Eating More Eggs: Leek+Mushroom+Bacon Quiche!

Hey there!  Sorry I left you guys hanging for a while!  I’ve got the usual excuses: holidays, work being crazy busy, and of course the tiny human growing inside me ;) 

I’m lucky this pregnancy has been pretty easy so far, but I definitely can’t stay up as late as I used to and sometimes I used to write my blog posts before bed.  But now bed > blog. 

I still have lots to write about this pregnancy, but I thought some food would be a better “welcome back” post!

Brian and I have our first Bradley Method birthing class tonight.  If you want to learn more about the Bradley Method check out the link, but basically it is a a birthing course aimed at those who want to give birth naturally.  It’s a 12-week course (2 hours a week), covering everything from nutrition/exercise during pregnancy, birth plans, the stages of labor, and the husband as a coach! 

Anyways, what I am getting to is the nutrition portion.  Part of the course has me tracking my food intake for a week, and then Brian is supposed to tally up my protein.  Protein is extremely important during pregnancy, and this program says to aim for 100grams per day. 

During the first trimester, I most definitely was not getting that much, but I think that’s pretty common…most women can only stomach certain things (and mostly carbs) in those fun first months.  By my 2nd trimester I was pretty much getting back to my normal eating, and even more so now (I’m 25 weeks btw!). 

I’d like to think I’m pretty knowledgeable about nutrition and how to get enough protein so I’m not too worried about that, although this program does suggest 2 eggs a day!  I don’t think I’m going to be eating 2 eggs each day but I’m making an effort!

Problem is mostly that I usually eat breakfast at work.  Sometimes I’ll get a breakfast sandwich, but other than that I’m not a big fan of cooking them in the microwave or eating hard boiled (don’t like). 

Here’s where my Quiche comes in!  I do love a good quiche and find they are pretty delicious re-heated for breakfast. 

So one day last month I just broke down a bought a packed of pre-made pie crusts.  I know, I know…yeah I could have made my own but that’s just another step that probably would have made me not want to make quiche.  If I was making this for a party I probably would make my own but for a weeknight dinner it’s pretty convenient to take one from the freezer.

I picked these ones up at Whole Foods from the frozen section.

The great thing about quiche is that the filling options are endless!!  Use whatever you like!  Any meats, veggies, herbs, cheeses!

I’m kind of partial to this bacon/leek/mushroom flavor combo though, so that’s what I did both times actually!

Leek + Mushroom + Bacon Quiche  
(serves about 6)

• 1 unbaked pie crust (I used 9”, whole wheat)
• 3-4 slices bacon
• 1 leek, white part, sliced thin
• 1/3 cup chopped mushrooms (more if you like) I used shitake
• 2 big handfuls baby spinach (or use thawed frozen spinach, or kale)
• 5 eggs
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup sour cream (or Greek yogurt)
• (I’ll also add 1/4 cup half and half if I have it)
• pinch of nutmeg
• salt/pepper
• cheddar cheese, grated, (as much or little as you want, I used about 2 oz grated cheddar…gruyere would be great too!)

Pre-heat oven to 375

The pie crust I bought said I could bake it right from the freezer but I poked a few fork holes in the bottom and baked for 10 minutes prior to adding filling.

Cook bacon as directed, and as crispy as you like.  Set aside to drain, and discard all but 1-2T of the rendered bacon fat.  Add leeks to pan and cook over med/low heat til soft (5-7 min).  Add mushrooms and continue cooking 2-3 minutes, until mushrooms are soft and cooked.  Add spinach and cook until wilted down. 

In a mixing bowl whisk together the 5 eggs, milk, sour cream, and half & half (if using) until combined.  Add nutmeg, and some salt and pepper if desired. 

Add filling to pie shell, top with the bacon (chopped), add egg mixture, and then grate cheese directly on top.

Place quiche on a baking sheet, and bake for 10 min at 375 then reduce heat to 325 for 30-40 more minutes until the middle is set, and the top is getting a little golden. 

  with cheese…

  Delicious!!

We had this for dinner and will have it for breakfast the next few days.

What’s your favorite quiche combo??  Any other good ways to get eggs during the work week?

Back to Basics: BLTs!

I feel like it takes me so long to feel “back to normal” after a vacation.  This maybe partly due to the fact that I continue to have a half empty suitcase on my floor for a good week after returning…

Well this weekend I finally did all my laundry and even spent some time in the kitchen! 

Nothing too time consuming, but it was nice even to have a sit-down breakfast.

