The holidays have finally passed by.
For many of us, that means it's high time to get back on a healthier eating track in hopes of taking off those excess pounds around the midsection.
Scotty McAlarney has got the perfect recipe for you - one that's as tasty as it is good for you.
It's his Zesty Zucchini Breakfast Pancake, the winning entry in this week's Local Flavor: Recipes We Love contest. For his efforts, Mr. McAlarney received a $100 gift certificate from Ray's ShurSave Supermarkets, which has locations in Old Forge, Waymart, Factoryville and Montrose.
An Olyphant resident and well-known area golf instructor - he's the owner of A Swing for Life Golf Academy and Scott Greens Golf Club in Scott Twp. - Mr. McAlarney long ago embraced a healthy approach for his cooking.
"I'm big on nutrition. Sometimes I think I'm a frustrated nutritionist," he said with a laugh.
It's a philosophy he's tried hard to instill in his students.
Eat healthy
"I tell the kids all the time, you want to be healthy, it starts in the kitchen," said Mr. McAlarney, who's also the golf coach at Mid Valley Secondary Center. "I stress very much not only the importance of eating a good breakfast before they start their day, but also making sure that what they're eating is healthy, and filling."
The Zesty Zucchini Breakfast Pancake falls squarely in that category.
Mr. McAlarney came up with the recipe on the fly one morning last summer. He told his wife, Jill, that he was going to make her an egg white omelet with fresh zucchini, one of his favorite foods.
However, once he got everything together in the pan, he decided against flipping it.
"I thought, 'I'm just going to let it sit here. This looks pretty cool,'" he said. "It looked like a pancake."
Once it was cooked through, he slid it on the plate. He had also prepared some sweet potato home fries, but there wasn't a lot of room on the plate for them. So, he simply lined them up around the edge of the plate, along with fresh strawberry slices.
"My wife said, 'Oh, that looks good.' Because we're both big on presentation," he said.
It tasted as great as it looked. So, "ever since then, it's been a staple at our house," said the father of four. In addition to the home fries and strawberries, he serves it with "Pomosas," a takeoff on a mimosa that's made with champagne and pomegranate juice.
Indeed, the pancake - it's actually more like an Italian frittata - is a winner all around. While extremely low in fat, it's got abundant flavor, thanks to the zucchini and the ample amount of Old Bay seasoning Mr. McAlarney puts on it.
Mr. McAlarney even figured out the dish's nutritional content. It has about 28 grams of protein, and just 265 calories, and that's including the sweet potato home fries.
For Mr. McAlarney, there's few things better than hitting the kitchen after a long day out on the links. His other standbys include a salmon dish prepared with balsamic vinaigrette and lots of seasonings, and his London Broil, served with his now-famous barbecue sauce, which he calls "Scotty Sauce."
"My wife and I, we have our own little food wars. We cook together a lot," Mr. McAlarney said. "That's when we get the chance to communicate.
"To me, cooking is therapy."
Contact the writer: jmcauliffe@timesshamrock.com, @jmcauliffeTT on Twitter
Zesty Zucchini Breakfast Pancake
1/2 cup liquid egg whites
1 cup chopped zucchini
Pam 100 percent extra virgin organic olive oil cooking spray
1-2 teaspoons garlic powder, or to taste
1-2 teaspoons onion powder, or to taste
1 tablespoon parsley flakes
1 to 2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning, or to taste
1 cup chopped sweet potatoes, skins on
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (for home fries)
For home fries: Season sweet potatoes with above seasonings. In a small pan, saute sweet potatoes in olive oil for about 1 minute, then place on a baking tray. Place tray in oven broiler on low while preparing breakfast pancake. Check and mix potatoes periodically while cooking pancake.
For pancake: Coat 8-inch frying pan with Pam cooking spray over medium/low heat. Add zucchini and all seasonings. Continue to stir all ingredients with the zucchini for about 2 to 3 minutes, then pour egg whites over the zucchini. Cook on low to medium heat, until eggs cook through. Add more Old Bay seasoning if desired for taste over egg whites while it is cooking. Cooking time is about 3 to 4 minutes.
Remove the potatoes from oven, depending how crisp you like your home fries.
Slide pancake onto large plate, place the home fries around the pancake, and garnish with 1 or 2 fresh strawberries.
Winestein says
Dry ros?s are versatile wines ideal for a light, early meal.
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