Tag Archives: Healthy Recipes

Crustless Quiche Florentine (Spinach Quiche)

Ahhhhh! Spring has arrived in Northern Michigan! or has it? That is always the big question Up North. But oh the beauty of it when it does. Spring up here is fickle. We had glorious days last week with the daffodils blooming and the sunshine so warm on your skin. The weather was nice enough for a picnic outside, and I actually put out my repurposed, hand painted ladder back chair I am using this summer for garden decor with a pot of daffodils. Later I will replace them with petunias. See photo down below. But the snow this morning! It was just a skiff and will be melted by noon.

Nice weather always makes me crave a good quiche! This is a new recipe I have written for Quiche Florentine. It is so light and fluffy, and it popped up in the oven and browned beautifully. I used baby spinach and a good aged cheddar with plenty of pastured local eggs. It is delicious, and I am so glad there is a piece left for me for lunch today!

Crustless Quiche Florentine (SCD, Low FodMap, Grain Free)

Crustless Quiche Lorraine

Preheat your oven to 375 Degrees F.

Ingredients:

10 Ounces of Baby Spinach, sauteed in olive oil and sprinkled in salt

12 Pastured Eggs

4 oz. of aged cheddar cheese, shredded

1/2 Cup of Coconut Milk

2 Teaspoons of Dried Chives

1/2 Teaspoon of Salt

1/4 Teaspoon of Pepper

a pinch of Nutmeg

Directions: Grease a deep dish pie pan.

Sautee the spinach in a separate pan with a tablespoon of garlic olive oil, set aside.

Whisk the eggs with the coconut milk, salt, pepper, nutmeg and chives. Fold in the cheese. Pour the egg mixture into your prepared deep dish pie pan. Now, take the cooked spinach and using tongs, place it artfully on top of the egg mixture. Place the pan in your preheated 375 degree F. oven for 40 minutes on the middle shelf until the eggs are set and the top is puffed up. The casserole should register 165 degrees F. in the center. Cool ten minutes before slicing.

Let me show you it sliced!

The quiche is SCD Legal, Gluten Free, Grain Free and just delicious, real food ingredients.

This is the chair I repurposed for my garden this summer. What do you think? I found it at a consignment shop where I live and had a hole cut in the base and then primed and painted it in whimsical colors with flowers. We get quite a bit of foot traffic by our house in the spring and summer, so I thought it would be enjoyed by the passerby.

At the end of a long, productive day, I like to take a little me time to unwind, and one of my favorite ways to do that is by reading a good book. I recently discovered Viola Shipmen! I was browsing a local bookstore and found a signed copy of The Heirloom Garden. Oh my gosh! Don’t you get so excited when you find an undiscovered to you new author whose books thoroughly suck you in with strong female characters? Now I am reading The Summer Cottage by Viola Shipmen and have more to look forward to after that, with a new one coming out this Summer.

I find a great way for winding down is a good book and a soak in the tub. I’m using Lemongrass Spa’s new Rejuvenate Bath Soak, the luscious Lemon Sorbet body polish and Cactus & Guava body wash. Lots of lovely aromatherapy!

So how have you been doing? Leave me a comment below on your favorite Spring food. Here’s to a wonderful Spring!

Sandra

Sundried Tomato, Bean and Sausage Frittata

Well hello! I hope the end of January is finding you well! We are craving warming, hearty meals here this time of year, and if you are busy, this one dish cast iron skillet meal checks all the boxes!! My hand is raised here. I am feeding a family of five who all seem to devour food like lumber jacks. No offense to the lumber jacks, but having three full grown children and a hard working husband with a hearty appetite in the house keeps me hopping! Fortunately, I have lots of help in the kitchen too. Clean up is my least favorite part of cooking. Especially the dish washing, and Doug is happy to get in there. He is an excellent scrubber.

This Sundried Tomato, Bean and Sausage Frittata is loaded with tasty ingredients like tangy sundried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, onion, pecorino Romano cheese for a sharp, salty flavor, savory sausage, and creamy white beans! My mouth is watering!

