Five Ingredient Breakfast Sandwich

I discovered the breakfast sandwich by chance.  It wasn't at McDonalds or another fast food place.  It was something my mom would make on slow Saturday mornings for herself to sit and enjoy.  I remember one morning at our place on the lake in Hot Springs, Arkansas, waking up and walking into the den to find mom taking her first bite of that eggy cheesy sandwich.  It looked like she was loving it and so, of course, I was curious.  I asked for a bite and was hooked!  After that, slow Saturday mornings (which typically meant the ones at the lake because all other Saturday mornings I was up at the rink at 5:45 AM skating) meant egg and cheese breakfast sandwiches.  It wasn't anything over the top, simply 2 slices of whole wheat bread, egg and American cheese, but to me it was just a touch away from gourmet.  

Today, I still love a good breakfast sandwich, but I like to play around with ways to mix and match ingredients & flavors and, of course, find ways to make it simple and workable for busy schedules.  The other weekend after a good Saturday morning run and nothing on the calendar in the near future I decided to bring out the breakfast sandwich for a little Saturday morning brunch.  I've tried different recipes in the past but this one is my favorite so far.  I have made this particular recipe for Kyle and my dad, and both gave it a thumbs up.  

The thing about this sandwich is that while yes, it does take more time to make as opposed to pouring yourself a bowl of cereal or topping some yogurt with fruit, it's still relatively quick and simple.  If you really want to simplify, you can make the goat cheese - tomato spread the day before to have ready to go or you could even make these guys a night or two before, wrap them tightly and then freeze them to be quickly heated up the next morning before heading out the door!

So, whether you're looking for a slow savory Saturday morning breakfast or a quick and simple bite to grab and go, I think I've got you covered with this small but mighty 5 ingredient breakfast sandwich.

Happy Fueling!

 

 

MY FAVORITE FIVE - INGREDIENT BREAKFAST SANDWICH

Makes 1 sandwiches (but makes enough goat cheese spread for 2 sandwiches)

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 whole wheat English muffin

• 1 tablespoon goat cheese

• About 4 sun dried tomatoes, packed in oil, lightly blotted to remove some of the excess oil, and diced

• 1/2 small avocado

• 2 eggs

DIRECTIONS:

1. Toast one English muffin in a toaster.

2. In a small bowl crack two eggs and whisk together, adding a pinch of salt.

3. In a small mixing bowl, add the diced tomatoes and 1 tablespoon of goat cheese.

4. Mash and mix together with a fork until the two ingredients are well incorporated.

5. Set aside.

6. Heat a small non-stick pan on medium-low heat.

7. Add your 2 scrambled eggs to the pan, letting them get firm on the bottom, but turning the pan frequently to let the liquid uncooked egg spill over to the outside of the pan and cook.

8. Push the sides of the eggs down as you go to keep the eggs in a thin circle shape at the bottom of your pan (this should only take a few minutes).

9. Once there is barely any liquid left on top, fold over one side of the circle so that the outer side is touching the center line - like in the picture above.

10. Now fold over the other side so the outside of the opposite side touches the center as well - see picture above.

11. Now fold over the other sides to create a small square pocket.

12. Now flip the square pocket over with a spatula and cook for one more minute so that any uncooked egg gets cooked. I usually flip it and then put a lid on top to trap steam in and cook it quickly without drying it out.

13. Now that it's cooked, turn off the burner and remove skillet from the heat.

14. Spoon your avocado out into a small bowl ....

15. .... and roughly mash with a fork. I like mine to have some small avocado bites in there!

16. Begin to assemble your sandwich by spreading 1 tablespoon of the goat cheese - tomato mixture on the top half of your English muffin.

17. Place the egg pocket on the bottom half of the English muffin.

18. Dollop 1 tablespoon of mashed avocado onto the top of the egg and spread out gently with your spoon, knife or whatever utensil you are using.

