Feeding New Moms: Leek, Spinach And Pancetta Quiche

Hey everyone! My name is Erin Collins and I blog about gluten-free food over at Meaningful Eats. I’m a lover of all things food; especially chocolate, dinner salads,  Sunday comfort food, and birthday cakes. I’m also a wife and mother to one very busy 2-year-old! I find joy making food for the people I love. 

To me, cooking is all about showing love and taking care of people. And nobody needs to be taken care of more than a new Mom! New moms need to be pampered and looked after so they can focus on the most important job of all - taking care of their new baby! When our son was born, it was such a magical and special time. It really was the beginning of a whole new adventure! I was so grateful to all the people that helped me out during those first few weeks.

My favorite kitchen "helper"! Now if only he'd stop growing...

When I was a brand new mother I remember that I wanted comfort food, but not anything really heavy. New nursing moms also have a unique set of nutritional needs. I think it is so cool that our bodies can make the ideal food for babies! Rest, water, and good food really help get that milk going.

One of my favorite things to make for a new mom is quiche. It is a great portable dish that can be eaten for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. I remember life was really chaotic when our son was born, and we ate at the most random times. With the quiche, you can just put it in the refrigerator then heat up a slice as needed! Quiche is also full of healthy fats and protein, which is great for nursing mothers.

Leek, spinach, and pancetta is one of my favorite quiche combinations! This quiche is baked in a toasty, almond flour crust, which has the most amazing, buttery-flavor. Another reason I love almond flour crust is that it is so easy to make! You just pulse the ingredients together in a food processor then press the dough into a pie pan. No chilling or rolling needed! This is good for me because my pie rolling and shaping skills are unimpressive, to say the least. If you don’t usually bake with almond flour, you can find almond meal at Trader Joe’s, Bob’s Red Mill Almond Meal in the baking section of most grocery stores, or you can buy it from Honeyville on Amazon.

This quiche is fantastic with the addition of goat cheese, but if you have a dairy-allergy it is still delicious and super flavorful without it. I know many mothers who have had to be dairy-free while nursing because their baby had a dairy sensitivity. This quiche is perfect if that is the case!

Some of my other favorite foods to bring to new moms are:

Casserole-Style Dishes (Portable and reheat wonderfully):

Enchiladas Verde - My favorite enchilada recipe. Comforting, but not too heavy.

Baked Ziti - This is Cook’s Illustrated Baked Ziti recipe and it is the best you’ll ever have! Way better than lasagna in my opinion.

Soups (Again portable, and reheatable):

Butternut Squash - Luscious and creamy with no added cream.

Chicken Tortilla - A family favorite! This is based on Ina Garten’s amazing recipe.

Muffins (Great for snacking and having around the house):

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins - Comforting and perfect for this time of year!

Gluten-Free Apple Crumb Muffins - A favorite at our house.

Grain-Free Zucchini Muffins - A reader’s favorite on my blog. Sweetened with banana and full of protein.

Smoothies (New moms need to stay hydrated. You have never know thirst until you’ve nursed a baby!):

Strawberry Almond Coconut Water Smoothie - Full of hydrating coconut water and whole-food protein.

Chocolate Banana Avocado Smoothie - Another reader favorite. A light and creamy, healthy treat!

Leek, Spinach, and Pancetta Quiche
 

For the crust:

2 cups almond flour

2 tablespoons coconut oil or butter, softened

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon salt

For the quiche:

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 ounces pancetta (or bacon), sliced into small pieces

1 leek, white and light green parts washed and sliced into half moons

3 ounces spinach, roughly chopped

6 eggs

1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese (optional)

1. For the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 F. In the bowl of the food processor, pulse the almond flour and salt together. Add the coconut oil and egg and process until the mixture forms a ball. Press the dough evenly into a greased 9-inch pie plate. Pre-bake the crust for 10-12 minutes. Allow to cool slightly while you prepare the rest of the quiche. Reduce the oven heat to 325 F.

2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and cook until crispy, about 8-10 minutes. Remove the pancetta with a slotted spoon and place on a paper-towel-lined plate. Pour all but 1 tablespoon of the grease out of the skillet. Add the leeks to the pancetta fat and cook until softened, 6-8 minutes. Add the spinach to the leeks and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and allow the mixture to cool.

3. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, coconut milk, nutmeg, salt and pepper. When the pancetta and leek mixture are cool, add them to the eggs and whisk to combine. Stir in the goat cheese. Pour the mixture into the prepared pie crust and bake at 325 F for 25-30 minutes, until the center is set. Cool completely before serving. Store leftovers in the refrigerator. Enjoy!

Crust recipe adapted from The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook