Mexican Chicken Soup

1 ts olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 fresh jalapeno, finely diced
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 small or 1/2 large can fire roasted diced tomatoes
1/2 very small can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cp fresh or frozen corn
1 TB ground cumin
2 fresh bay leaves
1 chicken breast, boneless and skinless (can be frozen)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro leaves
shredded ff Cheddar cheese

In a large saucepan heat the olive oil. Add the onions and cook for 2 minutes. Once the onions have softened add the garlic and jalepenos and cook for another minute. Pour the tomatoes, chicken broth, tomatoes, beans, corn and chicken breast into the pot and bring to a boil. Once at a boil lower heat to simmer. Cook the chicken for 20 to 25 minutes. Once chicken is cooked remove from pot. When cool enough to handle shred it and put back in the pot. Add the fresh cilantro to the pot.

In a serving bowl add soup and top with cheese.

Makes 6 servings.

Poppy Seed Bun with Cottage Cheese and Orange Marmelade

1 poppy seed bun (see post below)
1 Tbsp ff cottage cheese, mixed with some splenda (in my case, I use Quark)
1 ts orange marmelade.

Yumm!

Panettone French Toast with Strawberries

1/2 of mini panettone (italian brioche with raisins, etc)
2 TB eggbeaters
1/2 capful of vanilla extract
1/4 capful of almond extract
dash of cinnamon
2 TB ff coolwhip
1 cup fresh strawberries
1 TB sugarfree Torani Raspberry syrup
1/2 ts brown splenda

Slice strawberry, and marinade in a bowl with raspberry syrup and brown splenda while preparing the french toast. Slice the panettone into 2-3 slices. Combine eggbeaters, vanilla, almond extract and cinnamon, and let panettone soak up the egg beaters. In a non-stick skillet. heat a few sprays of ICNBINB spray, and keep on medium heat. Brown panettone slices from both sides, and serve with whipped cream and strawberries!

1 breakfast entree + fruit.

Strawberry Shortcake

Cake layer:
1/4 cp Krusteaz pancake mix
1/4 cp butter milk
1 TB egg beaters
1/4 ts vanilla extract
1/4 ts baking powder
1 TB brown splenda

Topping:
4 TB ff Coolwhip (45kcal)
1 cup whole fresh strawberries, halved (45 kcal)

1 TB Torani sf raspberry syrup
1 TB fresh-pressed lemon juice
1 ts sf strawberry preserve

Tools:
small bundt cake form
pastry bag with decorative top
straw

Mix the cake ingredients, and fill in a prepared small bundt cake form (here, the idea is to create a ring for the short cake; a entire round surface might need too much whipped cream and strawberries). Bake the cake batter at 400F for 15 min. Remove from pan and cool.

Once cooled, turn the cake with the decorative side down and the flat side up. Mix raspberry syrup, lemon juice and strawberry preserve. Poke small holes in the flat side of the cake with the straw, and drizzle syrup mix into the tiny holes. Fill the whipped cream in the pastry bag, and decoratively arrange on the short cake. Place strawberries on top. Enjoy!

Short cake is breakfast entree + fruit. 211kcal. You just need a protein.

Panini with Whole-grain Baguette

Whole-grain baguette, roll-like piece (Panera Bread)
1 small ball fresh mozzarella, in liquid, sliced
1/2 ts pesto
1 tomato, sliced
salt, pepper

Preheat panini grill on high (I use the Cuisinart GR-4 Griddler). Slice bread, and pull out the soft inside parts. Layer mozzarella, pesto, tomato, salt and pepper. You could use arugula underneath the mozzarella, but I did not have any at the moment. Heat in panini grill until grill marks appear on bread and cheese is melted.

Poppy Seed Bun and Cheesy Ham Bun

Poppy Seed Bun

2 1/2 tbsp Insta Bake whole grain baking mix
1 tsbp Wheat bran
dash of baking powder
1 tsp poppy seeds
2 tbsp ff milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a single serve mini metal pan with cooking spray. Mix all ingredients together and pour into dish. Sprinkel with more poppy seeds. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until done. Let cool for a few minutes, and serve!

86 calories

Cheesy Ham Bun

2 1/2 tbsp Insta Bake whole grain baking mix
1 tsbp Wheat bran
dash of baking powder
1 tsp bacon bits
1 tsp soy-based veggie cheddar shredded cheese
2 tbsp ff milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a single serve mini metal pan with cooking spray. Mix all ingredients besides the cheese together and pour into dish. Sprinkle with shredded cheddar cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until done. Let cool for a few minutes, and serve!

100 calories

Asian Veggie Burger on Rye Bun

1 CG rye bun (see post below), cut in half and toasted
1 Morning star asian vegetable veggie burger pattie
1 ts ketchup
1 ts ff mayo
3 sweet no sugar gherkins, halved
handful romaine salad
1 small, low-fat mozzarella ball (fresh, in water), sliced

Grill veggie burger in grill pan. Toast rye bun, and arrange with ketchup/mayo, burger, gherkins, romaine, mozzarella and a drizzle of ketchup. Enjoy!