Friday Fare - Healthy Breakfasts

Here are a few different recipes I found for a healthy breakfast (which I think is the most important meal of the day). These recipes come from EatingWell.com:

Strawberry-Orange Muffins

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons almonds
• 2 tablespoons plus 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, divided
• 2 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup brown sugar, divided
• 3 teaspoons freshly grated orange zest, divided (see Variation)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
• 2 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup canola oil, divided
• 1 cup white whole-wheat flour , or whole-wheat pastry flour (see Note)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 cup nonfat or low-fat buttermilk
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh or frozen (not thawed) strawberries , (about 8 ounces)

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray.
2. Process almonds, 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 teaspoon orange zest and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a food processor until finely ground. Transfer to a small bowl, drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil and stir to combine.
3. Whisk the remaining 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Whisk the remaining 1/2 cup brown sugar, 2 teaspoons orange zest and 1/4 cup oil in a medium bowl with buttermilk, orange juice, egg and vanilla extract until well combined. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients; stir until just combined. Add strawberries; stir just to combine. Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle with the almond topping, gently pressing into the batter.
4. Bake the muffins until golden brown and a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool for at least 5 minutes more before serving. Variation: For Strawberry-Basil Muffins, omit orange zest and use 1/4 cup additional buttermilk in place of orange juice. Stir in 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil with the berries in Step 3.

Tips & Notes

• Make Ahead Tip: Store, individually wrapped, at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month. To reheat, remove plastic wrap, wrap in a paper towel and microwave on High for 30-45 seconds.

• Note: White whole-wheat flour, made from a special variety of white wheat, is light in color and flavor but has the same nutritional properties as regular whole-wheat. Whole-wheat pastry flour is milled from soft wheat. It contains less gluten than regular whole-wheat flour and helps ensure a tender result in delicate baked goods while providing the nutritional benefits of whole grains. Find it in the baking section of the supermarket or online at bobsredmill.com and kingarthurflour.com. Store in the freezer.

Pina Colada Yogurt Parfait

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup reduced-fat vanilla yogurt
• 1/2 cup crushed canned pineapple, or canned mandarin oranges
• 1 tablespoon toasted coconut, (see Tip)

Preparation

1. Top yogurt with pineapple (or canned mandarin oranges) and coconut.

Tips & Notes

• Tip: To toast coconut: Place coconut in a small dry skillet and cook, stirring often, until golden, about 5 minutes or spread in a shallow baking dish and bake at 350°F until light golden and fragrant, 5 to 10 minutes.

Herb & Onion Frittata

Ingredients

• 1 cup diced onion
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon water, divided
• 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup liquid egg substitute, such as Egg Beaters
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh herbs, or 1/2 teaspoon dried
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons farmer's cheese, or reduced-fat ricotta

Preparation

1. Bring onion and 1/4 cup water to a boil in a small nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cover and cook until the onion is slightly softened, about 2 minutes. Uncover and continue cooking until the water has evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes. Drizzle in oil and stir until coated. Continue cooking, stirring often, until the onion is beginning to brown, 1 to 2 minutes more.
2. Pour in egg substitute, reduce heat to medium-low and continue cooking, stirring constantly with a heatproof rubber spatula, until the egg is starting to set, about 20 seconds. Continue cooking, lifting the edges so the uncooked egg will flow underneath, until mostly set, about 30 seconds more.
3. Reduce heat to low. Sprinkle herbs, salt and pepper over the frittata. Spoon cheese on top. Lift up an edge of the frittata and drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon water under it. Cover and cook until the egg is completely set and the cheese is hot, about 2 minutes. Slide the frittata out of the pan using the spatula and serve.

FRIDAY FARE: Super Foods - Eggs

This week's Super Food is: EGGS

The following information comes from EverydayHealth.com...

"The best protein source on the planet, eggs consistently outrank milk, beef, whey, and soy in the quality of protein they provide. In addition to containing all nine essential amino acids, eggs are loaded with nutrients. "And for God's sake, eat the yolks," says Bowden. People avoid the yolks because they fear cholesterol, but egg yolks contain choline, which helps protect heart and brain function and prevents cholesterol and fat from accumulating in the liver."

On Healthybodydaily.com, eggs are listed as one of Dr. Oz's 4 super value super foods:

"For those worried about cholesterol, studies have also shown that an egg a day will not significantly affect your cholesterol levels. A half-dozen eggs cost about $1, or approximately 17 cents a day."

Let's do 3 healthy egg recipes (because I can't decide on just one!) These all come from Fitnessmagazine.com.

Recipe #1 - Mexican Egg Scramble

Ingredients

3 egg whites (or use the whole egg - remember, the yolk is where that choline is)
1/4 cup canned black beans
1 ounce reduced-fat cheddar cheese (I use Sharp cheddar - just a tiny bit packs a huge taste)
2 tablespoons salsa

Directions

Scramble 3 eggs/egg whites with 1/4 cup canned black beans (rinsed and drained) and 1 ounce reduced-fat cheddar cheese. Top with 2 tablespoons salsa, or to taste.

Recipe #2 - Egg White Muffin Melt

Ingredients

3 egg whites
Whole-grain English muffin
1/2 cup spinach
1 slice reduced-fat cheddar cheese
1 slice tomato

(that's 3 Super Foods - eggs, spinach, and tomato!)

Directions

Scramble 3 egg whites. Cover half of a whole-grain English muffin with 1/2 cup spinach and the other half with 1 slice reduced-fat cheddar cheese; toast until cheese is melted. Add egg and 1 slice tomato.

Recipe #3 - Sliced Egg and Tomato Sandwich with Pesto Mayonnaise

Ingredients

1 tablespoon reduced-fat mayonnaise
1 1/2 teaspoons basil pesto
2 slices whole-grain bread
1 hard-boiled egg, thinly sliced
1 small tomato, cored and thinly sliced
Kosher or coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise and pesto. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spread mixture on 1 slice of bread; cover with egg, tomato, and remaining bread

FRIDAY FARE: Eggs Italiano - for a Mother's Day Brunch

How about a healthy brunch recipe for Mother's Day - something that is equally easy to make and absolutely beautiful to behold?! This recipe comes from EatingWell.com...



EGGS ITALIANO

Ingredients

1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 shallot, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 pound zucchini, (about 2 medium), diced
12 ounces plum tomatoes, (3-4), diced
3 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil, divided
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
8 large eggs
4 whole-wheat English muffins, split and toasted
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation

Fill a large, straight-sided skillet or Dutch oven with 2 inches of water; bring to a boil. Add white vinegar. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallot and garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in zucchini and tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until the zucchini is tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in 1 tablespoon basil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, reduce the boiling water to a gentle simmer; the water should be steaming and small bubbles should come up from the bottom of the pan. Crack each egg into a small bowl and slip them one at a time into the simmering water, taking care not to break the yolks. Cook for 4 minutes for soft set, 5 minutes for medium set and 8 minutes for hard set. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the eggs to a clean kitchen towel to drain.

To serve, top each muffin half with some of the vegetable mixture, an egg, a sprinkling of cheese and the remaining basil.

Nutrition

Per serving: 329 calories; 14 g fat ( 4 g sat , 6 g mono ); 425 mg cholesterol; 31 g carbohydrates; 22 g protein; 5 g fiber; 675 mg sodium; 570 mg potassium.