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.

Zucchini Muffins: 2 Versions

Back in the Dark Ages (ok, the mid-'70s), I was living in San Francisco's Richmond District, scraping by on a temp worker's salary and trying to figure out what to do with the rest of my life. To while away date-less evenings, I often baked something sweet to share with my roommates. One of the popular items of the day was zucchini bread. The version I remember making was a dark, somewhat dense loaf with the bright green zucchini bits subdued amid the raisins and nuts.

Over the weekend, in a nostalgic mood, I decided to try making more portable versions of the loaves in the form of muffins. I first tried a recipe for Zucchini Lemon Muffins from one of my favorite cookbooks of late, "The King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion." I pretty much followed the recipe, but then amped up the sweet and crunch factors with a streusel topping (brown sugar, nuts and cinnamon). The result was a bit too sweet for my taste, so I would probably nix the streusel next time, but for those with a sweet tooth, I have included it in the following recipe, along with the changes I made to the original recipe in parentheses.

Zucchini Lemon Muffins (Version #1)

Ingredients:

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (I used 1 cup whole wheat)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
Grated peel of 1 lemon
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup raisins
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk (I used skim)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup packed, shredded, unpeeled zucchini

Streusel:

2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and lemon peel in a large bowl. Stir in walnuts and raisins. In a smaller bowl, combine eggs, milk and oil. Make a well in the dry ingredients, and add the wet ingredients. Stir until barely combined. Gently fold in zucchini. Combine brown sugar, nuts and cinnamon for the topping, if using.

Spoon into greased 12-cup muffin tin(s). Sprinkle streusel on top, if using. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the muffins spring back when you press them with your fingertips. Remove from the oven, let cool for 5 minutes on a rack, then  turn out of the pans to finish cooling.

Notes:

King Arthur says the recipe makes 12 muffins, but my recipe made 16.
Each had about 6 Weight Watchers points with the streusel. Subtract a point if you don't use it. Calories: Approximately 210 each with streusel, 192 without.

Zucchini-Carrot Muffins (Version #2)

Mini-muffins, fresh from the oven

After my husband, who is trying to lose a few lbs, complained about how sugary my muffins were, I decided to try coming up with a lighter, less sweet version. I halved the oil and added homemade applesauce (super easy to make with peeled, cored apples boiled until soft in a little water, then mashed with a potato masher) to replace the oil I left out. I also cut the calorie-laden nuts and raisins in the King Arthur recipe, replaced the lemon zest with orange, half the zucchini with shredded carrots, and used egg substitute and egg whites in place of regular eggs. I halved the salt as well and used a cup of Trader Joe's gluten-free flour in place of one cup of flour and switched the sweeteners a bit. The result was a tender, lighter-colored muffin with the bright taste of orange shining through. I put most of the batter in mini-muffin tins to reduce the calorie and point count even more. Microwaved for breakfast with a bit of low-sugar apricot jam, these hit the spot!

Ingredients:

1 cup white whole wheat flour
1 cup gluten-free flour (or flour of your choice)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
Grated peel of one orange
1/4 cup walnuts
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup honey
2 egg whites
1/4 cup egg substitute (or 2 more egg whites)
1/2 cup skim milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup applesauce
1/2 cup shredded zucchini
1/2 cup shredded carrots

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Mix flours, sugars, baking powder, salt, cinnamon (if using) and orange peel until well incorporated in a large bowl. Add raisins and nuts. Mix remaining ingredients, except zucchini and carrot, in small bowl. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and briefly mix together. Gently fold in the grated zucchini and carrots.

Spoon into greased regular and/or mini-muffin tins. Bake for 20-25 minutes for the regular-sized muffins, 15-20 for the minis. As muffins are light in color, you may need to check to make sure they're browned enough. I took mine out too early and put back to bake for a few minutes more. Cool 5 minutes in the pan, then finish cooling on a rack.

Notes: 

Makes about 16 regular muffins or 48-50 minis. Each mini has about 44 calories and 1 Weight Watchers Plus point, while the larger ones have about 126 calories each and 4 points.

You could easily freeze these in air-tight freezer bags and warm up in the microwave later. Most muffins fare better warm than cold, and lower-fat muffins are even less tender tasting when cold, so warming them up really makes the difference between tender and tough. Make sure not to overheat, however. Just a few seconds in the microwave is enough. A minute or so and you've got something not only scorching but terminally inedible.