Kale Leek Quiche

I'm a huge quiche fan. It's an easy dish that uses up all the eggs my backyard chickens lay and is easily made ahead of time so I can enjoy it for lunch throughout the week. While I do enjoy a handmade quiche crust, I also love the time-saving measure of using a pre-made pie crust. I created this particular quiche after receiving some beautiful leeks and kale in my organic produce box. I knew they would be delicious together in an egg dish. Enjoy this quiche at your Mother's Day celebration. Mom will thank you! 

Kale Leek Quiche



by Rebecca Mongrain

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes






Ingredients (8 servings)

1 Pre-Made Crust
5 oz lardons bacon, chopped
1 cup sliced leeks
1 cup sliced kale
1/2 cup grated parmesan
4 eggs, plus 2 egg yolks
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper




Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F.

Place pre-made pie crust in quiche pan.

Fry up bacon and add leeks and kale. Cook until wilted.

Sprinkle bacon, leeks and kale over crust. Spread parmesan cheese on top.

Lightly beat eggs and egg yolks in a medium bowl with heavy cream, salt and pepper. Pour over bacon, leeks, kale and parmesan cheese.

Bake for 30-45 minutes until filling is golden brown. Allow it sit for 10 minutes before serving.


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Take Back Our Lunch Apples! Apple Granola Peanut Butter Wraps and Opal Apples

Sponsored Post: This post is sponsored by Opal® apples 

but the content and opinions expressed here are my own. 

While Molly has been at preschool, I've been lucky enough to have her lunches and snacks covered but with kindergarten starting in the fall, my thoughts have been turning to school lunches. I do my best to provide my kids with healthy, whole food and thinking about packing lunches has slightly stressed me out. I worry about food getting squished and apples turning brown. 

I was excited to learn about Opal® Apples which are Non-GMO Project verified.  These naturally non-browning apples are perfect for the school lunchbox. This means I can cut apples for Molly's lunch without worrying about them browning by lunchtime. Another exciting feature about Opal® Apples is that they are grown in Washington State exclusively by Broetje and Congdon Orchards.

Opal® apples have a beautiful appearance with a crunchy texture and sweet, tangy flavor which pairs well with peanut butter and sweet, crunchy granola! I created these delicious wraps that we've been eating with gusto at lunch and breakfast. I'm definitely adding these to my school lunch recipe file though I'll probably substitute the peanut butter for sun butter and make sure the granola is nut-free. Until then, we'll consume the apples and peanut butter with glee! 

I picked up nearly a case of these apples on my monthly Costco run and we've been eating them like mad. I've been putting the apples, thinly sliced, in our snack bags when we leave the house in the morning. I love that they are still nice and fresh without a tinge of brown when we finally dig into them hours later. 

I'll stop going on about these awesome apples and leave you with an equally awesome lunch wrap. Add dried fruit or chia seeds for extra flavor or mix up the nut butters and granolas but never leave off the Opal® apples. 

Apple Granola Peanut Butter Wraps



by Rebecca Mongrain

Prep Time: 5 minutes




6081000



Ingredients (2 wraps)

Two 10-inch Whole Wheat Tortillas
¼ cup peanut butter (crunchy or smooth)
⅓ cup thinly sliced Opal apples
2 tablespoons granola




Instructions

Take your tortillas and spread each evenly with peanut butter.

Lay thinly sliced Opal apples  evenly, lengthwise, down the center of the tortilla. Sprinkle with granola.

Beginning at one long side, roll the tortillas up.

Cut in half and serve. If serving later, wrap tightly and store in the refrigerator until serving or packing in lunch boxes.


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Sponsored Post: This post is sponsored by Opal® apples 
but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

How to Make the Ultimate Cheese Plate

The Holidays are in full swing and that means celebrations, parties and gatherings. I love putting together a quick cheese plate for my guests and have even found it to be a great appetizer to bring along to parties. I especially love using Stella cheeses in my platters as their selection is superb and delicious!

A good cheese plate can be a conversation starter and a fantastic centerpiece. It may look complicated but a winning cheese plate can be simple to put together if you follow a few guidelines.

1. Mix up your cheese textures - have a soft, semi-firm and hard/aged cheese - to provide a wide selection. Stella cheeses are available in many different varieties and textures to match any celebration. 
2. Have different types of cheese - cow, goat, cheese. I always include Stella Parmesan Cheese in my cheese plates. It's got a great flavor. 
3. Go nuts with nuts, fresh fruit, olives, dried fruit and jam.
4. Offer 2 or three different crackers.
5. Give your plate 30 minutes at room temperature before serving to your guests.

Cheese Lovers Rejoice! Stella Cheese is hosting a contest to win a trip to Napa Valley -  'Enter Here To Win A Trip To Napa Valley With Stella Cheese'

Looking for more great and easy recipes? Check out the Stella Cheese website! 

