My Mom always said, “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.”  Yours too?  It’s actually true!  Breakfast is the meal we should pay the most attention to, because it has the most dramatic affect on our bodies.  You haven’t eaten in ten or twelve hours, and your body is in need of fuel and nutrition!  Are you going to give it a danish and a mocha?  No!  That’s the worst breakfast you can have!  You’ll have an insulin spike, a sugar crash, and a deficit of the things your body wants: protein, a little fat, and slow-release carbs.  The best breakfast?  Eggs and vegetables.

Please check out  Coleen’s recipe for a delicious frittata, or consider these two ideas:  Spinach Scramble, and, Kale and Sweet Potato Hash with Eggs.  A frittata can be made for dinner, with the leftovers reheated for breakfast; both the Spinach Scramble and Kale and Sweet Potato Hash can be made ahead of time, and reheated with eggs added at the end.  All of these breakfast ideas are great ways to start your day, with a big dose of protein, a little healthy fat (which helps your body absorb Vitamins A, D, E, and K) and slow-release carbohydrates to keep your energy levels stable.  Plus, if you make them the night before, you won’t have to think so hard in the morning.  And that’s a good thing!

Spinach Scramble

Ingredients (per person / per serving):

• 1/4 red or white onion, minced
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 4 oz. frozen chopped spinach (from a one pound bag – just estimate a quarter of the bag)
• salt and pepper
• 2 eggs
• optional:  1 ounce cheese (I like feta or goat cheese), 1 tablespoon pesto, or 1/2 an avocado

Directions:

1. In a non-stick pan, add the minced onion and butter.  Over medium heat. stir and cook for 2 or 3 minutes until the onion turns translucent.  Add the frozen spinach, stir to combine, and cover with a lid.  Cook for 3 minutes.  Remove lid, stir again, and season with salt and pepper.
2. In a small bowl, beat the two eggs, then add to the pan.  If you are using cheese, add it now.  Turn down the heat to medium-low and stir to scramble.  Cook for two or three minutes until done.  Serve with pesto or half an avocado, sliced, if you like.  Serve with sliced fruit.

To make ahead:  Mince the whole onion, cook like in Step 1 with 2 tablespoons butter.  Add the whole bag of spinach, cover, and cook until done, about 4 or 5 minutes, stirring to break up any frozen clumps.  Hey, you just made four servings!  Put three-quarters of the pan away in the fridge, and eat one-quarter of the pan with the ingredients in Step 2.  Every day, scoop out a serving of spinach and onions, microwave for one minute until hot, then add to the pan and continue to Step 2.

Kale and Sweet Potato Hash with Eggs

Ingredients:

• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1/2 red onion, minced fine
• 2 tablespoons butter or coconut oil
• 2 bunches kale, washed, ribs discarded, and torn into small pieces
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• salt and pepper
• 2 eggs

Directions:

1. In a large pan with a lid, cook the sweet potatoes and onion in the butter or coconut oil over medium heat.  After 5 minutes, add a few teaspoons of water and cover with the lid.  Stir every few minutes to make sure nothing sticks, adding more water if necessary.  (I’ve found sometimes I only need to add water once, and sometimes I need to add it again.  Not sure why, maybe some sweet potatoes are drier than others?)  
2. When you can break up a sweet potato chunk with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, add the kale and spices.  If your kale is still wet from washing, carry on; if not, add another tablespoon of water.  Cover and cook for 3 minutes, then stir.  Continue to cook until the kale is tender, about 5 more minutes.
3. You just made 5 servings!  From here, you can serve this as a side dish, or use it as a bed for fried eggs.  To eat for breakfast, reheat about one cup of kale and sweet potatoes on a plate in the microwave, and serve with two eggs, sunny-side up.  Break open the eggs so the yolk coats everything and dig in!

Explore, experiment, enjoy! — Dana

To view even more of Dana’s unique recipes, you can visit her at Frugal Girlmet!