Cheeseburger Omelets

*Back To School Collection-Cook the beef and veggies the night before to make these super-speedy in the morning.

HANDS ON: 30 min * TOTAL: 30 min *MAKES 4

1 TB plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/2 lb lean ground beef
+ Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
+ Several dashes Worcestershire sauce
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 small bell pepper, finely chopped
1/2 small tomato,finely chopped
8 large eggs
4 thin slices American or Cheddar cheese

1. Warm 1 TB oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef; season with salt and pepper, and Worcestershire. Saute', breaking beef up with a spatula, until cooked through, about 3 minutes. Scoop into a bowl with a slotted spoon, leaving juices in skillet. Add onion to skillet, season with salt, and saute' 2 minutes. Add bell pepper and cook about 4 minutes. Add tomato and cook about 1 minute. Stir vegetables into beef.

2. Crack 2 eggs into a small bowl and beat with 2 TB water; season with salt and pepper. Put a small non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1/2 teaspoon oil. Add eggs to pan and immediately pull edges toward center of pan with a spatula to allow uncooked eggs to run underneath; continue until larger pieces of egg have set, then let cook until bottom sets. Shake pan to loosen eggs from bottom and sides of skillet (use spatula if necessary).

3. Tilt pan so half of egg disk onto a plate. Top that half with about 1/2 cup beef mixture; flip other half of egg disk from skillet over top of beef. Immediately top omelet with 1 slice cheese, then cover plate with a pot lid (or aluminum foil) until cheese melts, about 2 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, repeat process with remaining eggs, oil, beef mixture, and cheese to make 3 more omelets.

(Source: dash magazine & photo also)

LABOR DAY LENTILS

Labor Day Collection-A great leftover for brown-bag lunches.

1/2 pound brown lentils, rinsed
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 bay leaves
1 red bell pepper,chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
1 yellow bell pepper,chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup chopped tomato
1/2 cup diced carrot

1/3 cup crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese
1/4 cup thinly sliced kalamata olives
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leafed parsley
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 TB extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Place lentils,garlic and bay leaves in a large saucepan. Add water to cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low,cover, and simmer until lentils are tender, 30-40 minutes. Drain. Discard bay leaves. Transfer to a bowl.

2. Add red and yellow bell peppers, tomato, carrot, feta, olives, red onion and parsley to lentils. Toss to combine.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together vinegar, oil, salt and black pepper. Pour over lentil mixture and toss.

Serves 6

(Source: American Profile-James Killeen, Pasedena, California & photo also)

Waldorf Breakfast Sandwiches

Back To School Collection-HANDS-ON: 20 min *TOTAL: 20 min *MAKES: 4

1 cup 2% cottage cheese
1/4 cup whipped cream cheese
1 TB honey (optional)
1 large green apple, finely chopped (about 1-1/3 cups)
4 oz deli Ham, chopped
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup raisins
4 whole wheat English muffins, split and toasted
2 thin slices provolone or Cheddar cheese, halved

1. Preheat oven or toaster oven to 400 degrees.
2. Combine cottage cheese, cream cheese, and honey with a fork. Stir in apple, Ham, walnuts, and raisins. Divide among English muffin bottoms. Top each with 1/2 cheese slice.
3. Toast in oven until cheese melts, about 3 minutes, and sandwich with muffin tops.

(Source: dash magazine & photo also)

RAINBOW WAFFLES

Back To School Collection-
HANDS-ON : 25 min *TOTAL: 25 min *MAKES 6

1 small orange
3/4 cup whipped,low-fat cream cheese
1 TB maple syrup
6 frozen waffles, toasted
2/3 cup (about 2 oz) blueberries
1 kiwi, halved and sliced
1/2 mango, peeled and cubed
2/3 cup (about 4 oz) strawberries, hulled and quartered

1. Slice ends from orange and stand flat on a work surface. Slice off peel and white pith in vertical strips,following curve of orange. Working over a bowl, cut between each membrane to release orange segments.

2. Stir together cream cheese and maple syrup. Thickly spread onto 1 side of each waffle. Divide orange segments,blueberries,kiwi,mango, and strawberries among waffles and arrange decoratively on top,pressing fruit gently into cream cheese.

(Source: dash magazine & photo also)

BACK TO SCHOOL BREAKFAST RECIPES!!!

(Photos-google+ and Kaboom wallpaper)

Creamy Crab Salad

*Summer Collection-4 servings, start to finish-15 minutes

1 package (8-oz) imitation crab, coarsely chopped
1 rib celery, finely chopped
1 jar (2-oz) chopped pimentos, drained
5 TB mayonnaise
1 scallion (green onion), finely  chopped
1/2 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
Dash hot pepper sauce
Salt
Ground black pepper
1 head Bibb or butterhead lettuce

1. In a bowl, combine imitation crab, celery, pimientos, mayonnaise, scallion, mustard, and hot pepper sauce. Season with salt and black pepper.

2. Rinse lettuce, discarding any damaged outer leaves. Pull leaves from lettuce head. To eat, fill each leaf with a spoonful of salad.

NOTE: If desired, serve salad in a lettuce bowl. To make a lettuce bowl, open up the center of the lettuce head, being careful not to tear the leaves. Spoon crab salad into the lettuce leaves. To eat, pull off outer leaves and fill with a spoonful of salad.

(Source: Sandra Lee- Semi-Homemade cooking cards & photo also)

END OF SUMMER RECIPE FINALE!!!