Breakfast – Joy on a Plate

Breakfast is, hands down, my favourite meal of the day. As long as I can remember, I have actually loved everything about mornings; the stillness, the sunrise, and the smells coming from the kitchen. I treasure my quiet time in the morning before the whirlwind of packing lunches, making breakfast, and getting the girls ready for school begins.
Now that I am a mother, weekday breakfasts seem to be more hurried; preparing breakfast has become more about speed and efficiency, and further away from my ideal of a relaxing start to the day. So, I have vowed to change this for at least one day of the week.
I have declared Sunday as beautiful breakfast day. In doing so, I’ve been loving diving back into my cookbooks to rediscover my favourite breakfasts that always make my mouth water and leave me with that feeling of pure satisfaction.
This poached egg recipe is one of my favourites, it’s absolutely busting with flavour. It is a recipe that takes time, but the preparation is almost like a meditation in motion for me. Flowing from one pan to the next, the colour, the smells, the timing, everything coming together, to create JOY on a plate. Despite the lengthy preparation time, this meal is well worth the wait.
The thing I love about eggs, is that they are a complete protein that is full of vitamins, minerals, and it has been shown that, by eating them in the morning, it reduces your appetite through the remainder of the day. Poaching them in a vibrant bell pepper and tomato salsa makes the flavour burst, and takes them from being meh to delish. Serving it all over sautéed sweet potatoes, bok choy, asparagus, and spinach elevates it to a whole new level, covering a wide variety of nutrients that will leave you feeling like you’ve got loads of energy to power through the day.
My advice with this recipe in particular, since there are so many moving parts, would be to mise en place all the ingredients ahead of time. As if you were working a breakfast station in a restaurant, have everything chopped diced, measured, and ready to fire.

Poached eggs with a vibrant salsa and veggie medley

(Adapted from FOOD by Mark Hyman)
Serves 4 • Prep time 15 minutes • Cook time 40-45 minutes

Veggies
1 Tbsp avocado oil
1 medium sweet potato,
peeled, and grated
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp sea salt
2 cups chopped asparagus
1 ½ cups baby bok choy
4 cups spinach

Eggs and Salsa
2 tsp avocado oil
1 small red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
2 medium jalapeños, seeded,
and minced (optional)
2 red shallots, minced
1 tsp sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
4 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
½ tsp ground cumin
8 large eggs
(from free-range hens)

Garnish
1 cup cilantro leaves,
loosely packed, fresh,
minced (optional)
1 lime, quartered

Directions

  1. Start with veggies: warm the avocado oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat until shiny. Add the sweet potato, garlic, cumin, and salt. Cook for about five minutes until the sweet potato is cooked through. Add the asparagus and sauté for five more minutes, then add the bok choy and continue cooking for another five minutes until the asparagus is fork tender, and the bok choy has wilted. Turn the heat to low. Add the spinach, stirring well. Keep the veggies on low heat stirring occasionally while you make the eggs and salsa.
  2. For the eggs and salsa: warm the avocado oil in another large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the bell pepper, jalapeño, shallots, and ½ tsp of the salt. Cook until the vegetables begin to soften, about eight minutes. Add a sprinkle of freshly ground pepper.
  3. Add the tomatoes, cumin, and remaining ½ tsp of salt, and continue to cook for another 12 minutes until the shallots and tomatoes are cooked through, and the salsa has reduced. Spread the salsa equally around the pan. Reduce heat to low.
  4. Crack each egg into the salsa, spacing evenly.
    Cover the pan with a lid. Cook over low heat for five to seven minutes, depending on how well-done you prefer your eggs.
  5. To serve, divide the veggies among four bowls. Top each bowl with two eggs and some salsa. Garnish with cilantro (if using) and a lime wedge. Serve warm.