which came first the Chicken or the Egg?

Well in this recipe the Chicken does!  She's made into a sausage link. 

This breakfast is fast, filling and right at 250 calories! 


For comparison: 
McDonald's Sausage Egg McMuffin = 450 cal
McDonald's Sausage biscuit = 400 cal
Burger King's Croissanwich with sausage = 470 cal
Burger King's Sausage biscuit = 450 cal
Hardee's Sausage egg biscuit = 610 cal

Ingredients:

• Al fresco Chicken sausage link  (70 calories)
• 2 Tbsp diced onions (8 calories)
• 1/2 tsp Olive Oil (20 calories)
• 2 Egg white's fresh (34 calories)
• Dash of Hot Sauce (<3 calories if any)
• 1 Tbsp Hellman's Low Fat mayo  (15 calories)
• Thomas English Muffin Light (100 calories)

Directions:

Slice a single link into rounds.  Heat oil in skillet over medium heat.  Add sausage and onions stirring as needed.

When sausage is browned to your taste, add the egg whites and dash of hot sauce.  After a moment lift edges with spatula to allow eggs to move under the mix.  Allow to set a moment or two.  When first side is browned and set, flip once and allow to finish cooking a minute or two.

< - Just flipped...









In the meantime, toast your muffin and spread the mayo on a side, or both if you choose.
When Sausage mix is done on second side, place on muffin and top with other half.

ENJOY!!

Breakfast - the most important meal of the day?

So if breakfast is the most important meal of the day, why do we normally skip it?

In the past I would usually skip breakfast waiting until I got to the office or somewhere/sometime when it is more convenient.  That would usually spell disaster for my healthy eating because I would make poor choices.  Decisions such as my favorite fried bologna and egg sandwich with mayo on white bread - sounds like a blocked artery already!

I found that if I ate breakfast as soon as I got up, or at least before I was ready to go out the door, I would make better choices in my eating.  I also discovered that if I eat before I left the house, I would not eat as much throughout the day!  I guess eating breakfast is important!

One of my favorite morning meals is a simple one, yet filling with flavor and texture:

I toast a Thomas multi-grain English muffin (100 calories).
While it is in the toaster I slice a ripe roma tomato (13 calories)  into 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices. 

When the hot muffin is ready spread Hellman's Low Fat mayo (15 calories) on one half of the muffin, insert the tomato slices, add salt and pepper to taste. 

The combinations of warm muffin, cool tomato, with the crunchy and chewy textures is delightful.  A breakfast sandwich you can take with you if you need to run too!  All for just 130 calories.

What do you normally eat for breakfast?