You will love this light and tasty baked ricotta egg dish. It's similar to a frittata but by skipping the step where you start it in a skillet and finish it in the oven I just pop the whole thing in the oven from the start. So it's not really a frittata, but frittata inspired. It saves time because you don't have to babysit the eggs on the stove top so you're free to be busy with other important things..... like enjoying your morning coffee. But anyway, talking about frittatas, I still remember the first time I heard of a frittata and I remember thinking that it was basically a quiche without a pie crust. Hmmm... no pie crust you say? Genius! Just make a quiche with no crust and you have a frittata! This is the perfect solution for anyone watching their calories or if you just don't have time to whip up a pie crust to make a quiche. Which honestly, I don't usually ever have time for first thing in the morning anyway. In fact, I still owe my husband a fresh baked apple pie.... but that's another story, I'll have to get to that pie another day. So I recently made this ricotta frittata when we were out at the cottage. It was a lazy summer morning and no one was in a rush to go anywhere. Ahhh.... the lazy days of summer. I often have a tub of ricotta cheese in the fridge, it's so versatile so it's pretty much a cottage staple for me. You can use it as a spread, in casseroles, as dessert - see? Super versatile, like this breakfast ricotta bake! This recipe is really simple, I promise - you can whip it up in less time than it takes for your oven to heat up! It whips up creamy smooth and smells heavenly while baking in the oven. You can play around with the ingredients, this recipe is very forgiving, add mushrooms, onions, ham, the possibilities are endless! But one thing that I know is that you'll have those sleepy heads coming down from the bedroom in no time! INGREDIENTS - 2 cups ricotta cheese - 4 eggs - 1/2 pint cherry tomatoes - fresh spinach - 2 tbsp parmesan cheese - 1 garlic clove crushed and finely chopped or grated - pinch of kosher salt - fresh black pepper - finely chopped basil or dried basil leaves - finely chopped parley or dried parsley - butter or oil for greasing pan DIRECTIONS 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees 2. Keep 4 tbsp of ricotta cheese aside for topping, and whisk together eggs and remaining ricotta cheese until well blended and airy 3. Whisk in parmesan cheese, garlic, salt, pepper and herbs 3. Pour the egg & ricotta mixture into a greased pie dish and place tomatoes, spinach, dollops of ricotta and parmesan on top 4. Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes or until the egg & ricotta mixture is set and cooked through 5. Serve warm from the oven and enjoy! Serves 4
0 Comments
Chia pudding is all the rage and it's no wonder. It is a SUPERFOOD loaded with fibre, protein, anti-oxidants, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. It's versatile and sooo good for you. Chia seeds are often soaked ahead of time, which makes the most nutrients available to our bodies to use. After the seeds have been soaked they end up having this amazing "glooby" texture. You know what I'm talking about, right? My kids think it's funny the way the seeds feel in their throats when they swallow. So we call them glooby seeds here at home! If you haven't tried them, you just have to experience it to know! A great way to enjoy chia seeds is in chia pudding. This chia pudding is so pretty, it's great for breakfast, a snack. and definitely for dessert! Chia pudding is so versatile because the flavour is so mild that you can adapt it to any liquid and toppings of your choice, like this one soaked in almond milk topped with homemade granola, a dollop of Greek yogurt with kiwi and banana slices. I use unsweetened almond milk, it's low fat, low calorie and adds a sweet taste to the chia pudding. This is seriously beautiful and sweet enough to serve as dessert! I'm excited to let you all know that this recipe was picked up by the feedfeed's Best Chia Seeds Recipes - check it out https://thefeedfeed.com/lovegoodfoodblog/almond-chia-pudding-with-granola-banana-and-kiwi INGREDIENTS - 1/2 cup chia seeds - 1 cup unsweetened almond milk - 1 small banana - 1 kiwi - 4 tbsp granola (homemade or commercial) - 4 tbsp plain Greek yogurt DIRECTIONS 1. Prepare the chia pudding at least 4 hours ahead of time, or overnight 2. Pour chia seeds in a container and add almond milk, stir well, cover and place in the fridge 3. After chia seeds gel and set and ready to serve, spoon