A Mexican Sunrise in Brooklyn
I’m usually not a big breakfast eater, especially when I’m rushing around on weekday mornings. When I do take the time to eat a big breakfast, though, it makes me feel imbued with superhuman powers. I noticed this recently when we visited Richmond, Virginia and went to a restaurant called Lunch, where I ordered the Mexican Sunrise. The Mexican Sunrise was basically a big ol’ bowl of cheddar cheese grits, topped with all variety of yummy Mexican ingredients. After polishing off one of those, I felt ready to take on practically anything, even the Greyhound bus back to New York.
I tried my hand at my own version of the Lunch specialty, which was delicious, plus it inspired me to experiment. Below is a breakfast bowl I invented to use some of the goodies from our winter CSA shipment. I love layering just about anything (sweaters, sandwich ingredients, meaning), so putting one of these together provides a nice laidback kind of task that’s perfect for the weekend. Go ahead: face the morning (and the new year) like the superhero you really are.
Winter Breakfast Bowl (makes 2)
- 3 medium potatoes and 2 small sweet potatoes (or some similar combination), diced
- Olive oil
- Italian seasoning or other dried herbs
- A small bunch of kale, chopped into strips
- 2 small shallots, sliced
- Red wine vinegar
- 3 eggs, beaten
- ½ cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
- A handful of cherry tomatoes, chopped
Put the diced root vegetables in a baking dish and drizzle them with olive oil. Season with salt, pepper, and dried herbs, and stir until they’re well coated. Roast in a 375 degree oven while you prepare the rest of the layers.
In a small bowl, combine the kale and shallots, sprinkle with vinegar and a little olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Stir it together with a fork.
Season the eggs with some salt and pepper and a little more of the dried herbs. Pour them in a small non-stick pan. Cook, flipping once, to create something like a flat omelet. Cut in half.
When the potatoes are tender and browned on the edges, start to layer the bowls: potatoes first, then egg, then cheese, then the kale mixture. Top with the chopped tomato.