Chrysalosity

a flourishing lifestyle

Protein-Packed Farmhouse Egg Bake Recipe

· FEEL-GOOD FOOD

We are in the thick of farmer's market season right now, and I am all for it!

I love stopping by the farmer's market every now and then for the best fresh produce from farms in our area. I've got a garden of my own, but I haven't been able to master growing my own leafy greens in the KC heat! One of my favorite greens to buy at the farmer's market is Swiss chard - so colorful and rich-tasting!

After coming home with a market produce haul, I immediately put some of these veggies to work in one of my favorite meal-prep breakfasts: egg bake! I love making one big pan of egg bake and eating it all week long to keep our mornings stress-free and well-fed. Although our stomachs were growling by the time this dish was finally finished, it was well worth the wait!

Even if you don't have all the ingredients for this recipe, you can easily make your own creative substitutions as you see fit. That's the beauty of the farmer's market - you learn to cook with whatever is in season! Give it a try and let me know in the comments if you made any adjustments - I'd love to try them myself!

 

Ingredients:

  • 12 eggs
  • 1 lb ground pork sausage
  • Salt & pepper, to taste
  • 1 bell pepper, diced
  • 1/2 onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup leafy greens (I used Swiss chard but feel free to substitute!)
  • 2 cups tomatoes, diced (or one 14.5 oz can, drained)
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella, divided

 

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9x13 baking dish and set aside.
  2. In a large skillet, brown ground sausage over medium heat until cooked through. Remove from heat, drain the fat and season with salt & pepper to taste.
  3. Cut up pepper, onion, garlic, greens, and tomatoes.
  4. Stir all veggies and one cup mozzarella cheese into meat mixture. Transfer mixture to 9x13 baking dish.
  5. In an electric mixing bowl, beat eggs until light and foamy.
  6. Pour beaten eggs over meat/veggie mixture in 9x13 dish. Top with remaining cup of cheese.
  7. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until eggs are fully cooked.

 

Bon appétit!

-Rachel

 

Peanut Butter Strawberry Breakfast Bars

· FEEL-GOOD FOOD

I don't know about you, but I'm constantly rushing out of the house in the morning. I sleep as long as possible (and maybe push the snooze a few times), quickly get ready for work, pack my lunch and then...

Rumble. My stomach growls. But I need to head out the door - no time for a healthy, hot breakfast.

It's good to keep a few grab-and-go items in the house for those rushed mornings. Protein bars are an excellent option, but they usually cost a pretty penny. And on top of that, some of these processed bars are made with some sketchy ingredients. If you want to save a buck on breakfast bars and also know which ingredients are in your food, this recipe is for you!

Truth be told, I had a few bags of freeze-dried strawberries from Trader Joe's in my pantry that came to me in a teacher gift. I wasn't quite sure how I was going to use all of them, but these bars were the perfect answer. Who knew that peanut butter and strawberries could be a good combo?

Well, it turns out that they are! And on top of that, these bars are packed with natural protein to fuel your morning - perfect for grabbing on your way out the door!

Scroll down for the recipe!

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups freeze-dried strawberries
  • 3 cups old fashioned oats
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 1/3 cups natural peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup honey

Directions:

  1. Prepare a 9x13 jelly roll pan with wax or parchment paper and set aside.
  2. In a food processor or blender, process dried strawberries until mostly powdered.
  3. With an electric mixer, combine dry ingredients.
  4. Add peanut butter and honey. Mix until well blended.
  5. Press mixture into prepared pan. Refrigerate bars for an hour, then cut into 12 squares. Bars can be stored in the fridge for a week or frozen.

Enjoy!

xo, Rachel

Protein Waffles

· FEEL-GOOD FOOD

Protein Waffles Recipe
This post contains referral links. For more information, please read my Disclosure Policy.

Facts about me:

  • I am a hard-working, organized, determined person.
  • My personality is generally bubbly and optimistic.
  • Breakfast food might just be my favorite cuisine.
  • I'm basically Leslie Knope! (Warning: this post is littered with Parks & Rec references.)

Eating low-carb can be hard, especially because grainy foods with a crunchy texture are often off-limits. That is, unless you're creative!

Don't get me wrong. The Ron Swanson in me loves ALL the bacon and eggs. But every now and then, I crave a big-ole plate of crisp, fluffy waffles. I've tried a few different low-carb friendly versions, but I love this recipe because...

  1. It's easy.
  2. There are few ingredients.
  3. It's packed with protein to power your morning!

In this post, I shared a bit about why I love Quest Protein. It's super versatile and bakes well, so I chose to use their peanut butter flavor in these waffles. You could also experiment with using other flavors - so many possibilities. All other ingredients in this recipe are household staples, so get your blender and waffle iron ready and let's get cooking!

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup water
  • 2 cups Quest Protein (I used the peanut butter flavor, but vanilla or cinnamon would also work)
  • 4 tsp baking powder
  • 4 eggs
  • salt, to taste

Directions:

  1. Heat waffle iron (here's the one I use)
  2. Mix all ingredients in a blender until smooth (I love this one because it's dishwasher safe)
  3. Spray waffle iron with cooking spray and pour batter into iron to fill all squares. Be sure not to overfill.
  4. Cook until golden brown.

Makes about 12 square waffles. I usually make them in a large batch, freeze them, and toast them when I'm on-the-go.  The next time you're craving a visit to JJ's Diner, try these instead!

Protein Waffles Recipe

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