Skinny Cordon Bleu

  My whole weight loss journey really started when I grasped the concept that you can eat well, without eating a lot of calories. There are ways to make things you enjoy healthier for you. There are virtually dozens of ways you can substitute or simply portion control in the case of my awful sweet tooth. Once this dawned upon me, changing my lifestyle really wasn't difficult and the weight followed suit. One of my biggest vices? I love cheese. Cheese and fried things. Cheese and fried things do not like my stomach or thighs. Thankfully, there are ways to turn old favorites into new ones.

Skinny Cordon Bleu
slightly adapted from Hungry Girl
250 calories per breast!


1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 wedge of Laughing Cow Lite Swiss Spreadable Cheese
3 slices of ham (I used black forest ham, but you can use whatever you wish)
Salt & Pepper to taste
toothpicks for assembly

  Pre-heat oven to 350.

   Start by laying out your chicken breasts on the counter on top of a sheet of cling wrap. If you remember my earlier recipe for Bacon Ranch Chicken, I will be using the same method to even out the chicken breast. Doing this is important, especially if you have smaller pieces of chicken. This will give you more surface to work with!

  Spread one wedge of Laughing Cow per chicken breast. I found I actually use a little less than the whole wedge, but it isn't a significant amount.

  Depending on the shape of your chicken, arrange your ham so it fits within the chicken.

  Next you are going to roll your chicken up. I usually start rolling on the smaller end of the breast, that way when I finish rolling it the larger side creates a nicer seam. When you have rolled this, tuck the ends in and seal shut with toothpicks. It's alright if they are open a little bit! Place into a oven safe casserole dish. Add a few dashes of salt and pepper to taste. Place foil over the top of the casserole dish, and bake for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove the foil and continue baking for 15-20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked all the way through.

  This dish is surprisingly easy to make, has a great presentation and is delicious. When you cut into it, it almost looks more like a roulade. Enjoy!

LC's mini pumpkin cheesecakes

  I love Autumn. There is something about the crispness to the air, the deeper shade of blue the sky turns, the colors of the foliage and smelling wood stoves starting up for the long winter ahead. I might not experience these things anymore because I moved, but in my heart I am always going to be a New Englander. Another thing I look forward to that goes hand in hand with Autumn? Pumpkin. Not just pumpkin pumpkin, but pumpkin everything. I love pumpkin coffee, pumpkin butter, pumpkin bread. You name it, I bet I love it. A few years ago when I didn't really care about how many calories I ate, I fell in love with this fabulous pumpkin cheesecake created by the legendary Paula Deen. A few years ago I also lived with a few other people who had a fondness for cheesecake and pumpkin, so at least I didn't have to eat it alone. The husband does not like pumpkin anything. He does not like cheesecake anything either. This leaves me in quite the conundrum. Woe is me, might I have to eat a whole cheesecake alone? What a terrible concept. Unfortunately, my thighs don't agree. Instead, I converted the recipe to be lower calorie and into a mini version that not only helps with portion control, but makes it easy to freeze or store left overs. A win win all around!

LC's mini pumpkin cheesecakes
Adapted from Paula Deen's pumpkin cheesecake
Creates 12 mini cheesecakes


Crust
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
4 tablespoons melted butter
1 tablespoon sugar (or splenda)
a few dashes of cinnamon

Filling
1 package low-fat cream cheese, room temperature
1 tablespoon low-fat sour cream
1 egg
1/4 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
2 1/2 teaspoons flour
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
10 tablespoons of pumpkin
A few dashes of nutmeg and clove

  Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Spray a muffin tin with a bit of Pam.

 Using a mixer, combine the cream cheese and sugar. Once this is mixed well, add an egg. Mix for another minute.

  Add all remaining ingredients for the filling and mix well. Set aside to prepare the crust.

 In a separate bowl, combine a cup of graham cracker crumbs, a tablespoon of sugar, a few dashes of cinnamon and melted butter. Stir so everything is evenly distributed. The mixture will seem crumbly. That is totally okay.

