Tex-Mex Breakfast Tacos

These breakfast tacos are soooo tasty! I use corn tortillas not only to keep the calories lower compared to flour, but for the authentic Tex-Mex taste. The tortillas are broiled in the oven to where they just start to char - which adds an extra depth of flavor that is amazing! A little jarred salsa adds some moisture and flavor to the eggs, but the diced tomatoes, onions, and jalapenos with a sprinkling of lime juice adds a layer of freshness. Each taco is about 155 calories.

Yield: 4 tacos

Ingredients:

4 corn tortillas (50 calories each)

Cooking spray

3 eggs

1/4 cup fat-free refried beans

1/4 cup reduced-fat shredded Mexican cheese blend

2 tablespoons salsa or picante sauce (I like Pace Chunky Hot Salsa)

1/4 cup diced Roma tomatoes

1/4 cup diced red onion

1/4 cup diced jalapeno (seeds removed before chopping)

Juice from 1/2 lime

2 tablespoons cilantro leaves

Directions:

1. Turn on oven broiler to high and and adjust rack to top position.

2. Combine diced tomatoes, onions, jalapenos, and lime juice in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.

3. Place refried beans in a small bowl and cover with a paper towel. Microwave 1 minute. Remove from microwave and stir. Add a small bit of water if needed, to make into a spreadable consistency. Set aside.

4. Spray a large skillet with nonstick cooking spray and heat over medium. Crack the eggs into the skillet and immediately scramble with a spatula. Cook until eggs are just done but still moist, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside and keep warm.

5. Place the tortillas on a cookie sheet and spray each of them lightly with cooking spray. Broil until just starting to char, about 2 minutes (or less - watch them!).

6. Remove tortillas from broiler and spread each tortilla with 1 tablespoon of refried beans. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of shredded cheese on top of the beans. Return to broiler for 1 minute, to melt cheese.

7. Remove tortillas from oven and transfer to serving plates. Divide the scrambled eggs evenly among the tortillas, spooning them on top of the beans. Spread 1/2 tablespoon of salsa over each egg. Divide the fresh tomato mixture evenly among servings and spoon over the salsa. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro, and serve with fresh fruit on the side.

Super Low-Calorie, High Volume Vegetable Soup

I made this soup one afternoon when I was hungry, but it was still hours away from dinner. Instead of munching on cookies, chips, and other high-calorie (but unsatisfying) snacks, I decided to throw together a bowl of veggie soup, keeping it as low calorie as possible - but making sure the volume was high enough to get me through the afternoon until dinner. Boy, did this work! This made a HUGE bowl of veggie soup, it was tasty, satisfying, and filling - and according to verywellfit.com's recipe calculator, only 71 calories!! I need to make a bigger batch of this soup and keep it on hand for the afternoon munchies.

Yield: 1 serving

Cooking spray (I use avocado oil)

1/4 yellow onion, thinly slice

1/2 medium carrot, thinly sliced

1 small celery stalk, thinly sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tablespoons cooked white beans (I used cannellini)

1 teaspoon tomato-chicken bouillon granules (I used Knorr)

1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules (I used Knorr)

1/4 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

3 cups water

1 cup raw baby spinach, long stems removed

1 tablespoon fresh Italian parsley, chopped

1/2 small lemon

1. Spray medium saucepan lightly with cooking spray. Heat over medium heat for 3 minutes. Add onion, carrot, and celery. Stir and cook for about 5 minutes, until tender and starting to brown. Add garlic and cook for one additional minute. 

2. Stir in water, tomato-chicken bouillon, chicken bouillon, Italian seasoning, and thyme leaves. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 10 minutes.

3. Add spinach and parsley. Cover and simmer for 2-3 minutes longer, until leaves are wilted.

4. Serve with a splash of lemon juice.

<a href="https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076" target="_blank"><img width="320" height="651" src="https://www.verywellfit.com/thmb/5mfAZ7OncDMczIQL3KypuxMEGi0=/1000x0/Nutrition-Label-Embed-282707599-a6e71284511d449eb1c4a1e616d89038.png" /></a>

(This was supposed to copy and paste my recipe's nutritional values here but it didn't work. 😔)

Chicken Soup

This morning I was really craving a bowl of broth-based soup with rice and beans. That sounds so specific, but it's what I wanted. I also had a container of cooked chicken breast that I needed to use up, so I created this soup and had it for a very early lunch (or late breakfast?). It was so delicious and really hit the spot!

1 teaspoon olive oil

2 carrots, thinly sliced

2 stalks celery, thinly sliced

2 spring onions, thinly sliced, whites and greens separated

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger*

1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules

6 cups chicken broth

1 can white beans, drained 

2 teaspoons lite soy sauce (reduced sodium)

1 teaspoon rice vinegar

Hot cooked rice

Heat olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add carrots, celery, and the spring onion whites. Cook and stir for about 2 minutes, then cover and reduce heat to medium low. Allow the veggies to steam and soften for about 5-7 minutes. 

Add chicken and seasoning; stir to mix well. Add chicken broth, beans, soy sauce, and rice vinegar. Stir gently and raise heat to high and bring to boil. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for about 10 minutes.

Place 1/2 cup of rice in a bowl and ladle 1 to 1 1/2 cups of the soup over the rice. Top with some of the sliced green parts of the spring onions to serve.

*If I had fresh ginger on hand, I would have minced some to add to the soup.

Yield: about 10 bowls. Each bowl of soup without rice is about 95 calories; 1/2 cup of rice adds about 120 calories.