Lighter Lobster Eggs Benedict
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Ahoy there friends! I apologize for the lack of update yesterday, my husband decided it might be fun to give me ANOTHER awful cold that I’m beginning to fear may be the flu. I just can’t seem to catch a break this January! But, life goes on and I have a ton of stuff due this week, so I’m truckin on! Plus, it’s SKINNY BRUNCH WEEK and I couldn’t possibly sit that out! So, to kick off a week dedicated to the best meal in the universe, I’m sharing an absolutely magnificent lighter lobster eggs benedict made with a lobster hollandaise sauce!
Eggs benedict is my go-to for almost every brunch I go to. I just can NOT resist a perfect poached egg. The runny yolk, the beautiful presentation…I’m utterly addicted.
As much as I LOVE eggs bene, it’s definitely not an “every Sunday” kind of meal. Well, unless you want to weigh 1500 pounds. The reason behind the huge calorie count is the hollandaise sauce. I mean, what do you expect from a sauce made purely of butter and eggs? So, to save a bunch of calories, I whipped up a lighter version of this sauce to go on top my eggy, lobster creation.
Except, it’s not just regular hollandaise. I added small, teeny tiny bites of super chopped lobster to it! Hence, the small little chunkies. So not only is there lobster underneath the egg, there’s little lobster chunkies in the sauce!
I simply chopped a few of those tails into teeny, tiny pieces and whisked them into the sauce when it was done on the stove top. Simple, easy and oh so freakin’ delicious. If you want, omit the lobster and sub in your favorite seafood, like crab or shrimp! I just love using lobster b/c it really glams up the dish and adds such a pretty color contrast. Oh, and it’s just so damn delicious.
Lighter Lobster Eggs Benedict
Serves 2.
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: >10 minutes
Ingredients:
For the benedict:
- 2 whole wheat biscuits or english muffins
- 2 eggs, poached (see how to poach an egg here)
- 1/3 cup baby arugula
- 2 tablespoons chopped tomato
- 2 pieces part-skim sliced cheese
- About 1/4 cup chopped lobster tail meat
For the sauce:
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 cup nonfat buttermilk
- 1/4 cup light cream
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- About 2 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped lobster meat
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- To make the sauce: Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium high heat until golden brown. Remove from heat and pour into a bowl.
- Return saucepan to heat and add 1/4 cup cream, corn starch and salt and pepper. Whisk the mixture constantly until smooth. Gradually whisk in the egg and buttermilk until sauce is smooth. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice and lobster meat until sauce appears slightly chunky.
- To make the benedict, toast the english muffin bottom or biscuit in a toaster. Immediately place the cheese over the muffin when done so it melts. Top the cheese with 1/4 cup argula, about 2 1/2 tablespoons lobster meat and one poached egg. Pour about two tablespoons of lobster sauce over the egg and garnish with chopped tomato and black pepper. Eat immediately.
Nutritional information per eggs benedict:
Calories: 295
Fat: 12 grams
Carbohydrates: 18 grams
Fiber: 3.5 grams
Protein: 29 grams
Weight Watchers Points: 7
Claire
Tags:egg benedict recipe, lobster recipes, low fat hollandaise sauce recipes
Buffalo Chicken Macaroni Salad
UGH, what a morning. I’ll spare you all the gory details but let’s just say I fainted for the first time ever and was crying in my bed. So, that’s why this post is 15353535 hours late. But don’t worry! I’m totally fine now. I’m just taking it easy on the couch. And you know I couldn’t possibly go a weekend without sharing this buffalo chicken macaroni salad recipe. Because buffalo chicken is LEGIT.
I just love buffalo sauce. I would drink it if the thought alone didn’t send me into convulsions and give me ulcers in my belly. I just don’t understand how a sauce can be SO good. However, it’s usually paired with less than healthy things like wings and blue cheese so I don’t enjoy it as much as I’d like. Well, that was until I made this salad. Now I’m going to make it every day and turn into a bright orange macaroni noodle before you know it.
You’re going to love me because this salad is SO low fat. There is less than 5 grams of fat PER 1/2 cup. I know, you want to kiss me. Which, after the morning I’ve had, I totally would appreciate. This allows all of the buffalo chicken lovers out there to enjoy their favorite without giving up their skinny jeans or their non-flowy tops.
Besides making the best weeknight meal ever, wouldn’t this salad be PERF for the Super Bowl? No need for high fat wings when you have this by your side! Just don’t put it near you or you’ll end up eating the whole bowl which will make you have to make another bowl for your husband who you promised a buffalo chicken salad for. NOT like that happened with me, duh. Of course not. I know moderation here folks.
For the AMAZING recipe for this buffalo chicken macaroni salad, CHECK IT OUT here on SHE KNOWS!
