Pepper and Onion Scramble

Just as the day starts, the questions begin. How am I going to give this day a great start? Because I am so necessarily focused on eating well, the standard morning fare won't suffice. Just can't do the English muffin with butter and grape jelly, or  bowl of Life cereal (which I do miss!). No pancakes right now, no waffles.  So, what's quick, easy, and delicious that's going to do the trick?

To maintain my interest for the long-term, this new eating plan has to have elements of excitement and variety. So, breakfast -- how do I take an egg and make it something worth looking forward to? On this morning, the answer was red peppers and onions, sauteed and scrambled into that egg. It is a very satisfying morning meal. Give yourself the 10 minutes it takes to get your morning off to a terrific start! The day will only be better because of it!


PEPPER AND ONION SCRAMBLE
spritz skillet with non-stick spray

1 tsp. olive oil
1/4 onion, sliced and coarsely chopped
1/4 red pepper, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1 egg
1 egg white
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Add olive oil to non-stick skillet and bring to a shimmer over medium heat.   Add chopped onion and red pepper and cook until pepper softens and onion begins to caramelize, just getting brown around the edges.  This might take 5 minutes or a few more.

Whisk egg and egg white together.  Pour whisked egg/egg white over onions and peppers and let cook until the egg is almost opaque but there's still a lot of moisture.  Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with half the Parmesan cheese. Turn off the heat (best tip!) and, with wooden spoon, loosely scramble the eggs and allow to sit for a minute until all of the egg has set.

Spoon into serving bowl and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese.

Cabot Greek Yogurt Parfait

Living so close to Vermont, I like to buy Cabot dairy products. This rural and New-Englandy part of New York State is just about 45 miles due west of the Vermont border, and it's an easy and beautiful drive to visit our Green Mountain neighbor. My daughter Katie turned me on to Cabot's products. She's a graduate of Vermont Law School and is very loyal to all things Vermont!

Cabot's cheeses are terrific, and their yogurts are just as good. I've been a fan of their Greek Vanilla Bean flavor, so much so that I buy it in the big, 2 lb. tub. Now that I am watching carbs like a hawk, I decided to try Cabot's plain Greek yogurt, and bought it this week, also 2-lbs. worth. There are many recipes where plain yogurt can stand in for sour cream, with less fat and more nutrition.  I have to be careful with the vanilla bean variety, because I love it so much I could eat it like ice cream. It hits the spot when you're looking for something cold, sweet, and creamy.

In an effort to re-train my tastebuds to a less-sweet focus, the plain can be used in a number of ways. This morning, it takes center stage as the star of a breakfast (or anytime) parfait. It is joined by sliced strawberries, frozen and unsweetened blueberries, and a little bit of crunchy granola. I added a bit of sweetness to the plain yogurt with Domino's sugar/stevia blend (just 5 calories a packet) and citrus flavor with freshly grated lemon rind and lemon extract. Layered in a pretty glass, this parfait is a great way to say "Good morning!"

CABOT'S GREEK YOGURT PARFAIT

1 cup Cabot Plain Greek Yogurt
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel (if you have a lemon!)
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
2 packets sweetener of your choice
3 large strawberries, sliced
3 tablespoons frozen unsweetened blueberries (or fresh, if you have them)
3 tablespoons granola (I used Post Grape-Nuts Fit granola cereal, because I have it on-hand)

In mixing bowl, combine yogurt with lemon peel, sweetener, and extract.  Set aside.
In clear glass with at least 1-cup capacity, layer yogurt, berries, granola (1/3 of each per layer).

Admire this pretty and very healthy parfait, and enjoy!

Baked Eggs with Swiss and Canadian Bacon

This morning, I'm baking eggs.  Yep, baking.  This adds a new dimension to my egg repertoire, and a nice change of pace from the typical.  This recipe for two, with eggs, Swiss cheese, and Canadian bacon, is so simple.  It's a great start to my low-carb weekend!  You could change this up with different cheeses, or regular bacon.  If you want to add a nutritional boost, start with a spoonful of sauteed spinach and onions!  (I'll try that next time.)

BAKED EGGS WITH SWISS AND CANADIAN BACON
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit
Spray two 4 oz. ramekins with cooking spray

2 eggs
2 slices Canadian Bacon
2 thin slices Alpine Lace Reduced-Fat Swiss Cheese (about 1 oz. total)
2 tablespoons non-fat milk
salt and pepper to taste

Break eggs into ramekins.  Top each with 1 tablespoon milk.  Cut bacon and cheese into small pieces.  Toss together.  Divide and sprinkle half over each egg.  Season top of each with salt and pepper to taste

Place ramekins on baking tray and bake for 15-18 minutes or until whites are opaque and yolk is the way you like it.  Check yolks with a butter knife as you get close to the 15-minute mark.

Pete, my kitchen helper (?)...