Overnight Oats

I'm always on the look out for an easy but protein packed breakfast that can keep me full for hours. A few weeks ago, a Twitter friend introduced me to her version of Overnight Oats and they are amazing! 

The best part is you can make a batch on Sunday for most of the week and feel virtuous as you eat your healthy, protein-packed breakfast! Also, you don't really have a good Lifestyle blog until you share an Overnight Oats recipe! 

OvernightOats from Rebecca Burgess on Vimeo.

I made a short video of the process of making overnight oats because I love the simplicity of it. 

I like to sub the chai seeds for the Super Seed and Ancient Grain Blend Trader Joe's and have found that while whole rolled oats are delicious, the Purely Elizabeth Ancient Grain Muesli is also delicious. 

Overnight Oats

by Rebecca Mongrain

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 1-2 minutes

6079802

Ingredients (1 jar of Oats)

• 1/4 cup oats
• 2 Tablespoons PB2 or Jif Peanut Powder
• pinch of cinnamon
• pinch of sea salt
• 2 teaspoons chia seeds
• 1/2 cup greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup milk (almond, cow or rice work well)
• 1 Tablespoon jam

Instructions

Layer ingredients into a nice sized jar and stir before leaving in the fridge overnight. You can make up these up to three days before you eat them.

You can eat these cold or hot. Just pop them in the microwave for a minute or two to consume warm.

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Back to the Routine

 

Summer was a blast! We had a great summer, jam packed full of sun, fun and lots of trips. Last week when the weather abruptly changed to fall, I got excited. Not because the rains started or because the sun went away but because the start of school was near!



Molly has been going to school all summer but it had a different feel, a camp-like feel. And Maggie has been home with me all summer except for a few hours on Thursday mornings when she went to daycare.



But tomorrow morning, both girls will be in school! Maggie will be going three mornings a week while Molly will go two long days and two short days. I'm excited for their year of preschool and all the growth that will come with it BUT I'm really excited about having three mornings a week to myself. I'll hopefully fill them with paid work but I'm also looking forward to getting a few long neglected things taken care of around the house and maybe doing a few things for myself.

I started getting back into the routine last week. I finalized my monthly meal plan which had fallen by the wayside. I marked my planner with house deep cleaning plans. I finalized all the things the girls needed to start school from new rain boots to coats and their first day of school outfits.



Tonight as we slid back into our school routine, we refocused on the family meal and getting back to The New Comfort Food. I made one of our favorite dishes inspired by Family Fresh Meals - Cool Ranch Chicken Tostadas. Molly loves what she calls, Pass Meals where I set all the ingredients on the table and we pass the food around. It doesn't always work to do meals this way so when I do, she gets super excited. Taco Tuesday is always a "Pass Meal".



I love this recipe because it is so easy. You literally take 4 chicken breasts (or thighs as I prefer), 1 packet of taco seasoning, 1 packet of ranch dressing mix and 20 oz of chicken broth. Toss them in the slow cooker and walk away for 5 hours. If you want to make this quicker, bring the broth to a boil in a saucepan. Coat the chicken in the taco seasoning and the ranch dressing mix. Add to the broth and cook for approximately 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Shred before serving with all the taco fixins'. My family loves the taste and I love that I can sneak extra veggies onto their plates under the guise of chicken tacos.

This is my definition of The New Comfort Food - A modern interpretation of a classic comfort food dish, implying “comfort,” but with a modern, healthy twist. It’s about balance rather than indulgence.

I also love that I can serve my family Foster Farms Simply Raised fresh chicken which is locally grown in California and the Pacific Northwest with no antibiotics ever. It’s fresh, all natural chicken that is American Humane Certified and fed a 100% vegetarian diet, without any added hormones or steroids. Foster Farms has been family-owned since its founding 1939, Foster Farms has been committed to producing only the highest-quality poultry for you and your family.

It’s also local, partnering with local family farms in the Pacific Northwest (depending on consumer location) so you can be rest assured the chicken you’re buying is delivered fresh within 48 hours or less.

I'm excited to get back to making healthy comfort food for my family and sharing it with all of you. I'll have a delicious and original Foster Farms chicken recipe for you early next week. Let me know if you have any requests! Until then, check out The New Comfort Food and some great recipes on Foster Farm's site.

Foster Farms is offering a $1.00 off coupon to ReeBeckiSupergirl Readers! I hope you can use it for some delicious chicken.

Tasteful Selections Mexican Potato Nachos

Nachos are a family favorite around here. We tend to use the classic tortilla chip but when I decided to try them with potatoes, there was happiness at the dinner table. Molly who has lately been telling me that all my cooking is terrible, told me that I had made the best dinner in a long time. If that ain't high praise, then I don't know what is. I found the Mexican Potato Nachos to be quite filling and so good! 

