Tag Archives: eggs

Healthy Cookie: Cheesy Broccoli & Potato Scramble

Eggs are awesome. Know why?

  1. They’re so versatile. You can scramble ‘em, fry ‘em, bake ‘em into a quiche or frittata, slap ‘em on a breakfast sandwich, or even drink ‘em raw from a cup.
  2. The add-ins are endless: veggies, cheese, potatoes, meat, fresh herbs, and more!
  3. You can cook up an egg in mere minutes.
  4. They’re packed with protein and therefore great for meat-eaters and vegetarians alike.
  5. They’re good for you. They help your eyesight, they’ve got choline for your brain (which means they keeps you smart cookies smart!), and they’re low in calories and fat.
  6. You can eat them any time of day. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are all eggcellent opportunities!
  7. They’re delicious!

If that doesn’t make you want to chow down on some eggs, then I don’t know what will. Keep in mind, you don’t always have to have the same old scramble. Eating the same thing over and over again gets boring no matter what the food. So spiffy up your scramble with this cheesy, broccoli & potato twist!

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Healthy Cookie: Breakfast Incredi-bowl!

People argue that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, their logic being that it gives you the energy you need to get through your day.

I disagree.

If that were the reason for breakfast’s importance, then all meals would be equally as imperative. Is it not also the purpose of both lunch and dinner to fuel us with energy in order to complete our day? No offense to breakfast, but it does no better a job in completing said task than the day’s other essential meals do.

Now, I do agree on one thing: breakfast is the most important meal of the day; not because of the fuel it provides (although that is essential), but because it gives us a reason to get out of bed in the morning. Did you ever find yourself lying in bed on a Sunday morning as a child, with no desire to rise from your slumber, only to experiences the smell of maple syrup or frying eggs wafting from the kitchen and twirling through your nostrils? The second you experience that rush, you catapult out of bed and into the kitchen. In a split-second, you go from “I never want to get out of bed” to “Hello morning, how are you today?”

Now, said motivation is harder to muster if you know you have a low-cal, low-fat breakfast waiting for you. That usually means something like plain oatmeal, fruit, a bland cereal, or some naked egg whites. I don’t know about you, but when there are treats such as sweet cinnamon rolls or fluffy pancakes to entice you out of bed, why would you ever want to wake up to any of that low-fat crap?

That’s where the Incredi-bowl comes in. Filled up with fluffy scrambled eggs, melted cheddar cheese AND a cheesy sauce, crisp broccoli, golden hashbrown potatoes, sweet onions, and colorful peppers (and juicy bacon if you’re a meat eater), this dish gives you a flavorful kick in the butt for under 300 calories (even less if you go the no-bacon vegetarian route)! Better yet, this bowl is packing 31 grams of protein!

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Frittata Pizza Dippers

Frittata fans, boy have I got something for you.

For those of you who aren’t avid frittata followers, a frittata is kind of like  a giant omelet stuffed with all kinds of good stuff. There in lies the problem with frittatas: their behemoth size. If you’re making one for your family or a some guests, they’re awesome. But what if you’re just cooking for two or for yourself? What if you don’t want to wait forever while it bakes in the oven? How does one get their frittata fix then?

Simple. You make mini frittatas so portion control is is easy as cake. Eat as many or as few as you want. AND you make those eggy babies in a Babycakes maker, not only to achieve their adorable miniature size, but also so they cook up in a mere eight minutes. That’s some easy and eggcellent cooking (sorry, I had to).

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The Hashy Sammy

As I once explained to you little cookies in my Roasted & Toasted Taters post, I have an obsession with all things potato. This infatuation has followed me since childhood, throughout adolescence, and continued into to my young-adulthood. You can probably guess then what my favorite breakfast food is: hashbrowns. Now, hashbrowns come in all shapes and sizes. There are shredded hashbrowns, not to be confused with homefries (which I also love), little tator tot-like hashbrowns, and the trusty hashbrown patty. I ate and loved them all.

