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January 23, 2021 by Kellie Leave a Comment

Buckwheat Cereal

buckwheat cereal
Creamy Buckwheat Cereal

Healthy Breakfast

Buckwheat is your new health food.  Cereal can be a healthy breakfast – but not the sugar-laden kind.  Healthy cereals can be found in your grocery store though.  Almost everyone now knows the health benefits of oatmeal.  But eating oatmeal every day can get boring.  Time to mix it up!

Three of my favorite healthy breakfast cereal staples are amaranth, quinoa, and buckwheat.  Don’t get concerned – buckwheat doesn’t actually have any wheat in it and it’s not related to wheat; so it’s great for gluten-free folks.  But, I get that the name is pretty confusing.

Today – let’s focus on buckwheat.

Buckwheat – What is it?

Buckwheat is commonly called a pseudocereals – just like quinoa and amaranth.  It’s not a grain and it doesn’t grow on grasses.  Buckwheat – as well as all pseudocereals are actually seeds.  It is actually processed into a number of foods like tea, flour and noodles.  People think of it as a grain because it is usually used in the same fashion as grains . . . but, I swear it’s actually a seed. Buckwheat groats are the raw kernels with their shells removed.  They are used in much the same way as rice and other grains.  If toasted, buckwheat is known as “kasha” and becomes one of the few alkalizing “grains”.  Toasting it helps create a nutty flavor.

A bit of grinding/chopping either raw or kasha grouts helps make the creamy buckwheat cereal of today’s recipe.  If you like a hardier cereal (think grapenuts) use twice as much water as buckwheat and a touch of sea salt, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for approximately 20 minutes. Add some fresh fruit, nuts, and milk alternative for a super breakfast.

buckwheat grouts
buckwheat grouts

Health Benefits

Buckwheat is low (to medium) on the glycemic index, which measures how quickly a food raises the blood sugar.

It provides more antioxidants than most other grains.  Rutin, a bioflavonoid found in buckwheat, strengthens capillaries and blood vessels, reduces blood pressure, and increases circulation in the hands and feet.  It is a powerful antioxidant against damage from free radicals and a very good source of manganese.

It has a fair amount of insoluble fiber, which your body cannot digest and is fermented by gut bacteria in the colon.  I know that doesn’t sound so amazing, but it really is.  This improves gut health and is great for your colon.

It isn’t super high in protein but has a well-balanced amino acid profile so the protein is very high quality.

It is richer in minerals than many common grains and the minerals are very well absorbed because of a relative low level of phytic acid.  You can make it even lower by soaking it (which also means us use less water when cooking it).

 

Creamy vs Grouts

There’s more healthy benefits to eating the grouts but they can also be a pretty big first step for people transitioning to a healthy breakfast cereal.  So, creamy buckwheat may be a better first step.  Yes, it’s a bit more processed but no more than oatmeal.  Personally, I like Bob’s Red Mill Organic Creamy Buckwheat Cereal because it uses the raw grouts.  Of course, you can always chop or grind your own grouts too.  But, I think Bob’s is a good starting step.  Plus, here I’ve added in some fun textures and flavors that will help you enjoy this healthy breakfast.

Enjoy!

 

Creamy Buckwheat Cereal

Ingredients:

  • ¼ cup creamy buckwheat cereal or coarsely ground grouts
  • 1 T chia seeds
  • ¾ cup milk or milk alternative
  • 2 t almond butter
  • 2/3 of an apple
  • ½ t ground ginger
  • ½ t cinnamon
  • Pinch of ground nutmeg
  • Pinch of ground cloves

Directions:

  1. Cook creamy buckwheat according to directions. Include the recommended amount of salt.
  2. While the cereal simmers, pulse apple and almond butter in a food processor until a chunky consistency.
  3. Combine cooked cereal with chia seeds and milk or milk alternative.
  4. Fold the apple mixture into the buckwheat.
  5. Mix in spices.
  6. Delicious both warm and cold.

Top with dried fruit or chopped nuts if desired.

Filed Under: Breakfast, Recipes Tagged With: buckwheat, creamy buckwheat, healthy breakfast, healthy cereals

May 4, 2020 by Kellie Leave a Comment

Crustless Quiche

Crustless Quiche

No Crust Quiche

A few years ago I found out I needed to remove gluten from my diet in order to lower a cancer marker.  If you’ve read my health journey then it comes as no surprise that I didn’t want to increase my risk of cancer on top of everything else!  So – no gluten.  And, for the most part I haven’t really missed it.  Today there are so many gluten free options that it’s pretty easy to make substitutions.   But, I’ve never really liked a quiche.  I feel like the crust just gets in the way of all the deliciousness.  Obviously making a crustless quiche was on my agenda.

