1 Egg + 2 Egg Whites + Veggies = Boffo Omelet

We're still on a weight-loss kick at my house, though my husband's been much more rigorous about it than I--and the results are in: He's lost 10 pounds! As I haven't had the courage to step on the scale following the shock of discovering in the doctor's office that I'd piled on a few over the holidays, I can't report on my progress. Of course, this head-in-the-sand approach is a definite no-no when it comes to taking off weight. But I have been eating healthier, which is a start anyway.

Here's a delicious, easy-to-make omelet that was inspired by one of my favorite Weight Watchers recipes for a one-egg, two-egg white omelet. The combination, on the WW plan is only two points, as the two egg whites aren't counted, though, obviously, they do have calories (about 34 in 2 large egg whites, plus about 72 calories for a large egg). The benefit for those of us with cholesterol issues is that egg whites have no cholesterol, though they also have fewer nutrients than yolks (check out the American Egg Board's Incredible Egg nutrition page), which contain generous amounts of Vitamins A, D and E, though, surprisingly, egg whites have slightly more protein. I like adding the one egg for extra flavor and color, though you could make the omelet with all egg whites (I'd use four egg whites total).

While my husband sticks faithfully to his 2-ingredient omelet--Trader Joe's ReddiEgg (or TJ's 100% Liquid Egg Whites), plus a generous sprinkling of Trader Giotto's Parmesan & Romano cheese (see my post on Living With a Picky Eater)--I like to make myself the two-point omelet, which I jazz up a bit by frying a few onions or scallions, sliced mushrooms, chopped red pepper and a sprinkling of Parmesan--fresh grated, if I have it. This last adds another point or two and a few calories, but a lot more flavor. Of course, salt, pepper and a few spices don't hurt either. The best trick is cooking the omelet in a nonstick pan. I heat the pan a few seconds and use just a spray or two of oil on the surface before adding the veggies, followed by the beaten egg. Served with a spicy splash of Sriracha or salsa, wrapped in a tortilla or served au naturel, this omelet is a boffo breakfast to jump-start your day. But watch out: It's so easy to whip together, it may become habit-forming!

Parmesan Veggie Omelet

1 large egg

2 large egg whites

2-3 tablespoons chopped veggies*

Vegetable oil spray

1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese**

Salt and pepper, to taste

Italian or other seasoning of your choice, to taste

*I used 1 green onion, 1/8 of a red pepper, 2-3 chopped mushrooms, but chopped spinach, tomatoes or other choices would also work.

** Sometimes I add or substitute a tablespoon or two of no-fat or low-fat feta.

Directions

1. Put the whole egg in a small bowl. Separate 2 eggs and add whites to the egg, saving yolks for another use. Beat eggs lightly with a fork until combined but not whipped to a froth.

2. Dice green or regular onions and red pepper, if using. Thinly slice mushrooms. Chop red peppers. Heat a small skillet or omelet pan, preferably nonstick, on low to medium heat. Spray lightly with oil. Add veggies and fry for 1 to 2 minutes on medium heat until lightly golden.

3. Add egg mixture to the fried veggies, adding another spray of oil if need be. Sprinkle with cheese, salt, pepper and additional seasoning.

4. Lightly tip pan to make sure that egg reaches to the edges. When egg has set for a minute or so, use a spatula (rubber or plastic for a nonstick pan) to pull edges of the egg toward the middle slightly, tipping pan to allow the liquid egg to flow into the spaces along the edge of the omelet.

5. When the omelet is almost set, flip it over on itself and ease out onto a plate.

6. Garnish as you wish, with a sprinkle of parmesan, paprika, a dash of hot sauce or salsa. If you wish, add a slice of toast or wrap up in a tortilla--or serve with a dollop of yogurt or cottage cheese on the side.

New Year's Brunch: Spinach and Cheese Strata

Cheese Strata ready to bake. 