On school mornings, my mom would fry up a hashbrown patty with melted cheddar cheese for me. On the weekends, I’d indulge in basically the same thing except with shredded hashbrowns. I was always looking for a new way to get my daily potato fix. The problem was that many people looked down upon making a meal out of potatoes alone, especially for breakfast. So I’d have bacon on the side or an egg, but it just didn’t do it for me. You have to eat a lot of hashbrowns to feel satisfied. Somewhere along the line, gears started to turn. An idea began to take shape in my head.

Breakfast sandwich.

Hashbrowns.

A HASHBROWN BREAKFAST SANDWICH.

Sounds crazy, right? That’s what everyone said. They said I could do it. But I did, my little cookies. I did. Continue reading →

Healthy Cookie: Ricotta & Basil Stuffed Omelet (125 Calories!)

Today, we must discuss these two words: cheese-stuffed. You can never go wrong with a cheese-stuffed food. Um, hello: Stuffed shells, calzones, grilled cheese sandwiches, ravioli & tortellini, mozzarella sticks, and need I say, stuffed crust pizza? When you stuff something with cheese, you essentially stuff it with awesomeness. The addition of cheese elevates almost any dish.

This omelet is no exception. Let’s just take a moment to appreciate the amount of cheese oozing out of the center of this egg:

Yeah. And that omelet, my little cookies, is one-hundred-and-twenty-five-freakin-calories. It’s so substantial and full of creamy cheesy goodness that you’re not going to believe it. Well, feel free to calculate the cals yourself if you don’t believe me. As I told you before when discussing my 205-calorie Cheesy Breakfast Pizza, I don’t joke around about this stuff!

So if you’re looking for a satisfying breakfast/dinner/brunch that will fill you up with happiness rather than guilt, this omelet’s for you. With a fresh basil flavor complimented by a nice saltiness and a kick from the red pepper flakes, this cheese-stuffed egg is not only good for you; it’s just plain good.

A few tips before you get cooking:

  1. If you want, you can make a full-fat, full-calories version of this and not only would it be AMAZING, but it would still be pretty good for you and relatively low-cal. Replace the fat-free ricotta with regular ricotta, add a tablespoon of shredded mozzarella to the filling, and use regular eggs if you want. It’s that simple.
  2. Pesky must-have-meat eaters in your life? Serve with sausage, prosciutto, or chicken.
  3. Yeah…I was a bad girl again. I used basil paste instead of fresh. DON’T DO THAT. Fresh tastes so much better. See, I thought we had fresh basil, but my sneaky mother throws things out when I’m not looking…(hence why it’s garnished with fresh parsley instead of basil).

Ricotta & Basil Stuffed Omelet

Recipe by Colleen Bierstine

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup liquid egg substitute (like Egg Beaters)
  • 1/4 cup fat-free ricotta cheese
  • 1/2 tsp. fresh basil, finely chopped
  • 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped or 1 tsp. minced garlic
  • 2 tsp. fresh grated parmesan cheese
  • dash of onion powder
  • red pepper flakes, to taste (a little goes a LONG way)
  • kosher salt, to taste
  • pepper, to taste

Directions:

  1. Bring a small round pan sprayed with nonstick cooking spray to medium-low heat. Pour egg substitute into pan and allow eggs to form to the shape of pan. When the edges start to firm up and the bottom is browned to your liking, carefully flip the egg.
  2. Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl, mix the ricotta, basil, garlic, parmesan, onion powder, red pepper flakes, kosher salt, and pepper with a spoon or rubber spatula until well-combined.
  3. Once you’ve flipped the egg and both sides are cooked, evenly spread the ricotta mixture directly onto the cooked egg in the pan. The mixture will become easier to spread as it heats.
  4. Turn off the heat but keep pan on warm burner. With a spatula, carefully fold the omelet in half, sandwiching the cheese in between (like a taco). When the cheese is melted to your liking and the egg is fully cooked, use a spatula to transfer the omelet to a plate.
  5. Sprinkle with more salt and pepper and garnish with more fresh basil or parsley if desired.

