Day 1
This week is all about breakfast. I will cook 7 different breakfast meals from the Cook Yourself Thin cookbook.
Grocery shopping was eventful this morning. It took me 2 hours to shop instead of my normal hour long adventure. Shopping with 3 small kids (ages 3 and under; 1 child isn't mine) is no small feat. Not to mention, combing the aisles for food that I don't normally buy.
After thoroughly stocking my pantry and refrigerator, I began preparing my first meal of this journey:
The Better for You Breakfast Sandwich
Serves 4
Calories per serving: 306
2 tablespoons white vinegar
4 whole-wheat English muffins
4 slices low-fat cheese
4 thin slices low-sodium ham
4 eggs
4 slices tomato
Spritz of olive oil
1/2 tablespoons dried oregano
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Fill a large, deep skillet of water to a depth of 4 inches. Add vinegar and bring to a steady simmer.
2. Arrange the muffin halves on a baking sheet and, using a round biscuit cutter, cut each half into a round. Cut the cheese slices into 3-inch rounds with the biscuit cutter. Place a slice of cheese on each of the bottom halves. Cut the slice of ham into shreds or ribbons and place on top of the cheese. Transfer to the oven and bake until cheese melts and top halves are toasted, about 4 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, cut 4 slices from the tomato and spritz each slice with some olive oil. In a separate nonstick saute pan over medium-high heat, saute the tomato slices for 1 minute on each side. Then season with salt, pepper and dried oregano. Set aside.
4. Break one egg into a small bowl. Hold the edge of the bowl close to the simmering water and gently tilt the bowl to pour the egg into the water. Repeat with the remaining three eggs. Cook until whites are solid and the yolk is still runny, about 3 minutes. Carefully remove the eggs one at a time with a slotted spoon. Transfer to a plate with paper towels to drain.
5. Remove the toasted muffin halves with cheese and ham from the oven and transfer to a plate. Place a slice of sauteed tomato on top of the ribbons of ham and top with a poached egg. Season with salt and pepper and top with the other half of each muffin. Serve immediately.
Calories per serving: 306
2 tablespoons white vinegar
4 whole-wheat English muffins
4 slices low-fat cheese
4 thin slices low-sodium ham
4 eggs
4 slices tomato
Spritz of olive oil
1/2 tablespoons dried oregano
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Fill a large, deep skillet of water to a depth of 4 inches. Add vinegar and bring to a steady simmer.
2. Arrange the muffin halves on a baking sheet and, using a round biscuit cutter, cut each half into a round. Cut the cheese slices into 3-inch rounds with the biscuit cutter. Place a slice of cheese on each of the bottom halves. Cut the slice of ham into shreds or ribbons and place on top of the cheese. Transfer to the oven and bake until cheese melts and top halves are toasted, about 4 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, cut 4 slices from the tomato and spritz each slice with some olive oil. In a separate nonstick saute pan over medium-high heat, saute the tomato slices for 1 minute on each side. Then season with salt, pepper and dried oregano. Set aside.
4. Break one egg into a small bowl. Hold the edge of the bowl close to the simmering water and gently tilt the bowl to pour the egg into the water. Repeat with the remaining three eggs. Cook until whites are solid and the yolk is still runny, about 3 minutes. Carefully remove the eggs one at a time with a slotted spoon. Transfer to a plate with paper towels to drain.
5. Remove the toasted muffin halves with cheese and ham from the oven and transfer to a plate. Place a slice of sauteed tomato on top of the ribbons of ham and top with a poached egg. Season with salt and pepper and top with the other half of each muffin. Serve immediately.
This was a very yummy recipe and I can definitely see myself cooking this recipe often. The sandwich melted in my mouth and was very filling. The hardest part of this recipe was cooking the eggs. The most I can do efficiently is scramble and egg so that part was definitely challenging. Hopefully, I will be come a much better cook after this experiment.
Off to run more errands before spending some one-on-one time with Jillian Michaels. How fun! *dripping with sarcasm*
