So often, traditional breakfast foods are either grain or egg-centric, so when those things are removed from our plates, it can be tough to imagine what on earth is left to eat. Personally, I don’t like to look at it that way—there are still so many delicious, amazing foods out there while following the AIP. So here’s my take: You know how people love “breakfast for dinner”? I love to have dinner for breakfast! Seriously, there’s no reason that you can’t enjoy a nourishing bowl of soup first thing in the morning. Or delicious leftover roast chicken and vegetables. Or even a beautiful colorful salad in the summer. Look at it this way: Breakfast is just whatever you eat as your first meal of the day!
Having said that, I remember all too well how it wasn’t easy to make that adjustment when I first started following the AIP. It can be difficult and overwhelming to give up familiar tastes and textures, especially when it comes to a meal that plenty of people aren’t used to having to think about—it’s easy to pour some cereal in a bowl, or maybe fry an egg. It’s not so easy to come around to eating greens first thing—although I promise you that in time, you’ll think nothing of it. So here I’ve given you a few starter recipes that will bridge the gap from familiar food territory to “anything goes” eating in the morning! Remember to mix things up: Have a side of protein with your Coconut “Oatmeal” or a side of fruit along with your sausage and Plantain Hash Browns. Don’t eat the same foods all the time—make sure you’re getting a mix of protein, carbs and good fats for the best possible start to your day. These recipes are just the beginning when it comes to breakfast!
When you’re feeling a little more adventurous, try out these recipes in the morning: Apple & Cucumber Salad with Smoked Salmon, Thai Chicken Soup or Slow Cooker Bison “Chili”.
This recipe is a little sneaky, because it’s actually vegetable based! Surprisingly, it’s the vegetable base that makes this recipe so similar to the texture of oatmeal: the squash gives a creamy texture and natural sweetness, while the coconut provides a great, slightly chewy texture. Unlike those creepy little packets of microwavable grains, this recipe is a great source of healthy carbs in the morning, without the junk! It’s also super easy and endlessly adaptable—plus it can be made ahead. I like to make up a batch on the weekend, divide it into portions and stash it in the fridge, that way I have easy grab and go breakfast portions at hand. Pair your bowl of “oatmeal” with some protein on the side and you’ve got a simple, easy breakfast that won’t weird out your coworkers!
MAKES 4–6 SERVINGS
1 acorn squash (about 2 cups [400 g] when cooked)
1¼ cups (300 ml) coconut milk
¾ cup (60 g) unsweetened shredded coconut
1 tbsp (15 ml) honey
1 tsp (1 g) ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
ROAST: Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C). Cut the acorn squash in half lengthwise. Pour enough water into a baking dish to cover the bottom and then add the acorn squash halves to the dish, cut-side facing down. Roast the acorn squash until just tender, about 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and place the acorn squash halves onto a plate. Allow to cool slightly before scraping out and discarding the seeds.
COOK: Scoop out the acorn squash halves and add the flesh to a small saucepan over low-medium heat. Add all the remaining ingredients to the pan and stir gently to combine. Bring the “oatmeal” to a simmer and cook until heated through and thickened. Serve warm with your favorite fresh fruit toppings.
VARIATIONS: This Coconut “Oatmeal” can form the base of almost endless flavor combinations. Just add the following ingredients to the basic recipe above and heat until warm. Here are some of my favorites!
APPLE CINNAMON
1 apple, peeled, cored and chopped
1 cup (240 ml) unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp (1 g) ground cinnamon
CHERRY “CHOCOLATE”
1 cup (120 g) cherries, pitted and chopped
2 tbsp (30 ml) honey
2 tsp (4 g) carob powder
PUMPKIN SPICE
1 cup (240 ml) pumpkin puree
1 tbsp (15 ml) maple syrup
1 tsp (1 g) ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground mace
BERRIES & CREAM
1 cup (230 g) frozen mixed berries
¼ cup (60 ml) coconut cream
1 tbsp (15 ml) maple syrup
Pulse the frozen mixed berries in a mini food processor before stirring them into the pan. This step is optional but helps to distribute the berry flavor more evenly through the “oatmeal”—plus it gives a fun speckled look that kids will love!
One of the easiest things to rely on for breakfast in the morning is homemade sausage patties. But it’s time-consuming to shape them individually and cook them in the morning. This meatloaf has all the flavor of a breakfast sausage, with the sliceable texture of meatloaf and is great to have ready-to-go in the morning. Here’s what I do: Make the meatloaf in the evening, then refrigerate it overnight. When we’re ready for breakfast, all I need to do is slice off what I need and then gently reheat it in a skillet for a few minutes. Gelatin is great for gut health, but here it’s working overtime as a replacement binder instead of eggs to make it AIP friendly. And if you’re really in a rush, this meatloaf is delicious cold, too!