  Here is a big tip for this recipe! Cut 12 strips of parchment paper and set them into each well. This will help make removing the mini cheesecakes very easy and will help assist with not breaking them. The tips might be annoying and flop in, but this will be fixed once you set the crust into the bottom of the well. Distribute the crust mixture between all of the wells, pushing down until it becomes solid. If you leave it too crumbly, the cheesecake will not only not have a firm base, but the crumbs will ruin the texture of the cheesecake during the baking process. Once the crust is pushed in firmly, the parchment strips should be held pretty well in place.

 
 Add the filling to each well. Start by adding only a small amount, that way you will ensure that each well will be even with the others. Smooth it out with a spatula. Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned and is firm to the touch.

  These little bad boys make a great addition to a Thanksgiving meal. Miniatures give you the option of making a variety of things, having it all, and not having to feel so bad afterwards. If you want to remove even more calories, replace the sugar with splenda. I hope you enjoy these as much as I do!

The bread that keeps you coming back: Outback Steakhouse Bushman Bread

  A few restaurants can lure me in with their free pre-meal appetizers. The two I look forward to most are Red Lobster and Outback. I have taken the adventure to recreate Red Lobster's awesome Cheddar Garlic biscuits before, but had never been brave enough to make bread from scratch. My husband always looks forward to going to Outback, so I thought for a special treat I would make him the bread along with a massive steak.

Outback Steakhouse Bushman Bread
Makes about 5 small loaves
Adapated from Food.com.


1 1/2 cups warm water
2 tablespoons butter, softened (I actually used I Can't Believe It's Not Butter light spread)
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup molasses
2 cups bread flour
1 2/3 cups wheat flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 teaspoons yeast (This should be just one packet of quick yeast)
cornmeal, for dusting

  I'm going to go ahead and apologize, but I don't have any in process shots of making this bread. I was running around and the time it took was perfect between doctor appointments. When I make this again I will update it with a guide.

 In a medium bowl combine a packet of yeast and 1 1/2 cups of warm water. Stir so the yeast is evenly distributed, then allow it to rest for five minutes. While the yeast is proofing, in a separate bowl combine all dry ingredients except  the cornmeal. Once the five minutes has passed, pour the yeast mixture into the bowl with the remaining ingredients. I used my favorite kneading tool, my hands. If you have a bread hook for your stand mixer, you can use that as well. There is just something special about getting your hands into it. Start by mixing the dry ingredients into the yeast mixture slowly until it's combined a bit. Now knead until the texture is smooth and all of the flour has been combined into the dough (about ten minutes). It might seem a bit sticky, but that is okay! Cover the bowl with a hand towel and place it into the oven to rise for an hour.

  Once an hour has passed, remove the bowl from the oven. Take out a few cookie sheets, because now you will be forming the dough into smaller loaves. Before forming the loaves, punch the dough down a little bit. I made about five small loaves from the dough, but you could alternatively form buns or one giant loaf. Coat each loaf in cornmeal and place onto the cookie sheet. Once you are done with this process, cover the cookie sheet with cling wrap. If the cling wrap does not have a good hold, place either a hand towel on top or cover with aluminum foil and make sure the edges are secured. Place back into the oven and allow to rise for another hour.

 Now comes the fun part. Baking! Remove the cookie sheets from the oven. Pre-heat the oven to 350. Remove everything you used to cover the bread. Place in the oven in the center rack. Allow to cook for 20-23 minutes or until the crust achieves your desired firmness.

I think this recipe is actually pretty spot on. I'm pretty pleased with how it came out, and I definitely didn't hear any complaints! Enjoy!

 

It's time for a fiesta: Salsa Chicken

  Sometimes you have leftovers, or are just in an incredible funk and don't have any clue what you want to make. Sometimes you change your mind or realize last minute for the millionth time you are missing an ingredient for a recipe (my biggest major oopsie) and then have defrosted chicken sitting there, staring you in the face. Yes, I find myself here from time to time, and surprisingly a few of these recipes become keepers.

LC's Salsa Chicken
160 calories per breast!


Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons of either 2% shredded Mexican Blend cheese or 2% shredded Cheddar cheese per breast
2 heaping large spoons of chunky salsa of your choice per breast

Optional:
1 tablespoon Real Bacon Bits

 
  Start by heating a large skillet to medium. My skillets and pans are non-stick so I do not need to use oil. If you choose, you can use a bit so the chicken does not stick to your skillet. Brown the chicken on both sides until it is cooked all the way through.