Who else loves a wonderfully seasoned cast iron skillet? It is non-stick when cared for properly and seasoned well, plus it is a wonderful non-toxic pan!

Let’s make an awesome, hearty frittata!

Sundried Tomato, Bean and Sausage Frittata

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. I used a ten inch cast iron pan. If yours is larger or smaller, it is fine, but the oven times will vary.

Ingredients:

1 Pound of Good Quality Pork Sausage

10 Eggs

1 Cup of White Navy Beans or Cannellini Beans (I use Eden Organic canned. Drain and rinse them under water in a colander before using.)

1 Medium Yellow Onion

1 Cup of Grated Pecorino Romano Cheese

1/2 Cup of Greek Yogurt

1/2 Cup of Green Onion (sliced)

1/2 Cup of jarred Roasted Red Peppers (chopped)

1/4 Cup of Olive Oil Packed Sundried Tomatoes (finely chopped)

2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil

salt and pepper

In your cast iron skillet, cook your sausage until brown and no longer pink. Remove it from the skillet to drain on a plate with paper towel. Wipe your skillet of excess grease. Then, melt your olive oil over medium heat and add the chopped yellow onion, a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and cook until translucent. While the onion is cooking, whisk together your eggs in a bowl along with the Greek yogurt, 1/2 cup of the Pecorino Romano cheese, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper.

After the onions are translucent, fold in the rinsed beans and chopped roasted red pepper maintaining the heat at medium. Add the cooked sausage back to the pan and evenly mix the vegetables, beans and meat. With a spatula make an even layer of your mixture, then pour the eggs over the top. Do not stir! Sprinkle the Frittata with sundried tomatoes, sliced green onion and the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese. Place the cast iron skillet in your oven, and bake for approximately 25 minutes until set and the top is golden brown. Serve! This goes really well with a leafy green salad!

This makes six generous servings.

Toasted Quinoa Goji Berry Cocoa Energy Balls

These are like a bowl of hot cereal in a ball, which makes them great for breakfast. I love the whole grain earthiness of these energy balls and all the great nutrition in them. The coating of raw cocoa powder on the outside gives them the perfect bittersweet flavor when you bite into them plus an extra nutrition boost.

Not only are these great for breakfast, but for a mid-morning or afternoon snack.

The flavor of toasted quinoa flakes is warm, nutty and gives them depth of flavor. I get my organic non-GMO quinoa flakes at nuts.com. They come in a nice sized bag of one pound or five pounds. Quinoa is a complete protein, it contains all nine essential amino acids, so it is a wonderful choice for breakfast or snacking! It’s also a great source of iron and dietary fiber and easy to digest, because it’s actually a seed, but the nutrition world considers it a whole grain.

Goji Berries contain antioxidants and Vitamins A and C and Zeaxanthin which is good for eye health. Dried ones are chewy, and earthy which gives these balls substance, meaning if you like chewy whole grain textures, you will like these a lot. A few of these with a cup of hot tea on a stormy day, like today here, is perfect.

The kitchen smells so good when you are toasting the quinoa flakes, warm and homey. Here’s the recipe.

Toasted Quinoa Goji Berry Cocoa Energy Balls

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Cup of Quinoa Flakes (I love these organic gluten free ones!)

1 Medium Sized Ripe Banana

3/4 Cup of Dried Goji Berries (organic, sundried, no sulphur ones are my choice.)

1/4 Cup of Maple Syrup

2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil

2 Tablespoons of Ground Flax

2 Tablespoons of Cocoa Powder (reserved for rolling) I use raw cacao

1 Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract

1/2 Teaspoon of Ground Cinnamon

1/4 Teaspoon of Ground Allspice

1/4 Teaspoon of Salt

Directions:

On a rimmed cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, spread out your quinoa flakes in a even layer. Toast in your preheated oven for seven minutes stirring halfway through. This will be after five minutes.

Remove the quinoa flakes from the oven when golden brown and set aside to cool.

