Asparagus, Bacon and Cheese Strata

Do you like French toast?  Do you like bacon?  How about asparagus?  Cheese?  Did you ever think there could be something so completely delicious, including all of these ingredients?  Imagine it - a savory, cheesy, rich strata, that you can eat for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner!

I ate one slice the night I made this.  Then I let it cool, individually wrapped each slice in aluminum foil, and froze them in a Ziploc freezer bag (I find it helpful to date my frozen foods, and throw them out after 3 months if they haven't been eaten).  Whenever I want a slice, I simply thaw it in the fridge over night or during the day, and pop it into the toaster oven at about 430F for 10-15 minutes.  Voila!  Delicious strata in no time flat!  What a wonderful make-ahead meal that you can enjoy for the whole week, or for weeks to come.


Adapted from WW Online
Makes 6 servings
Points+ value = 7

• 2 tsp olive oil (this can be omitted if you get enough grease from the bacon, but does not decrease the Points+)
• 4 slices uncooked bacon, diced
• 1/2 cup onion, diced
• 2 cups asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
• Nonstick cooking spray
• 6 slices light whole wheat bread, day-old is best
• 4 large eggs
• 4 large egg whites
• 3/4 cup skim milk
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard (I used about 2 1/2 because I love Dijon)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground pepper
• 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1 cup low-fat shredded cheddar cheese

Heat a large oven proof skillet over medium heat.  You can choose to add the oil now, or you can wait to see if you get enough fat from the bacon.
Add bacon and cook, stirring, until golden brown, about 4 minutes.
Add onion and asparagus (if you didn't get enough grease from the bacon, you can add oil now); saute until vegetables are soft, about 3 to 5 minutes.  Remove vegetables from pan and set aside.

Preheat broiler.

Off heat, coat same skillet with cooking spray.  Arrange bread slices tightly in bottom of skillet.

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, egg whites, milk, mustard, salt and pepper; pour over bread and allow milk mixture to soak in entirely (like when you make French toast).  Sprinkle with 1 Tbsp of Parmesan cheese.

Place skillet over medium to medium-high heat.  Cook, shaking pan frequently to promote even cooking, until almost cooked through to the top, about 4 or 5 minutes.

Place skillet under broiler to set eggs, about 2 minutes.  Remove skillet from broiler; top with bacon-veggie mixture, cheddar cheese, and remaining Tbsp of Parmesan cheese.  Place skillet under broiler again until cheese melts, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Slice into 6 pieces and serve!

Scrumptious Blueberry Parfait

I always keep low fat granola and frozen fruit* in my house - they are staples that keep me full and work perfectly for nibbles.  They also work perfectly when I'm craving a parfait!  I'm an eater - I actually enjoy chewing my food.  So when I buy things that are smooth, I usually add something crunchy to the mix.  On the odd occasion that I eat yogurt by itself, I always get yogurt with chunks of real fruit.  Otherwise I don't feel as though I'm actually eating!  That's what perfects the parfait - you add smooth and creamy to deliciously crunchy, top it off with fruit, and voila!  Magnifique!

Makes 1 serving
Points+ value: 6

• 6oz Yoplait Light Blueberry Yogurt (or other brand)
• 1/4 cup low fat granola
• 1/2 cup frozen blueberries (or fresh)

Layer ingredients into a cup or bowl as you like and enjoy!  Mix up the flavors by changing the fruit and yogurt flavor, or by substituting flavored granola and vanilla or plain yogurt.  (Note this may affect Points+).

*I find it best to run cold water over the frozen fruit to remove the ice buildup, then add them to your dish immediately, still frozen.  They thaw quickly, won't get mushy, and taste so good cold!

Breakfast All Week!

This week's meal idea revolves around breakfast - the most important meal of the day!  Loads of researchers (and I won't point you to any links or surveys, mostly because I'm lazy and don't want to dig them up) have discovered that eating a balanced and nutritious breakfast not only wakes you up and tastes good, it gets your day going.  A good breakfast sets your body in motion for the rest of the day - it speeds your metabolism, meaning you can and will burn even more calories just by sitting around, and it gets your brain into prime thinking condition.

