Your new go to brunch recipe

Before quarantine, I loved going to brunch. Weekend brunch was my favorite activity and while I do miss going out with friends, catching up bloody mary’s, I really perfected the at-home brunch game over the past year. My favorite recipe to make now is a frittata, specifically this spring vegetable frittata with goat cheese.

I don’t like letting food go to waste so making a frittata is the perfect way to use up all those leftover veggies you have at the end of the week before you go grocery shopping again. I got really creative with some of mine and I have found that you really can’t go wrong with any vegetable and cheese combo, they are all delicious.

What you need to make a spring vegetable frittata

You really don’t need much to make a frittata. I personally like them more than a quiche because you don’t have to worry about getting the crust perfect or burning and I personally like my carbs on the side, in the form of extra crispy potatoes. All you need for this frittata is:

• Eggs – I sometimes get lucky and get fresh eggs from friends (Michael, Adrian/Nate, if you are reading this, thank you) but if I don’t have access to my friends chicken eggs, I always buy Vital Farm eggs. They are on the pricier side but they make a difference.
• Plain Greek Yogurt – You can use any fat content, I usually use fat free because that’s what I have in my fridge but I have used full fat and it turned out just as great. I personally like using greek yogurt over milk to make my frittata extra fluffy and creamy.
• Spring Vegetables – I used leeks, asparagus, and brussels sprouts
• Goat cheese – a creamy goat cheese is perfect for this. You could substitute any cheese though, feta or gouda would be great substitutions.
• Herbs – Not only does it make the frittata look prettier, they give extra flavor to this dish

How to make the frittata

Frittatas are so easy to make. The hardest part is sautéing your vegetables but once that is done, all you have to do is whisk together some eggs, place in the oven and wait! Step by Step:

1. Chop all your veggies and sauté over low heat. I like my veggies to be caramelized so I do them low and slow.
2. Preheat oven to 400
3. Meanwhile, whisk together 6 eggs and 1/2 cup of greek yogurt until throughly mixed. Add some salt and pepper to your liking.
4. Grease a pie pan and add sautéd veggies. Pour the egg mixture over and lightly mix it together. Add in goat cheese and lightly mix
5. Place in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes until eggs are set
6. Garnish with fresh herbs, I used chives and parsley
7. Enjoy!

Need more egg recipes? Try my veggie and cheese omellete

Please let me know how this recipe turns out for you in the comments! I would love to hear any different veggie or cheese combinations you used.

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Spring Vegetable Frittata with Goat Cheese

This spring vegetable frittata is a classic brunch dish that you can make with any combination of vegetables you have on hand.

Course Breakfast, brunch

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Keyword breakfast, brunch, healthy, low carb, protein

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Servings 6 Slices

Calories 134kcal

Ingredients

• 6 Eggs
• 1/2 cup Plain Greek yogurt
• 2 Leeks trimmed and sliced thinly
• 1 bunch Asparagus trimmed and chopped
• 1/2 cup Brussels sprouts shaved thin
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 oz Goat Cheese
• chives and parsley to garnish

Instructions

• Chop all your veggies and sauté over low heat. I like my veggies to be caramelized, so I do them low and slow.
• Preheat oven to 400
• Meanwhile, whisk together 6 eggs and 1/2 cup of greek yogurt until throughly mixed. Add some salt and pepper to your liking.
• Grease a pie pan and add sauted veggies. Pour the egg mixture over and lightly mix it together. Add in goat cheese and lightly mix
• Place in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes until eggs are set
• Garnish with fresh herbs, I used chives and parsley
• Enjoy!

Notes

You can use any combination of cheese or vegetables for this frittata

This saves well for a few days so this would perfect for meal prep. When I do this, I like to reheat in my air fryer at 400 for 5 minutes. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 134kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 169mg | Sodium: 500mg | Potassium: 322mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1454IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 96mg | Iron: 3mg

The post Spring Vegetable Frittata with Goat Cheese appeared first on Healthykel.

Nature’s Cereal aka a bowl of your favorite berries covered with coconut water or a coconut smoothie. When I first heard of this food trend, I rolled my eyes and said to myself “it’s not cereal, it’s literally berries and coconut water”. My thoughts weren’t wrong but let me tell you, this is absolutely refreshing and delicious and something I will be eating all summer long.

