This Spinach and Kimchi Fritatta Is Good for Your Gut Health

When you think of foods your doctor would tell you to eat, you probably don’t think of rich brownies, braised short ribs, or poached eggs with hollandaise sauce. But those are some of the recipes in the latest book by Mark Hyman, MD, The Eat Fat, Get Thin Cookbook ($30; amazon.com)

A follow-up to his 2016 New York Times bestseller Eat Fat, Get Thin, the cookbook contains 175 recipes for meals, snacks, smoothies, and desserts, all featuring plenty of the healthy fats he prescribes, including avocado, nuts, coconut, extra-virgin olive oil, and fatty cold-water fish.

Of course, Dr. Hyman—who is the medical director of the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine and founder of the UltraWellness Center in Lenox, Massachusetts—doesn’t want you to add more fat to your diet by simply loading your plate with processed foods. Rather, the Eat Fat, Get Thin Cookbook emphasizes eating good-for-you fats along with plenty of non-starchy vegetables and moderate portions of protein.

We got together with Dr. Hyman recently to make one of the delicious meals in his book, a frittata with kimchi and spinach that incorporates three of the fats he recommends: whole eggs, grass-fed butter, and coconut milk.

We love this frittata for multiple reasons: A) It’s delicious. B) It’s good for your gut. The spinach and cooked kimchi are prebiotic, which means they nourish the beneficial bacteria in you digestive system. Add some raw kimchi on top, and you get probiotics too. Win-win for your gut. C) It’s quick and easy to prepare, and works as a make-ahead breakfast, lunch, or quick dinner.

You can follow along with the video, or scroll down for the recipe.

Kimchi and Spinach Frittata

Serves: 4

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 25 minutes

6 large eggs

½ cup full-fat coconut milk

½ tsp. sea salt

¼ tsp.  freshly ground black pepper

1 Tbsp. unsalted, grass-fed butter

6 cups baby spinach

½ cup drained kimchi, roughly chopped, plus more for serving

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a bowl, whisk together eggs, coconut milk, salt, and pepper. In an 8‑inch oven-safe skillet, warm butter over medium heat until foaming. Add spinach and stir until wilted. Pour in egg mixture, add kimchi, and stir to evenly distribute. Transfer pan to oven and cook until center of frittata is firm to the touch and eggs are fully set (a toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean), about 20 minutes.
3. Allow frittata to cool for 5 minutes, then carefully run a spatula around edges and underneath it to loosen it from pan. Slide frittata onto a plate, cut into four wedges, and serve hot, warm, or at room temperature, topped with additional kimchi.

Per serving: Calories: 249, Fat: 16 g, Saturated Fat: 9 g, Cholesterol: 285 mg, Fiber: 7 g, Protein: 22 g, Carbohydrates: 14 g, Sodium: 726 mg

No-Bake Walnut Brownies

Makes: 8 (2‑inch) brownies

Prep time: 15 minutes, plus chilling time

4 cups raw walnuts

1 cup cacao nibs

¼ cup cacao powder

2 Medjool dates, pitted

2 Tbsp. unsalted, grass-fed butter, at room temperature

3 Tbsp. melted cacao butter

Pinch of sea salt

1. Line bottom of a 9‑inch square baking dish with parchment. In a food processor, combine all ingredients and process until mixture is well combined and free of large chunks (it will be grainy), about 45 seconds.
2. Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish and, using your hands, press it into an even, firmly packed layer. Cover and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours or up to 4 days. (Brownies can also be frozen for up to 3 months.)
3. Cut chilled brownies into 2‑inch pieces and serve.

Per serving (1 brownie): Calories: 560, Fat: 48 g, Saturated Fat: 5 g, Cholesterol: 8 mg, Fiber: 4 g, Protein: 24 g, Carbohydrates: 18 g, Sodium: 28 mg, Sugars: 4 g