Now, with a bit more free time, I’ve really enjoyed creating a delicious no crust quiche.  So, I decided it was time to share the recipe.

Cooking Notes

A few notes are in order when it comes to making a no crust quiche.

First, you don’t need as much moisture as a traditional quiche.  If you try to just substitute a regular quiche recipe it’ll probably end up too runny.

Second, load up with any vegetables you like.  Personally I found that using frozen spinach or asparagus was easiest year round.  But, the best crustless quiche uses fresh ingredients.  So, when in season chop up fresh veggies.  I’ve also found zucchini very tasty.  Don’t feel stuck with a red pepper . . . no crust quiche doesn’t mean no flavor quiche, so use a pablano or green pepper.  Enjoy whatever fresh veggies you have available.

Third, any milk alternative works fine.  Personally, my body doesn’t like cows milk so I tested out a number of different options in the milk alternative world.  If you prefer a thinner consistency of milk alternative (like rice) maybe use a bit less than 1/2 cup.  If you prefer a thicker consistency of milk alternative (like coconut) use the full 1/2 cup.  The no crust quiche even works using water in place of the milk.  The point is to beat the eggs and liquid so they are super fluffy making a beautiful crustless quiche.  The flavor will suffer a little with water though.

Fourth, don’t forget to let those chopped onions and minced garlic sit before cooking in order to bring out all the health benefits.  If you’re going crustless you’re looking for healthy so don’t skip the easy health benefits.  If this is a new concept to you, check out this post that explains the science behind letting onions and garlic rest.

Fifth, cheese is really optional with a crustless quiche.  I think the heaviness of a regular quiche with crust lends itself to needing a heavier top, like cheese, for balance.  But a no crust quiche doesn’t need the extra weight.  So, if you’re watching your calories, skip the cheese and trust me, you won’t miss it.

No Crust Quiche

Crustless Quiche Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 Tbs coconut oil
  • 1 small onion
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 8 brown mushrooms
  • 1 red pepper
  • 1 package (10 oz) organic, frozen spinach or asparagus
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 egg whites
  • 1/2 cup milk or milk alternative
  • 1/4 cup shredded raw cheese (optional)
  • salsa (optional)

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Chop onions and mince garlic. Allow to rest for 5-10 minutes.
  3. Slice mushrooms and chop red pepper.
  4. Thaw spinach or asparagus by placing in strainer and running water over it until thawed. If spinach, use the back of a spoon to squeeze out most of the liquid. If asparagus, roll in paper towels.  Chop asparagus.
  5. Beat eggs and egg whites with the milk until light yellow and frothy.
  6. Heat oil over medium heat in a 10″ skillet. Add the onion and mushrooms. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
  7. Add garlic and red peppers.  Cook, stirring, for another minute.
  8. Stir in spinach or asparagus.
  9. Reduce heat to low.
  10. Pour egg mixture over spinach in skillet. Cook for 5-7 minutes without stirring. Mixture should be cooked on the bottom and almost set on top.
  11. Sprinkle with cheese if using.
  12. Bake in the oven for 5-10 minutes. Eggs should be set and cheese melted.
  13. Serve topped with salsa.

 

Filed Under: Blog, Breakfast, Recipes Tagged With: crustless quiche, no crust quiche, quiche

October 7, 2015 by Kellie Leave a Comment

Breakfast Zucchini Recipe

8-Ball Zucchini
8-Ball Zucchini

Beautiful Brunch Recipe

I was walking around the farmer’s market the other day and saw these cute new vegetables (at least to me they were new).  They are called 8-Ball zucchini and come in a variety of sizes.  I picked a couple up figuring I would create a recipe with them.  But, nothing came to me . . . and they sat in my refrigerator mocking me.  The next day my husband informed me we were having company for brunch on Sunday and all of a sudden I knew just what to do with the 8-Ball zucchini.

They made a beautiful brunch presentation.  Our guests enjoyed them and were surprised they could eat the whole zucchini.  This recipe has been so loved in our house that I’ve tweaked the recipe.  I chopped up cooked turkey bacon inside the zucchini, switched the cheese to feta, and once I used regular chopped tomatoes in the recipe. I hope you have some fun with this amazing brunch recipe too!

