Recipe: Black Bean Polenta "Pizzas" with Eggs

This breakfast has a little of everything - healthy fat, a serving of vegetables, complex carbohydrates, and protein! That means it will keep you full for a while. This is one of those weird recipes - if I put the ingredients in the WW point tracker individually, I get 4.5 points. If I add up all the stats and put it into the point finder that way, I get 7 points. I'm going with 5 personally!



--Black Bean Polenta "Pizzas" with Eggs--

-3.6 ounces (or one serving) polenta (I used Food Merchants' Organic Green Chili and Cilantro flavor, available at Whole Foods Market or Cost Plus)
-1/4 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
-1 very small vine-ripened tomato, diced
-1 piece Weight Watchers Reduced Fat Cheddar Cheese Snacks, shredded
-Salt and Pepper to taste
-1/8 tsp. ground cumin
-1 tsp. olive oil
-1/4 red bell pepper, diced
-1/2 small yellow onion, diced
-1/2 cup fat free egg substitute (I use the Safeway brand)
-1 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
-1 La Tortilla Factory whole-wheat, low-carb soft taco size tortilla

Slice polenta into 4 rounds. Spray a small baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray; place polenta rounds on it and bake at 350F for approximately 10 minutes, turning once. Mash black beans and tomato in a small bowl; salt and pepper to taste. Divide bean mixture evenly atop polenta rounds. Sprinkle each round with a pinch or two of cheese. Bake for 6 more minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted and bubbly.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a small nonstick skillet until shimmery. Add onions; cook 2 minutes or until softened. Add bell pepper, salt and pepper to taste, and ground cumin; cook an additional 1-2 minutes or until bell pepper is just softened. Add egg substitute; cook and scramble 2-3 minutes or until firm.

Plate the polenta "pizzas" alongside eggs. Sprinkle all with chopped cilantro. Sprinkle any remaining cheese on eggs. Warm the tortilla for a few seconds and serve it alongside. (I like to make a little burrito with some of my eggs and the tortilla.)

Nutritionals: 349 calories, 10g fat, 13g fiber, 26g protein

WW Points: 7

Recipe: Balsamic Veggie Bagel

This was so delicious, I shared it with my hubby and then wished that I hadn't. I wanted another half! We had leftovers from Noah's, but you could use any bagel and light cream cheese you like. Just be sure to adjust nutrition stats accordingly. The whole thing would be a great and filling post-workout meal, especially after a run. I wanted to make it again the next day but we were out of plain bagels. Wahh!

--Balsamic Veggie Bagel--

- 1 Noah's Bagels plain bagel, split in half (we have them do that for us at the store)

- 2 Tbsp. Noah's reduced-fat plain schmear

- 2 tsp. balsamic vinegar

- Several slices english cucumber

- 2 thin red onion slices

- Romaine lettuce

- 1/4 cup large grape tomatoes, thinly sliced

Spread schmear evenly over 2 bagel halves, then splash on the balsamic vinegar. Assemble vegetables in whatever order you like. Cut in half and eat both, or share (not recommended!)

Nutritionals for the whole thing (for the schmear and bagel only - vinegar and vegetables add a negligeable amount of fiber, calories, protein, and sodium): 330 Calories, 6g fat, 680mg sodium, 2g fiber, 11g protien

WW points: 7

Recipe: Choco-PB-Banana Oatmeal

So I decided to run later and to make oatmeal for breakfast. Since I'm not sure how long it will be before I have lunch (gotta squeeze in that baby visit and a 4-mile run before then), I'm going with one of my favorite higher-point breakfast recipes.

You can cut the points down if you like by omitting the Fiber One, using less oatmeal, or less peanut butter. If I put the ingredients into the WW online point tracker individually, I get 5 points. If I add everything up and figure out the points that way, I get 7 points. So I guess I will count 5 and let you decide for yourself. Inspiration is owed partly to Lisa at www.hungry-girl.com who makes something similar (but without the PB).

I LOVE peanut butter. I LOVE chocolate. This recipe has both. It feels decadent and naughty but has a lot of good stuff going on in it. Fiber, Protein, and Potassium make this a smart pre-workout meal. I should have my kids try it and see if they like it. They get tired of plain Malt-O-Meal and oatmeal with cinnamon and raisins in it. (I decided I was tired of spending so much money on cereal all the time, so we hardly ever have it).

Admittedly, this looks like a bowl of dogfood in the picture, but it doesn't taste like it, I swear! (Hmmm, although, like a dog, I'm always tempted to lick the bowl clean when I'm done).

--Choco-PB-Banana Oatmeal--

- 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats, cooked to package directions
- 1 Tbsp. peanut butter
- 1/2 ripe medium banana, mashed
- 1/4 cup Fiber One Original cereal (you can use another high-fiber cereal if you don't like F1 or can't eat aspartame)
- 1 packet diet hot cocoa mix (I use Swiss Miss 'Sensible Sweets' at 25 calories)
- Splash of Unsweetened Vanilla Almond milk

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Easy, huh?

Nutritionals: 360 calories, 11g fat, 14g fiber, 285mg sodium, 12g protein

WW points: 7