I decided to focus on Breakfast Recipes for my first “Healthy Eating” blog post. Eating a great well-rounded, healthy breakfast has always been a challenge for me. I am NOT a morning person. I’m that girl who spends 30 -45 minutes hitting the snooze button, finally gets up and runs around like a chicken with its head chopped off while I get dressed and grab a cup of coffee. I know that I should do better, make myself get up, make a good breakfast to start my day off , and even do a gentle yoga practice in the morning, but it’s definitely difficult for me to get the motivation to do it. I decided upon breakfast recipes because I LOVE food, and what better motivation than a scrumptious breakfast to get me going?
First on the list is “Whole-Egg, Bacon and Avocado Quesadillas”.
1. Whole Egg, Bacon and Avocado Quesadillas
Anyone that knows me can tell you that Mexican food is my favorite. Burritos, Tacos, Enchiladas, Quesadillas, you name it, I love it! So, naturally, my first pick is the whole egg, bacon, and avocado quesadilla.
Avocado was always one of those foods that is really great for you but that I couldn’t seem to develop a taste for. It’s taken me several years of adamantly trying to actually begin to like it. But paired with eggs and bacon, how could you go wrong?
Nagi at Recipe-Tin Eats shared this recipe and it is fantastic. I love that she keeps the egg yolks (those are my favorite part)!
- 3 rashers of streaky bacon, chopped
- 4 flour tortillas (Note 1)
- 4 eggs
- 1 large avocado, halved and sliced
- ½ cup grated cheese (I used cheddar)
- Salt and pepper
- Heat a skillet over high heat. Add the bacon and cook until cooked to your liking. Remove bacon onto a paper towel lined plate.
- Drain excess fat from the skillet and wipe away/scrape off any black bits. Return to the stove over medium heat.
- Place a tortilla in the skillet. Place avocado slices around the rim of half the tortilla and thinner slices across the middle to form a “ring” to hold the egg – as per the photo below. Squish the pieces close together to seal them so egg does not leak.
- Crack an egg into the centre, sprinkle with bacon, cheese and season with salt and pepper. Fold the tortilla over and cook for 4 minutes or until golden and crisp. I usually cook 2 in the skillet.
- Flip, turning over the folded edge (i.e. slide the flip under the curved edge and flip over the folded edge). Cook the other side for 3 minutes or until golden and crisp. Remove from the skillet. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
- Serve immediately, while hot!
2. Baked Spinach and Eggs
Another great breakfast recipe is baked spinach and eggs. It is very easy and simple, using
only a few ingredients. This recipe can be made using frozen spinach or fresh (though I highly recommend fresh!). I found it from Abby with Manilla Spoon.
- 6 cups firmly packed baby spinach or 1 (10 oz or up to 1 lb) bag fresh baby spinach*
- 4 eggs (can increase to 6 if you are using more spinach)
- Salt and freshly Ground Pepper, to taste
- 1 Tbsp crumbled Feta Cheese for 1-2 eggs (about 2-3 Tbps in total)
- Baking spray or a little oil for greasing
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly spray or grease with a little oil individual ramekins or other small oven safe dishes that can accommodate 1-2 eggs.
- Place the spinach in a deep skillet or a large frying pan. Add a little water (2-3 Tablespoons). Using medium heat, cook the spinach just until wilted, roughly 3-4 minutes. Use either your hand or a spatula to pack in the spinach. Drain the excess water well especially if you are using frozen spinach.
- Distribute the spinach evenly among the prepared ramekins or oven-safe dishes..
- Crack 1-2 eggs on top of the spinach. Season lightly with salt and pepper – lightly because Feta cheese is pretty salty on its own. Sprinkle the crumbled feta cheese on top.
- Place the baking dishes or ramekins on a cookie sheet and bake for about 15-18 minutes or until the eggs are set/cooked (whites are set and yolks look firm on the edges) to your liking.
- Serve with some toasted bread and you can pair with tomato juice. Enjoy!
3. Baked Blueberry Oatmeal Cups
First thing’s first. Blueberries are AMAZING! I love them and they are great with oats. AND it makes a hearty breakfast without any cholesterol from eggs. I also, love, love, love to bake, so this recipe is super exciting! In addition to the excitement of the blueberries and baking, it’s a great way to use up that one banana that is starting to dot and turn brown!
- 1 cup mashed banana
- 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats, uncooked
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray large muffin tin with non-stick spray.
- Mash banana until smooth.
- Add banana, oats, beaten egg, baking powder and vanilla to a bowl.
- Stir until just combined.
- Stir in blueberries.
- Using a large spring-release scoop fill muffin tins with batter. I fill to the top, these muffins do not rise very much.
- Bake at 425 degrees for 5 minutes, then decrease oven temperature to 375 and continue baking for 12 more minutes.
- Allow muffins to cool slightly in muffin tin a few minutes. Removing them while hot will likely cause the muffins to break apart as they are very moist.
4. Bell Pepper Egg-in-a-Hole
Bell peppers are another of my favorites! I think it has to do with the fact that I love Mexican and Southwestern food. So, this recipe is a MUST! It’s courtesy of Natasha with Natasha’s Kitchen, and it is great served with toast or an English muffin.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 red bell pepper
- 4-5 large eggs
- Salt
- Pepper
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 Tbsp Olive oil
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a large, non-stick skillet, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium/high heat.
- Cut peppers into ½” rings and remove the seeds and centers. Place sliced peppers into the pan and let them saute for a minute.
- Crack one egg into the center of each bell pepper slice. Start pouring the egg in slowly; it prevents the egg from leaking and forms a nice seal.
- Sprinkle salt and pepper over each egg. Saute for 3 minutes, then flip it over carefully.
- Top with a generous amount of Parmesan cheese. If you want your yolks to be juicy (over easy), cook another minute.
5. Breakfast Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
It’s officially fall which means its pumpkin and sweet potato season! Breakfast stuffed sweet potatoes are a great FILLING breakfast (and great for you too!). The sweet potatoes make a great “boat” holder for the yummy egg and bacon filling. This recipe is by Jordan with Smile Sandwich. She has directions for microwaving (when short on time) AND the oven (which I will always recommend).
BREAKFAST STUFFED SWEET POTATOES
INGREDIENTS
- 1 sweet potato
- 4 eggs
- 2 slices turkey bacon
- 1/4 cup low-fat cheese
- Salt and pepper, to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
- Wash the sweet potato and pierce it with a fork. Wrap it in a damp paper towel and microwave for 5 minutes or until tender, flipping it over halfway through.
- Meanwhile, fry the bacon in a pan until crisp. Remove, crumble, and set aside.
- Scramble the eggs, add salt and pepper to taste, and cook them in the pan until just cooked.
- When the potato is cool enough to handle, cut it in half and scoop out about half the potato from each half. Save what you scoop out for later use with another recipe.
- Fill each potato half with eggs, bacon, and cheese. Microwave for 30 seconds more until the cheese is melted. ENJOY!
- For oven – bake the sweet potatoes at 400 degrees F for 45 minutes. Follow the same steps, then broil for just a few minutes to melt the cheese.
Pick your favorite recipe and let me know how it turns out! Happy Cooking and Healthy Eating!
Peace, Love, and Inspiration,
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