You know that feeling? That feeling of purging all the “stuff” you have laying around? Feels pretty good, right?
Well lately I’ve purged – a lot. For one, who wants to move all that “stuff” halfway across the country? So before moving, I decided to just get rid of as much stuff as possible. It’s a great, liberating feeling. Well, until you realize that you threw out a pair of shoes you probably shouldn’t have. And where did that shirt go, oh right. Oops. Well, I guess I have a good excuse to go shopping now.
So in addition to my closet purge, I did a kitchen purge as well. A few weeks prior to moving, I tried to just use stuff we had on hand so there was less food to pack and more importantly, less waste in the end.
So I think you know by now that I’m pretty unconventional when it comes to breakfast. And I have a hard time eating breakfast that doesn’t have some sort of vegetable component. And you probably know too that I love my greens. So hopefully you won’t be too shocked when I tell you about a breakfast came up with during my kitchen purge – Egg Topped Beans and Greens. I mean why not? Eggs – good. Beans – good. Greens – good. So why not?
I’ve chatted before about breakfast and that a balanced breakfast should be part of your day. Breakfast should be high in fiber and nutrients to get you started off right. And this kitchen purge is just that. I especially like is that it’s high in fiber. Did you know that 1 cup of beans meets about 50% of the recommended fiber intake? And did you know most Americans only meet about half of the recommended fiber intake? So why not start your day with half the recommended fiber intake and build from there? I think that’s a pretty good start to the day.
You know what else? This breakfast is protein packed, providing more than twice the amount than average American breakfast. Protein is important to help you feel satisfied. It’s also important during weight loss to help reduce lean muscle tissue when combined with physical activity.
Oh wait! This breakfast just keeps going – in case you didn’t know fiber is a type of carbohydrate that the body cannot digest. The beans are considered a soluble fiber and slows down digestion. What does this mean? It will keep you fuller longer. And if you’re a diabetic this means it has a slower affect on your blood sugar. Oh and the greens? Well I used arugula – you remember arugula don’t you?
So what better way to start your day, purge your kitchen or celebrate the International Year of Pulses than with Egg Topped Beans and Greens?
Have you ever done a kitchen purge?
- 1½ tablespoon olive oil
- 2 slices prosciutto, sliced thin
- 1 small onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, sliced thin
- 1 teaspoon basil
- 1 teaspoon marjoram
- 1 tablespoon sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
- 1 can cannellini beans, drained
- 2 cups arugula
- juice of half a lemon
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 eggs
- Heat ½ tablespoon olive oil in frying pan. Add prosciutto and cook until crisp. Remove from pan and set aside.
- Add remaining ½ tablespoon olive oil to pan, add onion. Cook until they begin to soften.
- Add garlic, basil, marjoram. Stir together and add sun-dried tomatoes.
- Add beans and season with salt and pepper. Cook 1-2 minutes until beans are just heated through.
- Meanwhile in another pan add ½ tablespoon olive and the eggs. Turn heat on low and cook eggs until desired doneness.
- Divide the arugula to place 1 cup on each plate. Divide bean mixture between the 2 plates and top arugula.
- Sprinkle both plates with lemon. Then top beans and greens with the cooked egg.
- Sprinkle prosciutto on top of each plate.
- Season with salt and pepper.
