Veggie-Packed Poached Eggs Great for Breakfast

Veggie-Packed Poached Eggs with Toast

As a nation, we don’t eat enough veggies. It’s not hard to eat a salad or have cooked veggies with dinner, but getting veggies in for breakfast can be a challenge. Sure there are omelets, but I wanted something quick and easy.

The theme for Recipe Redux this month is to “break out of the breakfast boredom.” For me, I just purchased a microwave egg poacher., based on a strong recommendation from one of my best friends.

Microwave Egg Poacher

I opened my fridge and grabbed raw spinach, a red bell pepper, mushroom, green onion, sharp cheddar cheese, and then to spice it up a bit, some turkey pepperoni slices. I also added some dried dill weed as I love the combination of eggs and dill.

Place eggs on bottom and top with assorted veggies

Assemble any veggies you have on hand

It all goes together very fast and cooks in the microwave for only a minute or two.

Veggie-Packed Poached Eggs

Ingredients:

2 large eggs

6 slices turkey pepperoni, finely diced

1/2 green onion, trimmed & finely diced

1 mushroom, finely diced

1 tablespoon finely diced red bell pepper

1 tablespoon finely diced raw spinach

1/4 teaspoon dried dill weed

1 tablespoon shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese

Directions:

Crack eggs into each cop of the microwavable egg poacher; pierce yolks with fork.

Divide remaining ingredients equally among two cups, on top of raw eggs.

Microwave, covered, for 1 to 2 minutes, depending on how runny you want your eggs and the wattage of your microwave. Let rest for 30 seconds.

Makes 1 serving.

Nutrition Information per Serving:

201 calories, 12 g total fat, 5 g saturated fat, 387 mg cholesterol, 0 g dietary fiber, 19 g protein, and 415 mg sodium. One serving of this low cost recipe provides an excellent source of riboflavin, vitamin D and calcium and a good source of vitamins A and C.

Cost per Serving: $0.83

Pricing Note: all ingredients were at “regular” prices.

Poached eggs right out of the microwave in 1 - 2 minutes

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Philly Cheesesteak Breakfast Casserole a Hearty Favorite

Philly Cheesesteak Breakfast Casserole is Sure to Please

I received beef product mentioned in this post at no cost. By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by The Beef Checkoff and am eligible to win prizes available associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.

I got excited when I heard the Beef Checkoff was offering a recipe contest.  One of the first recipe ideas that came to me was a Philly cheesesteak. I live in northern Delaware, only 40 minutes to South Philly. Cheesesteaks are big here and are many people's favorites. After reading the recipe contest rules, I decided I wanted to do something for breakfast. So, I developed a Cheesesteak Breakfast Casserole that has the red and green bell peppers, onions and provolone cheese combined with an egg/milk/flour mixture. And it all fits into one skillet.

There is new research that shows that eating lean beef as part of a heart-healthy diet and lifestyle can actually help lower your cholesterol levels. In the BOLD study (Beef in an Optimal Lean Diet) published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, study participants consuming lean beef every day as part of a heart-healthy diet saw a 10 percent decrease in their LDL “bad” cholesterol.

How do you identify “lean” cuts of beef? Look for “loin” or “round” in the name. I chose a boneless, trimmed “eye of the round” steak because it is one of the leanest cuts, with only 4.0 grams of total fat and 144 calories per 3-ounce cooked serving and it was less per pound than many of the other cuts in the meat case. For a colorful chart of lean cuts of beef, go to: http://www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com/CMDocs/BIWFD/FactSheets/Many_Of_Americas_Favorite_Cuts_Are_Lean.pdf

Lean beef has less than 10 grams of total fat, 4.5 grams or less of saturated fat, and less than 95 milligrams of cholesterol per 3-1/5-ounce cooked serving.  That means some cuts of beef are as lean as a 3-ounce skinless chicken thigh.

Beef is also loaded with nutrients. A 3-ounce cooked serving provides 48% Daily Value (DV) protein; 44% DV B-12, 40% DV selenium, 36% DV zinc, 26% DV niacin, 22% DV B-6, 19% DV phosphorus, 16% DV choline, 12% DV iron, and 10DV riboflavin.

Many people don’t get enough protein in the morning hours. They do okay at lunch and often get too much protein at their evening meal. The latest research says it is better to spread out your protein throughout the day, aiming for 20 to 30 grams at breakfast,  lunch and dinner.

This Cheesesteak Breakfast Casserole recipe provides 23 grams of protein a serving for a breakfast meal. As I mentioned earlier, it uses only one skillet and prep is easy.  This recipe is kid-friendly, so you can get even your picky eaters to chow down on this breakfast meal. It’s sure to become a family favorite.

Start by freezing eye of the round beef steak, then cutting into thin slices.

Then, brown beef in skillet.

 Then saute sliced onions and bell pepper strips in skillet.

Combine flour, egg and skim milk in a small bowl. Then pour over beef and vegetables in pan. Top with provolone cheese. Bake.

Here is the complete recipe.

Philly Cheesesteak Breakfast Casserole

Ingredients:

8 ounces lean “eye of the round” beef steak

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips

1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips

1/2 sweet onion, peeled and cut into thin strips

3 large eggs

1/3 cup white wheat flour

1/3 cup skim milk

3 slices (2 ounces) thinly sliced reduced-fat provolone cheese, cut into small pieces

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Place beef in freezer for 30 to 60 minutes, until just firm. Using a sharp knife, cut into thin strips. Heat oil in large oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add beef and stir until lightly browned. Remove beef from pan and set aside. Add bell pepper and onion to skillet and cook for 5 to 7 minutes until soft.

Meanwhile, whisk eggs in small bowl. Add flour and milk and mix just until blended. Set aside.

Add beef back to skillet with peppers and onions. Pour egg mixture over all. Sprinkle with provolone cheese.  Place skillet in hot oven and bake for about 13 to 15 minutes, until set and cheese is lightly browned. Carefully remove skillet from oven (remember handle will be hot) and cut into fourths. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition Information per Serving:

277 calories, 14 g total fat, 5 g saturated fat, 186 mg cholesterol, 2 g dietary fiber, 23 g protein, and 371 mg sodium. One serving of this low cost recipe provides an excellent source of protein, vitamins A, B-6, B-12, riboflavin, niacin, and calcium and a good serving of thiamin and folate.

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