Farmer's Breakfast

I don't think there is anything better on a lazy Sunday morning than a hearty, family-style breakfast, and this recipe fits that order perfectly!  The combination of fresh veggies, melted cheese, and basted eggs are simply unbeatable in nutrition and taste, and it's simple to prepare.  You can easily customize this recipe depending on what veggies you have hand.  In a word, this is simply brunchtastic!

What about eggs and cholesterol?  This is supposed to be a healthy cooking blog, so let's talk about it.  Eggs contain a lot of cholesterol, 185 mg per egg all in the yolk.  Healthy individuals should limit dietary cholesterol intake to less than 300 mg per day.  That means eating two eggs for breakfast exceeds your daily cholesterol intake.  Does that mean you should avoid eating eggs?  No.  They're an excellent source of high quality protein, nutrients, all packed into 70 delicious calories.  But it does mean you should limit your dietary cholesterol intake in other areas of your diet, and don't eat whole eggs every day for breakfast.  I like to cheat and eat one whole egg and one egg white.  For more information on eggs and cholesterol, here's an expert answer from Mayo Clinic.

Next time you have a lazy morning on your hands, give this dish a try.  I promise it will satisfy everyone if your family, and give you the nutrition you need to tackle your day.  Time for this girl to hit the books.  Enjoy!

Saute veggies in a large skillet
with a lid.

Farmer's Breakfast, Serves 4

1 cup fresh green beans, ends trimmed

1 carrots, cut in 1/4" strips

1 bell pepper, cut in 1/4" strips

1 small onion, sliced thin

2 T. vegetable stock

1/2 T. oil

1/2 tsp. dried parsley

1/8 tsp. salt

1 tsp butter

4-8 eggs

1/4 cup Monterrey jack cheese, shredded

Plate veggies and top with cheese to
melt while you baste your eggs.

Heat oil in a large skillet with a lid over medium high heat.  Add beans and carrots, saute for 3 minutes.  Add bell pepper and onion, simmer another 2 minutes.  Add vegetable stock, cover pan and simmer for an additional 2-3 minutes or until veggies are just tender to bite.  Add parsley and salt, stir to combine, remove veggies from pan and set aside.

Reduce heat to medium low.  Return skillet to heat and add butter to melt.  Crack eggs into pan and baste them to desired doneness.  See my previous post on basted eggs for instructions.

To serve, plate veggies, sprinkle with cheese, then add eggs on top.  Garnish with slivered almonds if desired.