MAKES 8 – 10 SLICES
1 tbsp (15 ml) coconut or avocado oil
2 cups (280 g) diced onion
½ cup (120 ml) Chicken Broth
2 tsp (5 g) powdered gelatin
2 tsp (8 g) garlic powder
2 tsp (2 g) dried oregano leaves
2 tsp (1 g) ground sage
2 tsp (2 g) dried thyme leaves
1 tsp (5 g) salt
1½ cups (90 g) crushed pork rinds
2 lbs (900 g) lean ground pork
SOFTEN: Heat the oil in a small skillet and cook the onions until they are just softened, about 5 minutes. Remove the onions from the heat and set aside to cool. Add the chicken broth to a bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin powder over the broth to bloom, which will take a few minutes.
MIX: In a large bowl, mix together the garlic powder, oregano, sage, thyme, salt and the crushed pork rinds with the cooked and cooled onion. Add the ground pork and the bloomed gelatin to the bowl: Use your hands to mix the meatloaf until all the ingredients are evenly combined and the mixture holds together.
SHAPE: Transfer the meatloaf mixture to the insert of a large, 6-quart (5.5 L) slow cooker. Press the meatloaf mixture together and shape it so that it matches the shape of the insert, taking care to leave enough space around the meatloaf so that it does not touch the sides. Smooth the top of the meatloaf and then cook on low until the internal temperature is 150°F (66°C)—about 2 hours and 45 minutes. Once the meatloaf is cooked, remove the slow cooker insert and place it on a cooling rack, uncovered, for about 30 minutes. This will make it easier to remove the meatloaf without it breaking.
SAUCE: While the meatloaf is cooling, make the Cherry Sauce and keep warm until ready to serve. Once the meatloaf has cooled, use two large spatulas to slide under the meatloaf and remove it from the slow cooker insert, placing it on a cutting board. Slice the meatloaf and serve each slice topped with a little of the Cherry Sauce.
I know, right? What the heck is kedgeree? The original version of the dish is a mishmash of curried rice and smoked fish, often topped with hard-boiled eggs. Believe it or not, it was a breakfast dish! Nutritionally, though, that makes sense: this dish has plenty of healthy fats from the smoked haddock, as well as carbs from the “rice,” which makes it perfect for keeping you full until lunchtime. Here I’ve ditched the eggs, swapped out the rice for shredded white sweet potato and replaced the nightshade-filled commercial curry powder for a combination of anti-inflammatory and warming spices. I used to hate kedgeree as a kid; now I find myself craving it as comfort food.
SERVES 4
2 lbs (900 g) white sweet potato (about 2 large)
2 tbsp (30 ml) coconut or avocado oil
1 cup (140 g) onion, diced
2½ tbsp (4 g) dried fenugreek leaves
1 tbsp (6 g) ground ginger
1 tsp (1 g) ground cinnamon
1 tsp (5 g) salt
1 tsp (2 g) ground turmeric
½ tsp ground mace
13 oz (365 g) smoked haddock or kippers
½ cup (120 ml) coconut milk
¼ cup (10 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
SOFTEN: Peel the sweet potatoes and grate them coarsely, using either a box grater or the grater attachment on your food processor. Lay out the shredded sweet potato on a clean dish towel. Wrap the towel around the sweet potato and squeeze gently to remove any excess moisture. Leave the shredded sweet potato wrapped in the towel while you heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the diced onion to the hot oil and cook until softened but not beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the shredded sweet potato to the pan and stir to evenly coat with oil.
SEASON: Add the fenugreek, ginger, cinnamon, salt, turmeric and mace to the pan. Stir so that the spices are evenly distributed. Cook until the sweet potato begins to soften and is almost but not quite cooked through, about 5 minutes. Drain and discard any oil or brine from the smoked haddock or kippers, then flake the fish into the pan. Stir in the coconut milk and cook until the fish is warmed through and the coconut milk is absorbed. The sweet potato should be cooked through, but not soft—it should still have a little bite, similar to al dente pasta or rice. Sprinkle with the fresh chopped parsley and serve immediately!
NOT CRAZY ABOUT COCONUT? You can easily omit the coconut milk from the recipe.
This is a play on two of my former favorite breakfast recipes—eggs benedict and sausage gravy. Gone is the bread—instead, I’ve topped spinach with roasted portobello mushrooms and ladled over a rich creamy-but-cream-less sausage gravy. The result is savory, comforting and somewhat addictive—and what’s not to love about being able to turn hidden vegetables and broth into gravy? I often make the gravy up in advance. If I don’t want to deal with an extra step in the morning, I simply add more broth to make a soup version of the gravy and add greens, then refrigerate the soup in single portions that I can grab first thing to reheat. Easy!
SERVES 4
1 tbsp (15 ml) coconut or avocado oil
1 cup (140 g) onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
⅔ lb (300 g) cauliflower florets
2 cups (480 ml) Pork or Chicken Broth, divided
1 bay leaf
1 lb (454 g) Italian sausage (see Note)
1 tsp (1 g) dried oregano leaves
¾ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp dried thyme leaves
¼ tsp dried rosemary leaves
¼ tsp ground sage
Salt, to taste
4 portobello mushrooms
12 oz (340 g) fresh spinach
PREP: Add the oil to a saucepan over low heat and cook the onion and garlic until softened, about 5 minutes. Break the cauliflower florets into bite size pieces and add to the sauce pan, along with 1 cup (240 ml) of the pork or chicken broth and the bay leaf. Cover the pan with a lid and raise the heat to bring the broth to a gentle simmer. Cook until the cauliflower is just tender, about 10–15 minutes. While the vegetables are cooking, remove the sausage from its casings and cook over medium heat in a skillet, using the back of a spoon or spatula to break it up into smaller pieces. Cook the sausage until it is nicely browned, then remove the skillet from the heat and transfer the cooked sausage to a plate with a slotted spoon, reserving any excess fat in the skillet to cook the spinach in later.