out pudding into two bowls 4. Slice kiwi and banana and add to chia pudding 5. Top off with granola and Greek yogurt makes 2 servings Have a great day and Love Good Food! ❤️ Sometimes when you find something so warm and comforting you just keep coming back for more. That's the way I feel about our EVERYday oatmeal. You can't beat the health benefits from a bowl of hot oats that you can make in a snap. This take on one of my family's go-to breakfasts is all-Canadian. Quebec maple syrup, Ontario black walnuts, and oats and flax grown in the prairies. The amazing thing about maple syrup is the health benefits. What health benefits, you might ask? Well, I'll let you in in a little info -potassium, manganese, zinc, calcium, iron and magnesium. And not to forget all the benefits of oatmeal! INGREDIENTS - 1/3 cup quickoats - 1 tbsp flax meal - 2/3 cup boiling hot water - 1 tbsp maple syrup - 1 tbsp black walnut pieces DIRECTIONS 1. Scoop oats and flax meal into a cereal bowl 2. Pour 2/3 cup boiling hot water over oats and cover for 5 minutes to cook 3. When oats are cooked add walnuts and drizzle maple syrup on top. makes 1 serving Have a great day and Love Good Food! ❤️ I discovered this purple wheat multi grain bread at my local bakery and I can't stop thinking of great ways to enjoy it! Whenever you get a chance you should try one of your local bakery's specialty breads, you just might be surprised how wonderful the new flavour can inspire your meals! Pairing this bread with avocado and an egg was a natural fit. And I just love the way when the avocado pit is removed it makes the perfect little nest for your poached egg! Avocados are the new superfood. They are loaded with fibre, healthy fats and tons of nutrients. Just a word of caution, if you're watching your daily fat intake avocados weigh in pretty hefty on the day scale. Many nutrition labels for avocados consider 1/5 of an avocado as one serving. But honestly, avocados are a superfood and you deserve all of the healthy benefits that avocados offer! INGREDIENTS - 1/2 avocado - 1 egg - 1 tbsp vinegar - 2 slices of multigrain bread - 1 tsp butter DIRECTIONS 1. Bring a saucepan of water to a boil and reduce to medium-low heat 2. Add vinegar to the water 3. Crack one egg into a cup or small bowl and gently pour the whole egg into the pot of water on the stove 4. Set the timer for 3 minutes for soft eggs, 4 minutes for medium and 5 minutes for firm eggs 5. While the egg is cooking toast bread and cut the avocado in half 6. Use a spoon to scoop the avocado half out from the skin 7. Lightly butter your toast and place the avocado on the toast 8. Using a slotted spoon remove the eggs from the pot and place in a bowl or directly onto the toast if you're ready to assemble * adding vinegar to the water will help the proteins in the egg to bind and help with the poaching Serves 1 Have a great weekend and Love Good Food! ❤️ Alrighty, so what's the deal with avocados? Everyone seems to be talking about avocado toast. Well here's the low-down: avocados are nutrient rich, they are high in minerals, vitamins and good fats. But beware, they do contain a high amount of fat! If you look up the nutrition information for an avocado you might see one serving listed as 1/5 of an avocado. YES! You read that right, it's often considered that one avocado has 5 servings. So when you see only 4,5 or 5 grams of fat per serving you think "okay, great! I'll have an avocado!" But please know that a whole avocado is going to pack in about 22-25 grams of fat, and that's for a regular sized Haas avocado. But like all good food it's about how you balance your food choices over the whole day. I will usually have half an avocado so we're talking about 14 grams of fat. Not bad, I'll just be aware of not consuming too many other high fat foods for the rest of the day. It's all about balance! We should all enjoy the foods we love, especially ones like avocados when they're SO good for you! INGREDIENTS - 2 slices of whole grain bread - 1/2 avocado - 1 small sliced tomato DIRECTIONS 1. Toast the bread 2. While you bread is toasting rough chop your avocado and then put it in a bowl, use a fork to mash the avocado a little bit 3. Spread the avocado on your toast and place the tomato slices alongside Enjoy and Love Good Food! ❤️ Nutrition ratio: 39:48:13
