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!

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!

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!

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!

Too good to be true: A low calorie version of hamburger helper!

  I'm going to be honest with you guys. When I first got married, we both were working 12 hour shifts, opposite of each other, so unfortunately Hamburger Helper became a staple in our lives. As tasty as it can be, it's incredibly bad for you and packs a whopping 320 calories for a one cup serving with most varieties. Low and behold, Hungry Girl came up with an excellent alternative that shaves 141 calories off! Bonus? You can make it in your crockpot. If you don't have a crockpot yet, I suggest you invest in one. This is one of the most versatile kitchen gadgets you can get, and is super for when you are busy.. or like me have the flu and feel awful.

Lean & Tasty Cheeseburger Helper
Slightly adapted from HG's Cheeseburger Mac Attack
Makes eight servings
Each 1 cup serving is only 179 calories!


1 1/4 cups of uncooked elbow macaroni (I use whole wheat with added fiber for extra nutrients)
10 ounces of raw lean ground turkey
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 tablespoons ketchup
24 ounces frozen Green Giant Broccoli and Cheese sauce
3 wedges The Laughing Cow Light Creamy Swiss spreadable cheese
Optional: Salt and pepper.

  Start by bringing a small pot of water to boil. Once the water is boiling, add your elbows. You will only want to cook these for 3 minutes. If you cook them for too long, they will get mushy during the slow cooking process.

  Roll up your sleeves! It's time to get your hands dirty again! In a small bowl, add your onion powder, ketchup and ground turkey. Mix until well combined. Add this directly into your crock pot. When your elbows are done cooking, drain, and add them into the crock pot.

  The last step is adding the 24oz of broccoli with cheese sauce into the crock pot. Break up any large clumps. Stir everything together in the crock pot so it is evenly distributed. You have the option of setting this on high or low. If you cook on high, this will only take 3 hours. Low will take 7 hours. Make sure you can check on this at least once during cooking, to stir and make sure it doesn't burn and stick to the sides. Cook until the turkey is cooked all the way through. When it is nearly done cooking, add the wedges of laughing cow into the crockpot. Recover the crock pot and allow them to melt a little.

  Add a few dashes of pepper to taste, and this dish is done! This is super easy, and a great way to get a few servings of veggies and fiber in. Enjoy!

Cravings

The past couple of days I have been having weird cravings. Mainly in the morning, which makes it even stranger. The past two days i've woken up with a wild craving for a quesadilla. Not just any qusadilla either! It HAD to have salsa, and two kinds of cheese. I am the cheese queen, after all.

LC's Mexi-Quesadilla
Serves 1
120 calories for the entire recipe! Woohoo!


1 taco size low carb high fiber tortilla. (The ones I get are 50 calories per tortilla.)
1 piece of 2% american cheese
1/8 cup of fat free shredded cheddar cheese
2 big spoonfuls of chunky salsa

  This one is pretty easy, so no excuses guys! Start by taking out your tortilla and putting it on a microwave safe plate. Tear up your piece of 2% American cheese, and distribute it evenly on the tortilla so when it melts you get decent coverage. Sprinkle with the shredded cheddar. Add your two big spoonfuls of salsa to the middle. If you want to be fancy, you can add some bacon bits or low fat sour cream. You could also replace the shredded cheddar with a wedge of laughing cow for a different spin. Place in the microwave, and cook for 45 seconds or until the cheese has all melted.

  Once your quesadilla is done cooking, take your plate out of the microwave and fold it in half. It's that easy. Even if it doesn't look pretty, it definitely is delicious. I'll have a second recipe coming up later today featuring crockpot! Enjoy!

Weekend Gluttony: Chorizo & Eggs.

  My husband would like me to believe he spent an entire week suffering from hunger since I was gone, so I decided as a treat I would make him his favorite breakfast. Just as a little background, my husband is from a town pretty close to the Mexican border, his mother was Mexican and thus he has an affinity for real Mexican food. In Hawaii, real authentic Mexican food is almost nil, so I have taken it upon myself to learn a few of his favorite recipes.

LC's easy chorizo & eggs
Serves two


2 Chorizo links
2 large tortillas (side note: You can shave off a lot of calories by using high fiber, low carb tortillas, but flour tortillas really make this dish shine so it can definitely be worth the extra 100 calories)
4 eggs
1 cup of water
A few dashes of pepper

Optional:
Hot sauce
Fat free shredded cheddar cheese.

  Pre-heat a large skillet on medium. If you like, you can also preheat a second skillet for your tortillas. I set mine on medium. Start by making a slit in the casing of both of your chorizo links. This will make it easier to grind up the meat in the skillet. Remove the casing, and place your chorizo meat into the skillet.

  Using a spatula, dice up your chorizo as if it were ground meat. This is the kind of consistency you are looking for in the recipe. Continue to cook on medium until the chorizo is browned all the way through.