If you're anything like me, you love breakfast food, regardless of the time of day.  But you also struggle to wake up on time and never give yourself the time necessary to cook a good breakfast before work.  So, you wind up eating a quick bowl of cereal, or maybe some oatmeal.  Some days you run out the door with a granola bar and banana in hand.  Although those are all perfectly satisfying and healthy breakfasts, why not try something new, filling, and tasty?

I took a few different meal ideas - some from Gina, some from myself, and some from my close girlfriend.  Put it all together, and I've stumbled upon something wonderful!
This is super easy to make, and lasts in the fridge all week.  So you can grab a quick breakfast in the morning, or indulge your cravings for lunch, a snack, or dinner!

Sarah's Mini Omelets - 2 Points Each

Adapted from Gina's Broccoli Cheese Mini Omelets and the amazing Shelby Dillon's Culinary Fantabulousness.  Try using different ingredients, like spinach and feta, bacon and cheddar, or asparagus and caramelized onions (note these will alter points value) to find your perfect breakfast!

• 4 eggs
• 1 cup egg whites (from about 5 or 6 eggs)
• 1 small zucchini
• 1 small red bell pepper
• 1/4 red onion
• Salt, to taste
• Pepper, to taste
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• Nonstick spray
• 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Preheat the oven to 350F.
Using a food processor, chop the zucchini, red onion, and bell pepper until fine.
Heat a small pan over low heat and spray with nonstick spray.  Add veggies, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and saute until cooked through.
While veggies are cooking, combine the eggs, egg whites, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper in a medium bowl.  Coat a muffin pan with nonstick spray.
Use a slotted spoon to transfer the veggies from the pan into 9 muffin tins (you should fill the tins about 1/4 to 1/3 of the way).
Pour the egg mixture over the veggies until the tins are nearly full.
Bake for approximately 25 to 30 minutes (note that ovens vary - begin checking at 20 minutes).

Serve immediately.

Allow the remaining mini omelets to cool completely in the pan.  Once cool, remove the omelets and individually wrap them in foil or cling wrap.  Store in the refrigerator.
When you are ready to eat, simply pop in the microwave and enjoy!

You've Got Some Smooth Moves!

So far so good this weekend!  Yesterday I got to leave work early, and I took that as an opportunity to veg out on my couch!
After a good hour of Heath Ledger in A Knight's Tale I decided to hit the gym and actually make something of my Friday evening.  I absolutely love my walk to the gym...it gives me a chance to clear my head, pump myself up, and enjoy the extreme humidity surrounding me on a daily basis.  No but seriously, I get to walk along the Singapore River, which is actually quite beautiful when I'm not listening to jackhammers, and it's a nice experience.

First of all, the girls at the front desk now officially know me.  I walk up, they greet me, they know my name, they know the classes I take, they think I'm sweet.  This makes me feel happy.
Second, I now rock at the elliptical machine.  Freaking sweet!  I upped the level, I went faster, I worked harder.  It was AWESOME!
After dropping too much money in the bookstore (and snagging Avatar on BluRay), I decided to trudge home in the rain.  I shouldn't say this as though it was a bad thing.  Sometimes I like the rain, and living here one can't exactly be shocked when it's pouring on you.

After drying off a bit (a lot), I decided that my stomach deserved a break, and that I should treat it to something new and exciting.  Senegalese Peanut Stew with Spinach and Sweet Potatoes.  It's a recipe from WW online, and I am shocked at it's deliciousness!  I will post the recipe tomorrow, so be on the lookout!

This morning I tried out another new recipe that I adore!  I will be making this on a very regular basis!  Good smoothies are sometimes hard to find, and this one takes the cake!

Strawberry Mango Smoothie
From Weight Watchers Online
Servings: 2
Points per serving: 3

• 8 oz unsweetened frozen strawberries
• 4 oz low fat vanilla yogurt
• 1/2 cup mango fruit juice
• 1 Tbsp honey

Place everything in a blender or food processor and blend on high until you get it where you want it!  SO EFFING GOOD!

I just got home from a walk in the Botanic Gardens with my friend Meg (it was so great and we got so sweaty!), and tonight I get to splurge at Curry Gardenn (yes, it has two "n"s) with Brian.  Butter Chicken and Paratha here I come!
Till next time...enjoy that smoothie!