Place your goji berries in a food processor with a blade attachment and pulverize them on high until they are mostly powder with a few bits left. This takes about one minute. Add the flax and banana (broken into pieces) and blend on high. Scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Now, add the remaining ingredients except for the quinoa flakes and cocoa powder. Blend until very smooth, scraping down the food processor once. Add the toasted quinoa flakes and pulse until they are evenly and completely blended into your energy mix. It should be thick and easy to scoop.

Lay out a cookie sheet with parchment paper, and put the cocoa powder on a small plate beside it for rolling. With a cookie scoop, scoop out tablespoon sized balls and drop them right onto the cocoa powder. Roll them around with your fingers until coated with the cocoa and then pick them up and perfect them into balls. Place them on the cookie sheet two inches apart. This recipe makes 14 energy balls.

Bake in your preheated 350 degree F. oven for ten minutes. Remove them from the oven, and cool completely on the cookie sheet before eating. These will store in a sealed container on your countertop.

These are a healthy gluten free snack that will give you energy, fiber and great nutrition.

Chocolate Mint Nut Milk

Chocolate Mint Nut Milk 2

I came up with this recipe with a dairy free creamer to go in my coffee in mind. It is creamy and tastes great for making peppermint mocha’s, but it’s also delicious all by itself.

Chocolate Mint Nut Milk 3

Nut milks are simple to make. You just need a nut milk bag or a fine mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth. Nut milk bags are inexpensive, and I prefer them over a strainer lined with cheesecloth, but you can go that route too. You can get a three pack for just under $9. on Amazon.

Chocolate Mint Nut Milk

Ingredients:

1 Cup of Raw Pecans

4 Cups of Water for Soaking (This will be discarded later)

3 Cups of Cold Water

1/4 Cup of Cocoa Powder

2 Tablespoons of Raw Honey

1 Tablespoon of Vanilla Extract

1/4 Teaspoon of Peppermint Extract

a pinch of Sea Salt

Directions:

Place your pecans in a bowl and cover them with 4 cups of water. Let the nuts soak overnight for 8 to 12 hours. The longer they soak, the creamier your milk will be. This plumps up and softens the nuts for a creamy non-gritty milk.

After the nuts have soaked, dump them into a strainer and rinse them with fresh water.

Add the rinsed nuts and 3 cups of fresh cold water, cocoa powder, honey, vanilla, peppermint extract and sea salt to a high speed blender, and blend for three minutes.

Pour the nut milk into your nut milk bag over a large bowl. Gently squeeze the bag to strain out the milk into the bowl. Refrigerate in a covered container for up to 5 days.

Chocolate Mint Nut Milk Gluten and Dairy Free

Strawberry Lemon Pepper Chicken Salad

Strawberry Lemon Pepper Chicken Salad on Blue Tray

This chicken salad is my current Summer obsession! It has all the bright flavors of Summertime with it’s bright lemon and strawberry flavors with the bite of black pepper! Perfection!

Strawberry Lemon Pepper Chicken Salad 1

I do hope you give it a go, because I think you will really love it!

One of the keys to a really good chicken salad with white breast meat is roasting the chicken breasts to absolute perfection. It is handy to have a instant read thermometer for this. Another tip when roasting boneless, skinless breasts is to rub them with olive oil. It locks in the juices!

Ming loves Strawberry season! We got freshly picked ones from the Farmer’s Market!

Ming Smelling the Strawberries.jpg

I use a loose mayonnaise based dressing in this chicken salad that has plenty of fresh lemon juice for a lovely zing!

Also incorporated into this salad is crunchy toasted pecans, two kinds of onions (scallions and yellow) and fresh diced strawberries!

Strawberry Lemon Pepper Chicken Salad

Ingredients for the Chicken:

3 pounds of good quality boneless skinless chicken breasts (4 to 5)

1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil

Zest of one Large Lemon

1/2 Teaspoon of Black Pepper

1/2 Teaspoon of Sea Salt

Preheat your oven to 400° degrees F. Lay out the chicken breasts on a rimmed baking sheet. Whisk together the olive oil, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Brush all over both sides of the breasts evenly. Roast in your preheated oven for about 20 minutes. Keep a close eye on them and do not take the breasts over 165° to ensure your chicken is juicy and tender. Check it at 20 minutes, remove any smaller breasts that may cook faster, then keep roasting if necessary in three minute increments until the chicken is done at 165° F. I can’t stand a dry breast!