  Once your chicken has browned, drain all excess fat from the pan. Return the breasts to their position and leave the heat on medium. Evenly distribute the two tablespoons of your 2% cheese of choice. You can add more or less depending on your taste. Place the cover onto the skillet, allowing the steam to melt the cheese.

  Once the cheese has melted, place two spoonfuls of salsa across each breast. Salsa is very low in calories, so don't feel guilty if you want to pile a little bit more on there! Recover the skillet so the steam warms the salsa. This is especially important if you store your salsa in the refrigerator. It will only take a minute to complete this.

  Magic. A great low-calorie alternative to the regular plain chicken breast. This recipe goes very well with my Spanish Rice. If you want a little extra flavor, add a tablespoon of bacon bits when you are placing the cheese. Real Bacon Bits are a great way to get a strong bacon flavor without the calories. Enjoy!

Super Easy Spanish Rice

  The husband loves all things rice, but normally my rice fluctuates between watery or hard. Once upon a time, when I lived in Connecticut, I used to be able to make perfect rice. It just doesn't seem possible here, and there really isn't a good explanation for that. Sometimes the husband goes out and buys me a few new toys for the kitchen. The newest additions are a rice cooker/steamer and a beautiful rolling pin. I didn't venture to think too much about making variations of rice before I had the cooker, but suddenly it struck me that there are a million possibilities. My previous recipe for stuffed peppers calls for instant Spanish rice. Why not do one better budgetwise and qualitywise, and make it yourself?

LC's Super Easy Spanish Rice
Makes two cups of rice


1 cup uncooked rice, whichever type you prefer
2 cups water
2 tablespoons of ketchup
1/8 teaspoon of garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon of chili powder
1 teaspoon salt

  This recipe has no prep pictures, because it's really just that easy. This is possible to make without the rice cooker, but I am going to provide the recipe as if you are using it. Dump your rice into the bowl of the rice cooker. Add water until the first water line, or alternatively add about two cups of water. Add in all remaining ingredients, stir to combine. Place the lid on the rice cooker and hit the switch to cook. This will take about 30 minutes to cook. You don't even need to use this in the stuffed peppers, as it is fantastic entirely on it's own. Enjoy!

Breakfast sandwiches

 I've been awful. I'm sorry. I'm running out of apologizes and excuses. The past week or so has been a whirlwind. I got some awful news that i'm going to need surgery. Surgery will mean I won't be able to cook myself for at least a month, unless I do it single handily. Ha. I can still make jokes. I went through the phases of self-pity, despair, anger and acceptance. I can only hope it will make me better and not cause new issues. With acceptance, I came upon a recipe that is so easy even a one handed woman can do it.

LC's wannabe Egg McMuffin


1 egg per sandwich you want to make
1 slice of 2% american cheese per sandwich
I Can't Believe it's Not Butter light spread
2 strips of center cut bacon per sandwich. (3 pieces totals 70 calories. Hooray!)
1 whole wheat english muffin, toasted

 Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a muffin pan, only greasing the cups you plan on using. Crack one egg into each cup. You can cook it as is, or stir up the yoke and white for even distribution. If you do this, I suggest you mix it into a glass and then transfer it into the pan. Place into the oven and cook for 15-20 minutes until desired firmness. I usually stick to 15 minutes.

  While your eggs are cooking, it's time to multi-task. Cook your bacon in whichever method you choose. Toast your english muffin. After taking it out of the toaster, immediately apply a small amount of ICBINB on each half. Quickly put your slice of cheese on whichever half you want. It's key to put it on quickly because that way the heat melts the cheese slightly.

  Once your eggs are done cooking, gently run a knife around the rim of the muffin cup. Lift gently to remove the egg from the cup. Ta-dah. That's what I call magic. Place the egg onto the cheese.

 Bam. Add that bacon. You could do a sausage patty if you wanted to, bacon just happens to be our vice of choice.

 Guess what? Now you don't have to leave your house to have a delicious, satisfying breakfast sandwich. Thumbs up for not having to change out of PJs on Sunday morning. This meal is easy to slim down. The english muffin I use is 120 calories, the cheese is 40, the egg is 70 and the bacon is ~45. That's 275 calories for a sinful sandwich. I would call that a great start to the day! These also freeze well. Enjoy!

Who doesn't love hot dogs?