  While your chorizo is browning, it's time to multi-task! Grab a glass (or a bowl if you are classier than me), and break your four eggs into it. Now i'm going to go against your natural instinct, and use water instead of milk. Not only does this cut out some calories, but it also gives you lighter, fluffier eggs. Add a cup of water to your eggs, add a few dashes of pepper and beat well.

  At this point, your chorizo should be cooked all the way through. Pour the beaten eggs into the skillet. You can handle this similar to scrambled eggs, and simply scrape along the pan every few minutes to make sure the egg does not burn. Dice the eggs as well so it has a nice scrambled texture.

  Meanwhile, it's time to start warming those tortillas. You can either prepare them in a skillet, or in a microwave. In my opinion, there is something special about warming them in a skillet. It adds a nice crispness to all varieties of tortillas, even healthy low calorie ones! Warm them on one side until it looks a little translucent, and lightly brown in some spots. Repeat for the other side, and then plate it in preparation for the chorizo mixture.

  Cook your chorizo until the eggs are well done. You will notice a lot of excess fat in the pain. You will want to drain this for two reasons. 1) Unneeded calories. 2) Runny stuff always makes it difficult and messy to eat a tortilla! After the chorizo is drained, distribute it between the two tortillas. You can add a large variety of toppings. My husband likes to add Frank's Red Hot, while I add a light sprinkle of fat free shredded cheddar cheese. In no way is this exactly a "light" breakfast, but it is certainly a treat worth having every once in a while. Enjoy!

Oven Baked Bacon Ranch Chicken

  Sometimes you are going to judge me. I am totally fine with that. I also have a confession to make.

  Sometimes I beat my meat with a hammer. You should be proud, because prior to the hammer I was using a maglite like a rogue cop. When you can't find a meat hammer, it's amazing what you find that works! I'd just like to think of myself as creative, with a tinge of crazy. Either way, it makes making dinner a little more fun.

  We love chicken in my house, and I probably know how to prepare it in over a dozen ways. Most of those ways are in the skillet, so when I found a recipe to cook it in the oven I was a little curious of what the outcome would be. I find that cooking in the oven leaves you with a breast that is very tender, and cooked more evenly than in the skillet. (Not to knock the skillet, because it is still great!) One of the big things on my journey to eating better is that I did not want to sacrifice taste in my quest to lower calories and eat better. I'm not the type that can survive eating like a rabbit, or even try to pretend I love it. I still have rare encounters with salad, simply because I know there are better options! And what would life be like without bacon? It would definitely be a much sadder place.

Oven Baked Bacon Ranch Chicken
Slight variation of Hungry Girl's Ranch-o Bacon Chicken.
Serves.. as many as you want! This recipe can be made by the breast.
Calories per breast 186!


1 lean chicken breast cutlet
1/2 teaspoon of dry ranch dressing mix
1 tablespoon crumbled real bacon bits. (The type I use is Oscar Meyer. Don't get the fake ones!)


Switch it up!
  If you feel like mixing this recipe up a bit, you can substitute the 1 tablespoon of bacon bits with 1/2 tablespoon of French's Fried Onions and 1/2 tablespoon of bacon bits. The calorie count will remain about the same and give it an extra boost of flavor.

  Start by preheating your oven to 375. Have a cookie sheet prepared with either aluminum foil, or you can just add a little oil to your pan and coat it evenly.

  Now you are going to take your chicken breast and pound it until it is nice, flat and even. I usually do this by placing a sheet of clingwrap on my work surface, placing the chicken in the middle, then draping half of the cling wrap over it so the chicken is completely enfolded. I then beat it with my wonderful hammer until it has spread out a little bit and appears to be even. Unfold the clingwrap and place your chicken breast onto the cookie sheet. Repeat for remaining breasts, if you have any.

  Next you are going to take 1/2 a teaspoon of dry ranch mix and coat the top of the chicken breast with it. I find it spreads better if you almost use a sifting motion with your measuring spoon so it sprinkles onto it, then spread it a bit with your hand so it is evenly coated. Some will collect in the crevices of your chicken, but that is okay!

 
  Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of bacon bits over the chicken. Once you have done this, gently press the bacon bits into the breast so they are sticking to it pretty well. Most of the top of your chicken should be covered in bacon at this point. Yum! If you noticed, the second chicken breast in the photo has less bacon, but that's because I added 1/2 tablespoon of French's to switch it up a little. Repeat this for all of the chicken you are cooking.

  Place the cookie sheet into the oven. Allow to cook for 20-25 minutes. For my oven, I leave it in for the full 25. Your house is going to smell amazing within the first five minutes, and make you wish those 20 minutes were over!

  This dish is an excellent example of how you can have something indulgent, without adding a ridiculous amount of calories. Baking in the oven really makes the flavors combine well with the meat, and also helps drain excess fat. I usually pair this with green beans, but I bet a baked potato would be fantastic too. Enjoy!