crispy potato & summer veggie breakfast bowl
In all honesty, I chose this recipe as a writeup mostly because I adored the photo below so much. I bought these kitchen towels at Target a few weeks back and itched to flop one into a relevant snap. Lo and behold, this breakfast elicited such a photographic opportunity. I took some extra time to cook for J and I the morning after my 11-mile long run since I needed recovery food beyond a simple bowl of oatmeal (and sweet stuff sounded abhorrent after downing Skratch and chews for nearly two hours). A well-rounded opportunity for sharing, I’d say.
Skillet hashes provide all the macronutrient needs of athletes if healthy additions are upfront in its assemblage. Carbs to replenish energy, protein to rebuild muscles, fat to balance hormones. Plus, salt tastes glorious after losing a good heap of it during a long gallivant in this humidity. Find the recipe below, and below that a few inches of advice about building breakfast bowls. I placed it under the recipe card since I’m guessing most of my readers want me to take my fingers off the keyboard and just speed to the noms. I respect that.
Related: How I Eat in a Typical 15K Training Day
Ingredients
- 2 medium russet potatoes, diced
- 1/2 green bell pepper, sliced into strips
- 1/2 onion, sliced into strips
- 1 small head of broccoli, cut into florets
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- kosher salt + pepper, to taste
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 avocado, thinly sliced
Instructions
- Slice potatoes and vegetables to desired size. I usually do a medium dice in the potatoes.
- Heat olive oil in large skillet or saute pan over medium heat. Add potatoes, vegetables, and herbs and cook, tossing occasionally, until the potatoes crisp on all sides and the veggies soften, about 8-10 minutes.
- In the meantime, crack eggs into two separate bowls (two per bowl) and whisk briskly until eggs and yolk meld. Add salt and pepper, if desired.
- When skillet components are done, scoop into two separate bowls and set aside. Add more olive oil, or spray oil, into pan. Pour one bowl of eggs into pan and stir constantly with a spatula until cooked through but still soft, about one minute. Add eggs atop one bowl, and repeat with the second pair. Finish by organizing slices of avocado to the top. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes, cheese, or more salt and pepper, if desired.
How to build a savory breakfast bowl:
1. The base: your carb haven
Complex carbs and starches make up 50%(ish) of any bowl I customize. For a savory version, I recommend potatoes or sweet potatoes (preferably roasted or pan-fried), quinoa, or brown rice.
2. The filling: veggies, veggies, and more veggies
I like to pair potatoes with whatever veggies I have on hand, particularly those that don’t soften too much with cooking (e.g. tomatoes. Those, if used, I slice and sprinkle atop once everything else is assembled). Onions, peppers, mushrooms, broccoli, squashes, sundried tomatoes, and leafy greens are good options for my personal palate.
3. Spice it up
Earthy herbs and spices round out my skillet saute. I almost always shake dried oregano, rosemary, basil, and garlic into the pan, and occasionally thyme if I remember on time that a jar occupies my cabinet. Some other good pairings include:
- cumin, chili powder, oregano, garlic (fajita-style)
- turmeric, cumin, lime, coriander (curry)
- soy sauce, ginger, garlic, honey (Asian)
4. Protein & fat to top
To balance out the delicious carbs and flavor meld, I keep it simple and scramble or fry a couple of eggs. Avocado almost always garnishes the crown of the bowl, with a sprinkle of salt, pepper & red pepper flakes to round. You can try any variety of bean, chickpeas, faux meat, or actual meat like sausage if you carry no diet limitations. I usually hold the cheese, but if I use some, I prefer feta.
What would you put on a skillet breakfast bowl?