  I'm not going to joke around about this. There is certain "junk" food I love. For example, I still love Kraft Macaroni & Cheese. Certainly not all the time, but I always have a few boxes in my pantry just waiting to be enjoyed. Another thing I love is hot dogs. I like them wrapped in a blanket, I like them in a bun, I like them with beans and I really love them in this casserole by Hungry Girl. The great thing about hot dogs is that there are varieties that are nearly guilt free with a whopping 40 calories per frank. My all time favorite is Hebrew National, but I have tried Ballpark's turkey franks and they are pretty fantastic too.

Loaded Hot Dog Casserole
Variation from Hungry Girl
Makes six 1 1/2 cup size servings
179 calories per serving!


1 green bellpepper, seeded and diced
1 white onion, diced
7 40 calorie hot dogs, cut into coins
4 hot dog buns, torn into pieces (not too small though!)
1 1/2 cups egg beaters
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder


  Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 8x8 pyrex.

  Heat a medium size skillet to medium high, and add the green bellpepper and onion. Stir occasionally, until the onions are translucent and the bellpepper is soft. It's okay if it is a bit blackened. This will take between 8 and 10 minutes. Once they are done cooking, transfer them to a bowl. Add the seven sliced hot dogs and garlic powder to the bowl. Tear up your hot dog buns over the bowl. Keep the pieces at least the size of a quarter, as you will want them to form a nice solid base for your casserole and if the pieces are too small this will not happen. Add the egg beaters and mix until everything is evenly distributed. 

 Transfer the contents of the bowl to the pre-greased pyrex. Using a spoon or spatula, make sure it is spread evenly. Place into the oven and bake 35-40 minutes, or until the casserole is firm.

  Now you can go crazy with all of your favorite low calorie hot dog toppings, or if you are feeling naughty even a bit of chili. The possibilities are endless, and this is a fun low calorie way to get your hot dog fix. Enjoy!

Mom's stuffed peppers.

  Eek, sorry I disappeared for a week. As you all know, life happens. Things get busy sometimes. I've had a lot of medical stuff happening over the span of the last few days. It isn't all bad stuff, but it's positive. It's been a draining experience, so pardon my absence. I'm back now!

  One of the first things I remember from my childhood was having dinner every night together at the dining table as a family. We would always have a wonderful, full meal that my mother prepared. I remember my dad sometimes teasing her about her choice of dish, and how she would always get flustered. Mom's meals were always special, and will forever be special to me. I went through the devastating ordeal of losing her way too soon, my mother passed when I was only almost eleven. I will always feel the love and warmth she bestowed upon my sister and I, and always have a happy memory whenever I have the dishes she prepared for us when I was little. When I went back to visit my family in September, my father entrusted me with two special dish towels. Why are they special? They were mom's treasured towels. The ones that sat on the front of the oven for only decor, and if you touched them hell would freeze over. Fourteen years later, they are my treasured towels hanging on the front of my oven in our house. Mommy, this one is for you.

Mom's stuffed peppers
Serves two


2 green bellpeppers
1/2 lb ground turkey, preferably lean
1/4 of a white onion, diced
1/2 cup of pasta sauce, with a few tablespoons extra to top the peppers
1/2 cup of Mexican style rice
1/4 cup egg beaters (or 1 egg, beaten)
1/2 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
A few dashes of ground pepper

Optional: 2 tablespoons of mozzarella cheese

  Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

  Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cut the tops off of the peppers, and remove the seeds. Once the water is boiling, submerge both peppers in the water. Let them boil in the water for five minutes.

  In a separate bowl, combine the egg beaters, pasta sauce and onion. Mix well. Add the ground turkey to the mixture. Add all remaining ingredients except for the optional mozzarella and extra sauce. Mix well so everything is distributed evenly.

  After the peppers have boiled for five minutes, carefully remove them from the pot using tongs and rinse them in cold water. Place them into an oven safe dish. Split the filling in half, or distribute it so both of the peppers are filled to the top. I find this recipe always makes just enough to fill two larger sized peppers to the brim. Top with a bit of pasta sauce and a light sprinkle of mozzarella cheese if you wish. Cover with aluminum foil, and bake for 50 minutes.

  This makes for a fantastic, satisfying meal that is both low in calories but also packs a bit of protein. You can make this with plain white rice as well, but the flavor is not as good without the Mexican rice. Enjoy!

