Clean Eating

I'll be the first to admit that my attempt to change my diet during this journey would probably best be described as "half-assed".  I have really good days, but they are easily outnumbered by my not-so-good ones, and there have definitely been a few embarrassingly horrible ones recently.  

Knowing that I've been impeding my own success (I think they call it self-sabotage) one of my New Year's Resolutions was to cook more (or maybe in my case it should be start cooking!).  So yesterday, armed with past issues of Clean Eating (from this summer when I resolved to start eating healthier!) and a few recent Real Simple Magazines I set out to make a plan for healthier, cleaner eating.  Before long I had a pile full of great, healthy and not too difficult recipes in hand and was ready to head to the store.

I absolutely love Clean Eating Magazine. The photos are beautiful (I refuse to make a recipe that I don't have a picture of), the recipes are simple enough for someone like me (and are really explanatory), their Weekly Menu Plan section includes a shopping list, and, of course, they are healthy! Admittedly there are always a few items that I've never heard of or have no desire to ever try, but for the most part it totally jazzes me up about eating healthily. 

I'll be honest and say that when the Spicy Chicken is in town I do more requesting than  cooking, but the important part is that I'm eating well, right.  We started this morning with a modified version of Clean Eating's MacK Muffin from the September/October 2010, which is a healthy twist on the Egg McMuffin.  The recipe is below (we modified with asparagus because someone forgot to buy the spinach).  

THE MacK MUFFIN (Clean Eating, September/October 2010) 

Ingredients

white vinegar, as needed

1 large egg

olive oil cooking spray

1 cup spinach

1 whole-wheat English Muffin

1 tbsp. light cream cheese

1 slice tomato

Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste

1 tsp. hot sauce (i.e. Sriracha), optional

Instructions

1.  Bring a large, deep saucepan with 5-6 cups of water to a boil.  Add about 1 tsp. vinegar for every cup of water. (Taste to make sure vinegar is barely noticeable).  Lower heat to a slow simmer.  Carefully crack egg into a teacup or large ladle.  Lower into water and pour egg out as gently as possible, careful not to break yolk. Cook until egg white is formed and set and yolk begins to thicken but is not hard (3-4 minutes). Remove egg with slotted spoon or strainer, set aside.

2.  Heat a medium non-stick pan over medium heat and mist with cooking spray.  Once pan is hot, add spinach and saute for 1-2 minutes, until slightly wilted.  Remove spinach from pan and set aside. (if using asparagus, saute the same way).

3.  Toast English muffin.  To assemble, spread 1/2 tbsp. cream cheese on each half of English muffin.  Place spinach on bottom half of English muffin, then add poached egg and tomato. Season with salt and pepper. Finish with hot sauce, if desired, before topping with other half of English muffin.