If you often find yourself running out the door without grabbing breakfast first and you haven't tried overnight oats, then what are you waiting for? This breakfast concoction is practically a bowl of oatmeal and a smoothie all rolled into one. And the best part? You make it the night before so in the morning it's practically grab & go! You can even save time in the morning by cutting your fruit the night before and putting it in a sealed container in the fridge. Then just quickly assemble it and put the lid back on and you're out the door! Once you discover overnight oats you'll never again have an excuse for skipping the day's most important meal! So what kind of milk so you use? You can use regular milk, soy milk, almond milk, rice milk, goat's milk, whatever your preference! You can also use any type of oats you choose, steel cut, old fashioned or regular, and add flax meal or chia seeds. The rougher the cut of oats the more chewy your oats will be. (These steel cut oats will give you a real chewy oat that you can really sink your teeth into.) Put the jar in the fridge overnight and voila! An instant cold breakfast waiting for you in the morning! Then top off with any toppings of your choice: fresh fruit, yogurt, seeds and nuts or honey! Putting low fat plain yogurt on top with fresh fruit, like we did here, will give you a really hearty and nutritious meal. This concoction provides you with 40% of your daily protein and 40% of your daily fibre needs, all for only 10 grams of fat! Now that's a great way to start your day! INGREDIENTS - 1/3 cup steel cut oats - 1/2 cup original unsweetened almond milk - 1 tsp chia seeds - 1/2 cup 2% Greek yogurt - 1/2 cup cut mango - 1 kiwi fruit sliced - 1 tbsp sliced almonds DIRECTIONS 1. The night before put oats, chia seeds and milk in a jar and give it a good stir or shake it well with the lid on it 2. The milk should cover the oats completely, if not add a splash more milk 3. Put the jar in the fridge overnight 4 In the morning scoop the yogurt and layer the fruit in the jar and enjoy! * you can put the lid on your overnight oats and take it with you in the morning to enjoy on your morning commute! Calorie ratio 24:57:19
yoir brand of oats, milk and yogurt may have different nutritional values, please check the nutrition label on your containers for an accurate calorie and nutrition count We all know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day yet some days you find yourself running out the door without having had a healthy meal. If you're one of those people then these amazing overnight oats were made for you! If you honestly don't even have five minutes to spare to make toast in the morning you can still have a healthy breakfast. All you need to do the night before is to put the oats in a container, and for this purpose a jar with a lid works wonderfully, and cover the oats with any milk of your choice. You can use regular milk, soy milk, almond milk, rice milk, goat's milk, whatever your preference! You can also use any type of oats you choose, steel cut, old fashioned or regular, and add flax or chia seeds. The rougher the cut of oats the more chewy your oats will be. (These steel cut oats will give you a real chewy oat that you can really sink your teeth into.) Put the jar in the fridge overnight and voila! An instant cold breakfast waiting for you in the morning! Then top off with any toppings of your choice: fresh fruit, yogurt, seeds and nuts or honey! Putting low fat plain yogurt on top with fresh fruit, like we did here, will give you a really hearty and nutritious meal. This concoction provides you with 40% of your daily protein and 40% of your daily fibre needs, all for only 9 grams of fat! Now that's a great way to start your day! INGREDIENTS - 1/3 cup steel cut oats - 1/2 cup original unsweetened almond milk - 1 tsp chia seeds - 1/2 cup 2% Greek yogurt - 1/4 cup raspberries - 1/2 banana sliced - 1 kiwi fruit sliced DIRECTIONS 1. The night before put oats, chia seeds and milk in a jar and give it a good stir or shake it well with the lid on it 2. The milk should cover the oats completely 3. Put the jar in the fridge overnight 4 In the morning scoop the yogurt and layer the fruit in the jar and enjoy! * you can put the lid on your overnight oats and take it with you in the morning to enjoy on your morning commute! Calorie ratio 19:62:19
yoir brand of oats, milk and yogurt may have different nutritional values, please check the nutrition label on your containers for an accurate calorie and nutrition count This is one of those ideas that you aren't quite sure if it will work or not. But believe me, if you have a huge watermelon just taking up prime real estate in your fridge that needs to be used up, a smoothie is a great way to enjoy it and use some of it up!