Chicken Pot Pie for two

  Today was a day to celebrate. Despite what I thought, I got some great news from my doctor. After eight months of series of blood tests, medications, and dozens of appointments we finally got the results we've been working on. I wanted to have a party with my doctor, but it might have been kind of awkward considering his specialty. Instead, I decided I wanted a little treat tonight. Tonight, I would make pot pie from scratch!

LC's Chicken Pot Pie para Dos


2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, diced.
1 celery stalk, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
Half of a white onion, diced small
2 cups of 99% fat free reduced sodium chicken broth
1 to 1 1/2 cups of 2% milk, to taste
1/4 cup flour + 2 tablespoons
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1/2 cup peas, can be canned or frozen.
2 tablespoons I Can't Believe It's Not Butter light.  (You can use butter instead, but it will add 120 calories)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 small portion pie crust, half of one of the balls from my previous recipe.

  Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. For this recipe I will be using two ramekins as my baking dish. One is 7 oz and I believe the other is at least 12-14 oz. Brown the diced chicken over medium heat in a deep skillet. While it is cooking, dice up all of the vegetables. Once the chicken is done browning and looks cooked through, remove it from the skillet and place on a plate for the time being. Melt one tablespoon of your ICBINB, then dump the carrots, celery and onion on top of it. You will add the peas later! Allow the vegetables to cook until the onion starts to become transparent, this takes about 8 minutes. Add 1/4 cup of flour to the vegetables. Stir so it is well combined. Add the chicken broth, stir. Add the milk, one tablespoon of ICBINB and stir. Allow to cook on medium low for five minutes. It should only boil slightly, if at all. Stir frequently, or it will get a bit clumpy. Once the five minutes has elapsed, add the chicken to the liquid mixture as well as the peas, parsley, salt and pepper. Mix well.

  Distribute the soup between the two ramekins. You might have a little extra, but thankfully I had a willing helper that was willing to assist with some taste testing.

 Roll out your dough just so it's large enough to cover the top of your ramekin. My ramekin's do not have much of a lip, so I simply crimped around the sides. If yours do have a lip, I suggest going around the corners with a fork to create a nice seal.. and it looks prettier! Cut a couple of vents into the center of each pot pie, or it will burst and boil over. Place onto a baking sheet and cook for 25 minutes or until the crust is browned.

 An ugly pan is a well loved pan. Pot pie doesn't have to be completely bad for you. Portioning with ramekins makes this a nice treat to have every once in a while, and won't even require those extra big pants tomorrow. This is relatively easy to make, and has become another on the list of repeats here. I hope you enjoy it as well!

Here's the Skinny on King Ranch Casserole

  When I married my husband, I learned a whole new variety of dishes and so did he. I hail from Connecticut, and he is from Texas. One of his favorite dishes is called King Ranch casserole. This delicious, comforting dish is fantastic and easy, but normally can pack a bit of a punch with calories. Instead of breaking my husband's heart and nixing this dish forever once we started being better about eating, I found a way to cut nearly 100 calories per serving!

LC's Skinny King Ranch
Makes four servings
Comes in at 255 calories per serving!


4 skinless, boneless thin cut chicken filets
1 can 98% fat free condensed chicken soup
1 can 98% fat free condensed mushroom soup
1 can of Original Rotel
1/4 cup 2% shredded cheese, Mexican blend
2 50 calorie low carb high fiber tortillas

  Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.

  Start by cubing the chicken breasts, then browning the meat in a skillet over medium heat. While the meat is browning, prepare the filling for the casserole.

  In a large bowl, combine the cans of cream of mushroom, cream of chicken and the can of Rotel. Combine well, as the consistency of this combination is the base for the whole casserole.

  Take out a casserole dish. Tear up your tortillas into smaller pieces and line the entire bottom of the dish. Don't make the pieces too small, but don't leave them large either as this will make serving difficult later on. Once the chicken is done browning, drain any fat from the pain. Place the chicken inside the lined casserole dish.

  Pour the liquid mixture over the chicken, covering it evenly. Spread with a spatula if necessary to make everything even. Sprinkle with cheese just so it is lightly coated or to taste. Place in oven and cook for 30 minutes.

