Breakfast: Herban Quiche

In our ever hectic day to day lives, it is easiest to forget to eat the, arguably, most important meal of the day - Breakfast. Breakfast food, and preparations vary from culture to culture - for instance you can find all sorts here. On the weekends we try to go out for breakfast/brunch, and during the week we try to take some fruit, or cereal (hot or cold), but wouldn't it be nice to have something warm, and comforting? (and at the same time, healthy?).

We decided to try something new this week - we are making a quiche from scratch and separating into portions for each morning. Esp. for me, it's nice to grab and go, and once i get to work have a nice plate of power foods to start the day. When i lived in Texas, i used to make quiche quite a bit, so the recipe wasn't foreign to me, but the ingredients would change slightly. Listed below is the recipe for my "Herban Quiche" - hope you enjoy!

Herban Quiche

ingredients

8 Med. Eggs (Organic)

1 Bunch Kale (Stems Removed and Chopped)

1 Clove Garlic (minced)

1 Leek (white & Lt. Green Parts Only, Chopped)

2 Handful's of Baby Bella Shroom's (chopped)

2 Slices Bacon (Pan Fried and Crumbled)

Black Pepper (pinch)

Sea Salt (pinch)

1 Cup Whole Milk

1/2 Cup Sharp Cheddar

Cheese (Grated)

1 pie crust:

Pate Brisee (Martha Stewart of course)

Step 1: Prepare all ingredients

Step 2: Pre-Heat Oven to 350º

Step 3: Fry Bacon on Med-High Heat

Remove and Reserve Bacon Pieces for later use.

Step 4: Saute' Leeks, Shroom's, and Garlic in Bacon Grease.

when consistency is to your liking, add Kale and Saute' till Kale is cooked down.

Step 5: Roll your dough on a lightly floured surface

Step 6: Place in Pie Dish, and Bake for 10-12 Minutes before adding ingredients

Step 7: While Pie Crust is baking, whip eggs, Milk and Pepper in bowl

Step 8: Layer Cheese, Vegetables and Bacon before pouring egg mixture

Step 9: Add Egg Mixture

Step 10: Bake at 350º for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 300º and bake for

55 minutes or until egg's are cooked through.

We let our's cool thoroughly and sliced into 8 slices - One for each morning.

Enjoy!

(*All ingredients used were certified Organic)

Megan: Homemade Granola

happy february!

while our white northeastern winter is here to stay, i have devoted my spare minutes to cozy nooks, comfort food, hot cups of tea and good books. this month, I have been consuming green tea (with a drop of honey and a squeeze of fresh lemon) by the gallon while pouring over my new gifted copy of julia child's my life in france. julia child is simply adorable. i can't help but fall a little more in love with mrs. child with each page turned. while my new food heroine captures my heart, i also can't help the growls that erupt from my stomach as i read in great detail of her journey to concoct the perfect hollandaise sauce, her discovery of the best method to cook the most succulent coq au vin and her hunt for aged cheese wheels to accompany her fresh strawberries. o, julia...

well, needless to say, reading can make you hungry. the perfect cozy-nook-tea-in-hand-whilst-reading-snack? sweet, crunchy, fiber-filled and packed with protein - granola! one of my favorite personal creations is a very simple, tried-and-true granola recipe (i mentioned i was from oregon, right?) this time, i tweaked it slightly, adding dark chocolate, dried cranberries and pomegranate seeds to make it valentine's day ready.

i hope you enjoy it. stay warm, well-read and cozy this month!

ingredients:

2 tbl olive oil

2 cups rolled oats

1/3 butter

2 tbl honey

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 cup raw almonds

1/2 cup salted and roasted cashews

1 cup dried fruit (i chose to use a cranberry and pomegranate mix).

1 cup dark chocolate chips

heat oven to 350.

heat oil on medium heat in large deep skillet. add rolled oats and almonds stir (about 5 minutes) until oats and almonds are toasted and starting to brown. empty into deep baking dish and set aside.

melt the butter on medium heat, add the honey and brown sugar. stirring constantly for 5 minutes, until bubbling.

mix oats and almonds and cashews into the butter mixture and stir well. add fruit.

empty contents into the baking dish and bake for 8 minutes. remove from oven and let cool. once cool, add chocolate chips and mix well.

happy snacking!