Green eggs and ham ...for breakfast, brunch, or a quick dinner

Green Eggs and Ham... For Breakfast, Brunch, or a Quick Dinner

Ever wondered how to enjoy eating greens at breakfast? You could do a green smoothie and cover the green taste with fruit, or try eating last night's leftover stir-fry, but really? If you're like me, you want breakfast to be a little more classically... breakfast-y. There's a better way. My solution is to mix greens with that classic breakfast food, eggs. And here's my current favourite way: Green Eggs and Ham. 

Yes, I'm tickled that I get to reference Dr. Seuss. Despite the vibrant green hue, this dish tastes just like any other frittata you may have had. But it's so easy! With just three essential ingredients (and three more highly recommended), this dish comes together quickly and is pretty hard to mess up.

It's not so fast that I'd make for breakfast on a rushed weekday, but cooked servings do keep well, so you can grab a piece or two and go, even if there's no time to warm it up first. 

Green Eggs and Ham

Essential ingredients:

• 300g spinach, chopped (1 bag fresh, or 1 block frozen)
• 6 large eggs
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated or shredded

Optional, but highly recommended ingredients: 

• A pinch of nutmeg
• A splash of water or milk
• 2-3 ounces (50-75g) black forest ham, chopped finely

Directions: 

1. Get your mixture ready. 
• Steam and chop fresh spinach, or microwave frozen spinach according to package directions. Squeeze out some of the extra liquid. 
• Mix all ingredients together in a medium mixing bowl. 
2. Cook. You have options. Choose one of...
• Preheat oven to about 350 to 400F. Spray muffin tins or a pie plate with non-stick spray. Add your egg mixture, and bake until the eggs are set, about 5-10 minutes for muffins and 10-15 minutes for pie. Allow to cool slightly before releasing from the bakeware. 
• Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Add non-stick spray if needed. Pour in the egg mixture, and cover. Allow to cook gently for a few minutes, then allow steam to escape and begin to lift edges to allow uncooked egg to flow under. If you've exhausted the lifting technique and the eggs at the bottom are threatening to burn while the top is not quite done, finish by placing the uncovered skillet under the broiler (cover any handles that aren't oven-safe with aluminum foil). 
• Microwave. Divide mixture into 3-6 coffee mugs, and zap for 1-2 minutes at a time until done. I'll admit I haven't done it this way personally, but eggs do cook just fine in the microwave - as long as they're out of their shell. 

Baked typically turns out prettiest for serving as little mini-quiches to guests, but if you don't care how it looks, scrambled in a pan is fine, too. 

Nutrition Notes: In 1/6th of the basic recipe (one egg, a serving of spinach, and a little parmesan cheese), you get about 100 calories, 6g fat, almost no carbs (but a little fiber), nearly 10g protein, and double the potassium than sodium. You might also be surprised to know that your full day's worth of Vitamin A is in one of these small servings, and you'll meet 10-25% of your needs for iron, folate, and calcium. 

Adding the ham boosts the calories and protein a little, and evens out the sodium and potassium. Consuming more potassium than sodium is better for blood pressure, so leaving the ham out would be healthier. So, if you don't want to use ham, try mixing in some home-cooked chopped chicken and sliced green onions for a healthier protein boost and great flavour.