LC's Lighter Loco Moco

 Let me tell you about a little something called compromise. This is a pretty common word in relationship-land, and becomes a bigger deal when it comes to eating habits it seems. Let me tell you how my seemingly mundane world operates. When cooking for two, sometimes your partner just doesn't feel like having what you planned out. Then they suggest something that isn't really healthy. Sometimes you get to make two meals, but the husband is cute in the way he only wants to share one meal together. It's a spiral that can lead to eating bad, which is fine sometimes. Compromise is when you ask if it's okay that you alter your version and let him have his.

 If you have ever been to Hawaii, I am almost certain you have heard of Loco Moco. If you have not, Loco Moco is a local favorite that consists of a bed of rice layered with hamburger, brown gravy and a runny fried egg. Terrible for your arteries? Probably, but it seems like calorie count matters little when it comes to the yum factor. Loco Moco is also one of the husband's favorites, for good reason. It is surprisingly tasty! With a slight adjustment, and portion control this whopper of a meal doesn't have to damage your waistline too much. Be advised, I will not teach you how to properly cook rice. Why? I am a rice wizard.

Not really.. I have a rice cooker.

LC's Lighter Loco Moco
Serves 1
Calories per serving: About 417

1 Boca Burger patty (the 70 calorie variation)
1 egg
1 cup of cooked white rice
1/4 cup of prepared brown gravy (I use the little packets that you just add water)


  With this meal it's kind of time sensitive. You can't make everything at once, or you risk something getting cold or something being done out of order. There is method to my madness! With that being said, start by preparing your rice. If you have a rice cooker this will take 15 minutes or so anyway. While the rice is cooking, pre-heat a medium skillet on medium heat. Place the Boca patty into the skillet and cook for 4 minutes. Flip and repeat another 4 minutes for the other side. Plate the patty and put it to the side for now.

  You can either wait for the rice to be done, or nearly done to make your brown gravy. Keep in mind 1/4 cup of brown gravy only adds 20 calories to the meal. If you want to go a little crazy with it, by all means do so. Make the gravy according to the packet directions. Honestly you don't have to be fancy and make gravy from scratch, as this one works really well for the flavor as is and is easy.

 Once the rice and gravy are ready, it's time for some quick construction. Put the rice in a bowl and make a nice little bed. Top it with the patty and drizzle the gravy on top of it all. As you can see, I have a his and hers version! Now it's time for the final step!

  Crack the egg in the same skillet that was used for the patty. You can see some grease there from the hamburger I cooked too, which is perfectly fine to leave there. I usually stand there and wait until the white around the yolk looks a little set, so I can't tell you the time frame of how long it takes. I keep the heat between low-hi and medium at this point. Flip when it almost looks set, let that side cook for a few seconds, then plate the egg on top of everything else.

  Perfection! For the non-locals, this is where it gets even better. With your fork mash up the Boca patty and egg. The yolk, gravy, meat and rice should all be combined evenly for maximum flavor. Would I eat this every day? Probably not, but it's still a great way to enjoy a wonderful dish and while controlling proper portions it isn't cheating too much! I rationalize that it's good for me since it has so much protein. Enjoy!

LC's PB & Banana French Toast

  Two incredible things happened to me yesterday. Okay, maybe it's only considered incredible if you love food as much as I do, but it's still exciting. The first incredible thing? Thanks to a overripe banana sitting on my kitchen counter I discovered I could create delicious low calorie banana french toast for under 300 calories. The second incredible thing?

   I discovered PB2 while I was at the commissary. I love peanut butter, but even lower calorie varieties still have the ouch factor when it comes down to it. Elvis would be disappointed if he couldn't have peanut butter with his bananas, but then again Elvis clearly didn't care about a healthier diet! Now that i've state my love for peanut butter, i'll let you know that i'm pretty picky since i'm a PB connoisseur. I was wary about powdered peanut butter, but I was pleasantly surprised with the results.

  Because I am so dedicated, and because I love you all so much I decided I just had to eat practically the same breakfast two days in a row. I mean, I had to inform you of the results with peanut butter and without.. right?

LC's PB & Banana French Toast

Serves one

Calories per serving: 278.5 for two pieces!!

1/3 cup Eggbeaters Egg Whites

1 small-medium banana, coined

1 tablespoon PB2, with 2 teaspoons of water to make paste

2 tablespoons milk of choice (I use 2%)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 slices of low calorie bread (the kind I use is 100 calories for two slices)

Cinnamon

Nutmeg

Splenda

Butter flavored Pam spray

Optional: Drizzle of syrup

Start by pre-heating a small and large skillet on medium. Spray each skillet with a couple of spritzes of Pam, or go for butter if you don't care about the additional calories. In a bowl that has a wide opening, combine 1/3 cup eggbeaters eggwhites, 2 tablespoons of milk, a dash of nutmeg and vanilla extract. Stir to combine. 

In the smaller skillet, arrange the banana coins so all of the pieces are making contact with the skillet. Let them sit for a few minutes. Flip when the underside turns a nice golden color around the edges. Repeat for the other side. This should take about 3 minutes per side. Plate when they are ready to your taste and set aside for what I lovingly call the construction phase.

Now the bread can be a little time sensitive, as this bread gets soggy quickly and can fall apart if you aren't too careful. Do one piece at a time to keep this from happening. Dredge each side of the bread in the egg mixture. Before transferring to the skillet, lightly sprinkle one side with cinnamon and a light dusting of Splenda. Put that side facing down into the skillet. Sprinkle the side facing up with cinnamon and Splenda. Repeat with the second slice. Observe the giant skillet the husband bought me because he loves me and fuels my cooking addiction! Check the underside of the french toast after about a minute, flip when it's a nice golden color. The other side will cook much more quickly so make sure to check frequently. Plate your french toast. It's time for construction!

 In a smaller tupperware, dump the PB2 powder and add water. Stir to combine, it should make a nice spreadable paste. Smear this across one of the french toast slices. Arrange the banana ontop of this, placing the second slice of french toast on top like a sandwich once completed. Drizzle a little syrup on your creation if you want. I don't do the sugar-free low calorie type because I hate the taste.. be creative! Prepare to enjoy a bit of decadence without having to break your waistline. Enjoy!

I'm alive! Chicken & Sausage Jambalaya

  Earth to Houston! I'm alive. I would tell you the whole long story about why I haven't updated it, but it's both personal and a little boring. Either way, I plan to be more dedicated to at least update once a week. The events over the past few months have left me a little off of the healthy train and five pounds heavier, but my doctor insists it is healthy weight either way. I missed writing and sharing my discoveries, but I have definitely not taken a single break from cooking daily! So please, forgive me and prepare for more great recipes.

Chicken & Sausage Jambalaya
Adapted from Cooking Light
Serves two
341 calories per 1 1/4 cup serving!


Vegetable oil, for cooking
6 ounces reduced-fat smoked sausage (Which is 3 sausages if you use what I do, which is Butterball's everyday smoked turkey sausage.)
1/2 of a white onion
1 green pepper
4 celery stalks
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup uncooked white rice
1 cup water
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons thyme powder
1 can low sodium chicken broth (Or two cups of water and one chicken bouillon cube)
1 can no-salt added diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup boneless, skinless chicken. (I cooked two full chicken breasts, but you can also use rotisserie or leftovers.)

  Set a large skillet to medium heat on a burner. While your skillet is warming up, chop up the onion, bell pepper, garlic and celery. Set aside. Take the sausages and coin them. Once they are all coined, cut each coin in half. Pour a little bit of vegetable oil into the skillet, then add the sliced sausage in. Let them brown for one minute. At this point you are going to add the celery, green pepper, onion and garlic. Allow this to cook for six minutes or until it softens a bit. Make sure to stir often, as you do not want it to burn.

  Once the mixture is ready, now add the water, rice, ground red pepper, salt, thyme and broth to the skillet. Stir, then allow the skillet to come to a boil. When boiling, lower the heat to a simmer, cover and allow to cook for 20 minutes or until the rice is cooked through. After the rice is cooked, add the chicken and a whole can of diced tomatoes. Let this cook until warmed, or about 3 minutes.

  I love this recipe because although it's lighter than the normal fare, it does not sacrifice flavor. This meal is easy, fast and delicious.  If you're lucky you'll even have a bit of left overs. I hope you enjoy it!