Eggplant Parm Frittata from Whole Foods Market

I feel like February often gets a bad wrap. It's dark and cold (if you're in the Northeast like I am), and there doesn't seem to be much going on. But in reality there's lots to celebrate! It happens to be my birthday month, and for everybody else, there's Valentine's Day with that special person in your life (or Galentine's Day if you choose to celebrate with your closest gal pals). Plus, Whole Foods Market has an entire other, delicious reason to celebrate!

February is the month of Parmigiano Reggiano at Whole Foods Market, which just so happens to be one of my favorite cheeses! This year marks WFM's 10th anniversary of their traditional Parm Crack event. At this event, Whole Foods hand selects the highest quality wheels of Parmigiano Reggiano from defined creameries in Northern Italy. At 3 pm ET on February 24th, each store will simultaneously crack wheels of cheese, and there will be demonstrations and tastings for customers. If that weren't enough, Parmigiano Reggiano will be on sale from 2/23-2/25 at $5 off per lb. 

To celebrate this delicious event and give you a fun way to put that Parmigiano Reggiano to good use, I'm bringing you one of my favorite frittata recipes - eggplant parm.

Here's What You'll Need:

-1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, shredded
-1/2 medium eggplant, sliced
-4 eggs
-1 Roma tomato, sliced
-6 fresh basil leaves (2 chopped, 4 whole)
-2 garlic cloves, chopped
-1 tsp Italian seasoning
-Splash of milk of choice or water (optional)
-Sea salt and pepper to taste
-1 tbsp EVOO

Serves 2

Instructions:

1) Heat up the EVOO in an oven-safe pan on the stove top over medium high heat.
2) Add in the eggplant slices, and cook 2-3 mins/side.
3) Add in the chopped garlic and continue to cook for about 3 minutes.
4) In a bowl, whisk the 4 eggs with a splash of milk, 2 chopped basil leaves, Italian seasoning, sea salt, and black pepper.
5) Spread the tomato slices throughout the pan, layering with the egpplant. Sprinkle the Parmigiano Regianno throughout the layers, and top with the remaining cheese.
6) Pour the egg mixture over the top, and top with the 4 basil leaves.
7) Cook, covered on the stove top, for 3-5 minutes until the sides are cooked.
8) Move the pan to the oven on broil, and cook until golden brown (~5-7 minutes).
9) Remove, and cut the frittata into two halves.
10) Plate, serve with your favorite sides, and enjoy!

Make sure to head into your local Whole Foods Market to pick up that delicious Parmigiano Reggiano and experience the Parm Crack event for yourself! If you're local to Northern NJ, you can find more information here. And as always, let me know what you think in the comments below!

Red Currant Muffins (GF, DF)

So the number one question I'm probably going to get is WTF are currants? Honestly, I didn't even know myself until about 2 days ago. I stumbled upon some red currants at a small, local market when I was looking for blueberries and was intrigued. Obviously I googled them, and one of the first things that popped up was, "If you find local currants, buy them!" So I followed suit, snagged my currants, and headed home. Side note - they were gone in 2 days. 

From what I read, they seemed like tart berries, so I played around with them in the kitchen for breakfast. I loved the breakfast; My niece did not. Needless to say, they're definitely tart. So I figured the perfect way to balance out the tartness would be to put them into some delicious, sweet muffins. They did not disappoint! I made them gluten free and dairy free, and they are still so perfect and moist (sorry for the use of the word, but they are). Plus the sweet and tart balance is on point. And if you aren't feeling the idea of tart currants or just can't find them, feel free to swap them out for the berries of your choice. I'd imagine blueberries would be a great sub.

Here's What You'll Need:

-1 cup quinoa flour (I use this one)
-1/4 cup coconut sugar
-2 tbsp pure maple syrup
-Pinch of sea salt
-1 tsp baking powder
-1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
-1/2 tsp vanilla
-1 egg
-3 tbsp coconut oil, melted
-3/4 cup red currants

Makes 6 muffins

Instructions:

1) Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2) Mix together all ingredients minus the currants until smooth.
3) Fold in the currants (may reserve a few to place on the tops of the muffins).
4) Evenly disperse the mix in a 6-cup muffin tin. Optional - top each with reserved currants.
5) Place the muffin tin into the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until muffins are fully cooked through.
6) Remove the muffins, serve, and enjoy!

These muffins make for the perfect snack, treat, on the go breakfast, or even dessert! I haven't tried subbing other flours or milks, but I will update this post if I do. Or feel free to let me know how it goes in the comments below! I would also imagine the ghee would work as a sub for coconut oil as well as a vegan egg for the egg, but again, I haven't tested it out yet. Let me know what you think in the comments below!

Double Chocolate Protein Banana Bread - Vegetarian + GF

Since being introduced to Naked Nutrition's clean protein powders with minimal, straight-forward ingredients, I've been having so much fun playing around and coming up with new plant-based protein-packed recipes. Their Chocolate Less Naked Pea Protein contains just pea protein, raw cacao, and coconut sugar. That's it! No weird junk and nothing to hide. So naturally, I've been having a blast trying it out in all of the chocolatey goodness that I can think of, and this week is no different! In fact, I was feeling extra chocolatey this week which led me to this double chocolate protein banana bread recipe.

It's not only packed with all of the chocolate. It also brings the protein and other nutrients while being vegetarian, dairy free, and gluten free. It can also easily be made vegan by swapping out the eggs with flax eggs or nut free by swapping out the almond milk. It's basically the perfect way to Saturday, and will most likely be gone by the end of the weekend. No joke.

