Breakfast Casserole

I should tell you.. I got this in my D1 notebook.  Easy breakfast and keeps well!

INGREDIENTS

4   large eggs

4   large egg whites

1 cup  nonfat milk

2 tablespoons  Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon of dried italian seasoning

1/4 teaspoon  freshly ground pepper

5 cups  chopped spinach, wilted (see Tip) or 10 ounces f frozen spinach

4 cups  whole-grain bread, crusts removed if desired, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 1/2 pound, 4-6 slices)

1 cup  diced ham 

1/2 cup  chopped jarred roasted red peppers or pimentos

3/4 cup  shredded  Swiss cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a 7-by-11-inch glass baking dish or a 2-quart casserole with cooking spray.

2. Whisk eggs, egg whites and milk in a medium bowl. Add mustard, rosemary and pepper; whisk to combine. Toss spinach, bread, ham and roasted red peppers in a large bowl. Add the egg mixture and toss well to coat. Transfer to the prepared baking dish and push down to compact. Cover with foil.

3. Bake until the custard has set, 40 to 45 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with cheese and continue baking until the pudding
is puffed and golden on top, 15 to 20 minutes more. Transfer to a wire rack and cool for 15 to 20 minutes before serving.

Tips:
Tip: To wilt spinach, rinse thoroughly with cool water. Transfer to a large microwave-safe bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and punch several holes in it. Microwave on High until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Squeeze out excess moisture before adding the spinach to the recipe.

MAKE AHEAD TIP: Prepare casserole through Step 2; refrigerate overnight. Let stand at room temperature while the oven preheats. Bake as directed in Step 3.

NUTRITION FACTS

Calories 290, Total Fat 10 g, Saturated Fat 4 g, Monounsaturated Fat 3 g, Cholesterol 167 mg, Sodium 813 mg, Carbohydrate 23 g, Fiber 4 g, Protein 23 g, 

My favorite simple Coffee Protein Shake

For those who missed it... Here it is again..

4 ounces of decaf coffee

4 ounces of skim milk or water

2 sugar substitute packets

1-2 scoops of vanilla protein powder (lots of people say chocolate is delish too)

5 ice cubes (more if you like a thicker consistency) 

Blend and drink!

Crock pot Chicken Stock / Broth Recipe!

As you know - I am preparing for weight loss surgery and I am on a two week liquid diet. My hubby, John, is on weight watchers and so we are learning to find meals we both can enjoy. Here is a crucial ingredient to lots of soups!

Chicken Stock/Broth. I was told broth traditionally doesn't include salt but it does include meat.. ANYWAYS.. It's is so easy to make! Homemade is so much better and yet we settle for the can!!!  NO MORE! We even make ours in a crock pot!

John found this recipe at Everyday Maven and we tweak it.. I am making several batches to have in the freezer- and it's so tasty it's no surprise they are the base to several more recipes I plan to post this week/weekend! 

• One 3½ to 5 lb chicken (with meat, bones & skin), cut up

• 2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

• water to cover plus about 1″

• 8 to 10″ lemongrass, sliced in half (I use the freeze dried)

• 3 to 4 shallots, cut in half lengthwise (skin on)

• 1 head garlic, cut in half across the middle (skin on)

• 3 to 4″ ginger root, peeled and sliced lengthwise

• 1 bunch scallions, white and darks separated, whites cut lengthwise (greens reserved for soup)

2 to 3 tablespoons Kosher Salt

• 
  
  
  Of course you can also add carrots, celery, green onions and more! Put in the crock pot on low and walk away for 8-10 hours!  
• 
  
• After the stock is done cooking turn off the heat and, we pick out the big stuff and used a strainer to remove all herbs/bones/etc. (We actually used the cooked chicken for something else.)
• 
  
• Either refrigerate or freeze the stock for future use. I plan to freeze some in both 1 and 2-cup portions, and I also plan to freeze stock in ice cube trays just in case I just “need a little” for making sauce or rice. 

So, that's all folks. You can do it! 

Original Recipe Inspiration came from Everyday Maven