When visitors come calling, I can get frenetic if I haven't prepared ahead of time. A bit like a jack-in-the-box, I'm up, I'm down, then up again--to the stove, the refrigerator, the table, the sink, chopping up the last-minute salad, throwing together a cheese plate, rounding up the drinks and a vegetarian dish for a non-meat eater. Of course, I flash back to my mother, who never seemed to sit for any length of time, so intent was she on the last-minute prep that went into the evening meal, whether it was for the family or for a house full of relatives or guests.

The other day, a small group of women gathered at my house for our monthly writing group. To reduce the work for the host, the guests often bring a small lunch, while the host prepares a side dish or two. My guests were arriving at 10 a.m., so I thought a small breakfast/brunch was in order, but I didn't feel like worrying over a pan of scrambled eggs--they're not my forte anyway. I thought an eggy casserole might be in order, so I turned to another of my trusty cookbooks, Ruth Reichl's The Gourmet Cookbook--a big yellow tome of a book brimming with practical and delicious recipes. Under breakfast, I found one that struck my fancy: "Spinach and Cheese Strata": bread cubes, spinach, butter, cheese and eggs--fairly simply, something that could be prepared the night before and then baked and served the morning of. What could be easier? it worked out pretty much as planned--and went over very well. Here's the recipe.

Spinach and Cheese Strata

8 to 10 servings

(Adapted from The Gourmet Cookbook)

Ingredients

1 10-ounce package frozen spinach, thawed

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 large onion, finely chopped (1 1/2 cups)

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg*
1/2 to 1 lb. French or Italian bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
(about 8 to 10 cups)
2 cups coarsely grated Gruyere cheese (about 6 ounces)
1 cup finely grated fresh Parmesan cheese**
2 3/4 cups whole milk
9 large eggs
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

*The recipe calls for freshly grated nutmeg, but I used a commercial variety, and the results were just fine.

**The recipe calls for Parmigiano-Reggiano, but I used a less expensive variety of Parmesan. Again, I think the casserole didn't suffer.

Directions

1. After defrosting spinach, squeeze out as much liquid as possible. I put the spinach in a colander and pressed with a spoon to accomplish this.

2. Melt the butter in a heavy skillet over moderate heat. Add the chopped onion and cook until softened, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and the nutmeg, cooking and stirring for another minute. Stir in the spinach and then remove from the heat.

3. Butter a shallow 3-quart gratin dish or other shallow casserole dish. (I used a 14-inch oval ceramic dish that was a wedding present from an English aunt many years ago.)

4.  Chop a loaf of Italian or French bread into cubes, starting with half the loaf, then cubing more as needed.  (I prefer the large loaves to the skinny, baguettes, which have too much crust and too little doughy interior.) Spread one-third of the bread cubes in the bottom of the casserole dish. Top with one-third of the spinach mixture. Sprinkle with one-third each of the cheeses. Then repeat two more times, topping with the final layer of cheese. (Because of the size of my dish, I found that I used virtually an entire loaf of bread and didn't quite have enough of the spinach mixture, so next time I make the dish I may increase the amount of spinach, butter and onion by a third.)

5. In a large bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, mustard and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. You can also add other spices if you like, such as paprika, perhaps a sprinkling of chopped fresh herbs, such as rosemary, thyme and parsley.

6. Carefully pour the egg mixture over the casserole, making sure to distribute the liquid evenly. (I used a small ladle to do the pouring, as my ingredients were almost overflowing the dish, then added a sprinkle of paprika on top for color.)

7. Cover the casserole and refrigerate for at least 8 hours to allow the bread to absorb the liquid. (I refrigerated it overnight, which worked out perfectly for my next-day brunch.)

8. When you're ready to bake the casserole, remove it from the refrigerator and allow it to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before popping it into a preheated 350 degree F oven.

9. Bake uncovered for 45 to 55 minutes until golden brown on top. To make sure the casserole is cooked through, cut into it to see if the bottom is firm. If it seems a bit soft and liquidy, return to the oven for a few more minutes, checking to make sure that it doesn't brown too much on top. (I made the mistake of leaving the casserole in the oven, which I had switched off, after serving several pieces to my friends. When I took it out later, meaning to serve some more, it had browned a bit too much on top. However, it was still excellent and soft inside, easily re-heated in the oven or microwave for several days thereafter--and actually better two days later than on the day I served it!)

