Meatless meals can be so darn good! Spinach and Feta Shakshuka is a quick and easy vegetarian meal that has a crazy amount of nutrition packed into it. Eggs on their own are very nutritious, add in spinach, leeks and legumes and you’ve got a healthy dose of vitamins A, C, K and D, not to mention loads of protein and fibre. This lovely dish packs a lot of flavour too, plus it’s prime for serving for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
There are plenty of green shakshuka variations out there, but I love the classic feta and dill combination of this one. It’s bursting with fresh flavours of dill and lemon, and the spinach is a great pairing with the eggs. I’ve opted to use cannellini beans, however, other legumes such as chickpeas would be great as well. I find the beans round out the dish and make it rustic and very satisfying. I also suggest serving this dish with crusty, toasted bread. You’ll need it to dunk into the perfectly soft eggs and scoop up the saucy greens. Enjoy!
Thinly slice the leeks and green onions. Heat oil in a large shallow skillet or braiser. Add leeks and garlic. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until starting to soften. Stir in broth, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper. Simmer for 4-5 until leels are tender and most of the broth has cooked out.
Add spinach and toss gently with leeks until wilted. Stir in beans, dill and squeeze in the juice of half a lemon. Make 6 large indentations and crack an egg into each. Sprinkle evenly with feta cheese. Cover and cook on medium heat until egg whites are just set and the centers still jiggle, about 4-5 minutes.
Sprinkle with sliced green onions and the remaining tbsp of fresh dill. Serve with toasted bread.
Notes
-I used cannellini beans for this recipe and enjoyed them in the dish. Chickpeas would be another great choice.
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These slightly chewy, a little bit crunchy Nut Butter Granola Bars are the perfect snack or grab and go breakfast. As the name implies, they are made with nut butter, and my personal preference is natural chunky peanut butter. I’ve also made them with almond butter, which is tasty too, however the peanut flavour really comes through when using peanut butter and it’s a great flavour that marries up nicely with the honey. So tasty!
From this recipe, you get 16 nicely sized bars that wrap and freeze well for those of you who like to get a little meal prep done. If it’s likely that your hungry family will hoover through these is a short time, they’ll last for several days in a sealed container at room temperature.
Nut Butter Granola Bars are gluten-free, packed full of protein from the goodness of nuts and egg whites. The fat from the peanut butter and ground-up nuts helps to keep you feeling full and dried fruit and honey give a little chewiness and natural sweetness. There’s no excuse not to have a batch of these ready for snacking, enjoy!
Preheat oven to 350°F. Arrange nuts and pumpkin seeds on a rimmed baking sheet and toast for 10-12 minutes until golden, stirring once. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
Meanwhile, reduce the oven to 300°F. Spray a 13x9" pan with non-stick spray and line with parchment paper, overhanging the long sides.
Using a food processor, pulse cooled nuts and 1 cup of oats until a sandy consistency and no large pieces of oats remain. Transfer to a large bowl, along with the remaining cup of whole oats. To the same bowl stir in dried fruit and oil (chop any dried fruit bigger than a raisin).
In a medium saucepan whisk together honey, salt and vanilla over medium heat until at a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 3 minutes until bubbling vigorously and smells like caramel.
Add peanut butter to oat mixture along with the hot honey and stir to fully combine. By adding together, the hot honey will help melt the peanut butter. Whisk egg white in a small bowl and stir into oat mixture until fully incorporated.
Scoop into prepared pan and pack down firmly and evenly. Using the bottom of a measuring cup helps to compact the mixture and get it flat.
Bake until golden and no longer sticky 30-35 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before scoring into 16 pieces (2x8). Let cool completely in the pan before lifting out using the parchment overhang. Cut along score marks into bars.
Recipe Notes
-don't skimp on the amount of listed salt.
-I used a combination of almonds, pecans and cashews.
-cut bars can be wrapped and frozen, kept in a sealed container for up to 1 month.
-cut bars will last for about 5 days stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
-other nut butter such as almond butter work well too.
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I think breakfast is a very important start to any day. I am one of those people who does eat breakfast every single day. Yes, I think I should for nutrition but also because I’m quite hungry in the morning and if I don’t eat breakfast, no one is safe around me! That’s right, I turn into a hangry person, and it is not pretty.
I love these individual Baked Berry and Coconut Oatmeal squares because they are a good combination of chewy coconut and oatmeal with sweetness from frozen berries and maple syrup, yet they are not overly sweet. The eggs and milk provide much-needed protein to help us get through the morning and the adorable squares are a perfect size, at least for me. I just love them topped with lots of yogurt and fresh berries if I have them on hand. They can be made in advance, wrapped and frozen for up to a month. Thawed squares can be warmed gently in the microwave when you’re ready to eat.
They’re super simple to make using only one bowl, and if you don’t have an individual pan like the one I have, you can bake it in a 9” x 9” pan and cut into desired squares. Either way, Baked Berry and Coconut Oatmeal is an easy and tasty way to start your day. Enjoy!
In a large bowl whisk together milk and eggs. Whisk in remaining ingredients except for the berries until fully combined. Stir in berries.
Spray a 12 square non-stick brownie pan or a 9"x 9" non-stick pan with non-stick spray.
Divide batter evenly between squares or pour into prepared 9" x 9" pan.
Bake on the center rack for 28-30 minutes if using the individual brownie pan and about 40 minutes if using the 9"x 9" pan.
