Recipe: Egg and Kale Breakfast Quiche {Whole30}

A super hearty, super healthy breakfast that is simple to make and delicious.

I started doing Whole30 today. For those that aren’t familiar with it, it’s basically clean eating … but jacked up, with the additional requirements of no dairy, no sugar, and no gluten.

That black coffee today was rough.

But as the Whole30 originators said, “Beating cancer is hard. Childbirth is hard. Drinking black coffee is. not. hard.”

And so I did.

With the exception of a one year flirtation with Medifast, I have been doing clean eating since 2010, and while I tow the line, there are moments of indulgence. A Hershey Kiss here, an uber-cheesy mac and cheese there.

And I just wanted to tighten things up a bit.

Ok, a lot.

And I like a challenge.

Once I commit to something, whether it’s an iPhone, hitting the gym, going back to school, or an eating plan … I am all in.

As with anything, it’s the getting there that’s the hardest.

You know, first steps and all.

To me, the greatest way to achieve success with Whole30 is to menu plan.

Because you can’t just reach for this, that, or the other or do things on the fly when you’re embarking on something with a few rules and guidelines.

Once it becomes ingrained in the rhythm of your day, and becomes second-nature, then yes, absolutely.

But not in the beginning.

And so this weekend, I sat down with books, notes, recipes, and I pulled together a plan for this week.

I laid out breakfasts, lunches, snacks, and three dinners.

Only three dinners because 1) Madeline’s birthday is on Wednesday and 2) I like to plan for leftovers.

I grocery shopped over the weekend, having to hit a few different stores to properly stock my pantry, and spent yesterday afternoon cooking ahead a bit to set up the week on the right foot. Or bite, if you will.

First up? This Egg and Kale Breakfast Quiche.

I do believe this is my first time cooking with kale.

It might even be my first time eating it.

I survived. You can too.

To be honest (or #TBH if you’re a pre-teen), there aren’t any greens I *don’t* like.

To the kale, add mushrooms. Some garlic. An onion. Spices. Eggs.

Mix together and bake.

And in just about 25 minutes, you will have breakfast for the week.

I portioned it out and packed it all up, so my grab-and-go breakfast is ready as we come flying through the kitchen in the morning.

To be completely candid, it took GREAT willpower not to add cheese to this.

Because usually when I’m making a quiche or frittata or omelet, cheese is a given.

And I’m on the Cabot Cheese Board, so my refrigerator drawer overfloweth with cheese.

But I remained strong.

Because this is DAY ONE, people, and I’m not working hard just to fail.

Cheese can wait until Day 31 when some things come back in.

(And while this recipe is delicious, cheese would make it that much more so, so if you’re not doing Whole30, by all means, add it in).

Egg and Kale Breakfast Quiche
Recipe courtesy of Whole9Life
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
1 bunch red kale, chopped (any other variety is fine also) (I used all green)
1/2 red (or white) onion, chopped
6 mushrooms, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced (1/2 tsp. teaspoon minced garlic) (I used three cloves)
1 tbsp coconut oil
8 eggs, beaten well
2 tsp. prepared Italian herb rub (or make your own, with sea salt, oregano, dried garlic, dried onion, lemon peel, and chiles)
a pinch of salt and pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Cut off kale stems and discard, then wash kale leaves and dry well. Pile kale leaves up on top of each other and cut into strips about 3/4 inch wide, then turn cutting board the other way and cut again so you have squares just under an inch square. Chop onion into pieces about 1/2 inch. Heat coconut oil in frying pan, then add onions and saute 5 minutes (or until the start browning). Add garlic and mushrooms and saute about 3 more minutes, then add kale, turning over as it wilts and sauteeing about 5 minutes, or until kale is significantly wilted and softened. Put sauteed vegetables into large mixing bowl and add beaten eggs, and Italian seasoning and salt/pepper. Stir gently until ingredients are well distributed. Use a small amount of coconut oil to coat the baking pan, and pour in egg mixture. Bake 25 minutes until eggs are well set and the top is lightly browned. Serve hot.