Category: Mains

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My Favorite Quiche

I have been making this easy, healthier quiche for breakfast meal prep a lot lately and I have 4 variations to prove it! This quiche checks all the boxes for me – it’s flavorful, reheats wonderfully, there is less fat and more protein in it than in a traditional quiche and best of all – it’s SO EASY. Another great thing about this easy, healthier quiche is that it isn’t a boring meal prep option – this is totally worthy of making for brunch guests as well! Check out the full recipe and my variations below!

Prep: 15 Minutes; Baking Time: 40 Minutes

6 Eggs
1 Cup of 1% Cottage Cheese
1/2 Cup Shredded Cheese (I pretty much always use parmesan)
2 Tbsp Milk (any kind is fine)
2 Cups of Baby Spinach (about half of an 8 oz bag)
2 Tsp Olive Oil
1/2 a White or Sweet Onion, Minced
1/4 Tsp Garlic Powder
1/4 Tsp Salt
Optional: 1 Pie Crust

1. If using a pre-made or homemade crust, use a fork to poke several holes in the bottom of the crust and bake the crust in the oven at 425 for ten minutes. Remove the crust and turn oven down to 375.

2. While the crust cooks, heat the olive oil in a medium sized pan over high heat and add the minced onion. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring every now and then.

3. Turn heat down to medium. Add in baby spinach and salt. Stir well and cook for 2-3 minutes until spinach is wilted down. Turn off stove and let the onion and spinach mix cool while you prep the rest of the filling.

4. In a bowl combine the eggs, cottage cheese, shredded cheese, milk and garlic powder. Whisk the ingredients together until they are well blended. Add a pinch of salt and pepper here if you’d like. Stir in Spinach and onion mixture.

5. Place the crust (or greased pie dish) on a baking sheet and fill with egg mixture to catch any spills. Bake at 375 for 40 minutes or until cooked through.

Notes/Variations:
I am gluten free so I really like the Wholly Gluten Free brand as far as pre-made pie crust. I have also made the above recipe using this super simple hash brown crust!

Another great variation is to make this recipe into omelet bites: I absolutely love these Non-Toxic BPA Free Reusable Silicone Baking Cups. Simply add 1/4 cup of the quiche mixture into the baking cups and bake in the air fryer at 325 for 10 minutes or until set.

I recently just made, baked and froze an entire quiche. I am interested to see how it reheats and will keep you posted!

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Veggie Packed Pasta-less Salad!

One of the best things about summer is the fresh, local produce and the quintessential summer food staples. It’s so amazing to see how much better everything tastes and how much longer it stays fresh when it was grown nearby. I love creating meals and dishes that are full of color, flavor and with food that is in season in my area.

One of my favorites is my take on a classic pasta salad. This salad has all of the flavors of a traditional pasta salad, while using up your zucchini and summer veggies! The veggies make this recipe packed with antioxidants and fiber as well as low in fat!

Veggie Packed Pasta-less Salad
Prep Time: 10 Minutes

Ingredients:
2 medium zucchinis, spiralized into zoodles or cut into “noodle” like strips
1/2 tsp Salt
2 bell peppers, chopped ( I like to use a mix of green, red, orange + yellow!)
1 small cucumber, sliced lengthwise and cut into half moon slices
1 pint of grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 red onion, chopped
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1.5 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper

Instructions:
1. Spiralize or cut the zucchini into noodle like strips or small, thin pieces. Place in a colander over a bowl. Sprinkle with salt and mix to make sure the noodles are coated. Let sit for ~15 minutes while you wash and chop the rest of the ingredients. This helps drain off some of the water and keeps the zucchini crisp.

2. Add the bell peppers (I like to use 1/2 a green, red, orange and yellow pepper but any combo to get you to 2 bell peppers will work), cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion to a bowl.

3. Whisk together the garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, olive oil and white wine vinegar.

4. Pat the zucchini with a clean tea towel or paper towels to remove excess moisture. Add to the bowl containing the other vegetables.

5. Pour the dressing over the veggies and toss to coat. Add a sprinkle of salt and pepper to taste.

6. Let sit for a half hour if you have the time! This is also great to make ahead for meal prep!

Serve with your favorite protein for a meal, eat as a snack or make for your next gathering! This recipe can easily be tweaked to suit personal tastes. Some add in ideas: olives, shredded Parmesan cheese, cubes of mozzarella, provolone or cheddar cheese, turkey pepperoni, fresh herbs and artichoke hearts.

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10 Early Fall Meal + Side Ideas Using End of Summer Veggies

As much as I absolutely love summer, I am enjoying the first bits of crisp air and the fact that the stars seem a little bit brighter this time of year!

As the seasons change, I slowly start changing some of what I am eating to include more warm foods and this time of year is perfect to use up the fresh, local produce in some warm dishes (although you can catch me eating soup any time of year). I am sharing a few ideas with you below!

  1. Use up veggies like fresh zucchini, eggplant, onions and peppers by chopping them up and grilling or roasting them. Simply add olive oil, salt and pepper and cook to the level of doneness you like. Fresh herbs, garlic and balsamic are also welcome additions. Use these throughout the week in a variety of ways:

    In the filling of an omelet, on a wrap or sandwich with some hummus or cheese, on top of a scoop of quinoa or brown rice with some greens and a protein, tossed on your favorite pizza crust that’s been topped with a sprinkle of cheese and a handful of spinach or arugula, mixed with your favorite cooked pasta (I love a lentil or quinoa pasta for extra protein!) a drizzle of olive oil and black pepper, in the filling of a crustless quiche or egg cups for a quick, microwave and go breakfast.

