Recipe: Veggie-Chacon Omelet

I love when my fridge is stocked full of vegetables, because it means I have so many options when making omelets! This morning I filled my omelet with chicken bacon, sauteed onions, sauteed mushrooms, sliced grape tomatoes, and sliced jalapeno. The eggs could hardly contain all the goodness I put in there!

Recipe: Open Faced Breakfast Sandwich

This morning I decided to see how my chicken bacon would do being cooked in strips. I was really pleased that it picked up some caramelization and golden color, but it wasn't as crispy as I'd hoped it would be. Maybe I took it off the heat prematurely. It tasted pretty good, it just wasn't the texture I was hoping for (especially for my sandwich).

Speaking of the sandwich, it was pretty simple to put together. I made the chicken bacon and cooked 3 egg whites (which were seasoned with rosemary, thyme, sea salt, fresh cracked pepper, and a pinch of ground red pepper). Then I toasted a slice of sourdough and topped it with the chicken bacon and eggs.

I decided to do it open faced because I find it easier to eat, plus I feel like I'm getting more. I think next time I will add just a little mayo to the toast so it isn't quite so dry (or avocado, if I have one on hand). And I'll try to get the chicken bacon crispier. The way I cooked it, it was a bit hard to bite through it with everything else, and sometimes it came out of the sandwich instead of breaking off.

Recipe: C(hicken)L(ettuce)T(omato) Sandwich

I've already hinted a little bit at how much I love bacon, so it shouldn't be a surprise that BLT's are probably my favorite sandwich in the world. But sadly, bacon has been demoted to "dietary acquaintance" and won't be making many appearances over the next year. So I had to settle for a CLT sandwich using that same chicken lunch meat I've been eating lately (I got a really big package of it).

Anyway, I toasted a slice of sourdough and cut it in half. Then I spread 1tsp of mayo on each half. A slice of chicken, two leaves of green leaf lettuce, three tomato slices, and another slice of chicken. This three-inch tall beauty was actually really satisfying, even without the bacon. Maybe next time I'll crisp up the chicken and make chicken bacon, just to add a bit more texture to sandwich and richness to the flavor. All in all, this is a 300-calorie lunch I highly recommend!

Recipe: Egg White Omelet with Chacon

After feeling incredibly unsatisfied with my carb-a-licious menu yesterday, I decided to start today off right: with protein! So I got out my good ol' carton of eggs and looked through the fridge for some mix-ins. I didn't want it to be the same thing I had on Tuesday, even though I didn't really have anything else to put in. So I pulled out the sliced chicken, mushrooms, and spinach. I cut up a slice of chicken and used some olive oil baking spray to crisp it up. I honestly wasn't sure what it would turn into, and it first all it did was get warm. Then I started seeing this beautiful caramelization, and the pieces actually began popping out of the pan. Once they looked nice and crispy, and tested a piece. While it could never fool anyone into thinking it was real bacon, it was about as good of a substitute as I've ever had. It reminded me a lot of the turkey bacon I've spent lots of money on (I don't know why this surprised me), but cost way, way less. And I think if you cut it up even smaller and got a nice, even caramelization all over, you could definitely use it as bacon crumbles. Anyway, I decided to call my invention "chacon." You know, "chicken bacon" minus "icken b." I'm only half serious about that. It sounds ridiculous. But it's not like I'm actually trying to market it to anyone under that name. Here is a picture of my beautiful, crispy chacon.

Well, I set that aside, then used half a teaspoon of unsalted butter to saute 1/2 cup of chopped mushrooms, sprinkled with some ground red pepper. As the mushrooms were starting to look good and cooked, I tossed in about a cup of fresh spinach and kept stirring things around until the spinach was wilty, then I set it all aside. Then I used some more olive oil cooking spray in my perfect little pan, and made an egg white omelet from three eggs. I've never had much success making a pretty omelet -- it always falls apart on me. But I did it today! I couldn't fit all my chacon pieces into the omelet (no such thing as too much bacon -- or chacon if you're trying to be healthy -- but definitely such a thing as an omelet too small to hold all the glory). So I sprinkled the leftover chacon on top, then added some salsa and a dollop of sour cream. I made a very, very conscious decision not to use the Tillamook cheddar tempting me in the fridge (I was so excited to see it on sale, since we usually just buy the store brand, which just isn't quite as good). Anyway, the sour cream was my consolation, to add a little more richness to the dish. I wish my blue plates hadn't been dirty. I love using them for pictures because they contrast the food so much more. The salsa and chacon kind of blend in with this one. Anyway, at 155 calories, this breakfast was delicious, filling, AND totally in line with my health goals.