Breakfast Quesadilla with Egg Whites, Cheese, Spinach & Tomato

When I'm craving something savory in the morning, this is my go-to recipe. It's packed with protein, calcium, and fiber; it constitutes two servings of veggies, and it takes less than 10 minutes to prepare--what more could you ask for in a breakfast?

Make no mistake: I'm no LA chick, and I am not afraid of egg yolks. The nineties are over, folks, and whole eggs are back. In a recipe like this, however, there's enough flavour going on that you don't miss the yolks, so why not save the fat & calories and enjoy some super-lean protein? Adding a little skim or 1% milk to your eggs makes them nice and creamy, too.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups fresh spinach leaves, washed & dried

3 egg whites

1 tsp milk

1 slice of your favourite reduced-fat cheese

1 whole grain tortilla

1 roma or 4 grape tomatoes, sliced

salt, pepper, & hot sauce if you wish

1. Sautee the spinach in a non-stick pan and set aside. 

2. Whisk together egg whites, milk, salt and pepper. Pour them into the pan and scramble (you can toss in a tsp. of butter first if you wish; I prefer not to use butter in my non-stick to avoid extra fat, though it means I have to be more attentive to keep the eggs from sticking too much and making a big mess.)

3. When the eggs are almost finished scrambling, push them over to one side of the pan, making room to warm the bottom half of the tortilla on the other side (you'll be folding the top half over the fillings in a minute; for now it can just hang over the side of the pan.)

4. Place cheese, spinach, and tomatoes inside the tortilla. Add eggs when they're finished scrambling and fold the top half over the fillings. When the cheese has melted a bit, flip the quesadilla over to brown it a bit on the other side. 

5. Slice the quesadilla into four points for easier eatin', and smother with hot sauce. MMM!

nutrition facts:

calories 265;  calories from fat 70;  total fat 7 g;  saturated fat 3 g;  cholesterol 15 mg;  carbohydrates 31 g;  fiber 7 g;  protein 25 g;  vitamin A 152% RDV;  vitamin C 42%;  calcium 30%;  iron 15%