Nutritious dishes to serve a crowd! Build your own toast bar and quiche with potato crust

On the menu? Nutritious and delicious dishes that you can serve a crowd!

Tara Rochford, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Healthy Living Blogger, Tara Rochford Nutrition, shows us how to make a Toast Bar, Chia Jam, Sweet Potato Toast and Spinach Quiche with Potato Crust. 

(**All info., as told by Tara)

Strawberry Chia Jam 

Chia Seeds:
●    Rich in soluble fiber – like a magnet for LDL or bad cholesterol in our bodies.  It grabs on and helps get some of those particles out of our system. 
●    Chia seeds swell up to 9 times their size, even inside your body! They help you feel full!

I use unsweetened frozen strawberries and let them sit on the counter for about 2 hours so they can thaw.  This makes them juicy and really easy to mash. You can also melt them in the microwave or over the stove. 

Ingredients: 
2 cups frozen berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, cherries)
2 Tbsp chia seeds
2 Tbsp maple syrup, optional

Directions: 
Allow frozen berries to thaw on the counter for at least 2 hours. 

Place all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor or blender and blend until combined.

Place the jam in a sealable storage container and allow to set in the fridge for about 30 minutes.

Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
It becomes the consistency of jam! I have it spread on a piece of sweet potato toast with peanut butter…what do you think?! Let’s talk about this sweet potato toast!

Sweet Potatoes
●    The deep orange and purple sweet potatoes are rich with free radical fighting antioxidants
●    Contain soluble and insoluble fiber, which are both important for gut health

Sweet potatoes are also extremely delicious! Making them into “toast” is a fun way to incorporate a variety of nutritious foods into your entire day.  

Sweet Potato Toast

Ingredients:
1 sweet potato, washed and dried
Cooking spray (avocado oil or olive oil spray are my favorite)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

Cut the potato length-wise in ¼ inch slices.

Spritz each side with your favorite cooking oil spray.  Place the sweet potato slices about 1-2 inches apart on a baking sheet.

Bake for 15-20 minutes.  Remove from oven, flip, then cook another 15 minutes.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool and store in the fridge for use at a later date or enjoy fresh out of the oven.  If you stored them in the fridge for later, you can “reheat them” by placing in the toaster on low to medium and repeating until warmed all the way through.  This process will vary in time and temperature depending on the toaster you have.

All of this is part of a build your own TOAST BAR.

Here is what I’ve included:

Build your own toast bar toppings:
●    Whole grain sourdough bread (or your favorite bread!)
●    Sweet potato toast
●    Peanut butter
●    Honey 
●    Banana slices
●    Chia jam
●    Plain chia seeds
●    Egg slices
●    Avocado (mixed with a little lime juice and salt)
●    Tomato slices
●    Balsamic drizzle
●    Any other toppings you are craving!

This requires minimal set up and your guests will have FUN putting together their toast concoctions. 

Now, I am showing you how to make a Spinach Quiche with Potato Crust:

Potatoes:
●    Contain more potassium than a banana – it is a mineral that acts as an electrolyte in the body and helps maintain water balance.
●    Are a source of resistant starch, which feeds the good bacteria in our gut. 
●    Many of the nutrients are reduced in the cooking process but are preserved in the skin, so I am team “leave the peel on!”
Eggs:
●    One of the few food sources of Vitamin D (our body can synthesize this nutrient from sunshine but being in the midwest and the way we live our lives doesn’t usually permit us to get enough sunshine for this)
●    Also one of the highest food sources of choline, which is linked with mood, memory and our brain.
●    Source of protein and fat, so you will feel full and satisfied after your meal.

Spinach Quiche with Potato Crust 

Ingredients:
Cooking spray
1 medium to large Russet potato
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
½ cup chives, freeze-dried
4 eggs
1 cup milk (any kind will do)
2 cups baby spinach, loosely packed
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp crushed red pepper, optional

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Spritz a 9-inch round pie plate with cooking spray. Spread the potato slices around the pan creating the crust. Make sure to put some up the sides of the plate too. Spritz the potatoes with an olive oil cooking spray. Bake for 20 minutes.
Once the potatoes are cooked, turn the temperature up to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Combine the chives, eggs, egg whites, baby spinach, almond milk, sea salt, and peppers in a medium to large bowl. Whisk until thoroughly combined.
Pour the egg mixture over the top of the cooked potatoes and cook at 375 degrees for 35 minutes.
Enjoy!

You can find these recipes and more from me at:
tararochfordnutrition.com
Tara Rochford Nutrition on Facebook and TaraRochford on Instagram