Tarragon Swiss Chard

Starting my morning with a healthy dose of vegetables for breakfast helps put me on the right track. I have posted other recipes for filled egg white omelets using a variety of vegetables.  But laziness prevailed this morning and I took the easy route and made a simple puree of Swiss chard and tarragon and plopped it on my scrambled egg whites.  Easy and much less work than an omelet.   Maybe not as pretty, but my taste buds were just as happy.  I haven't figured out what to call it yet, though.  Any ideas?   I even spread a bit of it on a piece of toast and loved that, too. 

The pairing of tarragon and chard was inspired by my friend, Tahirih.  I had shared some tarragon from my herb garden with her and she had stir fried it with beet greens and raved about it.  If you aren't familiar with tarragon, it has a flavor similar to anise.  I have had it in my perennial herb garden for several years,  but hadn't used it for anything other than with a vinegar/oil dressing for potato salad. So I was pleasantly surprised at how well it complimented the chard. You could certainly substitute dried tarragon for the fresh if you don't have any fresh tarragon available.  Do taste the fresh herb before you decide how much you want to use, as it can be overpowering if anise isn't your favorite herb.  

The Swiss chard, kale, beets, peppers and tomatoes in Tom's raised vegetable bins are vibrant and hearty. This photo gives you an idea those bins.  Yes, we already have a few ripe tomatoes in the bin on the left.  

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon coconut oil
1 large bunch Swiss chard
(yields about 1/2 cup chopped stems and 4 cups chopped leaves)
1 small sprig fresh tarragon, minced
1/4 teaspoon Nature's Seasons
1/4 - 1/2 cup water, approximately

Preparation:
Heat the coconut oil over medium heat and saute the chopped chard stems until tender.  Add the chopped leaves, and fresh tarragon, and saute until wilted.  You may need to add about 1 -2 Tablespoons of the water to make them tender.   Transfer to a Magic Bullet or similar device and add just enough water to make the Bullet do its job and get the desired consistency you want. Put it on top of scrambled egg whites, or in an omelet, or spread it on toast. Any of those ways, you are certain to have Summer Garden Pzazz!

Nutrition:
Servings per recipe: 1 cup
Serving Size: About 1/2 - 3/4 cup              
Calories: 68
Total Fat: 4 g
Cholesterol:0  mg
Sodium: 698 mg
Total Carbs:  4 g
Dietary Fiber: 4 g
Protein: 4 g

Zucchini-N-Greens Omelet Filling

This was a trial run of a new attempt to make a satisfying vegetable filling for an egg-white omelet.  To have it turn out so splendidly on my first try was impressive!   That's how easy it was and it filled my desire to start the day with a healthy dose of vegetables.  It combines healthy greens with zucchini, shallots and parsley.  

If you haven't cooked with shallots previously, you are in for a treat.  I was first introduced to shallots at the New Scenic Cafe where the chef cheerfully creates pureed vegetable dishes of the highest caliber to meet my needs. He usually uses shallots as an accompaniment to a main vegetable such as asparagus or zucchini and then adds some type of greens such as spinach or micro-greens.  And the chef graciously tells me the ingredients he used so that I can try to replicate it myself. While I can never equal the fine taste or presentation of the purees he prepares for me, it has inspired me to try new techniques and flavors.  

So what are shallots?  They are often thought to be a variety of onion but they are actually a species of their own. Shallots have a mild taste that combines the flavor of a sweet onion with a touch of garlic.  The beauty of a shallot is that they do not have the firm texture that an onion does when sauteed, so they are ideal for using in a puree.  Tom and I have added shallots to our list of what to plant in the garden next year.  This year, I have been purchasing shallots at the local farmers market and I see them regularly in most grocery stores.

This puree was born out of my desire to use up some of the last zucchini in the garden, as well as the kale that keeps on producing more leaves as soon as I cut them.   Oh,,,,the gifts that keep on giving!   I also long for vegie filled omelets like I ate BC(before cancer).  My new version of them is to use egg whites for the base and then put a pureed vegetable filling in it. The addition of fresh parsley in this filling certainly added to the vibrant color and taste.  And one morning I used up the second portion of this filling and added a new element of roasted winter squash cubes in the filling as well.  Definitely Pzazz!

Garden Kale

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons coconut oil
1 Tablespoon chopped shallot
1 Tablespoon chopped green pepper
1/2 cup peeled and sliced baby zucchini
1 cup chopped kale (stems removed)
4 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (approximate)
Sea salt to taste

Preparation:

Garden zucchini

Heat oil over medium heat and cook the shallot until fragrant and lightly browned.  Add the zucchini and green pepper and saute until almost tender.  Add the chopped kale and parsley and saute until wilted, adding a bit of water if needed.  Puree in a Magic Bullet or similar gadget and place on one half of the egg white omelet.  Cover the pan and continue cooking till the egg whites are completely done.  Fold the omelet in half and enjoy!

Nutrition: (for the filling only; does not include the egg white base) 
Servings per recipe: 2
Serving Size: About 1/4 cup
Calories: 74
Total Fat: 5 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 21 mg
Total Carbs: 7 g
Dietary Fiber: 2 g
Protein: 2 g

Broccoli Filled Omelet

Broccoli Filled Omelet

Yesterday I cooked frozen broccoli florets in the microwave, using a minimal amount of water.  Then I added some broth to a portion of it and pureed it to make a simple broccoli soup and enjoyed it for supper.  I saved the remaining portion to use in my egg-white omelet this morning, because it was thick enough to use as a filling. I simply added about 1/4 teaspoon of  Mrs. Dash Tomato-Basil-Garlic Seasoning Blend to liven it up a bit.  Simple, quick and nutritious.  


