April 12, 2012

Grilled Ham, Cheddar & Egg Breakfast Sandwich with Fresh Strawberries


This is a protein packed simple breakfast sandwich that my daughter really enjoys.

Ingredients:

1 wheat sandwich round
2 medium or small eggs
1 slice medium cheddar cheese
5 very thin slices of honey ham (deli thin)
4 fresh strawberries
A little unsalted butter
Salt & Pepper (for eggs)

Directions:
  1. Use a griddle or large non-stick frying pan.
  2. Heat the griddle
  3. Rub a little bit of butter over entire surface just to coat.
  4. Add the bread and thin slices of ham to the griddle to start heating.
  5. Place cheese slice on one of the sandwich rounds.
  6. Begin to cook eggs, do not break the yolks, add salt and pepper to eggs and cook until middle is almost hard, flipping once or twice.
  7. Add ham slices to the other half of the bread (by this time both sandwich rounds should be a little crispy.
  8. When eggs are finished cooking, add the eggs to the sandwich.
  9. Dice the strawberries in quarters and serve!

Nutrition Information for entire meal:
  • Calories:  383
  • Sodium:   1,075
  • Carbs:     32 net grams
  • Fiber:      3
  • Fat:          13
  • Protein:    20
Sodium is a little high, you can substitute ham for turkey if you are concerned about salt intake.

April 6, 2012

Baby Bok Choy Stir Fry with Lean Pork


I normally do not cook with pork this often, but we were low on items in the fridge.  I had just enough to make an awesome stir-fry, which is actually very healthy on a per serving basis.  The entire meal takes approximately 30 minutes to prepare.  I suggest first chopping the vegetables (my mother taught me a way to cut bok choy so it looks neat - slice at a downward diagonal direction, it make a V shape on the white area, when you get to the green tips, chop downward in thin slices), start the rice, while the vegetables are cooking, cut and prepare the pork.  By the time you are finished adding everything and letting it simmer to thicken, the rice will be finishing.  It takes some practice to get a good flow, but once you know all your cook times, you will be a stir fry master!

Rice: (for low-carb diets, substitute rice for cauliflower rice)
3 Cups water
1 1/2 cup rice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Ingredients:
2-6 oz. thin sliced lean pork
3 cups baby bok choy
1 cup carrots (sliced)
1 can water chestnuts
1 can straw mushrooms
2 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)

Saute pork in:
1 teaspoon ginger spice (pictured below)
1 tablespoon Hoisin
1 teaspoon dried minced garlic/salt mix (grated)
2 tablespoons olive oil

Sauce:
2 cups chicken broth (save 1/2 cup for thickener)
2 tablespoons corn starch
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon Sriracha

Variations:  omit the pork, or use chicken, tofu, beef, or shrimp.
Directions:
Saute'd bok choy, garlic, carrots, and water chestnuts
  1. Prepare rice while you are preparing the other ingredients.  Add rice to water, add butter, bring to a boil on medium heat.  Cover, reduce heat and simmer until rice is tender.  Remove from heat, leave covered and set aside (usually about 15-20 minutes)
  2. Saute water chestnuts, garlic, carrots, and a little garlic/sea salt mix in olive oil for approximately four minutes. *tip, dense vegetables (carrots, water chestnuts) take longer to cook, so these are cooked first.
  3. Add bok Choy and stir fry another 2 minutes.  Turn off heat and set aside.
  4. Sautee thin sliced pork in olive oil, hoisin, ginger, a little garlic/sea salt mix until thoroughly cooked (I am always apprehensive cooking meat so I tend to cook it longer than recommended) about 5 minutes.
  5. Add the pork to the vegetables.
  6. Add the mushrooms.
  7. Add the 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth.
  8. On a medium heat bring to a simmer.  Simmer for 5 minutes.  Stirring often.   Reduce heat.
  9. Mix the corn starch with 1/2 cup of chicken broth.
  10. Add the remaining hoisin, soy sauce, sirachi sauce, and sea salt to the corn starch mixture and stir until the corn starch is dissolved.  Add this  mix to the stir fry and simmer stirring constantly until sauce thickens.   Simmer for another 2 minutes on very low heat - ready to serve!
Use very lean cuts, and remove extra fat, cut in half lengthwise, then into thin 2-inch strips.
Olive oil, Ginger Mix, Minced Garlic & Sea Salt Grated, & Hoisin 
Add Pork and Saute'
Add Pork to Vegetables - Do not drain
Finished.  This is after adding the chicken broth, corn starch mixture and simmering until thickened.
Here is a picture of the spicy Sriracha sauce and Hoisin if you are unfamiliar with these ingredients.  They can be purchased at your local grocery store in most cities.
Sriracha

Hoisin

Gourmet Garden Ginger Mix