An old standby…French Toast!  I made it with TJ’s Whole Wheat Tuscan Pane which is a pretty dense chewy bread so it needed to soak in the egg mixture for much longer. 

With bananas, strawberries, real maple syrup and butter!

Great way to start the day.

The simple meals got even better as we approached lunch time. 

We had taken Bromley to the dog park, and on the ride home I started getting excited for BLT’s!

We had some gorgeous tomatoes that were ripe from the garden and what better way to eat them than with salty bacon, lettuce, and toast!

Also super excited to use the bacon from our latest Meat CSA!

This is hands down the best bacon I’ve ever had! 

Sandwiches ready for assembly!

Lightly toasted bread, a little smear of mayo, and the rest.

The key is to cooking the bacon on med/low….if you cook it too high, it starts to curl up and bend and that doesn’t make for easy sandwich assembly.  Cooking it for longer on med/low gets it just as crisp but still maintains its shape. 

Lots of bacon :)

And a deli pickle for good measure.

I savored every bite! 

Why are the simplest things always the best!

I kind of want another one right now.

It’s also been really great getting back to a normal workout schedule!  My legs are still sore from Saturday morning Crossfit:

7 time:

5 sandbag cleans 
5 back squats (at 80% of your 1 rep max)
5 strict pull-ups

The sandbags are 60lbs.  I can clean over 100lbs using a barbell but these sandbags are really awkward!

(source)         

Then the squats!  I haven’t done a 1 rep max in a while, but my most recent 3 rep max was 140lbs so I used 110 for this workout.  35 of those…are hard. 

It was a good one and I am feeling it!

Oh and did I mention we had a little belated anniversary dinner Saturday night at Menton!  :) 

All in all a great weekend.

What’s your favorite sandwich???

Sweet Potato + Black Bean Hash

Oh snap…look who has another post this week!

Not that it should really be an accomplishment but I’ve gotta get back on track with baby steps I guess ;) 

Plus some things are just too good not to share!

Not sure where I got the inspiration for this, but I was trying to think of ways in use sweet potatoes in breakfast, plus I had some black beans in the fridge.  Boom.  Hash!

If you want to make it Paleo just leave out the beans…it would be delicious either way.  Personally I don’t get the whole “no beans” part of the paleo diet.  From what I’ve read the “anti-nutrients”in beans are in their uncooked state…and once properly soaked/prepared, the anti-nutrients are almost entirely gone.   Considering you can’t exactly eat uncooked beans, I’m not sure what the big deal is.

Woops, sidetracked.

Sweet Potato + Black Bean Hash
(for two people)

• 2 tsp coconut oil
• 1 medium sweet potato, diced
• 1/2 small yellow onion, diced
• 1 red or green bell pepper (or 1/2 each) diced
• 1/8 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/8 tsp paprika (or use 1/4 tsp paprika if you don’t have smoked)
• garlic powder, few shakes
• crushed red pepper flakes, few shakes
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup black beans (cooked or canned)
• 1 tsp butter or more coconut oil
• 2 eggs
• avocado (sliced, served on the side…optional, but SO good for you!)
• sour cream (optional)
• salsa (optional)

Note: best to chop the potato, onion, and pepper in small pieces so they cook faster.

In a cast iron or non-stick skillet heat the 2 tsp coconut oil over medium heat.  Add onion and pepper.  Sauté for 3-4 minutes.  Add sweet potato.  Stir in paprika, garlic powder, crushed red pepper, and salt.  Cook for another 5-7 minutes, only stir occasionally as the potatoes will only get browned if they sit still against the pan.  As the potatoes are just about done to the consistency you like, add the bean and cook another 1-2 minutes. 

Plate the hash on two plates, set aside somewhere to keep warm (sometimes I put them in a “cool” oven, or even turn the oven on for a couple minutes then off just to warm it a smidge).

In the same pan heat the 1 tsp butter or coconut oil.  Crack 2 eggs in the pan and cook to your liking….I did over easy.

Serve egg on top of hash….bacon on the side if you like!

The avocado on the side is a MUST for me.  I also added a little sour cream, but didn’t need any salsa…flavorful enough on its own.  I even liked a slightly runny yolk!!  Who am I??

I LOOOOVED this breakfast!!  It’s not a ton of food, but the proportions are really easy to adjust if you’re feeding more people or if you or your guest have bigger appetites!  Or just add more eggs :)  Brian and I tend to eat similar servings sometimes, but I know some of you might have husbands who eat way more so go nuts!  We were both completely satisfied…not too full, just right. 

Iced latte as my bevy of choice.

Lots of healthy fats, protein, and carbs here!  