Ingredients:
1 cup frozen broccoli florets
3 Tablespoons water

1/4 teaspoon Mrs. Dash Tomato-Basil-Garlic Seasoning Blend  

4 Egg whites
1 Tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation:
To prepare the broccoli filling, cook the broccoli in the water until tender, either in the microwave or in a pan on the stove. Cool a bit, then puree to desired consistency. Add Mrs. Dash seasoning.  To prepare the omelet, whisk the egg whites with a small amount of water (about 1 Tablespoon) to fluff it up. (Season the egg whites as desired.)  Coat a pan with non-stick spray and place on medium heat.  Pour in the egg white mixture. Put a lid on the pan and cook until the eggs are nearly cooked. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese onto the eggs.  Spread the broccoli mixture on one half of the eggs.  Cover again and cook until done. Fold the omelet in half. Slide it onto a cutting surface and cut into two portions.  Garnish each with a sprig of rosemary or thyme.


Nutrition:

Servings per recipe: 2 
Serving Size:  Half of the omelet                         
Calories: 62
Total Fat: 1 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 177  mg
Total Carbs: 2  g
Dietary Fiber: 1 g
Protein: 13 g

Spinach-Chard Filled Egg White Omelet

Earlier this week, my good friend, Julie, and I basked in the glorious sunshine and winter beauty of Lake Superior.  The ice capped rocks, the icicles frozen on logs, the silhouette of bare trees against the azure sky inspired and awed us.   After a quick walk along Brighton Beach we drove further up the shore to New Scenic Cafe for lunch.  The few times that I have been there,  New Scenic Cafe has been eager and cheerful to accommodate my dietary needs by pureeing vegetables and reducing fat, without compromising taste and presentation.   And they have done this at no extra charge.  I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for exquisite food with an amazing view of Lake Superior.  The food has always been delightful and this meal was no exception. Julie and I  lingered over our lunch,  thankful for a window view with bright sunshine and thankful for friendship that has endured many years.  


I ordered a sandwich from the menu that contained slabs of sauteed tofu with spinach leaves.  The waiter said that the chef would be able to easily puree the spinach into a spread for the sandwich.  When the sandwich arrived, I peered inside and was intrigued by the "just right consistency" which wasn't too thin nor too chunky. How did the chef do it? What tool did he use?  When I puree vegetables using my immersion blender or regular blender, a small amount of liquid is required, so the consistency of my creations is generally too thin to spread. My friend asked the waiter the questions about what tool the chef used. (I was too busy snarfing down the delicious sandwich.)  The waiter said the chef used a VitaMix to accomplish it.  Wow.  I am only vaguely familiar with a VitaMix, but know it is quite large and quite expensive.  I couldn't imagine how such a large device could be used for such a small quantity.  But I was on a new mission.  

Spinach and chard stems sauteing

One of my nutritional goals is to include vegetables in every meal.  Doing so for breakfast seems the most challenging.  Before I developed the need to puree my vegetables to prevent obstructions, I frequently made egg white omelets filled with sauteed vegetables of many types. But I hadn't figured out how to puree or pulverize vegetables to a consistency that wasn't too thin for omelets.  The meal at New Scenic Cafe inspired me to try new techniques.  So I dug out the Chopper/Grinder attachment to my Cuisinart Smart Stick and used it to process some sauteed spinach with some chard stems.  

Spinach-Chard Filling on Omelet

After using the Chopper/Grinder attachment, I inspected the mixture.  Hmmmm...would it pass the guideline given to me by my gastroenterologist - i.e. vegetables need to easily squeeze through a tube of toothpaste and without any stringiness.  Not quite.  So then I put the mixture in my vintage General Electric Food Processor, on which only one of the buttons now actually work.  Well, even missing the full range of buttons for processing, it did the trick.   The spinach/chard mixture was just right for placing in an omelet for my breakfast this morning.  It might look ugly as a stand-alone food, but tucked inside an omelet, it was tasty, nutritious, filling, and digestible.

Ingredients:
1 cup loosely packed fresh spinach leaves
1/2 cup chopped chard stems
1 teaspoon olive oil
3 egg whites

Preparation:
Heat olive oil in nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Add finely chopped chard stems and saute until tender, about 10 minutes.  Add chopped spinach and saute until tender.  Remove from pan, cool slightly and then  place in a food processor and process to desired consistency.   Set aside.  Meanwhile, spray the skillet with nonstick cooking spray.  Beat egg whites until fluffy, and add seasoning as desired.  Pour egg whites into the cooking pan and cook gently over low heat, adding a cover to ensure the eggs are done on top.  When nearly finished cooking, spoon the spinach/chard mixture onto half of the omelet and fold the other half over it.  

For variation another time, I think I will add reduced-fat feta cheese and a sprinkle of Greek seasoning and a sprinkle of True Lemon crystals.


Nutrition: (includes egg whites for omelet) 
Servings per recipe: 1
Serving Size: 1 omelet
Calories: 116
Total Fat: 5  g
Cholesterol:  0 mg
Sodium: 204 mg
Total Carbs: 5 g
Dietary Fiber: 2 g
Protein: 17 g