I want to preface that there is nothing wrong with eating cereal. I’ve seen a lot of people upset with this trend, saying that calling it nature’s cereal is demonizing cereal. This is no replacement for your bowl of cereal. The only thing this recipe has in common with cereal is it is an item, served in bowl, covered with milk (or water) and eaten with a spoon. I believe it was named as a fun nutritious snack and the name just stuck, no ill intentions or food shaming implied. Moving on…

What you’ll need to make this recipe

The best part of this recipe is you need a few ingredients. I picked everything up at my local Trader Joe’s but you could get all of these ingredients at any grocery store. Feel free to substitute for any berries/fruit your heart desires. This combination was delicious but the sky is the limit. This made me excited for peak berry season here in the PNW. I usually go berry picking a few times a month and the freshly picked berries will be perfect for this. All you need for this is:

• Berries of choice (I used blueberries, raspberries and pomegrante seeds. I’ve also seen people use strawberries and blackberries
• Coconut smoothie. I opted for the coconut smoothie because it most resembled milk and is creamier than just coconut water. Trader Joe’s coconut smoothie is coconut water with coconut meat – if you haven’t tried it yet, I highly recommend

How to make nature’s cereal

One thing this recipe has in common with regular cereal is how you make it – its so easy! All you need to do is:

1. Grab your favorite bowl
2. Pour your desired amount of berries into it
3. Pour about a 1/2 cup of coconut smoothie (or water) on top
4. Mix well
5. Enjoy!

I got a lot of questions on my instagram about the gold spoon I use, I got mine from Pat Cooks, my favorite spatula! And yes, that’s how I know I am getting old, I have a favorite spatula.

Need more snack ideas? Try my cake batter protein balls

Please let me know what you think of nature’s cereal! I hope it you find it as a refreshing as I do!

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Nature’s Cereal

The trend made famous by Lizzo and all over TikTok. Nature's cereal is a refreshing bowl of your favorite berries with a coconut smoothie.

Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword fruit, healthy, paleo, vegan, vegetarian

Prep Time 2 minutes

Cook Time 0 minutes

Total Time 2 minutes

Servings 1

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup blueberries
• 1/4 cup raspberries
• 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
• 1/2 cup coconut smoothie

Instructions

• Pour fruit into bowl
• cover fruit with coconut smoothie
• mix well
• enjoy!

Notes

You can use any fruit you desire

You can substitute the coconut smoothie for coconut water 

The original recipe adds ice to make the berries more “crunchy” but my teeth are pretty sensitive to cold so I omitted and it was still very refreshing and delicious. 

The post Nature’s Cereal (aka berries topped with a coconut smoothie) appeared first on Healthykel.

Toast for all!

I first tried sweet potato toast a few years ago when I did a Whole30. I made them multiple times during my Whole30 and make it sporadically. Every time I make it, I always wonder why I don’t make them more! I love bread and usually have sourdough toast 2-3 times a week. Sweet potato toast is a fun way to switch up the usual toast routine and I love that I can usually have a few more slices than I would be able to if I was eating bread which means trying more toppings!

What you need to make sweet potato toast

The best part of this recipe, you only need 2 ingredients!

1. Sweet potato (try and get a short, fat one)
2. Avocado oil

How to make sweet potato toast

Sweet potato toast is easy to make, you just slice sweet potatoes, spray with a little avocado oil and roast! Then you can get creative with the toppings. Make the toast in a few easy steps:

1. Preheat oven to 425
2. Wash your sweet potato and dry
3. Slice the sweet potato lengthwise in 1 inch sections
4. Spray with avocado oil
5. Roast in oven for 20 minutes (flip halfway)
6. Let cool and then top!

Note: you can meal prep these! I like to make a few on Sunday. Let them cool completely before storing in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. Reheat in air fryer (or oven) at 400 for 5-10 minutes.

My favorite toast toppings

The best part of eating sweet potato toast is you can eat a few more slices than bread so you can try more toppings. I always need a good mix of sweet and savory and this way I can have a few of each. My favorite combinations are:

1. Smashed avocado, watermelon radishes and pickled onions.
2. Smashed avocado and a Vital Farms crispy fried egg
3. Wild Friends peanut butter and honey
4. Culina bourbon vanilla yogurt and my chia seed jam

Please let me know how this recipe turns out for you in the comments! I hope it becomes a go to breakfast for you as it has for me.