Remove from oven and allow to cool for about 20 minutes. They will continue to firm up while cooling and you only need it pleasantly warm to serve. They will be difficult to remove from the individual brownie pan if too warm. Remove from pan and serve with yogurt, fresh berries and a drizzle of maple syrup if desired. If baking for meal prep and saving for later feel free to allow it to cool longer before removing from either pan.
Recipe Notes
-Use almond milk or other milk substitutes in place of the 2% milk if desired.
-Add a scoop of vanilla protein powder if you want more protein.
-The individual brownie pan is perfect for meal prep baked oatmeal squares.
-Allow the squares to cool completely before wrapping and freezing. Will keep well wrapped for up to one month in the freezer.
-Allow frozen squares to thaw before warming gently in the microwave.
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Let’s celebrate World Egg Day with some delicious food!! Friday, October 11th is World Egg Day so it seems only right to enjoy this amazing Corn and Bacon Quiche. It has all the goodness of eggs and is stuffed with bacon, corn, peppers and onions. Oh yes, and lots of cheddar cheese. It also has a hash-brown crust making it gluten-free as well. It’s a high quiche with lots of filling that envelops the potato crust making it very hearty and great for brunch, lunch or dinner.
So why does the egg get its own day? It’s simple, eggs are extremely nutritious, high in quality protein, very economical, versatile and delicious of course. So yes, I believe the egg does deserve its own day!
Corn and Bacon Quiche tips:
-Make sure all frozen ingredients like the potatoes and corn are completely thawed and patted dry if necessary.
-Use a deep-dish pie plate for this recipe, one that is at least 1 1/2″ – 2” deep and comfortably holds 32 ounces of liquid. There is too much filling for a standard pie plate.
-Don’t over bake the quiche. It should jiggle slightly in the center when it is done and it will continue to firm up as it rests.
-Be sure to rest the quiche before slicing. This allows the quiche to firm up and will help with slicing and keeping all the ingredients together instead of spilling out when cut.
Brush a 9.5" deep dish (1 1/2"-2" high) pie plate with a tbsp of melted butter.
Pat potatoes dry with a paper towel if needed. Toss potatoes with remaining 2 tbsp of melted butter and 1/2 tsp kosher salt.
Press potatoes evenly into the pie plate and up the sides to form a crust. Using the back of a flat measuring cup helps to press it down.
Bake potato crust for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and reduce oven temperature to 350°F.
Meanwhile, chop bacon into 1/2" pieces and saute in a medium skillet until crisp. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate reserving 1 tbsp of bacon fat in the pan.
To the same skillet add diced onion and red pepper and saute until starting to soften about 3-5 minutes.
In a medium bowl whisk together eggs and sour cream until combined. Whisk in cream, basil, remaining 3/4 tsp salt, white pepper and chili flakes.
Sprinkle the bacon, onion and red pepper evenly over the cooked potato crust. Top with an even layer of corn and cheese.
Pour egg mixture evenly over everything. Shake gently to allow ingredients to settle.
Bake on the middle rack for 35-40 minutes. The center should jiggle just a little while the outer edges are firmer to the touch.
Allow the quiche to rest for 10 minutes prior to slicing. Slice into 6-8 wedges and serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
-I used white pepper to avoid having black flecks in the quiche, however black pepper is just as good.
-Be sure to use a deep-dish pie plate as the filling will not fit in a standard pie plate. It needs to comfortably hold 32 ounces of liquid.
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One of my favourite things is enjoying a leisurely weekend morning with nothing more to do than drink coffee and chat idly over a satisfying, belly bursting breakfast/brunch. It’s the kind of time that I cherish because there’s no rushing, no chores, just good company, yummy food and belly scratches for the cat. Even though my husband and I both love bacon, we couldn’t help but fall hard for these juicy and flavourful Homemade Pork Breakfast Patties. They’re the absolute best thing for my perfect weekend morning. Easy, delicious, homemade and amazing with crispy fried eggs.
What makes a great homemade sausage patty?
-don’t overmix, over mixing will cause the mixture to be gummy and harder to handle. -use dampened hands, fingers and ring molds to form the patties into neat rounds. Just a dab of water goes a long way to keep the stickiness at bay. -season appropriately with enough salt and spices. Remember, plain meats need salt to bring out the flavour and additional spices and herbs enhance the meat. Salt enhances the herbs too. -don’t overcook the patties, they only need to be cooked through not cooked to death which will result in dry patties. -use freshly ground pork if possible as it will be less weepy or watery than ground pork that has been frozen and thawed. -measure or weigh each portion for uniform patties that will cook evenly.
Crush fennel seeds with the bottom of a glass or chop with a knife to break apart the seeds.
Combine crushed fennel with the remaining seasonings and 1/4 cup of water.
Add ground pork to a large bowl and add seasonings. Mix until seasoning is evenly incorporated but do not overmix. I find it best to use my hands.
Portion mixture into 2.5 ounces each. Form into 3.5" patties either using your hands or pressing into a ring mold (see note). Place on a flat plate or tray and separate layers with parchment.
Add 1 tbsp of oil to your favourite medium-size skillet ( I used cast iron) and heat over medium until hot. Add patties to the pan without overcrowding and cook for 4-5 minutes per side until browned and cooked through. Remove from pan and serve immediately. Or keep warm in a low oven and repeat with remaining oil and uncooked patties.
Recipe Notes
-I like to mix the seasonings with water prior to adding to the pork as I find it helps distribute them nicely without overmixing.
-a small dab of water on your hands and/or ring mold between forming patties will keep the stickiness under control.
-pre-formed patties can be frozen raw and will keep for at least a month well wrapped and separated with parchment paper.
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