Egg White Couscous Breakfast Benedict

If I am honest, then I will confess, there are things that one will 'miss' if you embrace a healthy lifestyle.  For us, one of those things is Eggs Benedict - from the selection of the bread base (croissant), the perfect pork (prosciutto), the way the poached egg runs when pierced with a fork, and the richness of the Hollandaise sauce - it really is one of those perfect breakfast foods. However, if one is on the Weight Watchers Points Plus program, an average Eggs Benedict is anywhere from 17 to 25 points - way more than I am willing to spend regularly on breakfast.

So the challenge became to create something that had many of the components of the dish that we missed and do so for under 15 Weight Watchers Points Plus. Here is what you will need on your cutting board to make a serving that is just 12 Points...

• 1/2 cup egg whites
• 1/2 cup tri-color pearl couscous
• 4 oz boneless ham steak
• 1/4 cup white mushrooms
• 1 scallion
• 2 teaspoons Sriracha sauce
• FlavorGod 'Everything' Seasoning
• Olive Oil Cooking Spray
• Fresh ginger
• Salt & Pepper

1. START THE COUSCOUS & COOK THE HAM STEAK - Cook the couscous as per the instructions on the package. For some depth in the flavor profile, I make sure to season the couscous with salt, pepper, and fresh grated ginger.  While this cooks, add a couple seconds of the cooking spray to a small non-stick skillet and start to cook the ham steak, for roughly 2-3 minutes per side. Once cooked, remove and thinly slice into strips.

2. PREP THE VEGGIES - Remove the stems from the mushrooms and cube the crowns. Thinly slice the scallion, separating the white from the green parts.

3. COOK THE EGG WHITES - In the same pan that you cooked the ham steak, add some additional cooking spray and saute the mushrooms and scallion whites. Once cooked, add the egg whites and season with the FlavorGod 'Everything'.  Cook to desired level of firmness.

4. PLATE - The couscous on the plate.  Add the sliced ham steak and sprinkle with about half of the sliced green scallion.  Place the egg whites on on the top of the couscous and ham, sprinkle the remaining green scallions. Drizzle the Sriracha over the top.

Okay - so we don't have a Hollandaise sauce however, we really didn't miss it.  We lean towards the savory end of the spectrum for our breakfast and this fit the bill rather nicely.

Eat Well My Friends...

The "I Don't Want To Cook Dinner" Dinner...

Let's face it, there are nights that you just don't feel like dealing with cooking dinner...tonight was one of those nights. Sure, I could have taken us out for dinner or let my fingers do the walking across the smart phone screen but, I was struck by an inspiration while passing the meat counter at our local grocery store...Turkey, Spinach & Feta patties.

Not including the protein that you select, here is what you will need on your cutting board to create this very simple meal...

• Spinach, kale, or a leafy green that you like (we used spinach & kale)
• Cherry tomatoes (we picked some yellow and red ones)
• Olive oil
• Balsamic vinegar
• Baguette
• Fresh ginger
• Flavorgod 'Everything' Seasoning

1. MAKE THE CROUTONS - Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Cube the bread and place  cubes on a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season with the Flavorgod 'Everything' seasoning. Place in the oven for 8-10 minutes, or until a toasty, golden brown.

2. COOK THE PROTEIN - Be sure to cook all meats to a safe temperature.

3. MAKE THE SALAD - Mix (I used a glass jar) three parts olive oil to one part balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Using a zester, grate the ginger until you have two or three tablespoons. In a large bowl, add the mixed greens, tomatoes, dressing, and the fresh grated ginger - put the lid on and toss.

4. PLATE YOUR FOOD AND ENJOY - Plate the protein and salad, making sure to top the salad with your croutons. 

You might be thinking that it is a huge pain in the rump roast to make your own dressing and croutons but, it really isn't and you have full control over what ingredients craft your end product. Give it a whirl and I suspect that you will find that it takes moderately more effort than selecting, buying, and opening that bottle or box. Oh, the end-to-end time for this Undinner? Just twelve minutes...

Eat well my friends...