Healthy Hearty Scramble

The last three months off has given me a great opportunity to learn how to make a few new things in the kitchen. Specifically I have been working on expanding my breakfast recipes. When working, I usually only have time for a piece of toast or half a grapefruit before running out the door, but during my break I had the luxury of having all morning to cook.

Recently I've been putting together healthy egg scrambles. Scrambles are great because they taste great, are easy to make, fill me up, and are very healthy (depending on the ingredients you use). Here's an example of a scramble I've been making the past few weeks. Use it as a guide to create your own future breakfast scramble.


Step1: Prep your ingredients

I like to add in a variety of colorful ingredients into my scrambles, the more colors the better. Make sure to rinse everything clean and then give them a rough chop, then saute in olive oil.

Avocado, homegrown pineapple heirloom tomatoes, crimini mushrooms, spinach, and a couple slices of fresh mozzarella. The spinach really shrinks and cooks down after you add it in, so make sure to use a good sized handful.

Step 2: Brown the meat

I feel a dish isn't a complete unless it has some protein in it and my protein of choice is meat. For a healthier option I like to use chicken Italian sausage which you can buy in bulk from Central Market. Usually all you need is 1/4 of a pound or less of the chicken sausage for each scramble. If you buy it in bulk then the ground chicken doesn't come in wrappers so all you have to do is brown it over medium heat. The ground chicken sausage is lower in fat than the pork sausage with all the same great flavor.


Step 3: Cook the eggs

I usually heat the pan over medium heat with olive oil before adding in 3 eggs. I let them cook a little before breaking the yolks to scramble them. I usually mix the eggs up just a few times to make sure they get cooked through, but don't cook them too long or they will get watery.

Step 4: Mix everything back together

Once the vegetables are done, add in two slices of fresh mozzarella that have been sliced into thin strips. The mozzarella will melt into the other ingredients, then add in the chicken sausage. Optional: add a little kosher salt and pepper or Hawaiian sea salt to the eggs before mixing everything in. Try to separate out some of the liquid that came from the vegetables and serve. I like to eat my scrambles with a piece of whole grain toast to sop up the flavor and to complete the meal with some carbs! You shouldn't need to add too much salt or pepper to anything because the chicken Italian sausage and the fresh mozzarella should add enough flavor to the dish.


Other options to spice up your scrambles are: make some instant pesto to mix in with the eggs or salsa and Mexican cheese. You really can't go wrong with this easy, delicious way to get a healthy start to your day.

-Kyle