When the chicken is done, remove it from the baking sheet onto a plate, then cover it with another plate to cool.

Assembling the Salad:

Ingredients:

2 Cups of Fresh Ripe Strawberries, diced

1/2 Cup of Finely Diced Yellow Onion

1/2 Cup of Green Scallions, sliced

1/2 Cup of Toasted Pecans (Toast at 350° degrees F. for 8 minutes) cooled and chopped

1/4 Teaspoon of Black Pepper

1/4 Teaspoon of Sea Salt

1/4 Cup of Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice (from the lemon you zested for the chicken)

1/2 Cup plus 2 Tablespoons of Good Mayo (I use this kind)

1 Tablespoon of Really Good Honey (Local is Lovely)

Directions to finish the Chicken Salad:

Cube your cooled chicken breasts into 1 inch cubes. Place in a large bowl. Add the diced yellow onion, scallions, and toasted chopped pecans. In a blender, blend together the chicken salad dressing ingredients until creamy and smooth: (the mayonnaise, lemon juice, honey, sea salt, black pepper). Pour the dressing over the chicken salad (saving the strawberries for last as they are tender) Toss the chicken salad until the ingredients are evenly disbursed and coated with the dressing. Now, fold in the diced strawberries. Chill and serve.

I hope you enjoy this delicious warm weather chicken salad full of the bright flavors of Summertime!

Strawberry Lemon Pepper Chicken Salad for Summer..jpg

*This post has affiliate links in it. I receive a very small commission if you purchase through my links. The small commission helps cover the cost of maintaining this blog. Thanks! 🙂

Farm Market Local Strawberries

Kale Salad with Cranberries and Cashews

Cranberry Cashew Kale Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette

This is a delicious salad any time of year, but it is particularly good, in my opinion, in Autumn! The crunch of the cashews, and the chewiness of the dried cranberries, along with the savory scallions and tangy mustard maple dressing is the perfect balance of sweet and zesty!

Kale Salad with Cranberries and Cashews

1 Bunch of Lacinato Kale (also known as dinosaur kale)

1/3 Cup of Dried Cranberries (fruit juice sweetened if available)

1/3 Cup of Raw Cashews

2 Scallions (thinly sliced)

1 Tablespoon of White Balsamic Vinegar

Mustard Maple Dressing:

1/4 Cup of Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon of White Balsamic Vinegar

1 Tablespoon of Dijon Mustard

1/4 Teaspoon of Sea Salt

1/8 Teaspoon Black Pepper

Directions:

Wash and strip the stems from the kale. Tear the kale leaves into bite sized pieces and add them to a medium salad bowl. Pour over 1 tablespoon of white balsamic vinegar and massage the kale leaves with your hands. The vinegar and massaging will help break down the fibers in the kale and make them tender, about three minutes will do.

Add in the cranberries, cashews and sliced scallions.

Whisk together the Dressing ingredients, and pour over the kale salad. Toss and serve!

Delicious Kale Salad with Cranberries, Cashews and a Maple Mustard Dressing. Gluten and Dairy Free

Three Ingredient Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls

Dates are a great addition to your diet! I like to throw a couple in a smoothie to add natural sweetness in whole food form or use them to make energy bites with things like nuts and berries in them. These balls are made up of raw cacao, peanut butter (or a nut or seed butter of your choice) and dates. They are healthy and satisfying! I like to pop in these super quick and easy sweet treats when I have a craving for something chewy and chocolate. The raw cacao is loaded with antioxidants and magnesium and is a natural mood elevator. Dates are full of fiber, vitamins and essential minerals and are a whole food, natural sweetener eaten for centuries. The fat in the peanut butter or nut butter of your choice is satiating, and nuts contain protein. Use a peanut butter or nut butter with no added sugar, just salt.

Three Ingredient Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls – Yummy!

