Okay, okay, I’ll share something healthy. I had a little banter with my friend Cara today about how we tout eating sweets and treats while everyone is tweeting their work-outs, but truthfully, I like to help! I eat healthy most of the time, and this recipe utilizes a few of my favorite substitutes and tricks to make something filling, calorie and fat-friendly, and most importantly – delicious!

You could call this a crustless quiche or frittata or whatever you like, but since the ratio of veggies to eggs is so tilted, I just call it a spinach egg bake. I love throwing dishes like this together using whatever you have in the fridge, and although I make this version for one, you can easily multiply it and bake it in a bigger dish to feed you plus a few others. Just go with the “omelet” method – cook all the filling ingredients before tossing them into the eggs, but top the entire thing with cheese instead of stirring it in.

And for those counting calories – you get the entire bake here for about 375 calories (not kidding!) which I’ve broken down in the recipe below. So enjoy (guilt-free) and celebrate the new you en route!

Eating for one can still be a lovely setting.

Mise en place totally grabbed from my fridge and freezer.

Eggs and whites.

Baked spinach egg cheesy goodness.

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Spinach Egg Bake

Serves 1 (heartily)

I used the entire package of spinach in the pictures above but wished I had only used 2/3, so I’m advising that in the recipe here. There will of course be far less spinach in your version!

Ingredients

• 2 large eggs plus 2 egg whites, beaten (180 calories)
• 1 low-fat chicken sausage, split lengthwise, then cut into ½” slices (80 calories)
• 2/3 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed, and wrung of all moisture (60 calories)
• 2 TBL shredded parmesan cheese (40 calories)
• 1 garlic clove, minced (4 calories)
• 2 TBL low-sodium chicken stock (1 calorie)
• non-stick spray
• salt
• pepper

Directions

1.) Place a small (2 to 3 cup) baking dish or casserole in your oven and preheat to 400° F. Prepare the ingredients while the dish and oven heat.

2.) Beat the eggs with about 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper. Set aside.

3.) Heat a non-stick saute pan over medium-high heat. Spray with non-stick spray and add the sausage. Saute a few minutes until lightly browned, then add the spinach, garlic, and chicken stock. Season lightly with salt and pepper to taste. Saute until heated through and fragrant, about 3-5 minutes. Add the spinach mixture to the eggs and stir to combine.

4.) Very carefully remove the (piping) hot dish from your oven. Spray with non-stick cooking spray and then pour the egg mixture in. Top with cheese and bake for 10-15 minutes until puffed and firm, but not dry. Serve with a green salad dressed with low-cal dressing and feel no guilt!