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Sweet Potato Toast

Sweet potato toast is a fun way to switch up the usual toast routine that people of all dietary restrictions can enjoy!

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Keyword breakfast

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 1

Ingredients

• Sweet potato try and get a short, fat one
• Avocado oil

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425
• Wash your sweet potato and dry
• Slice the sweet potato lengthwise in 1 inch sections
• Spray with avocado oil
• Roast in oven for 20 minutes (flip halfway)
• Let cool and then top!

Video

Notes

• You can meal prep these sweet potato toasts. Let them cool completely and store in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. Reheat in oven or air fryer at 400 for 5-10 minutes. 

The post Sweet Potato Toast Four Ways (gluten free) appeared first on Healthykel.

Homemade chia seed jam that’s easier than a trip to the grocery store

This chia seed jam is seriously so easy. I started making it when I was living in NYC and just started WW. Regular store bought jam has so much added sugar and I find that most sugar free jams just aren’t very good and have tons of weird additives. Jam is one of my favorites (the seedier the better) so I knew I needed to figure out a way to make it that fit with my new lifestyle.

With some searching I saw that some people were making their own homemade jam with chia seeds – genius! Chia seeds replace the corn starch or pectin and the monk fruit replaces the sugar. Since berries are naturally sweet, you don’t even need to add the monk fruit, especially if you like a tart jam. I like to add just a tablespoon, it’s the perfect amount to really enhance the berries.

Did I mention this recipe only takes 10 minutes? 5 of which is just waiting for the jam for thicken. It’s seriously the easiest recipe I have.

The 3 ingredients you need

All you need are 3 ingredients, which I always have in my pantry/freezer.

• Frozen (or fresh) berries (any type you like! I love mixed berries but also have done just raspberries or blueberries)
• Chia seeds
• Monk fruit

Fresh vs Frozen

Unless it’s berry season here in the PNW, I always buy frozen berries. Costco sells a great mixed berry bag that lasts me over a month and the price just can’t be beat. Did you know that frozen berries are berries at their peak ripeness? Why eat fresh out of season berries when you can buy them at their peak for cheaper?

The only exception to me using frozen berries is in the summer. We are so fortunate here in Portland and have the most incredible summer produce, especially berries. I live a just a short drive from some berry farms and love spending an hour or two out there picking all the fresh blueberries and raspberries. They are some of the best I’ve ever had and look forward to berry season every year.

How to make chia seed jam

1. In a small saucepan, heat up a heaping cup of frozen berries. As they cook down, I like to mash up the berries a bit but still keep some more in tact.
2. Once the berries have begun to cook down, add in 1 tablespoon of monk fruit. Taste to see if you want to add more in. I like my jam on the more tart side so 1 tablespoon is plenty.
3. Add in two tablespoons of chia seeds. Mix well until all the seeds are incorporated in the berries.
4. Turn off heat and let chia seeds thicken the jam, usually 5-10 minutes.
5. Store in jar and refrigerate
6. Enjoy!

I love to spread this jam on toast or top my pancakes with it. I recently made these mixed berry shortbread bars that were to die for. Chia seed jam can be used as a replacement for any recipe that you would use regular jam.

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Sugar Free Chia Seed Jam

You'll never want to usestore bought jam again once you make this easy, 3 ingredient chia seed jam thatis added sugar free, vegan and gluten free!

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Keyword breakfast, gluten free, healthy, sugar free, vegan

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 Cup Frozen (or fresh) berries any type you like! I love mixed berries but also have done just raspberries or blueberries
• 2 tbsp Chia seeds
• 1 tbsp Monk fruit

Instructions

• In a small saucepan, heat up a heaping cup of frozen berries. As they cook down, I like to mash up the berries a bit but still keep some more in tact.
• Once the berries have begun to cook down, add in 1 tablespoon of monk fruit. Taste to see if you want to add more in. I like my jam on the more tart side so 1 tablespoon is plenty.
• Add in two tablespoons of chia seeds. Mix well until all the seeds are incorporated in the berries.
• Turn off heat and let chia seeds thicken the jam, usually 5-10 minutes.
• Store in jar and refrigerate
• Enjoy!

The post Sugar Free Chia Seed Jam (Vegan + Gluten Free) appeared first on Healthykel.

Perks of quarantine: homemade veggie and cheese omelettes

One of the perks of WFH and quarantine is I have been able to make a proper breakfast and my newest obsession: veggie and cheese omelettes! I recently learned (like 2 weeks ago) how to make an omelette and, not to be dramatic, but my life has been changed.

