Turkey Eggwhite Strata

Eat Clean Egg Strata

Eat Clean Cookbook, Tosca Reno

If you are anything like me, I struggle to make breakfasts on weekday mornings.  I ultimately want myself and Jim to have a hot meal before he leaves the house, but in the midst of our crazy, hectic lives, I often forget that it takes time to make food - it's not instant!

I was super excited to try a recipe from an old favorite, Tosca Reno's 1st Cookbook, "Eat Clean Cookbook." It's a Ground Turkey Eggwhite Strata.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb lean ground turkey (the 97/3% variety)
• 1 Tbsp EVOO
• 1 tsp poultry seasoning
• 1 tsp sea salt, divided
• 9 egg whites + 3 whole eggs
• Dash of Tabasco sauce (I left this out because I didn't have it - try it and let me know what you think!)
• 2 cups Skim Milk
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp dry mustard
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 loaf sourdough bread (Recipe calls for at least 16 slices - I only used 8). Make sure this bread does not contain high-fructose corn syrup. The best would be a whole wheat sourdough loaf if you can find it! Don't forget to remove the crust.
• 1 cup grated low-fat Monterrey Jack Cheese
• 1 small onion, peeled, chopped fine

Directions:

1. Spray a lasagna pan with Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

2. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a medium-sized skillet. Add lean ground turkey, poultry seasoning, garlic powder, and 1/2 tsp sea salt. Cook meat until no longer pink, breaking up any large chunks of meat while cooking. Once meat is cooked, remove from skillet and pour into a fine mesh sieve to drain fat and liquid.

3. In a medium bowl, mix eggs, 1/2 tsp sea salt, Tabasco (optional), milk, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and pepper. Using a wire whisk, beat egg mixture until frothy. set aside.

4. Time to assemble the strata! With crusts removed, place bread in the bottom of the pan, filling any space that may be left. Add 1/2 of the cooked lean ground turkey, 1/2 of the grated low-fat Monterrey Jack Cheese and 1/2 of the small chopped onion. Repeat the layering process, starting with the bread.

5. Once your two layers are complete, add the egg mixture by slowly pouring it over the layers in the lasagna pan. Cover loosely with tin foil and refrigerate overnight.

6. After refrigeration overnight, remove the tin foil from the strata. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Once the oven is preheated, place the mixture in the oven for 60 minutes and bake to a golden brown. Allow the strata to sit for about 10 minutes to cool and thicken slightly.

7. Enjoy!

Tip: Refrigerate the left overs and you will have breakfast for multiple days!

Servings - 8

Approximate Calories per Serving - 400 (depends on size of eggs and choice of bread)

It's amazing! You will not be disappointed!

Our Story: Scott & Whitney

We are very excited to finally be able to put all of our information and thoughts into one place and hopefully help others! We are often asked what we eat or what workouts we do, so what better way than a blog to help as many couples (and individuals) as possible discover the joys of eating clean?!

We decided for our first post we would basically just tell our story. So, here it goes….

We are Scott and Whitney and we are high school sweethearts. We got married in December of 2007. We were both at a healthy weight when we got married; however,

We gained a lot of weight in the first year we were married

(around 20 lbs each) by dining out frequently at places like On The Border, Chick-Fil-A, Zaxby’s, and McDonald’s, just to name a few.  In September of 2008, we took a trip to see the Cubs in Chicago and once we saw the pictures from that trip we knew that something had to change. Scott started going to the gym in the evenings and after making it part of his daily routine – he was then hooked. Typical of anything he becomes interested in...

He started reading EVERYTHING he could about nutrition and weightlifting.

A few years later, Whitney started paying attention to what she was eating but still was not eating clean enough or following a consistent workout routine. She would do workout videos at home because she was too shy to go to the gym. 

He finally convinced her to the gym and she has been hooked ever since!

What have we been able to accomplish with eating clean (combined with lifting weights)?

• He went from a waist size of 38” to a waist size of 32”
• She went from a size 10 to a size 4

The most important results are that we are both much happier, much stronger, and have much more energy.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What do you eat?

The best (and easiest) way to describe it is that we eat clean, natural, whole foods that have not been modified or altered once they have been harvested or slaughtered. No fried foods, no GMO foods, no chemical preservatives, no refined or added sugars, and no highly processed foods (limited processing is sometimes necessary – e.g. Greek yogurt). Or, for those familiar with the concept,

We eat clean.

Both of us eat every 2-3 hours (6-8 meals a day). Our meals consist of protein, complex carbohydrates, healthy fats, and vegetables. You can view a sample of our meals here.

The second most common question we are asked is...

What workouts do you do?

We do weight training with a mix of cardio & HIIT. Excessive cardio is not the answer if you want a lean body...you MUST lift weights!  

UPDATE: We now have our very own 12-week transformation plan available!

Eating clean is definitely a team effort for us and the mission is to help other couples (and individuals) with tips and tricks to achieve this lifestyle. 

Both of us work full time and spend about an hour in the gym five days a week and several hours in the kitchen each week. We don’t watch much television but to us, it’s worth it! Whitney does most of the cooking and Scott does most of the cleaning. ;-)

Sundays are the days that we normally prepare all of our food for the week. Remember, this is a lifestyle and not a diet! Good luck with your journey!

- Scott & Whitney

Crock Pot Black Bean and Sweet Potato Turkey Chili

Our lives are busy. We barely have time for each other and all of the tasks that annoyingly cloud our to-do lists. Some of us even make a list to make lists! Why not take a little bit of time to slow cook a pot of crock pot black bean and sweet potato chili. Chances are, it will be ready when you are!

Clean Eat Recipe: Crock Pot Black Bean and Sweet Potato Turkey Chili

Ingredients:

• 1 small yellow onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 14.5 oz can fire roasted tomatoes with juice
• 1 15 oz can black beans
• 2 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 lb turkey breast, ground
• 1 bay leaf
• 3/4 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/8 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp coarse grind pepper
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1.5 cup water

Directions:

1. Put vegetables and beans in the bottom of the crock pot.
2. Layer ground turkey breast, spices, seasoning and water.
3. Place lid on crock pot and cook on low for eight hours. (He & She Tip: If you are pressed for time, 1 hr on high equals 2 hours on low.)
4. Carefully remove lid and stir chili. Adjust seasonings to taste.
5. Replace lid, cook for an additional 20-30 minutes on low. Serve.