The Easiest "Cuban" Breakfast Hash

Every now and then you need to clean out your fridge, but you're also hungry and don't want to see those odd-man items go to waste! Sound familiar? If you're like me, you can get a little carried away in the grocery store despite your best intentions. Anyways -- a "hungry cleanout" happened to me recently, and this "Cuban" breakfast hash was the result, which was actually packed with yummy and healthy flavor. Sometimes you can throw ingredients together and the result is incredibly tasty, in an unexpected way!

Servings: 1

What You'll Need:

• 4 egg whites
• 1/2 cup canned black beans
• I used the "Cuban style black beans" from Trader Joe's
• 2 tbsp salsa
• 2 thin-cut turkey slices, ripped into bite-size pieces
• Cooking Spray & Small frying pan

The Step-by-Step:

1. Apply cooking spray to frying pan and let heat for about 3 minutes on "medium."
2. Season egg whites with salt & pepper.
3. Cook egg whites in pan, using a spoon or spatula (whatever you have) to stir.
4. Stir in the turkey pieces and the black beans and let cook until the egg whites are firm (about 3 more minutes.)
5. Serve with salsa as the topping, and if you have fresh red bell pepper, slice that baby up! I also made use of that last whole wheat tortilla and light cheese wedge.

here's to spending less and eating better.

xoxo n

Brunch-Ready Sweet Potato Pancakes

No thanks could ever be enough for the troops who ensure our freedom, but I hope you attempted. Before heading out to the National Mall this Memorial Day, I sat down with friends uptown and made brunch. These pancakes were a smashing hit, and secretly easy to make (no one needs to know.) Plus, many of my friends said they didn't even need syrup, because they could "definitely taste the yummy sweet potato." I hope they're a hit for you too!

Servings: 18-20 pancakes

What You'll Need:

• 2 and a half cups boxed Complete Pancake Mix
• Water 
• 1 large sweet potato
• Microwave & Medium Pan
• Cooking Spray

The Step-by-Step:

1. The night before (or a few hours before) -- cut a slit into the middle of the sweet potato and microwave for 15 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes, then peel off the skin with your hands. Place the sweet potato in tupperware and keep in the refrigerator.
2. When ready to make the pancakes -- With a whisk, stir water (a little at a time) into the pancake mix until slightly runny.
3. Add the sweet potato, and then with the whisk, mash it until it everything has mixed well.
4. Heat the pan and add cooking spray.
5. One by one, cook pancakes for about 3 minutes per side.
6. Serve with maple syrup or nothing at all! :)

here's to summer brunches.

xoxo n

Strawberry-Stuffed French Toast

I was riding home on the bus today, and thought to start reading the May issue of SELF Magazine that I had found in my mailbox this morning and hastily threw in my bag. If you don't read SELF, you should -- they've done a major redesign and have become (in my eyes) one of the best "we love fitness but are still hip" magazines out there. I always find their information fun yet helpful for my fitness journey. Plus -- I love their recipes!!! They had a few more than usual this month because they are having their annual "Drop 10" diet plan to get slim for summer, and the recipes were bomb dot com! I literally almost started to drool right there on the bus! Their "Blueberry stuffed french toast" particularly caught my eye, but since I didn't have all the ingredients, I improvised. I had a bunch of strawberries but no blueberries, and instead of the plain greek yogurt, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract that it required, I had a single cup of vanilla greek yogurt -- and it worked!

Sure enough, it still came out delicious! Who knows, maybe I'll drop ten ;)

Servings: 1

What You'll Need:

• About 5 fresh strawberries (whole)
• 1/2 a cup of vanilla greek yogurt (I love the Yoplait -- only 100 cals!)
• 2 slices whole-wheat bread
• I didn't have whole wheat, but used Nature's Own Honey Wheat!
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp milk (I used almond milk!)
• Cooking Spray

The Step-by-Step:

1. Slice strawberries in half; set aside.
2. Spread greek yogurt on both pieces of bread (like you're making a PB&J.)
3. Make a sandwich by arranging the strawberries on top of one of the slices of bread, and topping with the other slice.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, cinnamon, and milk.
5. Spray a small pan with cooking spray, and let it heat.
6. Carefully, dunk the sandwich in the egg mixture, then turn it over, making sure that both slices of bread get dunked in the egg.
7. Cook on the stove for 3 minutes on each side.
8. Serve with more fresh strawberries, and some maple syrup if you have it!

xoxo n

Honey Apple Parfaits

This weekend I couldn't keep myself from making another vat of my homemade applesauce. Quite honestly, Austin wasn't complaining. I left the slow cooker on, bubbling with apple juices -- and headed straight to the thrift store for an afternoon with friends. I don't thrift often, but when I do (stay thirsty my friends?) I always find the greatest things. I ran across two great martini glasses --  and being who I am -- I immediately thought of how wonderful they would show off a parfait.

