healthy vegetarian breakfast: kale, potatoes, and eggs

Are you a sweet or savory breakfast person? I have a huge sweet tooth, and for years I ate starch for breakfast: bowls of cold cereal, french toast, pancakes, waffles, pastries…

I was ravenous when I woke up, and without fail, I was ravenous again three to four hours later. All those carbs went tearing through my system resulting a sugar crash and a seriously grumpy attitude. Unpleasant for everyone, to say the least.

Two things have made the biggest impact on my mornings. One is drinking a glass of water immediately after waking up. We’re not eating or drinking while we’re sleeping, so everyone is dehydrated when they wake up. Getting that water in alleviates those urgent hunger pangs that are actually desperate thirst signals. The second is protein for breakfast.

Usually this means eggs. They’re fast and simple to prepare. I also like to add in a serving (or three) of vegetables to jump-start my day. Vegetables are great sources of fiber that help me stay full along with the slowly-digested protein in the eggs. It also adds some diversity and flavor to my mornings depending on what’s in season.

For this meal I added a few potatoes I had hanging around. Instead of the normal starch-bomb of American fries or hash browns claiming half the plate of a common diner breakfast, I kept the kale central and added the potatoes for an accent. My preference is to use organic potatoes, scrub them well, and leave the protein- and nutrient-rich skins on.

Most of my egg breakfasts are conveniently gluten- and dairy-free which isn’t all bad. Both wheat and dairy are mucus-forming, which is never a good way for me to start my day. Need a wake up call? Add a splash of Sriracha or hot sauce. Sometimes I use a pinch of cayenne pepper (maybe not this week if you’re in a heat wave, however).

What’s your favorite breakfast?

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Kale, Potatoes, and Eggs

by Stacy Spensley July-20-2011

Ramping up the veggies in the morning makes it easier to fit all your servings in the day.

Ingredients

• 4-5 leaves kale
• 2 new potatoes
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/2 tablespoon olive or neutral oil
• 1 egg
• to taste salt and pepper

Instructions

1.) Remove stems from kale, chop into bite-sized pieces. Slice potatoes into uniform circles, about 1/8-1/4 inch. Too thin and they’ll burn, too thick and they won’t cook through. Mince garlic.2.) Heat oil in cast iron or non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add potatoes in a single layer and let cook without moving for 3-5 minutes until golden brown.3.) Flip potatoes and cook another 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add kale. Stir so all kale comes in contact with the pan and wilts. Add a teaspoon of water and stir briskly to soften kale.4.) Bring a small pan of water to a simmer. Add an egg and let simmer on low while you finish cooking the vegetables.5.) When potatoes are golden brown and cooked through, add garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Add salt and pepper. 6.) Serve vegetables topped with poached egg. Feel good about starting your day.

Details

Prep time: 4 mins Cook time: 8 mins Total time: 12 mins Yield: 1 breakfast

Tagged as: dairy-free, eggs, gluten-free, healthy, kale, morning, potatoes