Sausage Breakfast Burrito (Cholesterol-Free and Low-Fat)

What You'll Need
1/3 c. liquid egg whites (equivalent to 2 eggs)
1/8c. shredded soy cheese (I used soy-station 3 cheese blend)
1 Tbs diced tomato
1 Tbs diced green onion
1 Tbs diced yellow onion
1 Tbs diced red bell pepper
2 tsp cilantro, minced

2 veggie sausage links (I used Morning Star)
1 whole wheat tortilla
Salt and Pepper, to taste
cooking spray

What To Do:

In a small bowl, toss diced tomatoes, green onion, yellow onion, bell pepper and cilantro together.  Lightly spray a frying pan with cooking spray (I use olive oil cooking spray); heat over med-high heat.  Add egg whites, veggies and salt/pepper (to taste); scramble.  While the egg is cooking, heat the sausage links as directed on the package, cut in to small pieces and add to the egg whites. Once the egg is cooked (about 3-4 minutes) sprinkle soy cheese, turn off heat and mix until melted.  Wrap in warmed tortilla (I stuck mine in the microwave for 30 seconds).

Tips
* You can also use other egg substitutes in place of egg whites
*If you prefer some extra heat, add 1 tsp minced jalapeños
*I use Smart & Delicious Low-carb Tortillas (low calories and high fiber) and Morning Star Veggie Sausage Links
*The cheese I used can be found at Trader Joe's
*To reduce the overall sodium content, you can use low-sodium veggie links and less cheese

Cholay I - Curried Chickpeas

What You'll Need:
2 cans garbanzo beans
1 small can tomato sauce
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes, with juice
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1 c. yellow onion, diced
1 c. water
1/4c cilantro, minced
1 medium sized golden potato, cubed (about 1/2" cubes)
1 Tbs coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp Garam Masala  (Indian spice, found in spice or ethnic section)
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp ginger powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 pinch cinnamon
fresh cilantro, for garnish

What To Do:

In a saucepan, heat drained garbanzo beans in water over high heat (until heated through); remove from heat, drain and set aside.  Meanwhile, in a large frying pan or large shallow saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat; saute garlic and ginger powders until lightly golden.  Add a 2-3 tablespoons of water and add in remaining spices: coriander, cumin, salt, turmeric, cayenne, cinnamon and Garam Masala. Saute for about 1/2 - 1 minute, until spices well blended. Add diced onion and entire contents of diced tomatoes can; stir until spices are mixed in well.  Increase heat to medium/high and add cubed potatoes and 1 c. water; simmer mixture (med-fast simmer), uncovered, for about 8-10 minutes.  Add diced bell pepper, heated garbanzo beans and tomato sauce. Stir occasionally and continue to cook on medium heat for an additional 15 minutes, or until excess liquid is evaporated and a thick sauce forms. Garnish with fresh cilantro.

     

Tips:
* If you don't have tomato sauce on hand, you can use 1/8 tomato paste instead
*Instead of canned diced tomatoes you can also use 4-5 fresh roma tomatoes
*To check if potatoes are cooked through, pierce with fork-- if the fork goes in easily, they are done

Portobello Mushroom Burger

What You'll Need:
2 portobello mushroom caps (trim the stems)
2 whole wheat 100 calorie sandwich thins
1/8 c. vegetable broth
1/8 c. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. worcestershire  sauce
1/4 tsp. liquid smoke (if broiling)

1 large clove garlic, minced

1/8 tsp. dried oregano

1/8 tsp. black pepper

1/8 tsp. onion powder

What To Do:

Mix all spices, broth, balsamic vinegar, oil, worcestershire sauce and liquid smoke together in a small bowl. With a fork, pierce small holes all over the smooth side of the mushrooms (don't poke all the way through).  Place mushroom caps in a plate or other shallow dish (smooth/pierced side up) and pour marinade over the mushroom caps. Marinate for about 20 minutes, flipping once.  When you flip the caps, spoon some of the marinade that has collected at the bottom of the dish onto the mushrooms.  Broil mushroom caps on a wire rack with a tray underneath for about 7 1/2 minutes on each side, or until tender. Top with your favorite vegetables and condiments (I used pan seared tomatoes - see below-, mixed greens, low-fat mayo and low-fat cheese).

Quick Tips:
*With marinade that is left over in the shallow dish, you can pan sear fresh veggies such as red bell pepper, onions or tomatoes to top the burgers with
* Before broiling the mushroom caps, you can spoon a tablespoon of the marinade to boost the favor a bit

Thank you Chrislyn S. for the idea!

Baked Chicken Tikka Kabobs

What You'll Need:
1lb ground chicken breast
1/4 c. chopped cilantro
1/4 c. diced red bell pepper
1/4c. diced red onion
1 capful hickory flavored liquid smoke
1/8c and 1 Tbs egg substitute

Spices:
2 tsp (slightly rounded) Shaan Tikka BBQ mix (found at indian stores)
or
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ginger powder
1/4 tsp ground cumin seed
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper (less if you don't like too much heat)
1 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp ground cloves
3/4 tsp salt
small pinch cinnamon

What to Do:
Preheat oven to 425. Lightly grease a 9x13 glass dish (line with foil for easy clean up)
Mix all spices, liquid smoke and vegetables into the thawed ground chicken.  Divide meat into 4-5 portions. Place each portion into the greased pan and form into a elongated kabob shape (approximately 2" thick and 6" long). Bake uncovered for 20 minutes.  Reduce heat to 375 and bake for an additional 15 mins. Broil for about a minute to brown slightly. Garnish with fresh cilantro and onion.

Tips:
* Taste test the chicken before baking -- microwave about 1 tsp of the raw chicken for 1 - 1 1/2 minutes, until cooked through, add more salt or red pepper if needed.
*Since chicken breast is lower in fat it tends to dry out easily. When reheating baked kabobs in the microwave, place a slightly damp paper towel over the kabob to retain moisture and prevent it from drying out.

Date-Nut Shake

What You'll Need:
8 oz unsweetened vanilla almond milk
3 medjool dates
3/4 banana, frozen

What To Do:
Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.