Three Ingredient Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Cups of Soft Medjool Dates (pits removed, if they are not soft between your fingers, soak them for five minutes in warm water)

1/3 Cup plus 2 Tablespoons of Raw Cacao Powder (like this)

6 Tablespoons of Peanut Butter (no sugar added)

Directions: Place the dates in a food processor with a blade attachment, and puree. Add in 1/3 Cup of Raw Cacao Powder and the Peanut Butter or nut butter. Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides of the processor as needed with a rubber spatula. Place the remaining two tablespoons of Raw Cacao Powder in a bowl. With a tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop the mixture into balls, roll them between your hands to form a round globe, and roll in cocoa powder. The balls can be stored at room temperature, in the refrigerator, or freezer depending on your preference. Pop these in when you need a healthy chocolate fix or a energy boost!

Three Ingredient Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls

Eat Your Nutrients!

Egg, Parsnip and Celeriac Root Hash Brown Skillet

Eggs and Hash Browns are an American classic. I did a remix of the humble, time honored, hash brown by using parsnip and celeriac root vegetables for the hash and made it all in one skillet instead of forming individual hash browns. I received my inspiration for this dish from the Waffled Hash Browns recipe in Cooking Light Magazines March 2017 issue. Skillet meals are trending, and I can see why. The clean-up is easy, it’s all in one pan, and making one big hash is quicker than making individual patties! You can see in the photo how the eggs are nestled into the crispy hash ready to be devoured. This hash is full of nutrition too!

Parsnip Celeriac Hash and Egg Skillet

Egg, Parsnip and Celeriac Root Hash Brown Skillet

The global, cream colored celeriac root and parsnip are both a good source of Vitamin C, B-6, Magnesium, Potassium, and Fiber. Eggs are a good source of protein, and don’t you love it that the yolks are now said to be good for us? I never understood why only part of a complete and natural egg was said to be only half good for us. Yolks are a wonderful source of Omega 3, Vitamins A, D, E, B-12 and K, lutein (for eye health) and more. Here’s the recipe!

Skillet Egg and Parsnip Celeriac Hash Browns

Egg, Parsnip and Celeriac Hash Brown Skillet

Ingredients:

2 Cups of Parsnips (peeled and grated)

2 Cups of Celeriac Root (peeled and grated)

5 Eggs

3 Tablespoons of Olive Oil

1 Teaspoon of Sea Salt

1 Teaspoon of Dried Parsley

1/4 Teaspoon of Black Pepper

1/4 Teaspoon of Onion Powder

1/4 Teaspoon of Garlic Powder

Fresh Basil (optional)

Directions: Preheat the oven to 325º degrees. In a large bowl, mix together the grated parsnip and celeriac root (I used a food processor to grate it for speed, but it can also be hand grated), 1 egg (beaten), sea salt, parsley, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder. Mix thoroughly.

In a large non-stick skillet (I used a 14 inch) pour in 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Heat over medium-high. Add the hash mixture and pat it down into one even layer to brown one side. Let this cook for five minutes, or until the bottom has browned. With a rubber spatula, turn over the hash brown to the other side to brown. It will not turn in one piece, which is fine. Flip it in sections. Brown for a few minutes on this side. After the hash browns are brown on both sides and tender, make four egg sized nests in your pan (refer to the photo). Crack the eggs in the nests, and sprinkle with a little additional sea salt and pepper. Pop the pan in the oven, and bake the eggs for 8 to 12 minutes until the whites are set and the yolks are cooked to your liking. Remove the pan from the oven. Chop some fresh basil and sprinkle it on the top before serving.

Eat Your Nutrients!

Strawberry Pecan Pie – Grain Free, Dairy Free

You know what I love about February besides having three of my daughter’s birthdays in this month and Valentine’s Day? I start seeing good strawberries in the store again! I also find people are starved for color, and February is full of red and pink and hearts. This Strawberry Granola Dessert is just right!

Strawberry Pecan Pie

The crust for the pie is a coconut pecan crust that is grain free. It rolls really well and blind bakes beautifully. The pecans and coconut in the recipe with a touch of honey makes it very tasty!

