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!