Oatmeal Cranberry Muffins

Ingredients
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
Butter-flavored cooking spray
3/4 cup coarsely chopped frozen cranberries
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons whole grain oat flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup light butter (from a stick), softened
1/4 cup fat free, artificially sweetened vanilla yogurt
2 teaspoons turbinado sugar (aka: raw sugar)
In a medium bowl, stir together the oats and buttermilk. Let the mixture stand for about 20-30 minutes until the milk is absorbed.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line the 12 cups of a standard muffin tin with silicone or foil (not paper) cupcake liners. If using the foil liners, lightly mist them with spray.
In a small bowl, mix the cranberries with the granulated sugar.
Add the flour to the bowl of a food processor or mini-food processor fitted with a chopping blade. Process it for 1 minute. Transfer the flour to a sifter. Add the cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt and sift them into a small mixing bowl.
Add the egg whites, brown sugar, butter and yogurt to a medium mixing bowl. Using a sturdy whisk or spatula, mix them together until they are well combined and all lumps are removed. Then stir in the oat mixture, until just combined.
Stir in the flour mixture until just combined then fold in the cranberries. Divide the batter evenly among prepared muffin tins. Sprinkle the turbinado sugar evenly over the tops. Bake the muffins on a middle oven rack a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry (a few crumbs are okay), about 28-33 minutes. Makes 12 muffins.
Each muffin has: 125 calories, 4 g protein, 21 g carbohydrates, 3 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 6 mg cholesterol, 2 g fiber, 256 mg sodium
Traditional muffins have: 278 calories, 5 g protein, 34 g carbohydrates, 14 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 19 mg cholesterol, 2 g fiber, 171 mg sodium
Devin Says:
These muffins are slightly smaller than traditional, but I love them because they're a great guilt-free add-on to an omelet or other low-calorie, high protein breakfast entrée, particularly for those of us with an undy

Extreme Sausage Sandwich

Ingredients
Olive oil spray
1 egg white
2 Jack in the Box Breakfast Sausage Patties (see next page)
2 slices (1/2 ounce each) 2 percent milk yellow American cheese
1 hamburger bun
Set a spatula, butter knife, and oven mitt by the stove top. Lightly mist a small nonstick pan and the inside edge of a 3 1/2" round metal cookie cutter with oil spray.
Preheat the pan over medium-high heat until drops of water sizzle when splashed on the pan. Pour the egg white into the cookie cutter (hold it in place until the egg is set), and place the sausage patties next to it.
Cook both for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the egg white is set on the bottom and starting to brown. With the butter knife, loosen the egg white from the cutter. Wearing the oven mitt, remove the cutter. Flip the egg white and the sausage patties.
Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the egg white is no longer runny and is just starting to brown on the bottom. Transfer the egg and sausage to a clean plate and place 1 slice of cheese on each sausage patty. Cover loosely with a lid to keep warm.
Place the bun top and bottom, cut-sides down, in the pan. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until toasted. Place the bun bottom on a plate. Top with 1 sausage patty (cheese-side up), the egg white, the remaining patty (cheese-side down), and the bun top.
Makes 1 serving: 357 calories, 38 g protein, 25 g carbohydrates, 11 g fat, 5 g sat. fat, 2 g fiber Original Jack in the Box Extreme Sausage Sandwich: 673 calories, 29 g protein, 32 g carbohydrates, 48 g fat, 17 g sat. fat, 2 g fiber
Devin Says:
To save time in the morning, you can cook the sausage patties the night before. In the morning, reheat the patties in a 400 degree F oven while the cheese melts over them. Quickly fry the egg white (skip the cookie cutter) and throw them together. The whole process will take less than 5 minutes. You can also make the patties in bulk and freeze them, uncooked, for up to 2 months. The recipe doubles, triples, even quadruples.
To make this sandwich look exactly like Jack's, you'll need a round 31/2"-diameter cookie cutter. Or you can use a silver dollar pancake pan or the inside of any 3-1/4" diameter tuna fish can with both ends removed to fry the egg. But even if you don't have any of the above, don't despair. As long as you have a good nonstick skillet and make sure it is hot, the egg white will fry well without running too much. The finished sandwich won't have the perfectly processed look of the original, but it will taste just as yummy.