Nutritional information per serving (about 1/2 cup):
Calories: 236.25
Fat: 4 grams
Carbohydrates: 24.75 grams
Fiber: 6 grams
Protein: 20 grams
Weight Watchers Points: 5
Claire
Tags:buffalo chicken recipes, healthy recipes, low fat recipes, macaroni salad recipes
The Great Wild & Wonderful Washington State [Part 1]
So, remember how I went to Washington state back in October for an entire week and then totally forgot to share any of the photos from my trip? I am so far behind on my travel recaps it’s a little sad, given how much I live, breath and sleep traveling. But, better late than never so here’s part one of my recap of the great wild & wonderful Washington state.
I had the amazing opportunity to fly out to Washington and visit so many incredible cities and islands during my week long stay. The fabulous Torie at Green Rubino PR put together an outstanding itinerary, giving me the chance to see more than just one city or part of Washington! So, despite having a bit of a credit card mishap when I landed, I managed to check into the stunning Pan Pacific Hotel in Downtown Seattle without any hiccups.
Guys, you have to see the room I had. I never wanted to leave.
Not a bad view, right? After I settled in, I sat down at the dining table to enjoy my three-course dinner, courtesy of the hotel! Think of it as the best room service you’ve ever had. OH, and they brought in four wines to taste. Just for me!
And then my camera died, fail whale. The filet I had after this chicken was flawless. Perfectly pink in the middle with a side of fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth mashed potatoes. I was so stuffed by the end of it, I couldn’t even eat the dessert! If you get a chance, friends, STAY at the Pan Pacific. The service is impeccable, the location is amazing and the food is..well, you saw 🙂 After dinner, I went out with the Green Rubino girls to Triple Door to catch a Scottish band perform. Not a bad way to end the night!
The next morning was BUSY! Torie and I did some exploring around the area my hotel was at, including a stop at Tom Douglas’s Bravehorse Tavern for some pretzels and the healthy and delicious Portage Bay Cafe for lunch.
The shrimp, chicken and soba noodle salad I had was amazing! I’m not lying when I say it was one of the best salads I’ve ever had. Torie opted for the French toast bar and um, it looked pretty stellar too! Despite an amazing lunch, I couldn’t really eat because I knew I had to travel via REALLY TINY PLANE to the San Juan islands. I was really excited to see the islands but was NOT excited about the tiny plane, given my fear of flying. Luckily the beautiful Shannon (a PR rep with the hotel management group, Columbia Hospitality, that brought me out to Washington) was going with me.
Not only was the flight not scary, it was one of the most soothing plane rides I’ve ever taken. (Thank you Kenmore Air!) Maybe it’s because I could see the pilot (and see that he wasn’t a nut-job/or terrified) or because the view was so stunning I couldn’t help but relax and take it all in.
Even the landing was fun! We landed on water, like a water taxi. The view when we arrived at Friday Harbor was just as pictureesque. There’s something so relaxing and vacation-y about seeing a bunch of boats on a harbor. It reminds me of a life so less complicated than the one I lead.
The manager of the hotel I was staying at for the next two nights greeted us on the docks and took us the 2 feet to the hotel, The Friday Harbor House. My room overlooked the marina and it was, easily, the most amazing view I’ve ever had in a hotel room. The room itself could have used just a bit of upgrading (it was a little rustic for my taste), but the amazing property location and view made up for ALL OF IT.
After viewing another one of the properties on the island, we stopped into a super cute little tavern, Cask and Schooner, for drinks and an appetizer.
After some drinks here, we stopped into the adorable little restaurant called The Place for a dinner overlooking the harbor. It was good, but nothing really to write home about. The next morning, Shannon and I stopped into a cute little bakery, Cafe Demeter, to have breakfast with the tourism board director of the islands.
After the meeting, Shannon and I did a bit of walking around before she had to go back to Seattle for a meeting. We had so much fun hanging out together, it was sad to see her go! I love when PR people turn into friends!
After she left I decided to go back to my room and get a little work done. Then, at about 4, I decided it was time for wine on the patio. I’ve never felt so relaxed in my entire life. There were no sounds of loud cars honking, people yelling or sirens wailing. It was just me and nature, and let me tell you, I NEEDED that.
After wine it was time for dinner with Brian, the manager of the Friday Harbor House, and another employee who worked at the other resort on the island. Dinner was at The Bluff, the restaurant attached to my hotel. I’d heard amazing things about the restaurant from everyone thus far so I was pretty stoked to try everything! And boy did the chef deliver. To this day, I still dream of the rosemary apple pie!
On the menu was a creamy soup with a crispy brussel sprout, a fresh green salad with goat cheese and walnuts, fresh caught salmon with figs and sea salt foam, perfectly cooked strip steak with a savory bread pudding, rosemary apple pie, a salted chocolate tart and a whiskey cocktail made with tree bark (it tasted better than it sounds!)