I love that I can use whatever veggies I have laying in my fridge and no matter what combo I use, they always turn out delicious. They also look beautiful, and when I have beautiful food it forces me to sit down and really savor my food. This helps me be more mindful about what I’m consuming and it’s more enjoyable! No more scarfing down ugly scrambles before my first meeting of the day.

Let’s talk about breakfast…

Growing up I always heard breakfast was the most important meal of the day but now with the popularity of Intermittent Fasting and how busy I am, it’s easy to opt out of breakfast or just have multiple cups of coffee and call it a day until I can get a real meal in around noon.

As part of my health journey, I realized that if I eat a proper breakfast my hunger levels throughout the day are more stable. I make healthier choices (more fruits and veggies, less processed snacks) and I find I am more focused throughout the day. Sounds great, right?! Well actually making time to make myself breakfast before my first meeting is easier said than done. Since starting to WFH, I have been sleeping in so much longer so to get up, workout, shower and get ready and make breakfast before an 8:30 meeting means getting up at 6:30. Let’s just say my snooze button gets hit a few times so breakfast sometimes gets pushed until after my first wave of meetings.

When my breakfast turns into brunch it really messes up my meal flow and I tend to just snack the rest of the afternoon before dinner and I tend to get hangry. This is not a pleasant experience for anyone so I’ve made it a goal to eat breakfast every day!

February Goals

One of my goals for this month was to eat breakfast every morning. Sadly, most days my snooze button wins and I end up eating brunch BUT I have 14 more days in this month and I am determined to make breakfast a thing for me again. If you have any goals for the month, let me know in the comments and lets keep each other accountable!

Now onto this breakfast…

What you’ll need for a veggie omelette

You can use any vegetables you want for this veggie omelette but this one pictured happens to be my favorite combination.

• 3 eggs (I use Vital Farms and trust me, it’s worth spending the extra money on these eggs)
• A few handfuls of your favorite vegetables (I’m loving mushrooms, leeks and onion)
• Salt, pepper and garlic powder
• Avocado oil spray
• A sprinkle of your favorite cheese (I’ve been using shredded mozzarella)

How to make a veggie omelette

I always thought making an omelette would be super complicated and the flip always scared me. It wasn’t until I took out the flipping part that I realized I could do it! Instead of flipping the eggs over, I just cover my eggs so the top and bottom cooks evenly! The only key is make sure you are using a super non-stick pan or that your pan is well oiled so it’s easy for your omelette to slide onto your plate.

1. Dice up your veggies and sauté with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
2. Meanwhile, scramble your eggs and season with salt and pepper
3. Over medium low heat, spray your pan with avocado oil and pour eggs onto pan.
4. Cover the pan for 5 minutes or until eggs are set.
5. Add a sprinkle of cheese on top and add sautéed veggies. Fold in half and transfer to pan.
6. I like to serve my omelettes with a piece of avocado toast to get in some carbs and healthy fats to round out the meal. Somedays I’ll do an apple and peanut butter or hash browns, really depends on what I have and what I’m feeling.

Don’t like the veggies I used?

The best part of this, you can customize it for what you like! Spinach would be great in this, so would bell peppers. This morning I used eggplant and leeks because it was all I had. Same goes with cheese, if you don’t have or like mozzarella, feta, gouda or goat cheese would all be good options!

Please let me know how this recipe turns out for you in the comments! I would love to hear how my omelette making trick works for you and any different veggie or cheese combinations you used.

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Healthy Veggie and Cheese Omelette

Start your day with a veggie filled, protein-packed omelette that's easy to make

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Keyword breakfast, brunch, healthy, vegetarian

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Servings 1

Ingredients

• 3 eggs scrambled
• 1 cup vegetables
• 1/4 cup shredded cheese
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• avocado oil spray

Instructions

• Dice up your veggies and sauté with salt, pepper and garlic powder
• Meanwhile, scramble your eggs and season with salt and pepper
• Over medium low heat, spray your pan with avocado oil and pour eggs onto pan
• Cover the pan for 5 minutes or until eggs are set
• Add a sprinkle of cheese on top and add sautéed veggies. Fold in half and transfer to pan
• Enjoy!

The post Healthy Veggie and Cheese Omelette appeared first on Healthykel.