Chag Sameach!

Wow.  I am exhausted.  Completely and utterly!  Spin class tonight kicked my ass, but I pushed hard the whole time and even turned up the resistance!  I'm always amazed at the amount of sweating I do in that class...I'm not completely sure that it's normal!  Some of the ladies in my class go straight from spin to the 7:30pm Body Tone class.  They are clearly on crack.

So I tried my best to lose but not lose too much this past week, and I ended up just staying right in the same spot.  I know it could be worse (I could have gained!) but I was still totally disappointed on Tuesday morning when the scale looked up at me with that big 136.5.

A few different things could have led to it, and honestly I know exactly what it was.  Was it the movie theater popcorn I had on Friday night?  Yeah.  Was it the scrambled eggs with toast and potatoes at Epicurious for breakfast on Saturday morning?  Probably.  How about the high tea buffet lunch at Lao Beijing with dan dan noodles, black pepper chicken, fried noodles, and dumplings?  Yep.  Or maybe the splurge on a few glasses of wine, breaking that 2-week detox, alongside the cheese and sausage platter at Wine Company that evening?  Totally.

Sunday morning I desperately needed some healthy goodness, so I went for a Baked Banana.  YUM!  You basically bake a banana drizzled with cinnamon and honey/agave nectar.  I prefer it for breakfast, but it would be fantastic with ice cream for dessert as well!

This was my first time using the agave, and I definitely prefer it to honey.  The banana comes out a bit sweeter, and there is less of a sticky mess :)

Monday evening was the start of Passover, so I've had to watch my intake this week.  I had no idea that one sheet of matzo is 2 points.  I could eat a whole box of those things!  Given that Passover is my favorite holiday of the entire year, and I have a secret love of matzo, this whole points thing has been a mega issue for me the past couple days.  Today I just subbed matzo for my usual wrap with turkey.  It's the greatest and best wrap on the planet.
1 whole wheat wrap (2 pts)
2 oz turkey (1 pt)
1 tsp basil pesto (0.5 pts)
romaine lettuce (0 pts)
1/4 cup semi-dried tomatoes, drained of oil (1 pt)
Seriously - try it.  You'll love it.

I had this plan to adapt Passover recipes from my cookbook, but I'll have to postpone that idea - I leave tomorrow night for BALI!  It's going to be super tough counting points, but my goal this week is MAINTAIN!  If I can spend three days in Bali, come home, weigh in, and still be 136.5 I will be a very happy camper!

Before I get to packing, there are a few noteworthy items from this past week that every single one of you needs to know about!
1.  Cilantro Lime Rice - made it, ate it, loved it!  Try adding some chopped fresh jalapenos for an extra kick!
2.  Broiled Fish with Garlic - I used Cream Snapper, loved it!
3.  Chocolate Dipped Macaroons.  Holy shit.  Amazing!  Perfect for Passover, but be very careful - you'll be tempted to eat the whole batch!  (And my dumb ass forgot to take a picture...oops)

Chocolate Dipped Macaroons
From Weight Watchers
Points = 1 per serving
Serving Size = 1 macaroon
Yield = 32 servings

• 3 large egg whites
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1.5 tsp vanilla extract
• 2.5 cups packaged shredded coconut, unsweetened
• 3 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped into small bits (I used semisweet mini chocolate chips and it was fine)

1. Preheat oven to 350F.  Line one or two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, whisk egg whites with sugar.  Add vanilla and coconut; stir to combine.
3. Scoop up a level tablespoon of batter and form into a ball with your hands; repeat with remaining batter.  Place each ball about 1-inch apart on the prepared cookie sheet.
4. Bake until tops just start to turn light tan, about 15 to 18 minutes.  Remove cookies to a cooling rack for about 30 minutes.
5. Place chocolate in a double boiler or heavy pot; melt over low heat, stirring occasionally (do not allow to burn).  Keep chocolate warm and pliable as you dip tops of cookies into chocolate.  Place dipped cookies on a metal tray; freeze until chocolate sets (about 20 to 30 minutes).