  When it is done cooking, it should be lightly brown, bubbly and the cheese should be melted.

  This dish is super easy, and very satisfying. It is a nice, thick comforting soup for a cold day or simply when you want a little variation to your meals. Enjoy!

The best pie crust ever and apple pie you don't have to share.

  I've never really been a fan of pie crust. Most people I know insist that it's okay to just use the store bought kind, but to me it always tastes kind of oily and off. Something has always seemed like it was missing. It wasn't nearly flaky enough, or had any real flavor independently from the filling. There are certain things you simply don't mess with, this recipe is one of them and has won a spot quickly in my family. I used this recipe when I made my apple pie while visiting my family in Connecticut, and amongst the highest of compliments I received was a recipe request from my Oma! Oma has been a big inspiration for my cooking from the very beginning. Her meals are what you aspire to make. I was so happy to share my pie with her and Opa.

The Best Ever Pie Crust
From Allrecipes.com.
Makes enough dough for a double crusted pie, or several ramekins


2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup shortening
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup ice cold water

  In a medium bowl, combine the flour, shortening and salt. You are going to want to combine this until the mixture is kind of crumbly. In my opinion, the best way to cut shortening or butter into pastry, is with the best tools you can find. Your hands!

  You will want your mixture to resemble this. For the next step, I suggest you let your 1/2 cup of water chill in a cup with some ice for a few minutes to make sure it is very cold. This is key for the texture of the crust, so don't bypass this. Once the water is very cold, pour it into the mixture.

  Work the dough into a nice large ball. Do not overwork the dough, as it will ruin the texture of the crust as well. (Although it will still taste great, it won't be nearly as flaky.)

  Divide your dough into two halves, then wrap them well in cling wrap. Refrigerate for at least four hours, or for up to two days. I prefer to let mine chill overnight as this gives the best results. This recipe is versatile and keeps well in the freezer. I am planning on using it for mini pot pies in the near future. Even though it isn't low calorie, it can still be a great addition to a meal in moderation.

---

  This pie is something I plotted over many months. It started as a craving from nowhere. I don't usually rave about apple pie, or even really want it since I never liked crust and usually picked it off. Suddenly I just needed homemade apple pie with a fresh crust. My husband hates pie. Hates is an understatement. He was still kind enough to try a bite to amuse me, but he always reels afterward. I was able to make this pie in full size when I visited Connecticut because I had a group of people that loved pie, not to mention a horde of fresh apples from an orchard that we picked together. After making it for them, I realized that this recipe is so simple to do, and easy enough to scale down. Below I have scaled down a fantastic recipe for a apple pie that will knock your socks off, but only leave you with two servings and the very real option of not sharing with anyone. For this recipe I used a 7 oz. ramekin. Also, I apologize for the quality of some of the pictures. My digital camera decided it wanted to break without warning mid-cooking, so I had to opt to use my phone camera. I don't know when i'll be able to afford a new one, so please forgive me!

LC's personal Apple Pie's ala Ople

Adapted from Grandma Ople's Apple Pie.

Two servings

1 apple (I used Gala, but we also have a very limited selection here. Were I back home, i'd use a Cortland.)

2 tablespoons I Can't Believe It's Not Butter light (If you don't care about calories, you can opt to use butter. Using the ICBINB light saves you over 100 calories.)

2 tablespoons Splenda

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 1/4 teaspoons flour

1 tablespoon water

1 tablespoon eggbeaters

Pie crust. If you made the recipe above, you are only going to need half of one of the balls you made.

  Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Start by making a prep area to roll out your dough. Break the half you took from your dough recipe and form it into two balls. Lightly dust the top of the dough so your rolling pin (if you don't have one.. like I do, a glass bottle or cup will work fine) won't stick. 

  Roll your dough out until it is reasonably thin, fits into the bottom of the ramekin and has a slight edge over the lip of the dish. 

  Peel, core and cut your apple. I like to cut my pieces thinly, as this let's them almost melt when cooking. It's nice to have a little variation in size of pieces though as it's also nice to have something to bite into. Because of the size of the ramekin, I suggest you cut the pieces in half. This will make it easier to arrange the apples into the pie crust.

