Filed under: Admire & Inspire, breakfast, College Cooking | Tags: bisquick, breakfast, cheese, crust, egg beaters, eggs, fat free, fat free breakfast, guiltless, half and half, healthy, healthy breakfast, lorraine, low fat quiche, omelet, pie, pie crust, quiche, spinach, splurge, tomato, tomatoes
Quiche: n. A baked flan or tart with a savory filling thickened with eggs.
An omelet inside of a pie? Quite simply one of the most satisfying brunch foods made possible. It’s that blend of savory breakfast with the subtle sweetness of flaky crust, and pairing of the creamy filling with the flaky crust.
The bad news: the typical slice of quiche (ya know, the fluffy yet somehow dense blend of cheese, meat, and vegetables) has anywhere from around 400-500 calories. Fat being the primary contributor.
The good news: there’s a bunch of recipes out there that replace the fat by making simple substitutions. The recipe below took me no more than 7-8 minutes to add to a blender & then place in the oven. *Make sure to read the bisquick & PAM tricks!
OUT: Pre-made Pie Crust IN: Bisquick
OUT: Heavy Cream IN: Fat Free Half & Half
OUT: 6 Eggs IN: Egg beaters (or egg whites + 2 eggs)
OUT: Full Fat Cheese IN: Fat Free Cheddar & Reduced Fat Mozz.
OUT: Meat IN: Lots & lots of veggies to make it packed
QUICHE
prep time: 8 minutes
cook time: 40-50 minutes
1 cup Bisquick*
Fat-free Half and Half
1 + 1/2 cup Egg Beaters** (or egg whites + 2 eggs)
Fat Free Shredded Cheese
Frozen Vegetables (spinach, broccoli, peppers)
Tomatoes
Sundried Tomato & Basil Seasoning
The measures are all estimates depending on what you like. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a pie plate with PAM. Thaw or defrost your vegetables. Squeeze out any excess water. Add the egg beaters, half and half, bisquick, and seasoning to a blender. Blend until well incorporated. Add your vegetables to the pie plate and pour the egg mixture on top of it. Add the shredded cheese, using a fork to mix it through out.
Layer the tomatoes on top of everything, and add more shredded cheese on top. **Lightly spray the cheese with PAM. (This breaks down molecules in fat free cheese and allows it to melt more evenly – see the previous pizza post from Chef’s Chemistry! https://guiltlesssplurge.wordpress.com/2010/04/15/italians-say-amore-i-just-say-more/) Place in the oven for about 40-50 minutes.
*Although the bisquick is incorporated through out the entire egg-mixture, when placed in the oven it spreads evenly out to the edges.
GUILTESS SPLURGE QUICHE (makes about 5 LARGE slices), 1 slice ~ 145 calories, 2 g fat, 17 g carb, 15 g protein, 3 g sugar.
Filed under: Admire & Inspire, breakfast, College Cooking | Tags: admire, beat, breakfast, brunch, cheddar cheese, college, egg whites, eggs, fat free, health, healthy, inspire, lunch, omelet, roasted red peppers, rosemary, spinach, sprouts, sweet potato
The standard (more like “ideal”) college weekend of rolling out of bed around 11 AM-12 PM allows us as students to master the art of brunch. Brunch, yes glorious brunch. The peak time for hunger as opposed to grabbing an over-ripe banana or processed granola bar before that 9 AM class. (let’s be honest, if you’ve seen my posts you know my on-the-go breakfast can not be considered the standard-college breakfast).
The timing is everything. Late enough to hold you over for an early dinner, giving you time to digest before heading back out.
The taste is the combination of a sweet breakfast and a savory lunch.
Then the standard college debate: walk down the street and buy an over-priced egg sandwich or open the unwelcoming fridge (wow, a real win-win situation here). Today, I went with the fridge. The mantra of “Admire & Inspire” is to grab what you have on hand & surprise yourself by creating something above the ordinary. I found two eggs, a red pepper, spinach, sprouts, and cheese. CollegeTown Bagels (#IthacaAddictions) has some competition. I never like to fold the omelet in half. Why hide what’s inside?Keep it open & see what you’ve created.
The Not-So-Ordinary Omelet
2 egg whites (beaten)
1 egg yolk
Seasoning (Sundried Tomato & Basil)
Frozen Spinach
Red Pepper
Sprouts
Fat-Free Cheddar Cheese
Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese
Sweet Potato pieces on the side.
Tips to step-up your omelet:
- egg whites should be room temperature
- beat the whites before beating in the yolks
- add seasoning/herbs to the eggs
- add a splash of … milk (for richer taster) or water (to increase the volume)
Filed under: College Cooking, Dessert, Freshman Fit-Teen | Tags: dessert, fat free, greek, guiltless, healthy, indulgent, nuts, pistachio, Pudding, splurge, sugar free, sweet, yogurt
Pistachio Ice Cream – yes, perhaps the cliche order (aside from Butter Pecan) of an elderly customer at the ice cream shoppe I worked at for three summers. This summer my mom was SHOCKED to see that I was ordering pistachio flavored ice cream … “you like that stuff?” she said. But hey, maybe it’s true that we learn something from our elders. (or maybe I just got tired of eating the Cookies & Cream and Cookie Dough flavors).
About a week ago I saw an idea to add instant pudding mix to Greek yogurt to make a healthier version of it. – cue Guiltless Splurge motto here – ever since, plain Greek yogurt just isn’t the same. I suppose you could try multiple flavors with this idea, but I went for the old time favorite … Pistachio.
