Power Breakfast Egg Bake

I start work at 7 am and I'm not a morning person. Since I spend my 12-hour shift running from one patient to the next, skipping breakfast or eating something that isn't nutritious and filling is absolutely not an option. I usually take breakfast to work with me and eat it during report, meaning my workday breakfasts have to be convenient, portable, and provide me with enough energy to sustain me throughout my long morning. Currently, this egg bake is the breakfast that is meeting my needs. I make one every week, cut it into single serving pieces and put them in small containers that I can toss in my bag and microwave at work. It also freezes well so you can make more than one weeks' worth at a time if you want. It takes about 5 minutes to mix up the ingredients and pop them in the oven, and then you've got a whole week's worth of healthy breakfasts.

This recipe is adapted from a Weight Watchers quiche recipe from their New Complete Cookbook. I got rid of the crust completely, as it's a lot of work and calories I don't need. I change up the cheese, herbs and vegetables based on what I have in the house. Today's recipe has broccoli, cheddar cheese and paprika (would have liked to add chives but didn't have any), but I also frequently use feta and spinach with oregano or parmesan and cauliflower with tarragon.

Power Breakfast Egg Bake

5 large eggs

1/2 cup fat free cottage cheese

1/2 cup skim milk

1 cup cheese

1/2 T dried herbs

salt and pepper to taste

1.5 cups vegetables

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9-inch pie dish with cooking spray. Break eggs into a bowl and lightly beat. Stir in cottage cheese and milk until well incorporated. Add cheese, herbs, salt and pepper to egg mixture and blend well. Spread vegetables in a single layer in pie dish and pour egg mixture over the top of the vegetables. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes or until center is solid and edges are golden brown. Makes 5 servings.

Power Hot Chocolate

Hot chocolate is one of my favorite winter treats, so when I joined Weight Watchers I knew I would need to come up with a diet-friendly version. This recipe uses enough cocoa powder to create a decadent chocolate flavor, but is sugar free. I have been drinking this almost every night.

Power Hot Chocolate

1.5 cups skim milk

1.5 T unsweetened cocoa powder

1-2 t Torani sugar free vanilla syrup (to taste)*

Peppermint candy cane (for garnish), optional

Place all ingredients except candy cane in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir until mixture is hot and cocoa powder is fully incorporated. If desired, garnish with a candy cane and allow it to melt into the cocoa to make peppermint cocoa.

*If you don't have syrup, you can use a packet of Splenda and a teaspoon of vanilla extract.

Ricotta Corn Power Cakes with Fruit Fries

I love to treat myself to pancakes once in a while, but those really aren't feasible on my power food plan right now. I devised this recipe from power foods in hopes of creating a passable substitute for my old brunch-time treat, and I must say these are BETTER than regular pancakes! The ricotta cheese gave them a creamy, fluffy texture I've never experienced in a pancake, and the cornmeal gave them a crispy edge that can usually only be achieved by frying in butter. The fruit fries topping was the perfect substitute to sugary maple syrup. I used apples for my fruit topping today, but pears, bananas, peaches, or plums would all be good too.

Ricotta Corn Power Cakes

1 cup corn meal

1 packet Splenda

1/2 t baking powder

1/4 t salt

1 cup ricotta cheese

1 egg

1/2 cup skim milk (more if thinner pancakes are desired)

1 t vanilla

Mix dry ingredients in large bowl. Add ricotta, egg, milk, and vanilla and stir just until blended. Spray frying pan with cooking spray and heat over medium-high burner. Drop batter onto frying pan in 1/4 cup increments, leaving several inches between each cake. Cook about 4 minutes on each side, until cakes are golden brown.

Fruit Fries

1.5 cups fresh fruit, chopped into bite-sized pieces

1 T olive oil

1 t honey (this is not a power food, so you could use Splenda in it's place)

1/2 t cinnamon

Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Add fresh fruit, honey and cinnamon and stir until combined. Continue to cook mixture until fruit softens, stirring occasionally. Cooking time will vary depending on the the type of fruit used. Apples took about 6 minutes.