Kelly, Author at The Nourishing Home

Easy Summer Berry Yogurt Parfait

One of my favorites things about summer is the wealth of fresh berries available. Whether you fancy strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries {or all of the above}, the good news is they’re among the most nutritious fruits we can enjoy. That’s because they’re packed with nutrients, antioxidants and phytochemicals all of which help nourish the body and promote health and wellness.

In adoration of summer berries, I’m sharing one of my family’s favorite EASY healthy breakfasts that highlights the sweet and tangy flavor of fresh ripe berries. I often refer to this recipe as The Sunshine Breakfast. It looks so bright and cheerful, you can’t help but smile {and dig in!}.

This delightfully easy Summer Berry Yogurt Parfait can be made using homemade dairy or non-dairy yogurt and makes the perfect breakfast-on-the-go, lunchbox side dish, or afternoon snack! Simply layer it up in single-serving mason jars and store in the fridge for up to one week. So easy and nutritious!

Step One: Use Dairy or Non-Dairy Yogurt
Whenever possible, I strive to make my own homemade yogurt since I can control the ingredients and the incubation time. The longer you culture your yogurt, the more active cultures it contains, which means more gut-healing benefits. If you don’t have time to make your own yogurt, be sure to read labels and look for yogurt that contains live cultures without questionable ingredients.

Step Two: Layer up the Healthy Ingredients
Add a base layer of your favorite nuts and seeds (such as slivered almonds, pistachios and pumpkin seeds) with unsweetened coconut flakes. Then, add a layer of yogurt and repeat. Top with fresh seasonal berries and a drizzle of raw honey (omit if doing The Whole30). For an extra dose of health protein, surround the parfait with sliced boiled pastured eggs for a beautiful and healthy breakfast!

Step Three: Enjoy Now … or Later!
Hooray! Your masterpiece is complete. Time to make a decision … Will you enjoy this delicious homemade yogurt parfait now, or cover and refrigerate it for later?

I think I’ll enjoy mine right now … and, I’ll make more to enjoy later! Now that’s a win-win!

You Might Also Like:

Fruit & Nut Bars in a Jar (GF)

18 Frugal Dips for Outdoor Parties

Fruit & Yogurt Parfaits (GF)

Veggie Confetti Cauliflower Rice

By Kelly · 8 Comments

You’ve probably heard the expression, “eat the rainbow!” It’s a simple way of encouraging us to enjoy a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables daily in order to ensure balanced nutrition. This can be especially difficult for picky-eaters – I have a couple of those in my home and I bet you do too!

In fact, I’ve been know to “hide the rainbow” in sauces, smoothies, muffins, etc. in a sneaky quest to get more veggies into my picky-eaters’ bellies. But I’ve discovered that often the key to getting more veggies on my family’s plate is simply combining them in a way that isn’t overpowering, but works to really complement the overall flavors of a dish.

It also helps to fine dice the veggies – like beautiful and colorful confetti – thus the name of this recipe. Finely diced veggies blend into a dish more easily, resulting in a more balanced flavor. Plus, they spare the picky eater from having to take big solo bites of a not-so-favorite veggie.

When I’m not doing The Whole30 Program, I like to make a similar version of this dish using basmati rice. I just add the finely diced sautéed veggies to my cooked Baja-Style Cilantro Rice. Yum! However, since so many of us are taking the 30-day challenge together in July, I thought I’d share this incredibly delicious cauli-rice version.

If you haven’t made cauli-rice yet, let me assure you it’s wonderful and takes just 10-15 minutes. So it really is a quick dish to put together even on a busy night. (Especially if you process the cauliflower on your prep day and place it in an airtight container in the fridge until you’re ready to cook it. See recipe instructions below for details.)

If you’d like step-by-step instructions for making cauli-rice “magic,” be sure to check out my How to Make Cauli-Rice Photo Tutorial.

Again, this is such a simple dish to put together, especially when you remember your “mise en place.” By grating the cauliflower and fine-dicing all of the veggies in advance of starting the recipe, all you’ll need to do is heat the skillet and go …

What a beautiful rainbow of flavorful veggies! This Veggie Confetti Cauliflower Rice recipe is truly a delicious complement to your favorite grilled meats, poultry and seafood dishes. Enjoy!

Veggie Confetti Cauliflower Rice (GF, DF)

Yield: 4-5 servings

Ingredients

1 large head of cauliflower
2 tbsp ghee (or butter)
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup fine diced yellow onion
1/2 cup fine diced cremini mushrooms
1/4 cup fine diced carrots
1/4 cup fine diced red bell pepper
1/4 cup fine diced zucchini
3/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1/3 cup homemade chicken stock

Instructions

Cut the cauliflower into florets, and then use a food processor to pulse the florets into rice-like grains (view photo tutorial here). Set riced cauliflower aside.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, add the ghee, olive oil and fine diced veggies (onion, mushrooms, carrots, bell pepper and zucchini). Sauté until veggies begin to soften.
Then, add the salt, dried parsley, garlic powder and pepper. Stir well to combine the seasonings with the veggies.
Add the riced cauliflower to the seasoned veggies and stir well to combine. Continue stirring and sautéing the cauli-rice until it begins to soften (about 2-3 minutes).
Add the chicken stock and cover the skillet. Allow the cauli-rice to steam for about 1-2 minutes until the stock is absorbed and the cauli-rice is "al dente" in texture. (Do not overcook or "rice" will become mushy.) Remove cover, and fluff cauli-rice to combine ingredients.
Makes a tasty and nutritious grain-free “rice” dish to serve alongside your favorite healthy meals.