You won't need to add much liquid to this smoothie because watermelon has such a high water content to start with. Just add a splash of water and you'll get this frothy watermelon glass of goodness. INGREDIENTS - 1 banana - 1 cup watermelon - splash of cold water DIRECTIONS 1. Put fruit and a splash of water in a blender and turn to the high setting to blend 2. Pour into a glass and enjoy! , I love supporting local businesses so I couldn't resist when I found this amazing homemade granola this weekend. It's made with oats, pecans, almonds, dried apricots, dried cranberries, brown sugar, honey, canola oil, vanilla extract, cinnamon and a pinch of salt. The are no preservatives or additives, just natural goodness. This breakfast bowl with yogurt, fresh fruit and granola is SO fast to prepare and it is so delicious AND nutritious. I used plain Greek yogurt but you can use any flavour of yogurt of your choice. My preference is always to buy plain Balkan or Greek yogurt, I love the tangy taste of natural yogurt and I don't like all the added sweeteners in other yogurt. Also when you add fruit and nuts to yogurt they have their own sweetness and flavour so you don't need the added sugar or artificial sweeteners found in flavoured yogurt. This morning I used Natasha's Homemade Granola but you can use a commercially prepared granola or even make your own homemade granola! Any fresh fruit will do, whatever fruit that is fresh and on sale is your best bet! Strawberries, kiwi, blueberries, bananas, raspberries.... The choice is yours! This combo delivers two servings of fruit, one serving of dairy and one serving of nuts. Adding fresh fruit ups your fiber intake for the day and who doesn't love fresh fruit? INGREDIENTS - 1/2 cup plain Greek or Balkan yogurt - 1/2 banana sliced - 1 kiwi sliced - tbsp granola DIRECTIONS 1. Spoon yogurt into bowl and place sliced fruit and granola on top That's it! Enjoy! Have a great food and Love Good Food ❤️ Nutrition Ratio 22:55:23
* actual calories based on Athentikos 2% fat greek yogurt April 16th is National Eggs Benedict Day! Who knew?! I thought a great way to celebrate would be to make a lower fat version of this iconic breakfast classic. Swapping a slice of multigrain baguette for a whole English muffin saves calories and reduces carbs and using a slice of Black Forest ham instead of Canadian back bacon saves on both calories and fat. You can also use less hollandaise sauce than the classic recipes call for; often less is more and in this case less is more healthy! Now don't be intimidated and don't think that Eggs Benny are only for fancy chefs and Sunday Brunch at the 5-star hotel. For this recipe I just used the standard pots in my kitchen since I don't have a double boiler and I don't have a poaching tray either. No worries - you can make the poached eggs freehand in a pot of hot water. You can totally do this! Cheers Benedict! INGREDIENTS Hollandaise Sauce - 2 egg yolks - 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice - 2 tbsp melted butter - dash of kosher salt In addition you will need: - multigrain baguette slices - 4 fresh eggs - 1 tbsp white vinegar - 2 slices of Black Forest ham - pepper DIRECTIONS Hollandaise Sauce 1. Put a small pot of water, about an inch deep, on medium heat on the stove 2. Divide 2 eggs and put egg yolks in a stainless steel bowl 3. Add lemon juice to egg yolks and whisk until mixture becomes fluffy 4. Add a pinch of salt and place stainless steel bowl over the pot making sure the water is not touching the bottom of the bowl 5. Whisk egg mix and slowly add melted butter and keep whisking 6. The mixture will thicken slightly, don't leave it on too long or on heat too high, the eggs may scramble, take the sauce off the heat as soon as it starts to thicken 7. Put the sauce aside somewhere warm until you are ready to assemble 8. If the sauce thickens while you are prepping your eggs you can add a tsp of hot water and whisk up again Poached Eggs 1. Bring a saucepan of water to a boil and reduce to medium-low heat 2. Add vinegar to the water 3. Crack one egg at a time into a cup or small bowl and gently pour the whole egg into the