BLEND: Remove the bay leaf from the sauce pan and transfer the cooked vegetables to a blender. Add the remaining pork or chicken broth and blend until smooth, then add ½ cup (70 g) of the cooked Italian sausage. Blend again until you have a smooth gravy. Transfer the gravy back into the saucepan and stir through the remaining cooked sausage. Taste the gravy at this point, then season with the oregano, garlic, thyme, rosemary and sage, if needed (see Note below). Add salt, to taste, and keep the gravy warm on the stovetop.
ROAST: Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C). Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Wipe the mushrooms clean with a damp paper towel to remove any dirt. Remove the stems and scrape out most of the gills, leaving them intact along the edge—this will stop the mushroom caps from flattening when they are roasted. Roast the mushrooms for 15 minutes, until just tender. While the mushrooms are roasting, wilt the spinach. Heat the skillet with the reserved sausage fat over medium heat and add the spinach a few handfuls at a time, cooking until just wilted. Remove the roasted mushrooms from the oven and pat the inside of the caps dry so that the mushroom juices do not water down the gravy. Divide the spinach between four plates, then top each with a mushroom cap. Spoon the warmed sausage gravy into the mushrooms and serve immediately!
NOTE: Make sure that the Italian sausage doesn’t contain any seed or nightshade spices. If you can’t find any AIP-friendly sausage, you can always make your own! Use a not-so-lean cut of pork as your ground-pork base and add your own seasoning. Check out the seasoning used in the Slow Cooker Breakfast Meatloaf for inspiration.
I think we can all agree that the crispy bits on traditional hash browns are the best part. Those soggy middles? Not so much. Using shredded plantain instead of white potatoes not only puts AIP-friendly hash browns back on the menu, but it seriously maximizes all those delicious crispy bits, as plantains just love being fried and are starchy enough to hold together on their own. Just like regular potato hash browns, these guys can be paired with both savory and sweet toppings because they’re a mild-flavored starch. That means that these hash browns are just as good topped with breakfast sausage as they are with berries, maple syrup and whipped coconut cream.
MAKES 6
1½ cups (200 g) peeled and shredded green plantain (about 2)
1 tsp (5 g) salt, plus extra to taste
Coconut or avocado oil for frying
SOAK: Put the shredded plantain in a bowl and add enough water to cover, along with 1 teaspoon of salt. Let the shredded plantain soak for 5 minutes. Discard the saltwater and gently press any excess liquid from the plantain. Lay the shredded plantain on a cloth or paper towel and squeeze out any remaining liquid.
FRY: Divide the shredded plantain into 6 even portions, using a ¼-cup (60-ml) measuring cup. Use a little extra oil on your hands to stop the plantain sticking when you form the portions into patties. Pour enough oil into the skillet that at least half of the shredded plantain patties will be covered. Heat the oil over medium-high: the oil needs to be hot enough that the shredded plantain will sizzle when added, but not splatter. Working in batches as needed, cook the hash browns until golden-brown, about a minute per side. Pop the cooked hash browns onto a paper towel–lined plate to absorb any extra oil before serving.
This skillet hash can do double duty as a side dish or a breakfast base. I love to make this in the morning and throw in whatever leftover cooked protein I have on hand: it works with everything from chopped chicken to sausage crumbles or bacon. The sweetness of the butternut pairs perfectly with the slight bitterness of the spinach and the warm flavor of the sage brings everything together. This is also a great way to get additional gut-healing collagen onto your plate in the morning because everything cooks in and absorbs that lovely chicken broth! I like to make this ahead of time and then simply reheat it in the morning.
SERVES 4
1 tbsp (15 ml) coconut or avocado oil
2 leeks, white and pale-green parts only, chopped into ¼-inch (6-mm) crescents
12 oz (340 g) peeled butternut squash, chopped into bite-size pieces
1 cup (240 ml) Chicken Broth
1 tsp (4 g) garlic powder
1 tsp (2 g) ground sage
½ tsp salt
1 tbsp (15 ml) lemon juice
1 cup (120 g) thawed and drained frozen spinach, chopped
COOK: Add the oil to a hot skillet over medium heat and cook the chopped leeks until they begin to soften but not brown, about 5 minutes. Add the butternut squash, chicken broth, garlic, ground sage and salt, then cover and steam for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Uncover the pan and cook for another 5 minutes, or until the liquid in the pan has almost all been absorbed. Add the lemon juice and the spinach to the pan and cook until the spinach is hot and the butternut squash is just fork tender, about another 5–10 minutes.