Here's What You'll Need:

-2 ripe (ideally spotty) bananas
-1 tbsp coconut oil, melted
-3/4 cup coconut flour
-2 eggs
-1 scoop Naked Nutrition's Chocolate Less Naked Pea Protein powder
-1 tsp baking powder
-2 tbsp chocolate sunflower seed butter (I used this one) or the nut butter of your choosing
-1 tbsp cacao powder (I used this one)
-1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk (or other milk of your choosing)
-1/2 cup dairy-free dark chocolate chips 

Instructions:

1) Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2) Mash your bananas in a bowl with a hand mixer or wooden spoon.
3) Mixed in the coconut oil, eggs, sunflower seed butter, and almond milk.
4) Add in the dry ingredients (minus the chocolate chips), and mix until well combined.
5) Fold in the chocolate chips. I reserved a few to add onto the top at the end, but feel free to add them all in if desired.
6) Pour the mixture into a greased or parchment-lined loaf pan, and spread it out evenly.
7) Bake in to the oven for about 50 minutes (until a toothpick comes out clean).
8) Let the bread cool a bit for about 15-20 minutes before removing and slicing it.
9) Serve, and enjoy!

Hello chocolate heaven! Am I right? I know what I'm having as my dessert...and pre and post-workout snacks...and probably breakfast, lunch and dinner the next few days. But really, it's hard to keep your hands off (and mouth full) of this banana bread. Let me know what you think in the comments below!

Cottage Cheese and Green Onion Biscuits - Vegetarian + GF

For some reason I've been craving all things comfort food recently, and this morning was no exception. Maybe it's the rainy, dreary weather we've bee having, but I woke up wanting a warm, buttery biscuit. I immediately thought of this cheesy biscuit-like bread with green onions that they serve at a local restaurant. So I figured why not try to make an easy, healthier version that I could enjoy at home.

I decided to swap out cheddar for cottage cheese and thought it would not only bring a great flavor but also a nice consistency. I decided to go gluten free since I have quinoa flour on hand, making them packed with protein between those two ingredients. 

Here's What You'll Need:

-2 cup quinoa flour (plus extra)
-2 tsp coconut sugar
-4 tsp baking powder
-1/2 tsp sea salt
-Two 5.3 oz containers of Good Culture Classic Cottage Cheese
-4 green onions, chopped
-1/2 cup unsweetened cashew milk (or regular or almond milk)

Makes about 10 biscuits

Instructions:

1) Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.
2) Mix together the dry ingredients in a bowl.
3) Add in the cottage cheese, milk, and green onion, and stir with a wooden spoon until a dough forms.
4) Spread some extra flour on a surface, and move the dough on it.
5) Sprinkle some extra flour on top, and knead the dough with your hands until thoroughly mixed.
6) Form the dough in a ball, and roll it out with a rolling pin to about 1 in thickness.
7) Using a biscuit cutter or floured glass about 2 inches in diameter, cut the dough into biscuit-shaped pieces.
8) Place the biscuits onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. 
9) Bake the biscuits in the oven for 15 minutes until golden brown on top.
10) Remove, serve, and enjoy!

I spread some ghee on mine, and it was absolutely perfect! Not into onions? Feel free to swap them out for another ingredient. Let me know how you play around and what you think in the comments below!

Blueberry Pie Stovetop Oats

Does it get much better than warm pie straight out of the oven with fresh fruit inside and a nice crumble on top? I didn't think so. So when breakfasting (is that a word? Definitely making it one) earlier this week, something in me was just craving the satisfaction that comes only after fresh baked pie. So I figured why not try to bring all of that goodness to my morning oatmeal? 

I also saw that I had some blueberry Lifeway kefir on hand, and I thought that would not only add the perfect flavor but really bring a delicious, rich consistency to the oats. And trust me, it does. I warmed up a nice, quick, and easy crumble to add on top, plus some extra blueberries, and a cashew butter drizzle, and we were good to go! It was so comforting and satisfying and the perfect way to get that pie fix early in the morning.

Here's What You'll Need:

For the Oats:
-1.5 cups rolled oats
-8 oz blueberry Lifeway kefir
-1.5 cups water
-1/2 cup frozen blueberries (fresh also works)
-2 tbsp maple syrup
-1/2 tsp vanilla
-1/2 tsp cinnamon
-Pinch of sea salt

For the Crumble:
-1/4 cup rolled oats
-1 tbsp almond flour (I use this one)
-3 tbsp coconut butter (I use this one)
-1 tsp coconut sugar
-Pinch of sea salt

Serves 3

Instructions:

1) Mix together the 1.5 cups rolled oats, water, and kefir in a saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium high heat.
2) Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, and add in the remaining oats ingredients.
3) Continue to cook the oats, stirring regularly, until they thicken to your desired consistency (about 5-8 minutes).
4) Remove them from the heat and split between bowls.
5) In the meantime, heat up the remaining 1/4 cup oats in a pain over medium heat to toast them just a bit (2-3 minutes).
6) Add in the coconut butter and cook the two until the coconut butter is fully melted.
7) Add in the remaining crumble ingredients, stirring to combine well. Remove from heat.
8) Split the crumble to top each bowl.
6) Add any extra desired toppings, serve, and enjoy!

As I mentioned earlier, I topped mine with a extra frozen blueberries and cashew butter which I'd highly recommend, but feel free to play around! Let me know what you think in the comments below.