pot of water on the stove 4. Set the timer for 3 minutes for soft eggs, 4 minutes for medium and 5 minutes for firm eggs 5. Using a slotted spoon remove the eggs from the pot and place in a bowl or directly onto the ham if you're ready to assemble * adding vinegar to the water isn't necessary but it will help the proteins in the egg to bind and help with the poaching Ham 1. While the eggs are cooking quickly heat up your slices of Black Forest ham in a pan over medium heat Assembling your Eggs Benedict 1. Place 2 multigrain baguette slices on each plate 2. Place 1/2 a slice of Black Forest ham on top of each baguette slice 3. Gently place a poached egg on each one 4. Pour 1/4 of hollandaise sauce over top and add some freshly ground black pepper and serve! Serves 2 Have a great weekend and love good food! ❤️ As you can see by the cholesterol count, you don't want to make a habit of having this meal every week! Once in awhile it's fine though, go ahead and enjoy!
This EVERYday oatmeal is so delicious. It's packed with protein, carbs, and fibre, and vitamins and minerals that will keep you going strong all morning long. The sweetness of the honey and bananas pair naturally with the nutty oats taste and the pumpkin seeds, and the seeds add a nice crunch to this otherwise soft hot cereal. You can make your oatmeal with any kind of oats: steel cut, old fashioned rolled oats or quick oats. I often use quick oats for busy mornings when I need to get out the door on time or when I'm packing my breakfast with me on the road. I like the toothy texture of cooking my quick oats by adding boiling water and covering it until they cook, but you may like it cooked down in a pot on the stove, giving you a porridge texture. Either way they all have the same nutritional value so it's a win-win any way you make your oats. INGREDIENTS - 1/3 cup of quick oats - tbsp flax meal - 2/3 cup boiling water - 1/2 banana sliced - tbsp pumpkin seeds - tsp honey - sprinkle of chia seeds DIRECTIONS 1. Scoop oats and flax meal into a cereal bowl 2. Pour 2/3 cup boiling hot water over oats and cover for 5 minutes to cook 3. When oats are cooked add sliced bananas, pumpkin seeds and drizzle a little honey. Top off with a sprinkle of chia seeds and enjoy! makes 1 serving Have a great day and Love Good Food! ❤️ I love breakfast food. It's what I look forward to most each morning. I love toast and oatmeal and eggs and pancakes, pastries and muffins and smoothies and fruit. There is hardly a breakfast food that I don't love!
With everyone so busy these days we need a nutritious breakfast that is quick and easy to make yet that is healthy and delicious. Toast with cheese and jam sounds pretty basic but this toast is far from ordinary and it fits the bill for healthy and nutritious. If you haven't tried ricotta cheese with fruit you should give it a go! It's mild tasting so it pairs well with any flavour. Ricotta is high in protein and low in fat... well as far as cheese goes! Give this delicious toast a try and enjoy a healthy quick breakfast. INGREDIENTS - 2 slices chia bread or any bread of your choice - 4 tbsp ricotta cheese - 1 tbsp strawberry jam - 2 tsp sliced almonds - sprinkle of chia seeds DIRECTIONS 1. Toast bread and spread ricotta cheese and jam 2. Top with almonds and chia seeds and enjoy! Have a great day and Love Good Food! ❤️ Poached eggs are wonderful. They are made without oil, butter or milk. This is great for people watching every calorie or who are trying to cut back on fat. I love a beautifully made poached egg, it's just perfection. With a little practice you can master the art of making a poached egg. It really isn't difficult even if you don't own a poaching tray. I had a poaching tray at some point when I purchased my first set of good pots and pans, but after moving twice I honestly have no clue where it has gone. No problem though, making poached eggs in a pot of simmering water is super easy. You will agree with me on this, the clean up is a breeze, it's the least messy egg dish to prepare I can think of! INGREDIENTS - 1 egg - 1 tsp vinegar - 3 slices of baguette - tsp olive oil - few pieces of arugula - handful