I used my applesauce for this -- but feel free to used store-bought (go unsweetened! you'll never turn back!) to make a quick, filling, and simple breakfast. I served mine with orange slices. Again, Austin wasn't complaining. Yum!

Servings: 1 (ingredient amounts below are for each individual parfait -- If you have company, just repeat!)

What You'll Need:

• 1 Individual Greek Yogurt (whatever flavor you have -- I used honey -- but I find that most yogurt flavors pair beautifully with applesauce -- think Mango Apple or Pineapple Apple, for instance.)
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1/2 cup granola (I used Special K's Low Fat Granola in 'Touch of Honey')

The Step-by-Step

1. I won't insult you guys with the step-by-step :) Just layer the three ingredients until you reach the top of the glass. Top with more granola.

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This doesn't keep very long -- so unfortunately, you can't really make it the night before or in advance. The moisture from the granola and the applesauce will make the granola soggy with time -- so I recommend this for weekend breakfasts when you're not in a rush -- and you can pair this with a steaming cup of coffee and a morning paper :)

xoxo n

Cowboy Eggs (Huevos Rancheros)

So... I wasn't joking about this Mexican craze I'm on.

In all seriousness, between the corn, avocado, tomato, fresh cilantro -- Mexican people know how to get down with the summertime produce (I wasn't referring to the cheesy/greasy Taco Bell-type enchiladas that many of us think is Mexican food.)

Huevos Rancheros -- or "Cowboy eggs" as I endearingly like to call them -- is a TexMex style dish, kind of like a deconstructed breakfast taco (a Texas staple -- seriously, if you are ever in Houston, visit Soliz Casa de Tacos across the street from my old high school.) The flavors blend together so beautifully, Taco Bell will never again cross your mind. Not to mention, this is so easy to make a boyfriend can do it (no offense to the guys; see picture below.) All in all, this dish is perfect for a weekend breakfast at home complete with a cup of hot coffee in your favorite mug (think of me and sprinkle in some cinnamon to make it Mexican.)

Servings: Two

What you'll need:

• 1 whole egg
• 6 egg whites (you can crack the eggs and remove the yolks yourself, or you can use the liquid egg whites that come in a carton in the dairy aisle -- your choice)
• Salt and pepper
• Fresh cherry tomatoes (I used around 12 and cut them into small pieces -- you can always substitute for salsa if you have any lying around)
• 1 can black beans
• 1/2 an avocado, cut into cubes
• 1/2 an onion, diced into small pieces
• Cooking spray/frying pan/sauce pan/stove
• OPTIONAL: fajita seasoning (not necessary to make this taste great, but if you have it, use it!)
• OPTIONAL: a couple spinach leaves
• OPTIONAL: any seafood leftovers you have in your fridge (I put some scallops and shrimp to good use here.)

Step-by-Step:

1. Heat small saucepan on low heat; pour in black beans.
2. While black beans are heating up, mix eggs, egg whites, salt, pepper, and onion (optional: fajita seasoning) in a small bowl.
3. Heat a small frying pan on medium-high heat and spray with cooking spray. Add the egg mixture (Optional step: if you have any cooked seafood, or even leftover chicken, add this to the pan first and let it sizzle for about 2 min before adding the eggs right on top.)
4. After the egg mixture starts to cook (30 seconds at most,) start to stir with a spatula. The eggs should be half-runny (raw eggs) and half-clumpy (cooked eggs.) Let cook a little longer, then stir again. Repeat until there is no more raw egg moving around in the pan (about 4-5 min total.) Remove the egg mixture and set aside.
5. To serve, spoon half of the black beans neatly in the center of the plate. On top, place half of the egg mixture, following with some avocado chunks and tomatoes. If you have any onion pieces left on your counter, sprinkle them on too. If you have some spinach, slice the leaves into small strips and gently place on top of your haystack (get it? cowboy? no? ok fine.)

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By the way, I'm coming back to Houston for Thanksgiving this year -- Soliz, I'm coming for ya! Do y'all do call-in's two months in advance? I'll take two Darlene's, please -- you know what to do.

xoxo n

Hold on a minute...

Did you know that two whole eggs has about 140 calories, while three egg whites (the clear part of a raw egg) has about 50 calories? Egg whites have less cholesterol, calories, and fat than whole eggs, but in substituting, you miss pretty much 0 flavor. Last time I checked, none of us know what just an egg yolk tastes like versus the rest of the egg. Everything tastes like, well, an egg! There are some things that an egg yolk is good for, and those things are iron, vitamins B12 and D for starters. So for this recipe, I left in one egg yolk and subbed the rest for whites. Great way to have the best of both worlds (and saving your calories for better things -- like chocolate.)

Source: fitsugar