Cravings: Break the Chain
Kate Horning
Cravings are a pain in the ass. At least, they used to be for me. But after endless experimentation, I discovered a simple solution to tame the elusive beast. Greens. Lots of amazing, delicious, leafy greens.
If I want a bite of ice cream, really want it, then I have one. There’s no reason to feel guilty about that. Pleasure and enjoyment are as much a part of a healthy lifestyle as eating vegetables. If you deprive or punish yourself, at one point or another, you’ll break down and end up overdoing it.
Respect yourself and accept everything in its perspective. Work with your body. Embrace those feelings. Just keep in mind how you want to feel and act accordingly. Before you can truly know that you want that bite of ice cream, you have to break the chains sugars and fats have on you. Get in touch with what your body is trying to tell you.
Cravings are a survival mechanism built into our bodies. The problem, is that we have been conditioning our bodies with sugars, creams and chemicals. It’s beat the crap out of our pancreas and endocrine system. Our bodies are confused. As we clean that junk out of our system, if we don’t replace it with nutrient dense foods, our bodies think it’s starving and screams for more junk. It just doesn’t know any better.
Greens are some of the most nutrient dense foods on the planet. They’re loaded with essential vitamins and minerals our bodies need to function properly. When we are fully nourished, we feel satisfied.
It’s amazing how they make me feel. I have crazy energy. I feel normal, less moody. I know when I’m hungry, but I can’t say I have cravings anymore. I can enjoy the pleasure of an indulgence in a healthy way. I can stop feeling guilt for the things I enjoy.
Quiche is one of those dishes that is super simple but feels ultra fancy. Especially when served alongside some gorgeous mixed greens tossed with olive oil, lemon, and celtic salt for a light lunch. On one occasion, when I first started making quiche, I ran out of cream and decided to instead whisk a few spoonfulls of miracle whip into my milk to make it a little creamier. What I discovered was a unique tanginess that goes insanely well with combination of a creamy custard and earthy vegetables.
My current version uses an unsweetened non dairy milk and organic mayo or veganaise to update things a bit without compromising the delicious flavors and texture I love so much about quiche! The best part, once you learn the technique feel free to use whatever veggie combo you have on hand. I have found I love swiss chard and onions together or spinach and mushrooms or even candy onion, corn, fresh basil and zucchini in the summertime. I don’t typically care for cheese in my quiche but have found a little pecorino romano or parmesan on top right before serving to be a delicious salty addition! And I totally recommend using store bought pie crusts to simplify the process, just be sure to read the label and steer clear of any hydrogenated oils.
Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 red onion, diced
1/2 tsp celtic salt
4 cloves garlic, sliced
4 stems kale, cut into ribbons
2 tbsp sun dried tomatoes in oil
4 eggs
1 cup non dairy milk (unsweetened)
2 tbsp veganaise or organic mayo
1 prepared pie crust
black pepper to taste
Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add in dice onion and celtic salt, cook about 5 minutes until it begins to soften, stir in sliced garlic. Cook 3-4 more minutes until garlic is fragrant and stir in kale and sun dried tomatoes. Let kale cook until it is tender, another 4-5 minutes. In the meantime, whisk together eggs, unsweetened almond milk, and veganaise or organic mayo to create the custard. Roll pie crust out into a glass pie pan and fill with kale mixture. Pour custard over top and lightly season with a pinch of celtic salt and red or black pepper. Bake for 35 minutes or until custard has set in the center. Cover with foil if the crust begins to brown too quickly. Serve alongside mixed greens! Serves 6-8.