Yay cheese!

Healthy Cookie: Cheesy Breakfast Pizza (205 calories!)


Eggs are awesome. They’ve got loads of protein, they’re filling, and they’re good for you. Egg Beaters are even better because they’ve got more health benefits than a real egg, but even less calories. As a health-conscious vegetarian, I eat Egg Beaters like they’re going out of style. However, you can imagine that I often get sick of them. Sometimes, I need something different than just scrambling them with salt and pepper.

Thus, the Cheesy Breakfast Pizza was born. It’s ridiculously tasty, has around 27g of protein, it’s COVERED in cheese, and you get the whole personal-sized pizza for about 205 calories! No, that last part was not a joke. I’m serious. I don’t joke about caloric-matters, my friends. You see, I love food and consuming it, but I tend to favor things that are bad for me (french fries, pizza, indulgent desserts, etc.). Therefore, I have to balance with tons of healthy, low-cal things in between. I’m always looking for meals that are low-cal AND delicious. This pizza is just that.

Yes, it’s called a breakfast pizza (for obvious reasons), but I actually like to eat this for dinner. I’m a big fan of breakfast for dinner. As far as I’m concerned, breakfast is acceptable at all hours of the day. It’s a really filling, satisfying meal (I actually didn’t finish the last slice, that never happens!) and it IS a pizza, so you can easily eat it at dinner. Or have it at breakfast. Basically, you can eat this any time of the day; no one will judge you. And if they do, it’s just because they’re jealous.

You do not have to be a skilled cookpert(cooking expert) to make this. It’s easy peasy (easy cheesy?). So, if you’re ready to indulge in a tasty pizza with cheesified-eggs, fresh veggies, and more cheese, without feeling an ounce of guilt, then get cooking ASAP!

A few tips before you get cooking:

  1. You can make this with regular eggs, but I really recommend Egg Beaters. A half-cup serving has twice the protein of one egg and less calories as well. Plus, I can’t tell the difference taste-wise. Give them a try if you haven’t before. You’ll love them!
  2. Sometimes (like this particular time), I can’t find the Green Giant Broccoli & Cheese Just For Ones, so I buy the regular-sized ones and measure out a half-cup serving of that instead. You should be able to find the Just For Ones in your grocery store, though. I can always find them at Walmart.
  3. Don’t just make one for you; make one for everybody in your family too! They’re an easy, healthy, DELICIOUS meal you can throw together that everyone will enjoy. No picky, anti-health foodies will complain about it being healthy because no one will know!
  4. Don’t be like me and use dried chives. I swear, I only did it because I had to! I didn’t have any fresh ones on hand. Get yourself some fresh chives. YOU DESERVE IT. The dried ones just taste like…well they don’t taste like anything at all, actually. Do as I say, not as I do.

Cheesy Breakfast Pizza

Recipe by Colleen Bierstine

Ingredients:

  • 1 medium-sized tortilla for about 80 calories (like the Low-Carb, High Fiber ones by La Tortilla Factory)
  • 1/2 cup Egg Beaters or egg substitute
  • 1 tsp. chives, chopped
  • 1 tray of Green Giant Broccoli & Cheese Sauce Just for Ones (or 1/2 cup of regular-sized Broccoli & Cheese Sauce)
  • 2 tbsp. fat-free cheddar cheese
  • 1/4 of a red pepper, chopped
  • kosher salt, to taste

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. Bake the tortilla in the oven for 2 1/2 minutes on each side, 5 minutes total.
  3. Remove from the oven, but keep the oven on, turning it up to Broil.
  4. Meanwhile, cook the broccoli & cheese according to package directions. Set aside.
  5. Bring a medium skillet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray to medium-low heat. Pour the eggs into the skillet, letting it form to the circular shape of the skillet, making an “omelet.” Cook until each side is firm and egg is cooked through.
  6. Using a spatula (particularly a Super Spatula), transfer the omelet to the tortilla. Spread the broccoli & cheese on top of the omelet. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese, chives, red pepper, and salt.
  7. Return to oven and cook under broiler for 2 minutes or until crust is slightly browned around the edges & cheese is melted.
  8. Slice and enjoy!