of pea shoots DIRECTIONS 1. Bring a saucepan of water to a boil and reduce to medium-low heat 2. Add vinegar to the water 3. Crack one egg at a time into a cup or small bowl and gently pour the whole egg into the pot of water on medium heat 4. Set the timer for 3 minutes for soft eggs, 4 minutes for medium and 5 minutes for firm eggs 5. Take your baguette slices and drizzle some olive oil over the bread 6. Broil the bread slices in the oven or in a toaster oven to brown the bread, 7. Using a slotted spoon remove the eggs from the pot and place in a bowl or directly onto the ham if you're ready to assemble * adding vinegar to the water isn't necessary but it will help the proteins in the egg white to bind and help with the poaching Okay, so this isn't really much of a recipe but for anyone stuck in their morning breakfast routine this might shake things up a bit and give you some new ideas. I really love this breakkie - its bright and light and super easy and fast to prepare. Honestly, you could have this any morning before heading out the door, even if you've slept in. I love this breakfast because it is so perfectly balanced, you don't even have to think about it's nutrition. You just know it's healthy and full of good stuff. Fibre, protein, vitamins, carbs.... amazing, and it's delicious! Add some mixed seeds & nuts on the side for an extra pack of protein. Oh, and coffee, be sure to serve it with a hot coffee, or tea... if you don't drink coffee. INGREDIENTS TOAST - slices of rustic hearty bread - 1 tbsp cream cheese - pinch of chia seeds SMOOTHIE - 1 banana - 1 cup of spinach - 1/4 lemon peeled and seeds removed - sprigs of parsley DIRECTIONS TOAST 1. Take sliced bread and toast it. 2. Spread cream cheese on toast and sprinkle chia seeds. 3. Enjoy! (that's it - so simple!) SMOOTHIE 1. Put all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth 2. Pour into a glass and enjoy! Have a great day and Love Good Food! ❤️ * Nutrition label includes both toast recipe and smoothie recipe as per recipe above Smoothies are a great way to get your 5-10 servings of fruit and vegetables in each day! They're quick and easy and transportable. Blend it up and pour it in a travel mug and you can have your breakfast on your morning commute!
Green smoothies are amazing for kids too. Don't assume your picky eater won't like it, they'll be intrigued by the bright beautiful colour and hopefully won't even realize they're sipping spinach and other greens that you may have trouble getting them to eat at dinner time. When my son was 3 years old his favourite colour was green so I had no problem getting him to love green smoothies - he still asks for them every morning! * tip: don't start with too many greens for your picky little eater, if it tastes like banana you'll have a much better chance of getting them to love this green delight! also don't make it too thick, the thinner it is the easier it will be to drink also helping your child to love smoothies One green smoothie with one large banana, 1/2 cup of spinach, and parsley counts as three servings of fruit and vegetables! Not to mention this is a great way to start off your day. Depending on how sweet you like your smoothies you can use water, juice, milk or yogurt as your base. When I'm using sweet fruit like mango, I prefer water as a base but I'll often use apple juice when I'm just tossing in a banana and spinach. If you want more protein you can use milk, soy milk or yogurt as your base. The choice is yours! Green Mango Smoothie INGREDIENTS 1 banana 1 cup spinach 1/4 mango peeled 1/2 cup water DIRECTIONS 1. Add all ingredients into a blender and blend. (For a thicker smoothie add less water) 2. Pour into a glass and enjoy! Smoothies are a great way to use up any produce in your fridge that is getting a little past it's prime. Strawberries starting to get soft? Bananas starting to spot? Toss those berries in a freezer bag or container and use them for your smoothie instead of tossing rotten fruit in the garbage! |
AuthorWife, mother and pilot, with a passion for good food. Archives
November 2016
Categories
All
https://foodgawker.com/?author=love+good+food
|