Chef

by Andi Champion, Marketing Manager, CHEF

Forget about Valentine’s Day, we’ve got Galentine’s Day on the calendar! Galentine’s Day, which takes place on February 13th, is a day to honor and show appreciation for the friendships in your life. Strong friendships help us build confidence, give us a sense of community, and provide us with support through life’s ups and downs.

What began as a made-up holiday to celebrate female friendships on the television show, Parks and Recreation, Galentine’s Day has become a fun way for friends to get together and show each other how much they mean to each other. This celebration doesn’t have to be limited to gal pals, you can enjoy the day with any of the platonic friends in your life!

This year, celebrate safely with a socially distanced brunch or plan a Zoom call. We’ve got delicious and healthy recipes to take your menu to the next level.*Giggles and gossip not included.

We’ll start off with Banana Kale Muffins. These may look like an ordinary breakfast item, but these delicious muffins pack a nutritional punch! Instead of regular flour, this recipe combines oat flour and wheat flour, both of which contain fiber and can help you digest your meal more easily. We’ll also use a combination of spices and extracts, such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla, to help naturally sweeten the recipe without the extra added sugar. The addition of kale is another thing that makes these muffins stand out. Kale is a nutrient powerhouse and is packed with vitamins and minerals such as vitamins A, C, and K, folate (a B vitamin key for brain development), zinc, and calcium. You may be nervous about adding kale to muffins but trust us, with all the other flavorful ingredients, you won’t even be able to taste it!

Next up, we’ll make a Vegetable and Cheese Frittata. This dish is full of colorful vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, tomato, and bell pepper. Did you know that each color of fruits and vegetables contains different nutrients? Green produce like the spinach and broccoli we’re using, gives us vitamins K & E, iron, and B vitamins. These nutrients help us with everything form protecting the body’s cells and tissues, to helping carry oxygen throughout our body, to even helping our body turn food into energy. Red produce, like our tomato and bell pepper, contain vitamin A which contributes to eye health and vitamin C which helps our immune system fight off infections. Eggs and cheese will round off this dish to add protein and calcium.

Frittata can be a little tricky to follow our tips to make the perfect frittata every time!

1. Make sure you use the right egg to pan ratio. Thin frittatas can quickly overcook. For a 12 inch skillet, use 12 eggs. For a 9 inch skillet, you can use 8 or 9.
2. Make sure you use an oven-friendly pan. We’ll need to put the pan in the oven to make sure the inside is fully cooked and to get the perfect golden color on top. Using a pan with plastic will cause it to melt under high temperatures.
3. Keep an eye on your frittata while it’s in the oven. We don’t want it to over cook and become dry.
4. Mix it up! Use whatever vegetables you have on hand in your frittata. Exploring new flavor combinations is part of the fun of cooking!

The last dish to round out our menu is going to be Fruit Salad. This mix and match recipe can be easily customized based off of your taste preferences and what’s in-season in your area. Simply chop up your favorite fresh fruits, add some delicious herbs such as mint or basil, and add a drizzle of honey or agave.

We hope you enjoy these recipes and celebrate the amazing friendships in your life this Galentine’s Day! For even more tasty and healthy breakfast recipes, visit chefsa.org/recipes.