Maple Bacon with Frilly Greens and Fried Egg
Cheesy Polenta and Charred Greens with Crispy Prosciutto
Tomato Chip and Mozzarella Toast
Probiotic Salad—Kimchi Dressing and Greens with Avocado and Sweet Potato Fries
Roasted Beets and Beet Top Salsa Verde with Egg
IF YOU’RE EATING LEAN AND CLEAN, salad is a great way to start the day. My daily goal is to eat as many vegetables as possible. Veggies fill you up, add mega nutrients to your diet, and are healthy carbohydrates needed for fuel all day long. Making a big salad at every meal is a no-brainer, even for breakfast.
A bowl of kimchi and a soft-boiled egg is one of my standards, as is a fried egg over simply dressed greens. I’ll eat whatever I have on hand—every green I can think of goes well with oozy egg yolk, acid, and oil. And while those simple salads are excellent options, there are ways to fancy it up a bit for days when you have extra time or will linger over a brunch.
Breakfast salads need not be all greens. Roasted tomatoes spill from a piece of thickly sliced rustic bread on the Tomato Chip and Mozzarella Toast. Sure, you can add a handful of arugula, but on its own it is just as delicious. Equally satisfying is a bowl of roasted beets and soft-boiled egg. Beets are naturally sweet, and there is something about the earthy sugar that appeals first thing in the morning.
And don’t forget the power of leftovers to inform your morning meal—they can be turned into a breakfast salad plate. Think roasted sweet potatoes, salad greens lightly dressed, and a fried egg for protein, and you’ve got a balanced, nutritional meal in minutes.
with Frilly Greens and Fried Egg
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
4 slices thick-cut bacon
1 tablespoon maple syrup
6 cups lettuce greens (frisée, escarole, oakleaf)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for frying
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 large eggs
This simple breakfast pairs sweet syrup-encrusted bacon with a skillet-fried egg and salad greens. It is the lazy person’s frisée aux lardon! So the sugars in the syrup don’t burn, this bacon is cooked in the oven to a chewy consistency. If you’re a crispy bacon lover, increase your oven temperature slightly and monitor for doneness. Whichever your preference, line your pan with aluminum foil to spare a messy clean up. Here, I prefer a fried egg, as I cook it until the edges are lacy and crisp, but you can easily substitute a poached egg, soft-boiled egg, etc. Work quickly so the greens don’t break down too much and the bacon is still warm as you serve it.
► Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
► On a large baking sheet, place the bacon slices in a single layer making sure they do not touch. Drizzle the maple syrup evenly over them and bake until the bacon is cooked to your liking, 20 to 25 minutes. Set aside until ready to use.
► In a large bowl, toss the lettuce greens, oil, and vinegar until well combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper and portion evenly into four shallow bowls. Set aside.
► Meanwhile, cover the bottom of a large sauté pan with oil and heat over medium high. When the oil begins to ripple slightly, crack in the eggs. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the outer edges of the whites are crispy and brown. Use a spatula to flip the eggs yolk-side down and cook for 2 minutes more, making sure to leave the yolks runny.
► To serve, place the egg directly over the salad greens, and place one piece of bacon in each of the four bowls. Serve immediately.
with Crispy Prosciutto
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
3 cups water, chicken or vegetable broth, or milk (or a combination of the three)
1 cup coarse cornmeal
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 cups bitter greens, escarole, or radicchio, cut into ½-inch ribbons
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 slices prosciutto
Maple syrup, for garnish (optional)
Cornmeal (a.k.a. grits or polenta) cooks up very quickly and has a creamy texture and corn-like flavor—it’s an ideal grain for a savory morning porridge. Here, polenta is cooked and then tossed with cheese, while bitter greens are charred under the broiler. Topped with crisp prosciutto, this is a super hearty and healthy breakfast that is easy enough for the workweek but a fabulous dish for a lazy weekend brunch no matter how many people you are trying to serve at once.
► In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the water to a boil. Add the cornmeal, a little bit at a time, whisking to incorporate. Lower the heat to medium low and stir frequently and rigorously, cooking for about 15 minutes, or until the polenta is softened and thick. Remove from the heat and add the Parmesan, butter, salt, and pepper. Cover and set aside for 5 to 10 minutes to rest.