The Tasteful Selections potatoes are perfect for this dish since they are all the same size. I used the sunrise medley potatoes which come in purple, white and red potato varieties. I loved the extra boost of color they provided to the dish. I've previously showcased Tasteful Selection potatoes in my Pesto Potato Salad recipe and my Potato Quinoa Chickpea Patties recipe. 

Mexican Potato Nachos

Serves 6 - 8

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

24 ounces of Tasteful Selections Potatoes, 1-bite potatoes

1 Tablespoon cumin

Salt & Pepper

Olive Oil

1 can (12 oz) black beans

1 can (2.25 oz) sliced olives

1 cup chopped tomatoes

1 cup corn

12 oz Chorizo

2 cups Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese

½ cup crumbled queso fresco cheese

½ cup sour cream

1 avocado, sliced

Directions

1. Cut each Tasteful Selections Potato in half, sprinkle with cumin, salt, pepper and olive oil. Place in a cast iron fry pan or on a baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes.
2. While the potatoes are roasting, cook the chorizo in a fry pan on the stove over medium heat.
3. Remove the potatoes from the oven and begin assembling your nachos. Top the roasted potatoes with chorizo, black beans, olives, tomatoes, corn, Monterey Jack cheese and queso fresco cheese.
4. Turn the broiler on to high and place the nachos under the broiler until the cheese melts and starts to bubble.
5. Finish the nachos by topping with sour cream and sliced avocados.

You can find Tasteful Selection potatoes at your local grocery store. Use the store locator to find a store near you. Also follow Tasteful Selections on Facebook for even more fantastic recipes and tips.

With all the amazing time saving tips and recipes that Tasteful Selections has to offer, there may just be one thing that will really save you time–an updated kitchen! Enter to win the #RescuedMoments Sweepstakes for your chance to win a kitchen makeover that is sure to Rescue your Moments. http://www.tastefulselections.com/rescuedmoments/

Disclosure: This is post is proudly sponsored by Tasteful Selections. I have been paid for this post and given free product in exchange for my recipe and thoughts. All opinions are my own. Thank you for your support!

Tasteful Selections Potato Quinoa Chickpea Patties

We recently went on vacation and I had the most amazing veggie patties for lunch, two days in a row at Pelican Brewery. This recipe is my attempt to recreate that meal while packing it full of nutritional goodness. The Tasteful Selections potatoes provide a great creamy base for this versatile, vegetarian patty. I've previously showcased Tasteful Selection potatoes in my Pesto Potato Salad recipe. 

Potato Quinoa Chickpea Patties



by Rebecca Mongrain






Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes





Ingredients (6 servings)


Potato Patty Ingredients


24 ounces of Tasteful Selections Potatoes, 1-bite potatoes 
½ cup dry quinoa 
1 cup water 
1 16-oz can of Garbanzo Beans, drained and rinsed 
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped 
2 garlic cloves, pressed 
1 teaspoon ground cumin 
2 eggs 
½ cup parmesan cheese, grated 
¾ cup flour 
Salt and Pepper to taste 
Salad mix




Dressing ingredients

1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard 
3 Tbsp. champagne vinegar 
½ tsp. fine sea salt 
5 Tbsp. olive oil







Instructions


Boil the potatoes for 20 minutes, until fork tender. Let cool.
Prepare the quinoa: Bring 1 cup water to a boil in a saucepan before adding the quinoa and reducing the heat to low. Simmer for approximately 20 minutes.
Combine the potatoes, garbanzo beans, rosemary, garlic, cumin, eggs and parmesan cheese in the food processor. Process until smooth.
Fold in the cooked quinoa and flour. Allow to sit for 30 minutes.
Heat up a griddle or a fry pan.
Using a cookie batter scoop, scoop out the potato batter and cook for approximately 4 minutes each side, until golden brown.
Make the dressing by combining all ingredients in a jar and shaking.
Assemble the salad mix and top with the potato patties. Drizzle dressing over the top and serve warm.






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You can find Tasteful Selection potatoes at your local grocery store. Use the store locator to find a store near you. Also follow Tasteful Selections on Facebook for even more fantastic recipes and tips.

With all the amazing time saving tips and recipes that Tasteful Selections has to offer, there may just be one thing that will really save you time–an updated kitchen! Enter to win the #RescuedMoments Sweepstakes for your chance to win a kitchen makeover that is sure to Rescue your Moments. http://www.tastefulselections.com/rescuedmoments/

Disclosure: This is post is proudly sponsored by Tasteful Selections. I have been paid for this post and given free product in exchange for my recipe and thoughts. All opinions are my own. Thank you for your support!