Green Veggie + Egg Scramble

break·fast /ˈbrekfəst/ Noun A meal eaten in the morning, the first of the day. 

"Breakfast is the most important meal of the day."  "Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper" and my personal mantra:  "You can't eat greens all day unless you start in the morning!" ;) Eating a solid breakfast is important to ensuring sound nutrition, and for kicking metabolism into gear for the day.  An ideal way to break your fast in the morning is with a full 16 oz glass of h2o (with a lemon wedge if you have it), even before a morning cup of joe.   Within a couple hours of waking, it's a really good idea to eat.   Despite what General Mills has decided is a "complete" breakfast (sugar, carbs and several servings of OJ - more sugar-), here are the essential components to include when putting together a nourishing breakfast that will tide you over until lunch: Fiber: to keep us feeling full and maintain healthy digestion (think: veggies, banana, oatmeal) Protein: it's essential to get a decent amount of protein in EVERY meal as our bodies do not store it up for later, unfortunately (think: eggs, organic tofu, soaked beans, nuts and seeds, nut butters, chicken or turkey) Fat: gives us the staying power to tide us over if it's going to be a while before eating again.  It curbs a dip in blood sugar which would cause us to seek out sugary snacks.  Also - if we're including veggies with lots of fat soluble vitamins (GREENS!), the fat allows them to be easily absorbed Carbs: mostly if you're going to be expending a bunch of energy between now and lunch. A "complete" breakfast does NOT require toast or cereal. ;)  Also, good to remember that 1/2 a banana is actually 1 whole serving of fruit, and a serving of fruit juice is 4 ounces. NOT a pint glass. Our breakfasts alternate between the following:

 - Oatmeal: whole rolled oats topped with whatever sounds good - nuts, seeds, honey, fruit, coconut oil  or a combination

 - Vegan chocolate-banana flax pudding: Mmmmmmmm.............

 - Shakes: generally with a base of banana + coconut or almond milk and then add ins: almond, cashew or peanut butter, tahini, spirulina, dulse, soaked flax seeds, ice, honey, bee pollen, blueberries, greens.

 - Yogurt:  plain, *full fat* Greek or European style yogurt topped with almonds, pepitas, fruit, etc. (The link has some of my favorite ways to prepare it...)

 - Coconut Banana Pancakes:  always a favorite!

 - Egg + veggie scramble with whatever veggies are stocked in the fridge plus organic eggs, cooked in organic butter and olive oil.

Eggs scrambled with kale, onions, broccoli, romano-parm cheese.

Can't eat greens all day unless you start in the morning!   ;)

I love adding greens and other veggies to egg scrambles.  It helps make the breakfast more filling and ensures a GREAT start to the day with all of those vitamins and minerals!  The best part is being able to customize it every day with different veggie additions from the fridge, so it never gets boring.  Sometimes it's peppers, mushrooms and spinach, other times it's kale, broccoli and onions.  If there is cheese in the fridge, I might a bit of that too. Here's what I made this morning:

Green Veggie Scramble

(Recipe for 2)

Ingredients:

1/3 c white onions, diced

2 handfuls of chopped tuscan kale 

1 c broccoli florets, roughly chopped

Pat of organic butter

Drizzle of olive oil

3 Tbsp grated Parmesan-Romano cheese

4 organic eggs

1/2 an avocado - makes a pretty delish garnish!

Directions:

Heat a large frying pan to medium and add butter + olive oil.  (The olive oil helps keep the butter from getting too hot which causes it to sizzle and brown). Sautee the onions, kale & broccoli in together for several minutes until soft and fragrant.  Add the eggs (I don't usually even bother whisking them first) and the cheese and scramble for another 5 minutes or so, until done.   Plate with avocado and bring out your favorite hot sauce(s) from the fridge.  Done!

Food Renegade!

Breakfast for Dinner: Savory French Toast w/Poached Egg & Honey Drizzle...

Leftover from weekend festivities, we have SO many dinner rolls.  Seeded, plain...probably at least 20.  What to do with them?!  I know I'll be making breadcrumbs, but one great use for day-old bread is French Toast.  To give it a savory flare, I added some herbs and onions in the egg wash, topped it with a perfectly poached egg and a drizzle of honey...seriously delicious!

Savory French Toast (2 servings): 
2 leftover Italian sandwich buns (6 medium slices of bread)
3 eggs
1/3 c milk (I used almond milk)
2 tbsp finely chopped Vidalia onion
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh herbs (I did thyme, rosemary and basil, equal parts)
Freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of sea salt
Butter & Olive oil (for the pan)

Heat a large pan or griddle with a little bit of butter and olive oil.  In a medium bowl, whisk eggs and milk together with the onion, herbs and S&P. Slice bread into 1/2 - 3/4" slices.  Soak each piece in the egg wash for about 45 seconds.  Place slices into hot pan. Spoon extra egg wash onto slices as to avoid waste and to get some of those tiny onion pieces on.  Pan fry on on each side until they are golden brown with some crispy texture to the edges (approx 5 minutes per side).


Poached Eggs:
2 large eggs
2 tbsp white vinegar
Ice bath

Fill a saucepan with a few inches of water and the vinegar.  Heat water until hot, but not boiling.  Don't let any of the little bubbles break the surface of the water.  When the water is hot, crack one egg at a time carefully and place into a small bowl.  Pour each egg gently into the water and with a slotted spoon, create the motion that you are spooning the egg back into place, so that the egg white stays as in tact as possible.  Cover the pan and let the eggs poach for 2-4 minutes, until the egg whites are medium-firm and yolk is still runny.  Carefully spoon each egg out into an ice bath for 30 seconds and place gently on a paper towel to dry.

Arrange 3 pieces of French Toast onto a plate and gently use your hand to cup the poached eggs on top.  Finish each plate with a drizzle of honey and some more fresh thyme.  Enjoy!