Tinkering

1. Adding mushrooms or substituting cooked fresh spinach or kale for the frozen spinach might be an excellent variation. Again, I would make sure to remove as much liquid as possible from the vegetables before adding them to the casserole.

2. Amping up the heat with some chopped spicy chilies, using milder red peppers, or a combination, plus switching from Gruyere to a medium sharp cheddar might be another interesting variation. In this case, I might add a dash of spicy tomato salsa or Sriracha to heighten the flavor.

3. It's possible to lighten the casserole by using low-fat milk, reduced-fat cheeses and even an egg substitute or egg whites for some of the eggs. However, the resulting casserole won't be as satisfying and flavorful. My theory of weight control--and, believe me, it has been and continues to be a major challenge in my life--is that it's better to eat what you want, just less of it. Otherwise, you feel so deprived that in a weak or stressful moment, you embark on a binge--much worse than having that one piece of chocolate cake or square of spinach and cheese strata.

Happy New Year!

A bouquet of alstroemerias from a good friend
 brings sunshine into my house on a gloomy day.

Living With a Picky Eater

A happy man with his liquid-egg omelet and red grape juice. 

Living with a picky eater when you're a food blogger is quite a challenge. My husband Jeff, ultra-inventive when it comes to his artistic passions--photography, videography, writing and music--not only would be happy to eat the same thing for breakfast, lunch and dinner; he often does! When I ask him if he doesn't get a little bored dining on the same fare so frequently he looks at me blankly and says, "Well, I've been married to you for all these years, haven't I?" Nice guy.

Jeff's favorite Welch's Red 100% Grape Juice in his beloved Porky Pig glass.

Among the things he won't eat: most vegetables, many fruits, fish, beef, pork, lamb and anything with sugar in it before noon--this last because he says it disagrees with him until after lunch. Among his favorites, in no particular order: unflavored rice cakes, rye bread, succotash (or Trader Joe's Soycutash), carrots, lemons, apples, unsweetened cereal (usually dry, eaten out of a large plastic cup--but never for breakfast--with Crispix being his favorite), liquid eggs (more on that later), cheese (but not cream or stinky kinds), roasted unsalted almonds, Progresso soup (lentil, minestrone and chicken tortilla, though he admits when pushed that he likes my homemade versions better), chicken, turkey, and black-bean veggie burgers. Jeff's drinks of choice are Diet Coke or Welch's Red 100% Grape Juice; he doesn't like the purple variety and since none of our local supermarkets stock the red anymore, we order it by the case, courtesy of the very obliging local supermarket chain, Gelson's. He does love sweets, particularly chocolate, and has an abiding weakness for a candy bar he enjoyed growing up in New York City, Goldenberg's Peanut Chews. Oh, yes, hubby also doesn't touch alcohol or coffee, about which he teases me by calling it "dirty water." What a joker!

Now, you ask, how can I remain married to this fussy man? Well, truth be told, he's pretty easy to please if you make him approximately the same thing every day, or allow him to whip it up himself. Imagine, if you will, that though cooking is one of your passions, you're too tired to put together a dinner one evening. In totters hubby from his home office and happily throws several Morningstar Spicy Black Bean Burgers in the skillet, sprinkles them with lemon juice, takes a second pan and pours in a generous amount of Trader Joe's frozen Soycutash--a blend of corn, red peppers and edamame--more lemon juice plus some Parmesan and faster than you can say, "voila!", dinner's on the table--no fuss, no muss. It's pretty good, and if you want it again the next night, the chef is happy to oblige.

Ingredients for Jeff's favorite morning omelet, plus cheese.