An amazing meal and even better company. I love my job because I get to sit down with so many different people from all different kinds of walks of life and just hear their story. There wasn’t a dull moment at dinner and it’s just so fun to learn about other people, why they do what they do, how they found it, etc. After dinner I went back to my room and enjoyed a cozy fire. I did NOT want to leave the next morning! I got up super early though so I could get a few more moments of tranquility before heading back to Seattle.
PHEW. I have three more cities and more amazing photos to share in part two next week, so stayed tuned!
Low-fat Strawberry Banana Mousse
Are you ready to meet your new favorite dessert? I know, sounds a little cocky, but trust me, I don’t mean it that way. I just mean…after one bite, you’ll literally fall to the ground and scream of pure joy. Not only because of the taste, but because of the basically non-existent calories and fat too (as in, less than 1 gram of fat per ramekin).This low-fat strawberry banana mousse is the perfect light dessert for any day, any season, any person! Trust me.
It’s life-changing, for me at least. So fluffy, so light and airy yet so FULL of incredible strawberry and banana flavor. It tastes like my favorite smoothie, but in a portable dessert form.
As much as I love mousse, I don’t make it a whole lot. Usually because it requires a whole bunch of ingredients that I never seem to have on hand, like evaporated milk or pudding mix. Luckily, this recipe calls for none of that! Just some 2% Chobani (I’m an addict), fat-free whipped topping, sugar and fruit! I’m not pulling your legs friends, that’s all that is in these little ramekins of looooovvve (said in my Barry White voice).
With Valentine’s Day coming up, don’t you think these pretty pink desserts would make the perfect end to your romantic meal at home? Plus, they are SO light and airy, they won’t fill you up or weigh you down when you’re getting jiggy with it. (Or, when you’re taking a bottle of wine to the face while watching a Bridget Jones movie).
Low-fat Strawberry Banana Mousse
CLICK HERE FOR THE PRINTABLE VERSION OF THIS RECIPE!
Serves about 5. Recipe slight adapted from Cooking Light.
Prep time: >10 minutes
Freeze time: 4+ hours
Ingredients:
- 1 cup strawberries, quartered
- 1 cup sliced banana (About 1 large banana)
- 3 tablespoons white sugar
- 1/2 cup 2% Chobani plain Greek yogurt
- 1 1/2 cups fat-free whipped topping (thawed)
Directions:
- Place the strawberries, the bananan and the sugar into a food processor. Pulse on low until mixture is pureed. Pour into a chilled mixing bowl (preferably a metal one).
- Add Greek yogurt and whip using a whisk until yogurt is fully incorporated Using a spatula, fold in the whipped topping (not stir) until completely mixed in.
- Pour mixture into 5 ramekins. Place on a cookie sheet and freeze for 4 hours, or until set. Remove from freezer and chill in the refrigerator for another hour, or until defrosted. Serve immediately!
Nutritional information per ramekin:
Calories: 101.6
Fat: >1 gram
Carbohydrates: 19.8 grams
Fiber: 1.2 grams
Protein: 2.8 grams
Weight Watchers Points: 2
Lobster BLT Rolls
It may be 55 degrees here this morning, but it’s SO DREARY. It’s windy, grey, rainy and super foggy, which makes it even harder to get out of bed on a Monday morning. Despite the weather, I’m feeling quite summery/Caribbean today. I blame the mint colored pedicure I got yesterday but I can’t get visions of white sandy beaches, bikinis and palm trees out of my brain. To celebrate my summer state of mind, I’m sharing a recipe I made last week for lobster BLT rolls. You really can’t get more summer than that.
Y’all went crazy for this photo when I shared it on Facebook and Instagram, so I’m convinced the rest of y’all are ready for warmer weather too 🙂 But even in the dead of winter, this roll is incredible. The tangy lobster salad, the crunchy bacon, the fresh arugula and juicy tomatoes are just so perfect together, I wonder why I haven’t seen them paired before. I’m salivating again just looking at this gorgeous sandwich and remembering how incredible it tasted.
Now, I know BLT’s aren’t often synonmous with healthy eating. Which is precisely why I took on the challenge of lighting it up! Instead of heavy mayo and full-fat bacon, I subbed in 2% Chobani and turkey bacon! And trust me guys, you can’t taste a bit of difference. Each juicy, crunchy and scrumptious bite tastes like a warm, perfect summer day. Paired with your favorite IPA, this is the perfect dinner to beat those winter blues.
Since I couldn’t eat this with my toes in the sand and the sound of the rolling ocean, I enjoyed it while watching the cinematic genius also known as Blue Crush. If you can’t have the ocean, you can at least have the eye candy that is known as Matthew Davis shirtless.
For the delicious lobster roll recipe, visit the article HERE ON SHE KNOWS!
Nutritional information per sandwich:
Calories: 390
Fat: 12 grams
Carbohydrates: 38.5 grams
Fiber: 8.5 grams
Protein: 26.5 grams
Weight Watchers Points: 9
Claire
Tags:BLT recipes, chobani recipes, lighter recipes, lobster recipes, sandwich recipes
