Whole Foods is absolutely my favorite place for groceries, and it is quite possibly one of my favorite places period. As a future dietitian and lover of food and cooking, I have an obligation and a desire to keep up with the latest food products and trends and to know what's out there and how to use it. The grocery store is my playground. And if the grocery store is my playground, that makes Whole Foods Six Flags.
Here's why I love this supermarket: variety. My mouth drops open every time I walk through the produce corner. The selection goes way beyond the usual apples, bananas, pears, lettuce, tomatoes, squash, and carrots found at most grocery stores. Fresh figs (had been searching for these for about a year!), starfruit, kohlrabi, rutabagas, broccoli rabe, leeks, mustard greens... yep, this is definitely the place to be. You know it's a good produce section when the selection of greens makes you giddy.
And the bulk bins! Oh, the bulk bins... I could spend a fortune. I resisted the temptation to try a bit of everything and stuck to my staples: arborio rice, spelt, whole wheat couscous, and quinoa.
Cooking is work, and there are many times when life gets in the way and it doesn't sound like something fun to do. So instead of cooking something healthy and fresh from scratch, we pop a frozen pizza into the oven or order Chinese takeout. If ever you need inspiration, go to a good grocery store with an excellent selection, and pick up something you've never tried (or seen!) before. Research it, and get excited trying to find a way to incorporate it into a dish or two.
Anyways, on to my breakfast. I picked up a leek the other day at (surprise!) Whole Foods, and this was my new item for the week. I had never had a leek before, but I've found that I love them! They are similar to an onion in their flavor and use, but they have a different, distinct taste that I really enjoy. I've been searching for recipes to use them in, and I stumbled across this one on my new favorite food blog, Sprouted Kitchen.
Leek and Spinach Frittata
Adapted from Sprouted Kitchen
Serves 1
1 whole egg
1 egg white
1 Tbsp milk
Dash of hot sauce (I used Frank's Red Hot)
1/2 Tbsp butter
1/4 of a leek
1/4 cup cooked, chopped spinach
1 ounce crumbled goat cheese
1 Roma tomato, sliced
Preheat the oven to 500. Chop the leek into 1/4 inch slices and separate the inner layers. Heat some butter in a nonstick pan and gently cook the leeks until they soften.
Meanwhile, whisk the egg, egg white, hot sauce, and milk in a bowl. Incorporate some air into the mixture, whisking for about 3 minutes.
Get your spinach ready: I used frozen, chopped spinach, and this is the most low-maintenance method. Just thaw out 1/4 cup and squeeze out the water. If you want to steam your own, more power to you. Just make sure it's chopped and squeezed as dry as you can get it.
Transfer the leeks into the dish you want to bake your frittata in. I used a 6 1/2 inch cast iron skillet. Place the dish on your stove, the burner on low heat. Add the egg mixture on top of the leeks, then distribute the spinach evenly over the top. Add the goat cheese, again, sprinkling evenly throughout.
Allow this to heat for a couple of minutes on the stove until the edges just begin to cook. Add the Roma tomato slices and transfer to the oven. Cook for about 6-8 minutes until the eggs have set.
Dig in! This is an incredibly easy and delicious breakfast. The creamy goat cheese adds a little tang, and it tastes great with the eggs. Plus, any dish that gets me a little bit of veg in my breakfast is a success in my book.
Cost of ingredients:
Dozen eggs: $1.56 (about $0.26 for 2 eggs)
1 leek: $1.50 (about $0.38 for portion above)
1 pound frozen spinach: $1.50 (about $0.30 for portion above)
6 oz goat cheese: $5 (about $0.83 for portion above)
Pound of Roma tomatoes: $1.50 (about $0.30 for portion above)
Total cost of recipe (not including milk and butter): $2.07
Nutrient analysis:
Calories: 335
Protein: 21 grams
Carbohydrate: 11 grams
Fiber: 2 grams
Total fat: 23.7 grams
Saturated fat: 11.4 grams
Cholesterol: 288 mg
Calcium: 280 mg
Potassium: 639 mg
Sodium: 400 mgLabels: breakfast, eggs, goat cheese, vegetable, vegetarian