► Preheat the broiler.
► On a large baking sheet, spread out the ribbons of greens and drizzle with the oil. Toss to coat the greens and set the pan under the broiler to char the greens, 3 to 4 minutes. Some edges should be very dark and crispy, while others will be soft. Remove from the oven and set aside.
► In a medium sauté pan, lay the prosciutto, taking care not to overlap the slices. Cook until brown and crispy on one side, 1 to 2 minutes, then flip. Brown the other side, a minute or so more, and remove from the heat. Let the prosciutto cool slightly and break into large pieces.
► To assemble individual servings, in a shallow bowl, put the polenta and cover with a heap of greens. Add a few crumbles of prosciutto. Drizzle with maple syrup and serve immediately.
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
12 roma tomatoes or other paste tomatoes
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
Kosher salt
4 thick slices of rustic bread
4 ounces fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
This was one of my favorite breakfasts as a kid, although I’ve updated it here with roasted tomatoes instead of fresh. Melted mozzarella on a thick hunk of bread is comfort food made for a morning meal, and super-dehydrated tomatoes are a thing of beauty. Their flavor is deeply pronounced and, if you time it right, the edges offer a charred taste with a chewy texture that feels like taffy on your teeth, but it’s savory. Layer them all together, and this breakfast is addictive. Make the tomatoes overnight or the evening before so they are ready to go in the morning.
► Preheat the oven to 175 degrees F.
► Cut the tomatoes into even slices—no fatter than ½ inch thick. Place the tomato slices in a single layer on a baking sheet, leaving a bit of space between the edges, and drizzle them evenly with oil. Sprinkle with the thyme and salt very lightly. Roast in the oven until the tomatoes are crispy and completely dry, 3 to 6 hours. Remove from the oven.
► To compose the toast, preheat the broiler. On a baking sheet, lightly toast the first side, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn the bread over, and lay the mozzarella slices over the top evenly across all four pieces. Return to the oven and broil until the mozzarella is melted and begins to bubble and darken slightly, about 3 minutes more. Remove from the oven and layer a generous amount of tomato chips across all four toasts. Drizzle with any residual oil from the baking sheet and serve.
with Avocado and Sweet Potato Fries
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
½ cup plain yogurt
¼ cup kimchi
¼ cup white miso
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon fish sauce
½ cup avocado oil
¼ cup coconut oil
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
Kosher salt
6 cups mixed lettuce greens
1 large avocado, sliced
Freshly ground black pepper
Fermented foods offer us live cultures that are great for the gut—natural probiotics we can have as our meals. I make a habit of starting my day with them. Here, kimchi—a Korean fermented cabbage with chili—is pureed with miso (another cultured product), yogurt (more live cultures!), and oil to make a smooth and creamy vinaigrette. Paired with fatty avocado and crispy sweet potato fries, this breakfast takes a little bit of time, but everything can be made in advance and tossed together in the morning. Vegans can sub out the yogurt for silken tofu with good results.
► In the bowl of a food processor or strong blender, put the yogurt, kimchi, miso, vinegar, and fish sauce. With the machine running on high, slowly drizzle in the avocado oil until the vinaigrette is emulsified, about 30 seconds. Set aside until ready to use.
► In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, melt the coconut oil. When the oil is hot and showing ripples, place a single layer of the sweet potato cubes in the pan and sprinkle with salt. Cook, stirring only occasionally, until all sides are golden brown, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
► To compose the salad, in a large bowl, put the greens. Add a few spoonfuls of dressing, the avocado, and the sweet potato fries. Stir until all are well coated and combined, adding more dressing as you like. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.
with Egg
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
4 to 6 medium red beets, greens attached
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more as needed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ medium jalapeño
2 green onions, roots trimmed
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves and stems
1 tablespoon water
4 large eggs
Roasted beets and their green tops are loaded with vitamin A and carotenoids—anti-infection vitamins that support healthy immune systems. Here, the beet root is roasted and the greens are used in a spicy green salsa, similar to pesto but with way more heat. An egg on top provides needed protein to start your day. To measure the cilantro, simply fold up the whole stem and twirl it into a measuring cup. Or simply grab a handful and add it in—you can adjust the proportion up or down easily by adding more ingredients.
► Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
► Scrub the beets free of all dirt, peel the roots, remove the beet greens, and reserve five leaves. In a shallow baking dish, put the beets, toss them with 2 tablespoons of the oil, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and roast until the beets can be pierced through the center with a knife but are still firm, 50 to 60 minutes. Set aside, and when they are cool enough to handle, cut the beet root into wedges. Place equal amounts across four small bowls.
► Trim the stems from the reserved beet greens. In a blender on medium speed, blend the greens, jalapeño, onions, cilantro, water, and the remaining 4 tablespoons oil until the consistency is paste-like and loose enough to pour. If it is too thick, add a few more spoonfuls of oil and stir. Set aside.
► To make the soft-boiled eggs, bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Using a spoon, gently drop the eggs into the water and reduce the heat to a low simmer. Cook for exactly 6 minutes, resulting in a medium-set egg wherein the yolk will be set, but oozy, and the whites will be firm, but not rubbery. Strain the eggs from the saucepan and run under cool water until cool enough to handle and peel. Add one egg to each bowl, and slice in half, drizzling a generous amount of salsa verde over each.
with Sweet Corn
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
1 bunch kale, stemmed and cut into 1-inch ribbons
½ pound thick bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
¼ cup finely chopped shallot
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup fresh or frozen and thawed corn kernels
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
4 ounces shaved Parmesan
Warmed vinaigrette partially cooks the kale in this salad, softening the leaves. Corn kernels add a sweet, crisp bite, and bacon gives it a pleasant, smoky flavor. A good salad in summer when corn is fresh or winter when kale is one of the few green options, this salad is a yearlong winner. The sherry vinegar delivers a punch that is well needed in this fatty, rich salad. If you don’t have sherry vinegar, opt for red wine vinegar instead.
► In a large bowl, put the kale and set aside.
► In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the bacon until brown and crisp, stirring occasionally, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, pour off and reserve the bacon fat, and transfer the bacon to paper towels to cool slightly.
► Return the skillet to medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons of the reserved bacon fat and the shallots. Season to taste with salt and pepper and cook, stirring often, until the shallots have softened and turned translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the corn to pan and cook, undisturbed, until the corn starts to brown, about 2 minutes. Stir once and let it sit, putting half the kale over the corn while the other side browns, for about 2 minutes more.
► Remove the skillet from the heat and add the vinegar and oil, scraping up any brown bits from the skillet. Stir continuously until the kale is wilted. Pour the warm kale and vinaigrette into the bowl with the rest of the kale and toss to combine well. Add the bacon and Parmesan, season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve.
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
1 hard-boiled egg, yolk separated and whites diced
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon diced cucumber pickle or cornichon
1 tablespoon capers
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley or dill (or a combination of the two)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound asparagus, woody ends removed
Eggs and asparagus are a natural pairing that turns up on breakfast and dinner menus alike. This recipe skips an omelette and fried eggs for gribiche, a cold mayo-like sauce that uses hard-boiled eggs as the emulsifier. It’s thick, oily, herby, and delicious. While seemingly complicated, the sauce comes together in minutes and asparagus steams equally quick, so this is an easy meal for a crowd and provides some wow factor. The sauce can be made to your own tastes as well—maybe add more chopped pickle or mix up the herbs. For an extra hearty breakfast, serve alongside a hunk of smoked fish—I’d go with smoked and flaked herring.
► In a blender, put the egg yolk and mustard. With the blender running on high speed, drizzle in the oil to make a thick emulsion, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Scrape the mixture into a medium bowl.
► Fold in the vinegar, egg whites, pickles, capers, and herbs until well combined. Don’t worry if the sauce breaks a little—it will be delicious. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Thin the sauce out with a few more drops of oil, if desired, and set aside.
► To steam the asparagus, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat and salt lightly. Once boiling, drop in the asparagus spears and cover, cooking until the asparagus is just tender and still bright green, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat, strain the asparagus, and plate immediately, topping with a dollop of egg sauce to serve.