Notes

Time Saving Tip: You can process a head of cauliflower into rice up to 3-4 days in advance. Store the uncooked cauli-rice in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to cook. Cooked rice should also be stored in an airtight container in the fridge and generally tastes great for up to 2-3 days. However, I do not recommend freezing uncooked or cooked cauli-rice, as it becomes mushy.

https://thenourishinghome.com/2015/07/veggie-confetti-cauliflower-rice/

You Might Also Like:

Easy Grilled Herb Chicken (GF)

Easy Mac-n-Cheesy (GF option)

Herb-Stuffed Roasted Spatchcock Turkey

Veggie Quiche with Hash Brown Crust

By Kelly · 25 Comments

Exciting News: This is just one of a bunch of Whole30 Recipes here at The Nourishing Home. PLUS I’ll be sharing even more Whole30-compliant recipes as we start our next Whole30 Challenge January 2016. (P.S. You can join us anytime you’re ready to Jumpstart Your Health with Whole30!)

I couldn’t be more excited to share this flavorful and hearty veggie quiche! The tasty hash brown crust adds such a unique twist to this savory creation that I had a hard time deciding what to call it …

Should I call it a frittata since it really tastes more like a frittata than it does a quiche? Or should I call it a quiche, because technically speaking, the preparation method more closely resembles a quiche?

Honestly, no matter what you decide to call this delightful egg dish, there’s one word I think we can all agree best describes it – yummy!

As with any recipe, one of the keys to easy, quick and successful preparation is to remember your “mise en place.” By pre-chopping and gathering all of your ingredients prior to putting the recipe together, you’ll be able to focus your attention fully on the most critical aspect of what makes a meal a success – cooking!

The highlight of this savory quiche recipe is an easy hash brown crust, which makes a tasty gluten-free/grain-free option that everyone will enjoy whether they’re GF or not.

And it’s highly versatile too! You can use yukon gold potatoes or sweet potatoes with equal success – although I do recommend white sweet potatoes, since they’re less sweet than the orange variety.

Although I love saving time in the kitchen, you’ll notice I’ve added the extra step of sautéing the veggies first before adding them to the egg custard – why? Because you just can’t beat the deep, rich flavor that sautéed veggies add, especially when it comes to egg dishes. Another delicious option is to use leftover grilled veggies, just be sure to keep the proportion of veggies to egg custard similar to the recipe and you can’t go wrong!

Quiche isn’t just for breakfast or brunch – it also makes a wonderful light summer dinner served with a mesclun greens salad and a side of fresh fruit.

And trust me, leftovers are even better! The flavors in this hearty Veggie Quiche with Hash Brown Crust meld and deepen, making this quiche an absolute favorite for breakfast or lunch the next day! (I’ve often been caught eating it cold straight from the fridge. Yum!)

Time-Saving Tip: Double the fun! Why make one when you can make two – one to serve now and one to refrigerate and serve as a quick breakfast or lunch during busy weekdays.

Veggie Quiche with Hash Brown Crust (GF, DF)

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

3 cups tightly-packed shredded yukon gold potatoes (or white sweet potatoes)
3/4 cup fine diced yellow onion, divided
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1 cup sliced cremini mushrooms
2 cups chopped swiss chard (or kale)
1/2 cup precooked Whole30-compliant bacon (or sausage)
8 large pastured eggs
1/4 cup almond milk (or coconut milk)
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp garlic powder
sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
ghee or coconut oil

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Use ghee, coconut oil or palm shortening to generously grease a tight-fitting 9-inch springform pan, or 9-inch deep dish pie plate. (If your springform pan does not fit together tightly, you may want to tightly wrap the outside of the pan with a large sheet of foil to help catch leaks, or use a deep dish pie plate instead.)
Using a box grater, shred the potatoes (if using sweet potatoes, peel first). Rinse the shredded potatoes in a strainer; then press the shredded potato between a large layer of paper towels (or kitchen towels) to absorb excess moisture.
In a large bowl, add the shredded potatoes, 1/2 cup of fine diced yellow onion, 2 tablespoons of melted ghee or coconut oil and 1/2 – 3/4 teaspoon sea salt. Toss until combined.
Firmly press the shredded potato mixture evenly along the bottom of the prepared springform pan, making sure to press the potatoes up the sides of the pan at least one inch.
Bake crust for 15-18 minutes, until set. Then place on stove top to cool. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.
While crust is baking, in a medium skillet over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon of ghee or coconut oil. Sauté together the remaining 1/4 cup of yellow onion, red pepper and mushrooms for 4-5 minutes until veggies are softened. (If substituting with extra veggies instead of meat, sauté them with this onion mixture.)
Next, add the swiss chard and stir until greens are wilted (about 2-3 minutes). Mix in the crumbled bacon or sausage, if using. Remove skillet from heat. Season with sea salt and pepper. Set aside.
Wipe clean the large bowl used for the potatoes. Then add the eggs, milk, basil, garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt and 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper. Whisk until eggs are slightly frothy.
Add the veggie mixture to the bottom of the hash brown crust. Then, gently pour the egg custard over the top of the veggie mixture.
Place the springform pan on a large baking sheet (to catch any leaks) and place in preheated oven. (If you're using a pie dish, it's not necessary to use the baking sheet.)
Bake at 350°F for 25 minutes until quiche is set. Remove from oven and allow to sit 3-5 minutes. Then gently loosen sides of quiche by running a knife along the side of the pan.
Remove springform pan and place on a serving platter. Serve with your favorite green salad and fresh sliced fruit. Enjoy!

https://thenourishinghome.com/2015/06/veggie-quiche-with-hash-brown-crust/

You Might Also Like:

Potato Casserole Lasagna {Whole30, GF, DF}

Savory Cottage Pie {Whole30 option}

How to make The Ultimate Pico de Gallo!