205 calories. 27 grams of protein. When such a delicious pizza is so good for you and so easy to make, you start to wonder if you’re dreaming. Well pinch yourself, ’cause you’re not! That beautiful breakfast pizza you see above is as real as the day is long. Slice it up and enjoy one of life’s small wonders.

Sweet & Simple: The Classic Egg in Bread

This dish has many names.

Egg in a basket. Egg in a hole. Egg in a window.

Or, as I was raised calling it, The Egg in Bread.

It’s really just as simple as it sounds: an egg cooked in the middle of a slice of bread. You use only four ingredients (all of which I guarantee you have on hand), it cooks up in about five minutes, and just about any level of cookpert (cook expert) can handle it.

Now, when it comes to breakfast foods, there’s some good stuff out there. Pancakes are awesome (waffles too), French toast is delicious, breakfast bakes and skillets aren’t bad either, and there are all kinds of tantalizing breakfast pastries. However, these can all be pretty complex, mulit-step dishes to make, even if you’re using some kind of boxed mix. The funny thing is, The Egg in Bread (or whatever you chose to call it) holds its own among all of these fancy breakfast veterans. Despite its absurdly simple preparation and its microscopic list of ingredients, The Egg in Bread is completely eggtastic.

There are three things that make such a simple dish so delightful: basic salt and pepper seasoning, bread, and a generous amount of butter. The bread allows for starchy comfort while the salt, pepper, and butter give this the most basic but delicious flavor. There are no complex workings going on here, just the good stuff that always works. That’s what I call sweet and simple.

My mother used to whip these up for me all the time when I was a kid. I’m sure you could say the same. I’ve found they never stop tasting good as you get older and they always hold that same comfort. They’re so quick and easy and satisfying that they make a perfect breakfast. Fry one up and remember the good ol’ days. Or, if you’ve never had one before, give it a go and be pleasantly surprised.

Things to Note:

  • I strongly recommend spreading some extra butter on the top while the Egg in Bread’s still nice and hot. The butter will melt and make it extra decadent!
  • One of the things you’ll really love about this breakfast is that, when you cut the egg, you’ll get all kinds of gooey goodness to dip the bread in! However, if you’re NOT a fan of runny eggs (I’m not either), just be sure to break the yolk and cook it until it’s completely done. Then, there’s no runny yolk to worry about.

All You Need Is:

  • 1 slice of bread, any kind you have on hand (I use the soft, thin slices you buy in a loaf at the grocery store by the bagels & English muffins)
  • 1 egg
  • kosher salt
  • pepper

To Serve It Up:

  1. Bring a frying pan to medium heat on the stove. Melt a generous slab of butter in it.
  2. Punch a hole in the middle of the bread with your hands. Throw out the piece you punched out. Or, if you’re feeling fancy, use a small cookie cutter to cut out the hole.
  3. Once the butter is completely melted, place the bread in the skillet. Immediately crack egg into the hole in the bread.
  4. Sprinkle with salt & pepper to taste. Cook until bottom is golden brown. Flip bread and sprinkle with more salt & pepper. Cook other side until equally browned and egg is cooked to your liking.
  5. Remove from heat, slice it up and enjoy!

See? How ridiculously fast and simple was that? You can have one of these babies any time. You know you’ll have the necessary ingredients and you know it certainly won’t take long. Plus, you only dirty one pan! You don’t always have to whip up pancakes from scratch to have an awesome breakfast. Sometimes, you can keep it sweet & simple.