I used to think I hated hash…in my mind it was always corned beef hash, like that weird stuff from a can, but thankfully now I know better and there are numerous ways to make a “hash” that do not involve canned meat products ;) 

Do you like hash?  Favorite version??

Brussels Sprout Salad with Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette

Remember when I went to Maine for a lovely weekend in February??  Well I mentioned it in my post but I had the most delicious salad that weekend at a restaurant called Walter’s in the Old Port. 

I’ve been wanting to re-create this salad ever since.

My grandmother’s birthday party was on Saturday!

Looking good for 87 right?? 

I wanted to bring a salad or some sort of veggie dish, as I knew we were having a Turkey-dinner-esque meal.  I wanted something fresh and light!

Plus there are so many great cooks in my family that there is always that unspoken pressure to come up with something different and delicious.

So I figured it was as good a time as any to try that salad!

If you’re making a large quantity of salad I highly recommend using a food processor with the slicing attachment to shred all the Brussels sprouts.  Otherwise, I’d just use a sharp knife and thinly slice them.

Another tip I learned after the fact was that you might want to cut out a bit of the core first.

I ended up with some of those thicker slices like in the photo above.  Not that you can’t eat it, but if eating raw they are better if that thick middle part is cut out.   

I prepped the Brussels sprouts the night before.

The next morning I cooked the bacon (in the oven), sliced the onion, made the dressing and assembled everything else when I got to the party.

Dressing…

Brussels, onion, and bacon ready to go!

When I arrived at the party, I added the almonds, cherries, and grated the cheese fresh on top!

Then tossed with dressing:

I left the nuts in a small dish to the side as some people can’t eat them.

I LOVED it!  I tweaked the recipe as written below to have a tad more honey and olive oil than what I had made.  Make sure to taste the dressing as you go to make sure it’s as sweet or sour as you like it!

Here’s what I did for a big party size salad:

Brussels Sprout Salad with Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette

• 2 lbs (or just under) Brussels Sprouts, washed, stalks trimmed
• 1/2 large red onion, thinly sliced
• 5-6 slices apple smoked bacon (nitrate free!)
• 1/2 cup dried cherries (or cranberries)
• 1/2 cup Marcona almonds (or your favorite nut!)
• Pecorino Romano cheese, about 2 oz, grated
• 1/3-1/2 cup olive oil
• 2-4 Tbsp lemon juice (just from 1 large lemon)
• 1 T honey
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• salt & pepper to taste

1. Shred or thinly slice Brussels sprouts (use food processor or knife).  This can be done the day before.  Set aside in large bowl.
2. Cook bacon until just crisp (I did this in the oven).  Drain on paper towels then give the bacon a rough chop.
3. Thinly slice red onion and add to the Brussels sprouts.
4. Prepare dressing in a small mason jar…easy to transport and then just shake it up real good.  Otherwise prepare in a bowl and whisk until combined and frothy.  Taste and tweak as needed.
5. Pour dressing all over salad.  Add in bacon, cherries, almonds, and grate the cheese on top.
6. Toss all together..SERVE!

 

Other goodies from the party…

Fresh Challah bread from the bakery!  No, my family is not even Jewish…we just love good bread!! 

Feast!!  Unpictured was also a HUGE platter full of twice baked potatoes!!!  Haven’t had one of those in ages and it was delish!!   

Hope you try the salad!  I want to try it again and maybe make it as a warm salad :)

I LOVE BRUSSELS!!

It’s beginning to feel a lot like SPRING around here :)

Brunching (recipes) and Juicing

Happy Weekend! 

There’s been a lot of breakfast/brunch in my life lately and in a couple hours I’ll be heading into Boston for another brunch with friends at Eastern Standard Kitchen.

Basically I’ve been craving it since my birthday!!  Can’t wait.

But first, I have a new love…

JUICE!!  Yes I jumped on the juicing bandwagon and I couldn’t be happier about it.  I’ve just read so so many amazing things about juicing and I finally was ready to try it out.

Enter this guy:

This is the Breville Juice Fountain Plus. Not the super expensive one, but I read the reviews and this seemed to be a great option and price for someone new to juicing. (plus it was on sale at Macy’s!)

       

It’s only been a little over a week, but I’ve found a green juice combo that I am obsessed with!

• big handful of spinach
• 3-4 big leaves of romaine
• 2-3 stalks celery
• 1 lemon
• 1 green apple

There is something you can use to skim off the foam but I love it!  It’s like a cold green tart cappuccino ;)

Even took a juice to work one day.  I love getting so so many nutrients packed into one refreshing glass, and it does fill you up as well. 

