I learned years ago that hot cereal is a deadly breakfast strategy for my particular body. When I eat any sort of hot cereal in the morning, I feel a powerful compulsion to go right back to bed. Protein and veggies, on the other hand, are a winning combination for me. So most mornings, I start my day with this quick veggie-rich breakfast hash.
It’s super easy. I chop up a cup or two of whatever veggies I have in the fridge or pantry. Then I sauté them for 10 minutes or less, adding the quicker-cooking veggies a few minutes in. For protein, I fry a sunny-side-up egg in the same pan.
Because two of my cats love to lick up the remainder of egg yolk left in my bowl after I’ve finished eating, I usually leave out onions and garlic. I love onions and garlic, but they are toxic to cats and dogs. So I defer to the true owners of my house when I make breakfast hash.
There’s no hard-and-fast recipe here. Simply use whatever you have. I like to use combinations of flavors that complement each other. For example, I like to cook yams with broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus or Brussels sprouts. This combination gives me both sweet and pungent flavors. But you can use any veggies you like.
The secret to making it a quick meal is to chop your veggies pretty small. Half-inch pieces or smaller make the hash cook up really quickly.
Favorite Breakfast Hash
For 1 serving, use 2-3 cups of veggies in any combination.
Slower cooking veggies (start these sautéing first):
- Potatoes
- Onions
- Yams
- Winter squash
Medium cooking veggies (add these about 4-5 minutes after you start the slow-cooking veggies):
- Cauliflower
- Broccoli stems and florets
- Carrots
- Chard or bok choy stems
- Garlic (chopped or sliced cloves or garlic scapes)
- Brussels sprouts
- Bell peppers
- Thick asparagus
- Scallions (white parts)
Quick-cooking veggies (add these 3-4 minutes after adding the medium-cooking veggies):
- Greens: kale, chard, spinach, collard or bok choy leaves, chiffonade cut
- Thin asparagus
- Scallions (green parts)
Protein:
- 1 organic egg
Put it together:
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat in a 10-inch skillet.
- When the oil is hot, add your slowest-cooking veggies. Stir occasionally to coat with oil and cook evenly.
- After 4-5 minutes, add any medium-cooking veggies. Stir to coat. Add a little salt and pepper if you like.
- After 3-4 minutes, add quick-cooking veggies (if using). Stir to coat.
- Turn heat down to medium-low. Cover the skillet and let the veggies cook for a few minutes more.
- Push the veggies to the sides of the skillet and crack the egg into the middle of the skillet, adding more oil if necessary.
- Cook until the egg is set.
- Scoop out the veggies, then top them with the egg. Adjust the salt and pepper. Enjoy!
Make it vegan:
- Instead of cooking an egg, you can sauté some drained, crumbled tofu to the pan, adding it along with the medium-cooking veggies. Crumbled tempeh is also good.