  2. Use a bounty of tomato and zucchini in this delicious and filling zucchini parmesan recipe.

  3. Use up extra peppers and even sub canned tomatoes for fresh ones in this amazing shakshuka recipe that is a favorite for brunch but also works a healthy lunch or dinner.

  4. Store bought tomato soup can contain thickeners and added sugar. Skip those and make your own! Chop up 3.5 lbs of fresh tomatoes, 1 large onion and 1 large red bell pepper. Place in a baking dish. Add 3 cloves of peeled garlic, a drizzle of olive oil and some salt and pepper. Roast at 450 for 30-40 minutes until vegetables are soft, stirring halfway through. Let cool for 10-15 minutes and then add to a blender in batches. If the soup is thicker than you’d like, thin it with some chicken or vegetable broth. I find this totally dairy free soup to be so incredibly rich and creamy but if you’d like, you could add a couple tablespoons of cream, yogurt or the milk of your choice.

  5. Use fresh corn, potatoes and bell peppers in this recipe for the perfect end of summer corn chowder. Swap out the chicken stock for veggie stock to make this vegetarian!

  6. Use up extra green beans, tomatoes, herbs and zucchini in one of my favorite soup recipes and swap out the frozen veggies for fresh. You could even replace some of the canned tomatoes with fresh ones! This is a super filling lunch and you could always freeze leftovers.

  7. Slice fresh tomatoes and pat off some of the excess moisture. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and a pinch of shredded or grated Parmesan. Grill or broil until cheese is melted. Add balsamic if you’d like.

  8. Use up basil with this pesto recipe. Grill slices of veggies and top with pesto. Alternatively, cut the veggies in larger strips and serve room temperature with a mixture of Greek yogurt and pesto as a dip for a twist on a veggie tray or as an addition to your charcuterie board.

  9. Pack up raw zucchini cut into sticks with a side of hummus or your favorite dip as a great snack for work or school.

  10. Turn your tomatoes into “sun dried” tomatoes using this recipe. I did this last summer and they were absolutely unreal. I added them to any/everything!

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Garlicky Avocado Arugula Toast

This garlicky avocado arugula toast is easy enough for a healthy, every day breakfast while still having enough pizazz to serve at your next brunch! This combination contains necessary micronutrients like potassium, magnesium, iron, vitamin c, vitamin k and vitamin a as well as proteins and healthy fats. Choose your favorite bread and cook your eggs the way you prefer and this will be your new favorite breakfast!

Garlicky Avocado Arugula Toast

Prep Time: 5 Minutes
Makes 2 Servings (2 Toasts/Person)

Ingredients:
4 Pieces of Your Fav Bread – Toasted
4 Eggs, Cooked (whites, scrambled, over easy, hard boiled, etc)
2 Large Handfuls of Arugula
1 Avocado
2-3 Cloves Garlic, Mashed
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Large Wedges of Lemon
Black Pepper
Salt

Instructions:
1. Mince the garlic and add it to the olive oil in a microwave safe dish. Microwave the mixture for 10 seconds. Remove from microwave, stir and microwave for 10 more seconds. (Don’t skip this step – this helps mellow out the taste of raw garlic and helps to infuse the oil!)

2. Using a spoon, drizzle the garlic and oil over the four pieces of toasted bread, leaving a small amount of oil and garlic remaining.

3. Place the arugula in a bowl and squeeze one of the lemon wedges over it. Add in the remaining oil and garlic, a pinch of salt and pepper and then toss to coat the arugula. Set aside.

4. Cut the avocado in half. Remove the pit. Scoop the avocado out onto the toasted bread, using 1/4 of the avocado for each piece of toast. Using the back of a fork, mash the avocado slightly onto the toast. Use the remaining lemon wedge to squeeze lemon juice onto the four pieces of avocado covered toast.

5. Top each piece of toast with some of the arugula mixture and then top it all with an egg on each piece of toast.



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Simple + Healthy Blueberry Pancakes – Gluten Free

In our house, Sunday mornings are for slow starts, good coffee and hearty breakfasts. I like to stay in comfy clothes, make something a little more special to eat and plot out the coming week. These Simple + Healthy Blueberry Pancakes are definitely Sunday morning worthy, but they are really simple enough to make any day of the week and you could double or triple this recipe to have leftovers for easy weekday breakfasts. These pancakes are packed with calcium, vitamin A, protein and fiber. Aside from being the perfect addition to these pancakes, Blueberries are also a good source of fiber and micronutrients like vitamins C and K.

Simple + Healthy Blueberry Pancakes – Gluten Free

Serves 2 (3 pancake servings)
Prep Time: 2 Minutes
Cook Time: ~8 Minutes

Ingredients:

½ Cup of Instant Oatmeal (Woodstock Organic is my favorite!)
1 Egg
2 Egg Whites
1 Ripe Banana
1 Tsp Baking Powder
Optional: 1 Tsp Vanilla
1 Cup Blueberries

Instructions:

1. Place all ingredients besides the blueberries in a blender. Blend for roughly 30 seconds or until smooth.

2. Spray or lightly oil a nonstick pan over high heat.

3. Pour the pancake mixture into the pan into three or six equal sized portions. If you can only fit three in your pan, you will need to do a second batch!

4. Cook for four minutes. Using a spatula, lift the edge to check for doneness. If the pancake is cooked through on the bottom, flip the pancake over and continue to cook on the other side for another four minutes.

5. When pancakes are done, top with some real maple syrup, yogurt, honey, more fresh berries, nut butter, or whatever you are in the mood for! These can be made ahead, stored in the fridge and microwaved for a quick weekday breakfast, too.