Here’s a thought for Easter or one of the other myriad of Spring brunch occasions (Mother’s Day, First Communion, Bridal Showers, Graduations, etc.).

You can certainly modify this recipe to suit your taste – change up the type of meat,  cheese, or combination of vegetables as you like. Let’s just call this a good base from which your culinary creativity can spring forth!

Also, note that eliminating the crust is important here. Doing so saves a bunch of calories and fat that you’ll never miss. To compensate, I kept the cheese. (I know. You’re welcome.)

Serve this with a gorgeous bowl of fruit and steaming mugs of coffee and you’ll have one happy bunch of brunch guests on your hands.

Crustless Smoked Turkey and Spinach Quiche

adapted from: Cooking Light 

serves 4-6

Ingredients:

cooking spray

4 oz. cubed smoked turkey (or ham)

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 clove garlic, minced

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

3/4 cup shredded Swiss Cheese, divided use

1 cup fresh baby spinach leaves (suggested substitutions: asparagus, mushrooms, zucchini, peppers, etc.)

1 cup cottage cheese

1/2 cup half & half

1/4 cup shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese

2 large eggs

2 large egg whites

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Spray generously with cooking spray. Saute turkey, onion, garlic, and ground pepper for 4 minutes, or until turkey is lightly brown and onions are softened.

3. Coat a 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of the shredded Swiss cheese on the bottom. Top with the turkey and onion mixture.

4. In a large bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 cup Swiss cheese, spinach, half & half, cottage cheese (for a smoother texture, combine half & half and cottage cheese in a blender until smooth), cheddar cheese, and eggs. Stir with a whisk.

5. Combine flour and baking powder in a small bowl. Add flour mixture to egg mixture and stir with a whisk until combined. Pour egg mixture into pie plate over turkey mixture.

6. Bake for 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Recently I shared a guest post from a client who was shocked by the sugar content in her daughter’s breakfast. Besides the orange juice and blueberry waffle, one of the culprits was the fruit yogurt she was serving. One easy way to dramatically reduce the sugar in that breakfast is to buy unsweetened Greek yogurt and to add your own sweetness. Stevia is a great choice because it’s a natural sweetener (made from the stevia plant) but has zero calories! And remember, Greek yogurt has 2x the protein of regular yogurt, too!

I usually buy the big container of yogurt and mix single serving size portions at a time. This recipe makes a great fruit dip or you can just eat a bowl of it as a snack! You can play with this recipe – sometimes I use almond extract instead of vanilla and omit the lemon juice. You can thin it out with a little milk and pour it over berries. You can stir in berries or some cereal for crunch. Use your imagination and then enjoy this guilt-free treat!

Greek Yogurt Fruit Dip

serves 6-8

Ingredients:

2 – 6 oz. containers plain Greek yogurt

1/2 teaspoon Stevia (or more to taste)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (adjust to taste – it can be strong)

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice (optional)

Directions:

1. Combine yogurt, Stevia, vanilla, and lemon juice (if desired) in a small bowl. Mix well. Cover and chill for an hour or until ready to serve.

2. Serve with fruit. Suggestions: strawberries, kiwi, pineapple, grapes, melons, blue berries, and raspberries