My Favorite Simple, Nutritious, Delicious Breakfast For One

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I’ve struggled to eat breakfast most of my adult life. Then I found a local source for jumbo eggs from happy, pastured hens. So for about the last year, I’ve eaten a breakfast (most days) of one of those delightful eggs. Gently scrambled, soft-boiled, poached…I love an egg any way you prepare it.

Eggs contain a wealth of vitamins and healthy fats, but I read recently that without accompanying carbs, your body doesn’t make the most of that goodness. And it’s obvious an egg alone isn’t a very balanced meal. So I tweaked my breakfast and came up with a technique for making my favorite simple, nutritious, delicious breakfast for one.

First, Pick and Prep a Vegetable

Raid your frig for a single portion of your favorite vegetable. Stick with more tender produce, like green beans, okra, yellow squash, or mushrooms. Wash them and prep them to sauté. For green beans, just cut off the stem end and chop them in half. For okra, yellow squash, or mushrooms, cut off the ends and slice them about 1/4-inch thick.

Then, Make Your Awesome Breakfast for One

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • Your prepped vegetables
  • 1 egg

Directions:

  1. Melt the butter in a small, non-stick skillet over medium heat.
  2. Toss in the vegetables, and sauté them until tender and a bit brown — about 5 minutes.
  3. Move the vegetables over to one side of the pan.
  4. Crack your egg into the open half of the pan — it’s time to fry that bad boy.
  5. For a sunny side up egg, fry until the white is mostly cooked — about a minute or two. Then cover the skillet with a lid to steam the egg. This lets the yolk cook through without overcooking the white. It will take another minute or two. Lift the lid to check the yolk — you’re looking for the yolk to get a slightly opaque, white covering.
  6. Slide your breakfast onto a plate, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Ways to make it your own:

  • Omit the butter or replace it with a bit of olive oil.
  • Replace the egg with a couple of egg whites.
  • Use a mix of vegetables.
  • Add your favorite seasonings or herbs while you’re cooking the veg.
  • Cook the egg your favorite way — scramble it in its half of the pan, scramble it with the veg, make a faux omelet, or flip the egg instead of steaming the yolk for an over easy or over hard egg.

Why I Love This Breakfast

It’s healthier than an egg alone. I can use whatever vegetables I have on hand, which helps me reduce my food waste. It’s quick and easy. It uses one pan which is easily cleaned. And it slides right out of the pan and onto a small plate, looking professionally plated. (Well, maybe not professionally, but it ain’t bad to look at. Check out that photo!)

Best of all, it’s scrumptious. I have a crush on creamy, rich egg yolks, and I must say they are awesome wrapped around some tender-cooked green beans.

Now, I know none of this is rocket science, but this simple technique has enhanced my breakfast immeasurably. Is breakfast the toughest meal for you to conquer? Give this a try, and let us know what you think!

Image Credit: Mary Gerush

2 thoughts on “My Favorite Simple, Nutritious, Delicious Breakfast For One”

  1. I love breakfast for dinner and this is such an easy way to get the veggies in at the same time. It’s great with the fresh tomatoes available now–just threw them in when I put the lid on the eggs.

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