Pistachio Yogurt
Fat Free, Sugar Free Instant Pistachio Pudding
0% Greek Yogurt
Skim Milk
Pistachio nuts
I found with this, as are most things, the measurements are based on preferences. Add about 1 tbsp. of the pudding powder to desired amount of greek yogurt. I found adding a few splashes of milk created a creamier texture and allowed the pudding to bulk up a bit (…just as pudding would).
The second time I made this, I accidently added to much milk. It did not set firm in the fridge and had a runny constistency. I placed it in the freezer to complete freeze. Then, I placed it in the refrigerator where it began to thaw. After crushing and stirring it around a bit, it tasted like pistachio flavored froyo.
Next pudding flavors on the taste list: Banana Cream, White Chocolate, Cheesecake, Butterscotch.
Filed under: College Cooking, Dessert, Freshman Fit-Teen | Tags: arctic, arctic zero, ben & jerry's, ben and jerry's, cheap, chocolate, coffee, cookies and cream, fat free, frozen yogurt, guiltless, healthy, ice cream, low sugar, maple, mint chocolate chip, peanut butter, splurge, vanilla, zero
STORY: About a year ago I came across a product called “Arctic Zero.” It’s an ice cream brand that is sold in pints (and now in bars). Each pint only has 150 calories! Too good to be true? I ordered it off Amazon. . . at the time locations to purchase it were limited. However, after waiting over a month I realized my order was never coming.
PRICE: A few days ago I revisited the website and found there was a location that sold it around the corner. I bought the Vanilla Maple for $4.95. At first I realized it was quite expensive. But remembered that a few nights ago I purchased a kids size ice cream from Tasti-D Lite and it was $4.35 and Ben & Jerry’s pints are at a similar price.
FLAVORS: Vanilla Maple, Chocolate, Coffee, Cookies & Cream, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Mint Chocolate Chip.
Taste: I tried the Vanilla Maple. The first few bites were impressive but after a few you realize it is more of a yogurt and is not the rich Ben & Jerrys flavor. However, on the plus side, it wasn’t as over-filling as Ben & Jerrys. The hint of Maple was a unique touch. I think it would have been better with some toppings or a crunch addition. It would be good for smoothies and milkshakes as a base flavor.
CALORIES: After a few spoonfuls (right out of the pint container) I realized i needed to put it down. Then I realized, 1/4 of the container is ~ 37 calories with only 5 grams of sugar. Needless to say, I took a few more bites.
1/2 cup (4 servings per container) = 45 calories, 0 fat calories, 7 carbs, 2 g fiber, 7 g sugar, 4 grams of protein.
http://www.myarcticzero.com/pints.php
Filed under: College Cooking, Dessert, Food for Contemporary Living, Freshman Fit-Teen | Tags: angel, angel food cake, cake, dessert, egg white, fat free, food, grace, guiltless, healthy, indulge, low sugar, saving, splurge, substitute, tartar
Theme: Milk Foams and Egg Foams
Menu: Cheese Souffle, Chocolate Nut Souffle, Spinach Souffle, Seven Minute White Icing, Chocolate Mousse, Maple Nut Chiffon Cake, Jelly Roll, Angel Food Cake.
Prior to taking my Organic Chemistry exam at 7:30 PM, I was able to endure the stress-relieving task of bake an angel food cake, from scratch. Trying to get the angels on my side for the exam later that night, I was ecstatic to receive the recipe for my favorite type of cake.
We all love the sinful chocolate cake covered in thick icing. However, i find the angel food cake the perfect after-dinner dessert in all types of occasions.
- Summer time: cubed the cake, fold FF cool whip & FF vanilla pudding together, fold in layers of berries or canned pineapple
- Fall time: fold in a can of pumpkin to the batter
- Winter time: Add chocolate/caramel glaze and toasted coconut flakes
- Spring time: use food-coloring to dye the cake pastel colors
ANGEL FOOD CAKE
1/3 cup cake flour
1/2 cup sugar
4 egg whites
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
pinch of salt
1. Preheat oven to 375º.
2. Sift cake flour with ¼ cup sugar two times. Set aside.
3. Beat egg whites until foamy. Add cream of tartar, salt and vanilla and beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add ¼ cup sugar, 1 T at a time. Continue beating until stiff and glossy. Remove the mixer from the egg mixture.
4. Sift one-third of the flour/sugar mixture into the egg white mixture. Carefully fold flour mixture into egg whites. Carefully fold in remaining flour/sugar mixture, one-half at a time. It is very important to fold dry ingredients in until just moistened. If flour is worked too much, it will become tough. Some of the air bubbles, or leavening properties of the egg whites will also be lost if there is too much manipulation of the batter.
5. Pour batter into ungreased 6” tube pan. Bake at 375º for 25-35 minutes until done.
6. Invert pan to cool. When fully cold, remove from pan carefully.
TIPS:
- do not over beat the eggs
- sifting the flour will decrease the amount of lumps
- folding the mixture retains the amount of air in the batter, keeping it lighter
- if you can find a clear vanilla extract, this will result in the pure white color of the angel food cake
Quick Steps of the Jelly Roll:
Angel Food Cake contains no egg yolks. Whereas a sponge cake (the jelly roll) incorporates whipping egg whites and then folding in egg yolks.
Calories in 1 generous slice of Angel Food Cake: 129 calories, 0 g fat, 29 g carbs, 3 g protein.
Guiltless Splurge 