19. Add the top to your English muffin, goat cheese spread - side down and press gently.

20. Voila! The perfect Egg Sandwich!

21. Slice if you'd like or dive in and enjoy!

NUTRITION NOTES

Egg:  protein, lutein, vitamin D, choline, vitamin B12

Avocado:  monounsaturated fat, vitamin E, potassium, fiber

Sun dried tomato: vitamin C, vitamin K, niacin, iron, magnesium, potassium

Whole grain English muffin:  fiber, protein, carbohydrate, 

Goat cheese: protein, fat, calcium, phosphorus

Roasted Red Pepper & Pesto Chicken Salad

A chicken salad with pesto and home roasted red peppers.  It's mayo-free and packed with flavor!

Friends, this chicken salad is so scrumptious. I wish I could hand you a sample through the screen!  I tested this recipe a few times because I couldn't get the chicken how I wanted it.  I quickly learned that if the chicken isn't cooked like you want it then the final product will not be exactly what you want.  However, once I mastered the basic chicken breasts, the rest of the recipe was a breeze!  You can learn how I perfected the chicken breast and find my recipe for fool-proof tender juicy chicken by clicking here!

After I determined the best way to cook my chicken I added just TWO simple ingredients and, voila!, a delicious, tender, flavor-packed chicken salad.  It's the perfect protein-packed AND flavor-packed lunch to keep you energized throughout your day. 

I love chicken salads like this because they are such an easy way to get my protein at lunch.  I especially appreciate this when I have had an intense resistance workout early in the morning before work.  Because our bodies can only utilize about 20 - 30 grams of protein at one time for muscle building and repair, it's important to have your protein present in not only the meal following your workout but also each meal and snack throughout the day (if you're trying to build or simply maintain muscle mass for your sport, personal goals, or general health and well-being).  This is a protein - packed recipe that does not disappoint!  It stays tender and moist throughout the week and it keeps its flavor while passing on the higher saturated fat mayonnaise common in so many chicken salads.  

This recipe usually gets me about 3 to 4 lunches, depending on how big I make my portions :).  I really do make this all the time and am super excited to share it with you today!  Make sure you read to the very end for ways to use this one recipe for a variety of deliciously simple meals throughout the week!

Happy Fueling!

Taylor

ROASTED RED PEPPER & PESTO CHICKEN SALAD

INGREDIENTS:

• 1.75 pounds raw boneless skinless chicken breast (should make about 3 cups cooked shredded)

• 1 teaspoon olive oil

• 1/2 of a fresh lemon, cut into quarters

• 1/8 teaspoon salt

• 1/8 teaspoon pepper

• 2 medium red bell peppers

• 4 tablespoons jarred pesto

DIRECTIONS:

1. Prepare chicken by roasting according to my Tender Juicy Oven - Baked Chicken Breasts recipe.

2. While the chicken roasts, prepare your roasted red bell peppers by following the recipe in my DIY Roasted Red Bell Pepper post!

3. Once the chicken is cooked, allow to rest for about 5 minutes.

4. Then, using two forks, shred the chicken to bite-size pieces. The chicken should still be hot and should shred easily.

5. Add the pesto to your warm chicken and toss to combine. You want the chicken to still be warm so that it really absorbs all of the flavors in the pesto. Mmmmmm :)

6. Add in your warm roasted red bell peppers.

7. And toss to combine until all ingredients are well incorporated.

8. Serve immediately or store, covered, in the refrigerator for easy lunches throughout the week!

IDEAS FOR MIXING IT UP!

I love recipes that can be incorporated numerous ways to make a variety of dishes.  This recipe happens to be one of my favorites of these type of recipes.  Here are all different ways you can incorporate this chicken salad to keep dishes interesting, delicious and energizing throughout the week!

• Serve it on its own with whole grain crackers and a side of fruit

• Warm it up (or serve immediately after preparing) and serve it over penne pasta for dinner

• Keep it cold and toss in bowtie pasta for a fun picnic lunch

• Serve it over a bed of spinach and add small cubes of mozzarella cheese for a Spinach Chicken Salad

• Pile it between two slices of your favorite bread, add a slice of mozzarella cheese or sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese over the top and place in a panini press (or press it in a skillet over the stove) for a warm Italian Pesto Chicken Panini

NUTRITION NOTES:

Chicken:  protein, vitamin B12

Pesto:  monounsaturated fats, vitamin E

Red Bell Pepper:  vitamin C, vitamin A, fiber