There is a jammy berry bursting filling that has berries cooked down to intensify the strawberry flavor naturally, and fresh strawberries stirred in afterwards, along with some coconut butter to add creaminess.

The granola on the top of this pie adds a crunchiness that is fun to eat and delicious with the creamy filling. It is crunchy and airy with the freeze dried strawberries, toasted coconut flakes and crunchy chopped pecans. The granola topping stands alone in my opinion, so make extra to snack on!

Strawberry Pecan Granola Tart with Coconut Pecan Crust

Strawberry Pecan Pie with Coconut Pecan Crust

Strawberry Pecan Pie

Strawberry Pecan Pie (makes two smaller or one full pie sized)

Coconut Pecan Crust

For the crust: Preheat your oven to 350º degrees F.

In a food processor with a blade attachment add the following ingredients:

1/4 Cup of Coconut Flour

1/3 Cup of Pecan Halves

1/4 Cup of Coconut Butter (I could eat this brand right out of the jar)

1/4 Cup of Coconut Flakes (unsweetened, shredded)

1 Egg

2 Tablespoons of Honey

1/8 Teaspoon of Sea Salt

Pulse all the ingredients in the food processor until it forms a ball. Grease your pan of choice. This is either a full sized pie pan, or like the ones I used which hold 2 Cups each.

Roll out the crust between two pieces of parchment paper or plastic wrap with a rolling pin. If you have two pans, divide the crust in half, one for each pan. Take off the top layer of parchment after rolling the crust out, and carefully transfer it to the pans. It will probably need some patching, so use your fingers to form the crust to your liking. Don’t panic. 🙂

Bake for ten minutes, or until the crust is golden brown on the edges. Remove it from the oven and cool. Now let’s make the filling!

Coconut Pecan Pie Crust

Filling

1 Lb. of Fresh Strawberries for making the jam filling

1 Cup of Fresh Strawberries for stirring in

1/4 Cup of Coconut Butter

3 Tablespoons of Honey

1 Tablespoon of Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice

a Pinch of Sea Salt

In a heavy medium saucepan over medium high heat, cook the ingredients. When the jammy filling comes to a simmer, mash the berries using a potato masher to break up the berries. Continue cooking for five to ten minutes at a high simmer until the mixture thickens,stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and fold in one cup of fresh diced strawberries. Set aside to cool.

Strawberry Granola Topping

This is an easy peasy granola, and you are going to love it!

1/4 Cup of Pecan Halves

1/4 Cup of Freeze Dried Strawberries (my favorite here)

1/4 Cup of Dang Lightly Salted, Toasted Coconut Flakes (they are amazing straight out of the bag…here. Easy to find in grocery stores too)

Directions: Break up the strawberries and coconut flakes with your hands or a knife. Coarsely chop the pecans. Mix them all together in a bowl.

Simple Strawberry Granola Ingredients

Assemble!

Pour the Jammy Strawberry filling into the cooled pie crust, and spread it evenly. Sprinkle the delicious, crunchy Strawberry Granola Topping on top. Be artistic! Refrigerate for four hours before serving.

Happy February!

Dishing it Up! Strawberry Pecan Granola Tart

Dishing it Up! Strawberry Pecan Pie (smaller version)

strawberry pecan pie - grain free, dairy free

Eat Your Nutrients!

Top 5 Most Popular Recipes of 2016!

Happy New Year! The top five most popular recipes of 2016 for Sam Eats Her Nutrients were:

Homemade Grain Free Garlicky Croutons

homemade-grain-free-garlicky-croutons

2. SCD Low FodMap BBQ Sauce

scd-low-fodmap-bbq-sauce

3. Messy Jessie’s

messy-jessies

4. Chesapeake Crab Cakes

chesapeake-crab-cakes-paleo

5. Weeknight Tacos, SCD, Low FodMap Paleo

weeknight-tacos

Thank you to you all! The top five were all savory!

Please e-mail me privately at sameatshernutrients@gmail.com or comment on this post below to let me know what you would like to see me create for 2017!

Warmly,

Sam

Eat Your Nutrients!