Ingredients
1 pound extra-lean ground pork or pork tenderloin, ground
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
In a mixing bowl, combine the pork, sugar, maple syrup, salt, black pepper, red pepper, and garlic powder. With a fork, mix to blend well. Divide the mixture into 8 equal portions. One at a time, shape each portion into a ball and then flatten into a 4" patty on a sheet of waxed paper. Continue until all of the patties are formed.
Place the patties in a single layer or stack between sheets of waxed paper in an airtight plastic container. Refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Makes 8, enough for 4 servings (2 patties each) Each serving: 155 calories, 24 g protein, 5 g carbohydrates, 4 g fat, 1 g sat. fat, trace fiber

Double Chocolate Biscotti - 2 pts

About 32 biscotti

Active Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 3/4 hours

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 cup sugar, or 1/2 cup Splenda Sugar Blend for Baking
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 5 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped, or chocolate chips, melted (see Cooking Tip)

Preparation

1. Position rack in the center of the oven; preheat to 325°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
2. Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. In another large bowl, beat eggs, egg yolk and sugar (or Splenda) with an electric mixer until thick and pale yellow, about 2 minutes. Beat in vanilla and melted chocolate. Stir in the dry ingredients with a wooden spoon until just moistened.
3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead for 1 minute, then divide in half. Roll each piece into an 8-inch log; flatten slightly to about 3/4 inch high and 3 1/2 inches wide. Place the logs side by side on one of the prepared baking sheets.
4. Bake until lightly browned and firm, about 20 minutes. Cool on the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Keep the oven on; switch the oven racks to the upper and lower thirds of the oven.
5. Slice the logs on the diagonal into cookies 1/2 inch thick. Arrange, cut-side down, on the 2 baking sheets. Bake for 10 minutes. Turn the biscotti over and rotate the pans from top to bottom; bake until dry, 15 to 20 minutes more. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Tips & Notes

• Make Ahead Tip: Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

• Cooking Tip: To melt chocolate:
• 1. Bring 1 inch of water to a simmer in a double boiler set over medium-high heat, then place chocolate in the top pan. (Alternatively, to improvise a double boiler, place chocolate in a heat-safe mixing bowl that fits snugly over a pan with 1 inch of simmering water.) Stir until half the chocolate has melted. Remove the bowl and continue stirring until the chocolate has fully melted. Cool for 5 minutes at room temperature.
• 2. Place the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on High for 1 minute. Stir well, then continue microwaving in 30-second increments on High until two-thirds of the chocolate has melted, stirring well after each heating. Remove the bowl and continue stirring until all the chocolate has melted. Cool for 5 minutes at room temperature.

Nutrition

Per biscotti: 97 calories; 2 g fat (1 g sat, 1 g mono); 26 mg cholesterol; 15 g carbohydrates; 3 g protein; 1 g fiber; 79 mg sodium; 46 mg potassium.
1 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 1 starch
Nutrition Note: Per biscotti with Splenda: 1 Carbohydrate Serving; 88 calories, 15 g carbohydrate

Polenta Biscotti - 1 pt

4 dozen biscotti

Active Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup fine cornmeal, or polenta (see Note)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons mild-flavored olive oil, or canola oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

1. Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 325ºF. Coat 2 large baking sheets with cooking spray.
2. Whisk flour, sugar, cornmeal (or polenta), baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Whisk eggs, oil and vanilla in another bowl until frothy and well combined. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir with a spoon until a soft dough forms.
3. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured work surface. Divide it in half and shape each half into a log 12 inches long by 2 inches wide. Brush off excess flour and place the logs on one baking sheet.
4. Bake the logs on the upper rack until almost firm when pressed on top, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on the pan for 20 minutes; reduce the oven temperature to 300º.
5. Place the logs on a cutting board and slice diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices using a serrated knife. Divide the biscotti between the 2 baking sheets, standing them up about 1 inch apart.
6. Return the biscotti to the oven and bake until lightly colored and dry, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool (the biscotti will crisp as they cool).

Tips & Notes

• Make Ahead Tip: Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

• Note: Imported varieties of coarsely ground cornmeal may be labeled "polenta"—that's what you need for this recipe. Porridge made from the cornmeal is also called polenta, so it can be confusing.

Nutrition

Per biscotti: 48 calories; 1 g fat (0 g sat, 1 g mono); 13 mg cholesterol; 9 g carbohydrates; 1 g protein; 0 g fiber; 28 mg sodium; 10 mg potassium.
1/2 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 1/2 other carbohydrate

**Have with Hot chocolate for breakfast