                           

  Evenly place your apple into the ramekin filling as much space as possible. It's okay to have it mounded on the top a bit, as the top crust will form a nice lid and the apple will settle a little during the baking process. Once you are done filling the ramekin, get out a small sauce pan and set it to medium heat. Melt the 2 tablespoons of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter. When the butter has melted completely, add 2 1/4 teaspoons of flour to the butter and stir until it forms a paste. Add sugar, brown sugar and the water. Bring the combination to a boil and then simmer for a few minutes. You will want this to have the consistency of caramel. If it is too thick, add a little more water. Do not cook this for longer than five minutes, and stir constantly or it will burn! Once this is done cooking, drizzle it evenly over the apples.

  Roll out your top crust from what remains of your dough. I like to leave this for last so I can work around the amount of apples that are mounded. Gently place the dough over the top of the apples, making sure that the dough reaches down to the other half of the crust. Go around the edges with a fork and crimp. This will create a nice seal for the pie. Using a brush, coat the top of the crust with eggbeaters. Cut a few small slits in the top of the pie. Place the ramekin onto a baking sheet and place in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the crust has browned lightly.

  Now it won't matter if no one else wants pie. This works nicely for a little treat, or if you have a family of people with different tastes like mine. This apple pie is truly different then any I had before, but in a good way!

  The flavor of the crust combines so well with the flavor of the apple. Although this is in no means low calorie, it offers a great example of how easy portion control can allow you to be a little "bad" sometimes without cutting all of the corners. Enjoy!

Breakfast ala Ramekin: Eggs, bacon AND an english muffin for under 250 calories!

  I've always been fascinated with the concept of using a ramekin to portion control. I have a terrible sweet tooth, so I begin to imagine all of these smaller portion guilty baked goods I can make. I simply couldn't bring myself to shell out the money for a set. When we were at Target the other day, my husband bought me two ramekins.

 
 His and hers, respectively. I've been plotting over the past few days what to do first, and what I could do with what I had as far as stuff in my fridge. I love breakfast. There is an understatement. It's easy to go overboard with calories though. Thanks to my ramekins, I was able to tweak a recipe to make a fantastic, filling egg bake for under 250 calories per serving!

  Also before I go on, I apologize for my absence. I've been running around to a lot of doctors, and thus have been making a lot of repeats for dinner in my medical fog. I promise these ramekins will definitely fuel an onslaught. Remember that apple pie I showed a few weeks back? Think that.. but in an acceptable size!

240 calorie Oven-baked Egg with Bacon
Adapted from Epicurious.


1 egg
Half an English Muffin. (The type I used is 60 calories for half, but there are even ones that are only 50.)
2 strips of center cut bacon. (If you use turkey bacon, you can shave another 40 calories off, my husband is just serious about his bacon haha.)
1 tablespoon of heavy cream
Salt and pepper to taste.

  Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

 Feast your eyes upon my ugly skillet. Just because it's ugly doesn't mean it's not functional! Start to cook your bacon on medium low heat. I'm making two servings of this recipe, thus the four pieces. You will want this to be very crispy since you will be crumbling the bacon later. While you are cooking the bacon, go ahead and toast the english muffin half.

  After cooking the bacon, reserve the fat. Using a baking brush, coat your ramekin with the bacon grease. This will help keep your egg from sticking, and also add a little extra flavor.

  Now that your ramekin has been prepped, place your english muffin within the well, split side up. You can see I substituted a piece of 50 calorie bread for my husband's, since it fits better into the well. Take note you can follow his example if you want a bigger serving size. Using a spoon or your fingers, press a little well into the center of your english muffin. This will help make a space to keep your egg from running away.

  Crumble the two strips of bacon over the top of your english muffin. Both serving sizes shown have only two pieces, and it was sufficient.

 Carefully, crack an egg and place it into the well you created without breaking the yolk. As long as it doesn't break completely, the dish will turn out fine.

  Drizzle a tablespoon of heavy cream over the top of the dish. Salt and pepper to taste. Don't overdo it though. Keep in mind you can add more after cooking. Place into the pre-heated oven and cook for 15 minutes, or until the eggwhite is mostly set.

  Breakfast is served! For how easy this dish is to make, it has a fantastic presentation. I also want to note that prior to baking, make sure your ramekins are oven safe to 400 degrees. This will help prevent some chaos. This dish has changed my perception of breakfast, and is easily one of my new favorites. Enjoy!