I should probably start experimenting with other juices but for now this is my juice of choice…in fact I think I’ll make one right now!    

Yesterday, I was meeting friends for brunch at a diner in Beverly, MA. 

We weren't meeting until 10:30, but this girl was up at 7 and was starving shortly thereafter :)

Flax French Toast!

Based on my Healthy French Toast recipe I used:

• 1.5 slices whole wheat bread
• 1 egg
• splash of skim milk
• 1/4 tsp vanilla
• cinnamon
• 2 tsp ground flax

I added the flax right in with the egg, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon mixture.

Toppings

Side of iced coffee and pineapple chunks.  So satisfying as always :)

The brunching all started last weekend… 

I was down in the Newport, RI area for a bridal shower and bachelorette party!  Fun was had by all :) 

I was rushing so much Saturday morning to get down there, that 20min into my drive I realized I forgot the good camera…I forgot ANY camera.  Which was unfortunate as I knew I’d be preparing brunch for the crew on Sunday morning at my friend’s house!

Bad blogger. Thankfully the iphone takes half-way decent pictures…

When I volunteered to help with brunch, two recipes immediately popped into my head as I knew they were fairly easy and delicious. 

The French Toast Strata and Frittata my friend made when we had brunch at her place, remember??  Those pictures are way better btw.

I got the recipes and adapted them as I went along last weekend.

French Toast Strata:
(adapted from my friend’s cookbook, which I can’t find the author…I’ll have to get back to you on that one)

• 3/4  of a French baguette (one of the long ones) cut into 1” cubes (day old, or toast cubes in oven at 325 for 6-8 min until slightly crisp)
• option: use whole wheat!
• 3oz low fat cream cheese (Neufchatel)
• 3 eggs
• 2 egg whites
• 1 3/4 cups low fat milk
• 1/3 cup real maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2T sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Prepare the day before, or at least 4 hours ahead of time

1. Toast bread if needed, you want the bread slightly dried out.  I cut my baguette up, then toasted the cubes in the oven on a baking sheet for about 6-8 minutes

2.  Then whisk eggs and egg whites in a bowl until thoroughly blended, and add milk, syrup, and vanilla

4. Spray a 9”x13” baking dish with cooking spray (I use canola oil spray), and spread bread cubes around.

5. Cut cream cheese into small pieces and scatter amongst the bread, and then pour egg/milk mixture over bread, cover, and refrigerate overnight or at least 4 hours.

6.  Preheat oven to 350, and combine sugar and cinnamon in small bowl.  Sprinkle cinnamon sugar over over strata, and bake uncovered, for 45-50 min or until puffed, golden brown, and knife comes out clean. 

This was AWESOME!  Everyone really loved it.  I love it because it tastes like bread pudding and French toast at the same time :)

The other recipe I got from my friend was for a delicious veggie and feta filled frittata!

I ended up not thoroughly reading the instructions first (which called for roasting the red pepper, then peeling and cutting it, and also blanching the spinach), but my version is much simpler. 

Spinach and Feta Frittata: (adapted from same cookbook)

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped into 1/2” pieces
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 bags baby spinach
• 5 eggs
• 2 egg whites
• 6 oz Feta, crumbled
• 2T fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/2 tsp dried dill
• pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400

1.  Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add chopped red pepper and sauté for 2-3 minutes.  Then add in spinach and continue sautéing until spinach has wilted (about 5 more min)

2.  Beat eggs and egg whites with a mixer until foamy.  Then add onion, pepper and spinach, feta, parsley, dill and black pepper.

3.  Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray/canola oil, and pour in egg mixture.

4.  Bake for 15-20 minutes until eggs are just set (doesn't look liquidy anymore).  Let stand for a few minutes before cutting into it.

The last dish I made was a Smitten Kitchen recipe for Spring Asparagus Pancetta Hash!  Doesn’t her photo look amazing!  Much better than mine…

I followed her recipe exactly, except for her serving ideas…but I agree that this would be amazing with a fried egg on top and goat cheese!!

The pan I was using wasn’t cooperating though, so all the good browned potato just stuck to the pan instead of the potato, but this was an AWESOME recipe!!

Such a great alternative to your standard home fries. 

We also had fruit, bacon, cut up pastries from a bakery down the road, and of course coffee.

I really love breakfast foods. 

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!  I'm most likely taking tomorrow off!

After brunch today I need to get in my 9-mile run!  I still can’t believe I’m running 8, 9…10 miles these days!!  Craziness, but loving it!