Stuffed French Toast

One thing I have learned about myself over the last 3 years is that the only way I can stay on track with my somewhat healthy eating is that I must trick brain into thinking I am having something totally and completely sinful while, in fact, it is something healthy and good for me. In addition to the whole healthy body thing, the guilt-free eating helps the healthy mind thing. No more guilty conscience for eating things such as sausage and cheese omelets or bacon & egg sandwiches (thanks to those loverly folks at Morningstar Farms who have graced us with their "bacon" and "sausage" that, at this point, tastes better than the real stuff to me).

Today's breakfast fits fully into this category of "feels and tastes sinful but is actually fairly guilt-free." Stuffed French Toast with sausage on the side. In all fairness, I cannot take any credit for this recipe - it is simply my adaptation on a weight watchers recipe. If you are interested in the recipe, it can be found in my favorite weight watchers cookbook: Weight Watchers in 20 Minutes" If you are looking for a cookbook that is packed with awesome recipes sure to be winners with those you cook for, this is one to get. If you want to buy it, here is the link for amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Weight-Watchers-20-Minutes/dp/0470287454/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1274638947&sr=8-1 If you want to check it out first, I got my copy at Borders, so you could drive on over to your local store and take a gander. If you didn't want to buy it at all, I am sure you could maybe find a friend who has it to loan it to you, see if your local library has one you can check out or hope that your photographic memory will serve you well while you read it at Borders (although I wouldn't recommend this move since 1) it is a little unethical and 2) there are so many yummy recipes, it would probably send your brain into overload). The recipe on the cover (the salmon) is a favorite in our house - we actually had it for dinner last night. But I digress. Back to the stuffed french toast...

The basic recipe is a fruit preserves and cream cheese sandwich soaked in an egg-milk-cinnamon-vanilla-nutmeg mixture and toasted. Below are the ingredients I made substitutions for:
Original / Substitution
Whole wheat bread / Tapioca Rice Bread
reduced fat cream cheese / Low fat cream cheese
fruit preserves / sugar free fruit preserves

This both reduces the fat AND the gluten (for those who are trying to have a low-g or g-free diet). It also called for slicing strawberries to top the french toast with, but I just went with a dollop of the preserves - mainly because I was lazy and didn't want to wash and cut strawberries.

I was a little worried since this was my 1st try with the tapioca bread, but it came recommended by my good friend Cindy. And being the good friend that she is, the recommendation came with the warning labels of what not to do (lessons she learned the hard way), so I was fairly confident that the french toast would be a success. And it was. I would definitely do this again. especially if I was cooking for someone I wanted to impress with my cooking skills...like people who knew me way back when I lived on puffy cheetos, frozen pizza and dr. pepper.

Salmon Cakes

A few weeks ago, I picked up a package of Chicken of the Sea Salmon. I love salmon and we eat a lot in this house and I thought, "what could be better than salmon I don't have to cook?" Ha ha! That will teach me to think. I made the mistake of turning the package over and seeing that there was a recipe for salmon cakes on the back...with a picture. Nothing is harder to resist than a yummy sounding recipe that is accompanied with an even yummier looking photo. Ok, not many things...

Anyhow, 2 packages of this salmon have been in my pantry for a few weeks now and I am really trying to be better about using things I have on hand more often, so I decided to make the salmon cakes. The recipe called for some things that I just didn't feel like buying (like green onions) and some things that I find kind of yukky (like red peppers) so I altered the recipe to use just what I had on hand and they turned out surprisingly good. Seriously, they are so yummy that I am thinking about having an appetizer party, just so that I can make them again. If I make them smaller (think bite sized, maybe 2 bites) they would make an awesome appetizer. And if I substitute some lump crabmeat for the salmon, I have a whole other flavor.

The recipe called for a mango salsa, but since I am not so much of a fan of meat and fruit, I opted to not make the salsa and chose a mayo instead. Walking through the grocery store today, I noticed that Kraft has some new, flavored mayos. Once of them is a chipotle mayo. It sounded really really yummy. The only problem is that we use fat-free mayo, or at least the olive oil mayo, in our house and these were definitely NOT either of those. I decided that I could get some chipotle powder and make my own. I was just lucky that 1) chipotle powder exists and 2) they carry it at my local grocery store.

I was a little concerned about the combination of the flavors, and originally thought about making an herbed mayo instead. But when I got home and looked at the recipe, I noticed that it called for garlic powder and cayenne pepper. This meant that chipotle mayo WAS the right choice. Once again, I need to learn to not second guess myself. The recipe for the chipotle mayo is pretty easy: put some mayo in a bowl, sprinkle in chipotle powder and mix. Taste. Repeat step 2 as often as needed until it tastes right. Stop adding the chipotle powder right before it tastes exactly right - it will gain a little more heat as it sits (another lesson learned the hard way). If it does end up being a little on the spicy side for you, just mix in more mayo. Sorry I can't be more specific, this is pretty much how I cook. Actually, usually step 3 is take mixture in to husband, ask him to taste and tell you what he thinks it needs more of.

This has proven to be one of those looks decadent and time consuming but is secretly really really quick and easy recipes...albeit one that is a little messy when it comes to forming the cakes and getting them in the pan.

Salmon Cakes
Ingredients

• 2 pkgs Chicken of the Sea Salmon
• 1/2 c mayo
• 1 egg, beaten
• dried chives (1 palmful or however much you want)
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper (or to taste)
• 1 cup bread crumbs, divided in half
• Olive oil cooking spray
  

Directions

• Mix 1st 6 ingredients and 1/2 cup of bread crumbs in a bowl
• spread remaining 1/2 c. of bread crumbs on a plate
  
• form patties with mixture (size of patty will be determined by purpose - appetizer, form into 2" patties; dinner size, form into larger patties - approx. 3 or 4" across)
• roll patties in bread crumbs
• heat frying pan over medium heat. once heated, spray with cooking spray
• cook salmon cakes over medium heat until golden brown on both sides
• Serve with chipotle mayo (or sauce/topping of your choice)