Tomato Corn Potato Sausage Pesto Frittata

Screen Shot 2016-05-02 at 12.09.21 PMThis Frittata is a colorful Mother’s Day Brunch option to consider. Jeanette Chen from Jeanette’s Healthy Living shares this healthy alternative to follow. This hearty option takes advantage of a lot of the fresh produce is and the addition of the Kale Mint Basil Pesto is quite a colorful entrée.
Tomato Corn Potato Sausage Pesto Frittata
Ingredients
1 tablespoon Garlic Scape Paste (or substitute 1 tablespoon olive oil and 2 cloves minced garlic)
1 large Yukon gold potato, peeled, sliced thin
1 small onion, chopped
6 nitrate-free chicken breakfast sausage links, cut up
1 cup cooked corn
salt and pepper
8 eggs
1 tomato, chopped
⅓ cup shredded pepper jack cheese or cheddar cheese
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons Kale Mint Basil Pesto
Ingredients for the Kale Mint Basil Pesto
1 bunch lacinato kale
1 bunch basil
1 bunch mint
6 garlic cloves
¼ cup pine nuts, toasted
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
Directions
Heat Garlic Scape Pesto in a large non-stick skillet. Place potato, onion and sausage in pan, add ½ cup water and cover; cook until potatoes are tender. Add corn and heat through; season to taste with salt and pepper.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs; add tomato and pepper jack cheese. Pour into skillet.
For the Kale Mint Basil
Blanch kale in boiling water for 20 seconds; drain and put in a bowl of cold water to stop cooking; once cool, squeeze dry and roughly chop. Place blanched kale, basil leaves, mint leaves, garlic cloves and pine nuts in food processor bowl; process until finely chopped; add oil through feeding tube until pesto is blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Once done, add dollops of Kale Mint Basil Pesto on top. Using a spatula, lift up sides of frittata and tilt skillet to let uncooked eggs slide underneath frittata. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top and put skillet under broiler for 2 minutes until top is cooked.
Here are links to both recipes to enjoy:

Eila’s Gluten-Free Blueberry-Almond French Toast Casserole


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With so many parents and children needing or choosing to eat gluten-free, Eila modified one of her go-to make-ahead brunch dishes so everyone could enjoy it.  “This recipe is so good,” says Johnson. “It tastes like a cross between a blueberry muffin and bread pudding. You can assemble it the day before you want to enjoy it, or you can cook it right away and then just reheat portions if you’d like. I load ours up with slivered almonds for extra nourishment and good fats, but you can always omit the nuts if you have allergies. This is one of my children’s favorite breakfasts. I hope your family likes it as much as mine does!”
Make-Ahead {Gluten-Free} Blueberry-Almond French Toast Casserole

{10-12 servings; freezes well}

  • coconut oil cooking spray OR butter
  • 1 loaf of gluten-free bread*, rough chopped into 1” pieces
  • 12 oz organic blueberries
  • 1 cup slivered almonds {optional}
  • zest of 1 lemon OR orange {optional}
  • 8 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups your choice: cream, milk, almond milk, soy milk OR coconut milk
  • 1 Tablespoon cinnamon
  • 1 Tablespoon vanilla
  • maple syrup for serving

*I like Udi’s Whole Grain or Cinnamon Raisin bread, which are found in the frozen section.
Generously coat a medium {about 2.5 quart} baking dish with cooking spray or butter. Layer chunks of bread, almonds, berries and citrus zest in your baking dish. In a blender, combine eggs, milk, cinnamon and vanilla. Pour egg mixture over bread mixture. French Toast Casserole can be assembled to this point, covered and placed in fridge overnight until you’re ready to bake it, or you may bake it now. When you are ready to bake the casserole, preheat your oven to 350. Bake casserole on middle oven rack uncovered for 20 minutes, then covered for 20-25 minutes, so the top doesn’t brown too much.  The casserole is fully cooked when a butter knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve warm with a drizzle of maple syrup.
New Canaan mom of two young children, Eila Johnson, writes the full plate blog. The site, which was named to Forbes’ Top 100 Sites for Women and Top 10 Parenting and Homemaking Sites, teaches busy parents how to make simple, nourishing recipes for their families.
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Crustless Sausage Spinach Mushroom Quiche

