Recipe: Cheesy Low cal/High protein scramble

10/18/2012

2 Comments

 
I'm a vegetarian, but I do sometime eat eggs, milk, and seafood. Eggs are a great source of protein, but I don't really like them. The smell of cooking eggs kinds of gross me out, and I'm not a fan of the taste or texture. However, I haven't found a lot of breakfast options that keep me full until lunch, and don't upset my tummy. I was getting a little tired of having my tried and true protein shake for breakfast every day, so I decided to give eggs another shot.

I do like cheesy scrambled eggs--the kind that's mostly cheese, with a little egg thrown in there. It's what I grew up eating as a kid (well, that and scrambled eggs with ketchup, which I ate so often as a kid that I can't even look at it now as a grown-up). But unfortunately, cheesy scrambled eggs are a little high in calories and fat. Was it even possible to revamp the recipe to be low calorie and high protein--and still taste delicious?
It was!!! After a little trial and error, I came up with this recipe... 

Marilyn's Cheesy Low-Cal/High-Protein Scramble
(172 calories, 23 grams of protein)
  • 4 egg whites
  • 1 wedge of Laughing Cow Light Garlic and Herb Cheese
  • 2 tsp Kraft Natural Reduced Fat Parmesan Cheese (the powdery kind)
  • 1 stick Weight Watchers Smoked Mozzarella String Cheese
  • 1 tiny pinch steak seasoning
  • 1/2 cup chopped greens (optional)


Heat skillet to med-high. Spray on a little olive oil (I have a Misto that I like for this). Chop up cheeses into smaller pieces. Mix all ingredients in bowl. Pour into skillet and stir occasionally, cooking according to your preferences.

It's not a fancy recipe by any means--but if you're short on time in the morning, you can still have a breakfast that's simple and easy and healthy and TASTY and WARM. AND, this recipe can be adapted to your own tastes and caloric needs--for example you could do 1 entire egg and 3 egg whites, or use egg substitute (about 1/2 cup, which is two servings), or more/less cheese, or use other seasonings (curry, Old Bay, etc). Sometimes I like to round out my breakfast by adding potatoes o'brien (80 calories per cup) and/or a little fruit.

What's your favorite quick and easy breakfast?
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I can cook! Vietnamese Curry

04/05/2011

1 Comment

 
Sorry it's been so long, gals and guys! But I have a special cooking post for you guys. It's special because I suck at cooking. Things that come in a box and can be microwaved are my specialty. My brother gives me crap about my food being poison.

It wasn't for lack of trying. I just wasn't very good at it. But one day, I found something I was alright at. Back when I was in college, I tried to make my mom's Vietnamese curry. She doesn't measure anything because she's an amazing cook, but I had to start from something, so I found this recipe on allrecipes.com, and started testing it out. I've made some revisions, asked my mom for a little advice, and have pieced together a decent meal. My roommate at the time loved it, and now my boyfriend even requests it! I guess I can cook something after all...

So here it is, "my" recipe for Vietnamese curry:

Marilyn's Fool-Proof Vietnamese Curry
(if I can make something that people can eat, so can you!)
  • 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 onion, coarsely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped (or 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic)
  • 2-3 inch piece fresh ginger root, thinly sliced (leave skin on)
  • 1 pkg lemongrass (8 or so 2" pieces)
  • 4 tablespoons Vietnamese curry powder (2T generic curry + 3T Thai red curry powder, if you can't get any legit Vietnamese curry)
  • 1-2 red or yellow bell peppers, small bite sized pieces
  • 4-5 carrots
  • 1 pound fried tofu, cut into bite-size pieces (optional)
  • 2 cans chicken broth (2 cans)
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 4-5 medium potatoes, into 16pc/potato
  • 1 sweet potato
  • 2 (14 ounce) cans coconut milk
  • 3 teaspoons sugar
  • Sriracha, to taste (about 1-2 teaspoons)
  • salt, to taste (about 1 teaspoon)
Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat.

Saute onion until soft and translucent.

Stir in garlic, ginger, lemon grass and curry powder. Cook for about 2 minutes, to release the flavors of the curry.

Add potato, sweet potato, carrots, tofu and bay leaf. Pour in chicken stock. Stir. Bring to a boil, then stir in bell pepper. Add sugar. Add Sriracha and salt to taste.

When soup returns to a boil, reduce heat (about level 4) and simmer for 40 to 60 minutes, or until potatoes and carrots are tender.

Serve with rice, or French bread, or rice noodles.



Anyone else struggle with cooking?
1 Comment