But since we began with dinner, let's backtrack and talk about breakfast--and we'll end with a simple recipe for Jeff's signature morning dish, an omelet made with three ingredients--really two if you don't count the spray of oil in the nonstick ceramic pan:

The Liquid Egg Omelet

Ingredients:

Oil Spray

Egg substitute

Parmesan Cheese

Directions:

1) Spray a nonstick omelet pan with oil. Warm on medium for a few seconds. Pour egg substitute into the pan (my hubby uses Trader Joe's Nulaid ReddiEgg, sometimes adding some liquid egg whites from another carton and once in a while a whole egg, with the amount depending on whether he's sharing it with me).

2) Sprinkle grated Parmesan on top (Jeff uses Trader Giotto's Parmesan & Romano blend) to taste. (Notice: no salt, spices or other additions in this simple 5-minute version, but feel free to add them to yours!)

3) Let eggs firm up a little, then tilt the pan in various directions, lifting the edges to let the liquid slide into the spaces (often I sneak in and do this part when hubby's distracted).

4) Flip omelet over to brown on the other side, or flip over on itself to create the typical omelet shape (though sometimes the omelet falls apart and then you have scrambled).

5) Slide onto a plate and drink with a glass of red grape juice diluted with a little sparkling water.

And that's breakfast a la Jeff!

That's all, folks!

Please check out my audio interviews with my husband on his food and restaurant picks:

3-B Pancakes: Light, Low-cal and Delicious!

Blueberries in summer--what could be better? Folding them into a pancake batter made with three types of bran (wheat, oat and corn) and leavened with fresh buttermilk. A touch of maple syrup, a smidgen of oil, a hot skillet glazed with a film of oil and voila--pancakes!

I like to tinker with recipes to see if I can lower the fat and calorie content and up the whole-grain fiber while still keeping it tasty. Sometimes, I must admit, I'm left with a sub-par result that winds up in the trash. But my blueberry-bran-buttermilk combo was very tasty, I thought. Here's the recipe--and you can do some tinkering yourself, which I'll expand on at the end. I doubled my original recipe, but you can halve or double it again if you've got a crowd.

3-B Pancakes

Ingredients:

1/2 cup bran (wheat, oat, corn, or a combination of all three)*
1/2 cup flour (I used 1/4 cup spelt + 1/4 cup white whole wheat)
1 teaspoon baking powder (sifted)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda (sifted)
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons maple syrup
1 egg and 2 egg whites
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
A pinch of nutmeg (optional)
1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Directions:

Measure bran, flour, baking powder, soda and salt into a medium-sized bowl. Whisk together and make sure that baking powder and soda are well-incorporated and not in clumps (that's why sifting them is a good idea).

Whisk eggs and/or egg whites together until light. Add maple syrup or other sweetening, oil and buttermilk. Blend well and add spices, if using, and blueberries.

Pour wet mixture into dry, and mix using the whisk or a wooden spoon so that wet ingredients are just incorporated, but try to avoid over-mixing.

Use a few sprays of oil in a skillet or nonstick pan, and add batter when pan is hot but not scorching. Keep heat on medium and don't flip until you see edges of pancakes begin to brown and/or bubbles start to appear and pop in the batter. Recipe makes about 10 medium-sized pancakes, about 75 calories each. For Weight Watchers, the points-plus count is about two points each. Serve with maple syrup and butter if you like, though I was happy without the butter and with a generous dollop of blueberry or strawberry preserves, which ratchet up the sweetness--you might even label these babies "berry good"!

Bon appétit!

Tinkering:

- Experiment with different flours, such as white or gluten-free.
- Try adding a few chopped walnuts or pecans.
- Use four egg whites or 1/2 cup egg substitute
- Use raspberries or strawberries instead of blueberries
- Instead of berries, add a tablespoon or two of preserves to the batter, barely mixing so that the pancakes are laced with sweet bits of jam.
- Substitute white or brown sugar, molasses or honey for the maple syrup

*Note:

I bought a package labeled "Ultra Bran,"a mix of the three brans, at an L.A. health store, but it would be fine to use wheat or oat bran alone. I've never tried corn bran, but it may work as well.