Breakfast Zucchini

Ingredients:

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 Tbsp. onion, minced
  • 2 small to medium 8-ball zucchini
  • 1 tsp spicy infused olive oil
  • Sea salt
  • White pepper
  • 1-2 tsp. butter
  • 18-20 small grape tomatoes
  • 2 Tbsp. raw sharp cheddar, shredded
  • 2 eggs
  • Fresh basil (optional)

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Mince garlic and onions.  Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes.
  3. Cut ½ inch from the top of the zucchini to make a “cap”.  Scoop out the insides using a melon baller, saving top and flesh.
  4. Brush the inside of the zucchini with the olive oil.
  5. Season with salt and pepper.
  6. Bake zucchini and tops for 15 minutes or until fork tender.
  7. While zucchini is baking heat skillet to medium high.  Add butter and sauté onions, zucchini balls, and tomatoes until tender.
  8. Add garlic and sauté for another minute.  Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
  9. Spoon the mixture into the 2 baked shells.  Add cheese.
  10. Gently crack one egg on top of the mixture.
  11. Bake the filled zucchini until the eggs are set, about 15-20 minutes.
  12. Garnish with basil and place cap on top.

 

Makes 2 servings

Filed Under: Blog, Breakfast, Recipes

April 2, 2014 by Kellie 2 Comments

Protein Pancake

006Protein Pancake with Pumpkin Pie Flavor

Protein Pancakes aren’t for everyone, I fare warn you.  This protein pancake recipe came about because a client is in the middle of a competition and needed more protein in his breakfast.  As a traditional trainer, his coach recommended a protein pancake that used whey and cottage cheese.  Unfortunately, this client is lactose intolerant and couldn’t eat the coach’s protein pancake suggestion.

A high protein breakfast isn’t appropriate for everyone but for those that feel best with the extra protein, eating eggs can get boring.  So, I took on the challenge to create a protein pancake that used no dairy, and increased vegetables (because you know I like to have people eat more vegetables).  This protein pancake recipe worked.  The flavor is similar to pumpkin pie with all the spices.

I used a small butternut squash and roasted it, similar to what I’d recommend when making a pumpkin pie.  You could use canned pumpkin or squash puree if whole butternut squash is not available or you want to speed up your time in the kitchen.

My client was very happy with the results.  He also takes protein pancakes with him for a post workout snack.  He recommends a small grass-fed sausage patty between two protein pancakes for a quick breakfast sandwich on the go.  I found that making a large batch and freezing the protein pancakes works well; just pop a couple in the toaster or oven for a quick meal.

Protein Pancake Ingredients

  • One small butternut squash / approximately 2 cups mashed
  • 2 eggs
  • Banana
  • 2 heaping tablespoons protein powder
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 Tbs. coconut oil
  • ¼ tsp cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/8 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/8 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/8 tsp fine sea salt
  • 5 drops stevia (optional)
  • ghee

Protein Pancake Directions

  1. Heat oven to 450 degrees.
  2. Chop butternut squash into pieces; remove seeds.
  3. Roast squash for about an hour or until very tender.
  4. Once cool, scoop squash out of shell and place in food processor.
  5. Mix all ingredients in food processor until very well combined and the color is 1-2 shades lighter.
  6. Heat griddle or skillet until a water droplet “dances”.
  7. Place a thin layer of ghee on the griddle or skillet.  Ladle scoops of pancake batter onto heated surface.  Press down slightly to ensure there won’t be a raw center in the cooked pancake.
  8. Cook 2-2 ½ minutes per side.
  9. Serve with chopped nuts and warmed maple syrup.

 

Filed Under: Breakfast, Recipes

March 3, 2014 by Kellie Leave a Comment

Juicing – Storing Your Juice [VIDEO]

Kellie Hill is joined by Karen Brooks from In-Home Wellness Solutions. Karen explains raw juice has the highest concentration of nutrients within the first 15 minutes after juicing. But, what if you can’t drink your juice right away? Learn how to “take it on the go” or store it without being exposed to heat, air, or oxygen (elements which will destroy nutrients). Learn how to properly portion size your juice for consumption later. No need to purchase any fancy gadgets thanks to these easy tips.

Filed Under: Breakfast, Video Tagged With: Business, Cancer survivor, Food and Related Products, juice, Juicing, Karen Brooks, Produce, Vegetable

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DISCLAIMER: The content shared on this site is for informational and educational purposes only. Statements/products discussed have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and are not intended to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent any disease or illness. Please consult your health care practitioner before making changes to your current diet or before beginning any herbal or vitamin supplement regimen or exercise program. Although Kellie Hill is a certified Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, the author(s) at The Right Plan are not licensed medical professionals, nor do they claim to be. They are not here to diagnose or provide medical advice to any reader.Affiliate Disclosure • Terms and Conditions© 2021 The Right Plan Nutrition Counseling & Kellie Hill Nutrition • Custom Web Design by Paradux Media Group