Crustless-Sausage-Spinach-Mushroom-Quiche-1To start your New Year off right who can resist a quiche for brunch. Quiches are great foils for adding a variety of vegetables. Jeanette Chen from Jeanette’s Healthy Living blog thinks the vegetables actually make a prettier quiche, and it certainly doesn’t hurt that they add extra nutrition to this brunch dish. For the meat lovers, she added some Italian style chicken sausage. Happy New Year!
Crustless Sausage Spinach Mushroom Quiche
Ingredients
2 teaspoons olive oil
½ cup chopped onion
½ cup chopped red bell pepper
½ cup chopped mushrooms
⅛ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
4 ounces Italian style chicken sausage (~ 1½ links), diced
¾ cup shredded Swiss cheese, divided
1 cup fresh baby spinach
1 cup fat-free or low-fat cottage cheese, processed until smooth in a food processor.
¼ cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
½ cup gluten-free baking mix (King Arthur Flour Gluten Free Pancake mix)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in a large skillet and add onion, bell pepper, and mushrooms; saute until vegetables are just soft, about 3 minutes. Season with pepper. Add sausage and saute another 2 minutes; let cool to room temperature. Sprinkle ¼ cup shredded Swiss cheese in bottom of pie pan. In a large bowl, mix together, remaining ½ cup Swiss cheese, spinach, cottage cheese, cheddar cheese, and eggs. Add gluten-free baking mix and stir until blended. Pour into pie pan. Bake 40-45 minutes or until center of quiche comes out clean when a knife is inserted.
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Jeanette’s Mini Ham & Cheese Frittatas

Mini-Egg-FrittatasJust in time for Easter, we’re sharing a delicious brunch recipe from our friend Jeanette, Jeanette’s Healthy Living. A few weeks ago, I made these Mini Frittatas with Ham and Cheese for a church function and ended up making extra for weekday breakfast-on-the-go. I’ve never made a frittata before although it’s been on my list to try forever. Frittatas are basically an open-faced omelet that is baked in the oven. The base is made of eggs and the toppings are endless – it’s the perfect medium for using up all the little bits and pieces of vegetables in your refrigerator.
I know I just posted an omelet recipe, but since Easter is this weekend, I wanted to share this frittata recipe because it would be perfect for Easter brunch, and it’s also the perfect on-the-go breakfast for busy weekday mornings. In my recent hangout with Elizabeth Ward, we talked about the importance of eating protein at breakfast time. Elizabeth said if timing was an issue that we should wake the kids up earlier to make sure they ate a good breakfast. On the flip side, we as parents, can make healthy breakfast bites like these frittatas ahead of time and reheat them for breakfast – they just take a few minutes in the toaster oven.
Frittatas, like omelets, are a great way to sneak in some vegetables at breakfast. Little bits and pieces of red bell peppers, steamed broccoli, mushrooms, roasted asparagus or cauliflower would all be great in these mini frittatas. I added ham to the frittatas when I made them, but you could easily it out, or add chopped up chicken sausage.
I served a few of these mini frittatas with a small cup of Greek yogurt for a protein-packed breakfast, along with a glass of orange juice – a great way for anyone to start the day.
Mini Frittatas with Ham, Vegetables and Cheese

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 8
Serving Size: 3 mini frittatas

Ingredients
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 cup red bell pepper, finely chopped
1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
2/3 cup reduced salt uncured ham, chopped
1/3 cup shredded organic or non-RBST reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons chives or scallions, finely chopped
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme, Fines Herbes or your favorite dried herbs
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 large egg whites
2 large eggs
cooking spray

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Heat a large skillet with oil over medium heat. Add peppers and onions and saute until
translucent, about 2 minutes. Add ham; saute 2 minutes. Remove from heat; cool 5 minutes.
3. Combine cheese, chives, thyme, pepper, egg whites and whole eggs in a medium bowl; whisk together. Add pepper/onion/ham mixture and stir well.
4. Spoon into 24 miniature muffin cups coated with cooking spray (use a non-stick pan and be
sure to spray the cups well to prevent sticking).
5. Bake for 15-20 minutes until set.
Notes: Adapted from Cooking Light
Check out the recipe on Jeanette’s Healthy Living Blog 

Strawberry Banana French Toast Casserole Recipe

Strawberry Banana French Toast Casserole (1)Strawberry Banana French Toast Casserole
(gluten-free/dairy-free adaptable):
Jeanette Chen, a resident of New Canaan for 20 years, is the busy mom of 4 boys and author of a popular health and wellness food blog, Jeanette’s Healthy Living. She was recently nominated for Best Health Blog by Healthline and is always looking for ways to make healthier meals for her family and friends. The Strawberry Banana French Toast Casserole she’s sharing is perfect for Easter Brunch, and is easily gluten-free and dairy-free adaptable.
Ingredients

  • 8 slices bread (whole grain or gluten free), crust trimmed, cut into cubes
  • 2 banana, mashed
  • 12 strawberries, diced
  • 1 cup low-fat milk or non-dairy milk (almond, soy, rice)
  • 6 eggs
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • maple syrup for serving

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a large baking dish with spray oil (for a more elegant presentation, use individual ramekins). Place cubed bread in baking dish(es). Mix mashed banana, strawberries, milk, eggs, cinnamon and vanilla together in a medium bowl. Pour milk mixture over bread cubes and toss gently until bread is evenly coated.
  2. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until cooked through.
  3. Serve with maple syrup.