Local Chefs Share Five Quick, Healthy Breakfast Recipes

Most mornings we’re lucky if we remember to grab a granola bar on our way out the door, and either way we are starving way before noon. But thanks to five local chefs, that’s now a problem of the past. Here are simple yet healthy recipes that will fill you up in the morning and get you out the door on time.

“I’ve been cooking my whole life—food is my art,” says Sarah Simington, who has owned Blue Moon Cafe for 21 years. Her Skinny Dippin’ French Toast is coming to their menu this fall, along with a ton of other healthy options the cafe offers on their “Lighter Side of the Moon” menu. Simington says that her French Toast “looks and tastes decadent,” and was actually inspired by her desire to eat “Captain Crunch French Toast” while she was trying to be healthy, so she made a lighter alternative.

Skinny Dippin’ French Toast

Sarah Simington | Blue Moon Cafe

Recipe:

• 3 large eggs whites
• 3 cups granola
• 8-10 slices whole grain bread
• Coconut oil
• Greek yogurt
• 2 cups assorted seasonal berries

Make an egg white and coconut milk batter. Dip in whole grain bread. Encrust in granola. Cook in coconut oil. Top with Greek yogurt, fresh berries and local honey.

“I was hooked,” Neill Howell said about his first time working in a kitchen at age 14. Howell and his wife opened up The Corner Pantry around just under four years ago, and he put together a healthy breakfast option for their customers. The inspiration for the Bircher Muesli comes from Howell wanting to “find a way to serve [their] porridge in a lighter, seasonal way.” The dish is simple yet packed full of flavor, Howell thinks it’s “a great way to start the day.”

Bircher Muesli

Neill Howell | The Corner Pantry

Recipe:

• 2 cups oats
• 3 cups fresh apple juice
• Thick greek yogurt
• Pistachios
• Pecans
• Almonds
• Peaches
• Toasted coconut

Soak the oats in the apple juice for 2 hours. Add yogurt. Place in the center of the bowl and top with the yogurt. Add the nuts, and finish with the sliced peaches.

Chef Zuri Coles has handcrafted a Breakfast Banana Split with endless possibilities, as the fruits can be swapped out with anything seasonal. “We have a great homemade granola recipe,” Coles says. “You can use it to substitute store-bought granola.” This easy-to-make dish is a healthy treat you can savor in the morning or take to go.

Breakfast Banana Split – 1 Serving

Zuri Coles | Miss Shirley’s

Recipe:

• 4 oz vanilla yogurt
• ¼ cup granola
• 1 each banana
• ½ cup diced strawberries, raspberries, blueberries
• 1 slice fresh pineapple

Peel banana and slice in halves length-wise. In a wide bowl (preferably boat shaped) place banana halves on either side. Place berries in between the bananas. Top berries with yogurt. Sprinkle granola on top of yogurt. Finish with slice of pineapple on top.

SoBo Cafe is owned by Anna Leventis, who hired chef Alex Thacker to create what she refers to as “global comfort food.” Though the café has been open for nearly six years, Thacker came on last year and his dishes like brunch item Shakshuka “taste like home,” according to Leventis.

Shakshuka – 4 servings

Anna Leventis | Sobo Cafe owner

Recipe:

• 1 White onion – medium, diced
• 4 Tomatoes – large, peeled & diced
• 1 Red pepper – roasted, peeled, deseeded & chopped
• 1⁄2 Jalapeño – roasted, deseeded & chopped
• 1 Clove garlic – peeled, roasted & chopped
• 1 pinch of Cayenne Pepper (to taste)
• 1 Tablespoon Sugar
• 1 Bay Leaf
• Salt & Pepper (to taste)

Sauté onion until soft. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 30 minutes.

Top with:
Vegetarian: Two poached eggs, feta cheese and fresh parsley. Serve with choice of toast, home fries & fruit.
Vegan: Sautéed tofu and fresh parsley. Served with ciabatta toast, home fries & fruit.

John Beddingfield has always had a passion for cooking, and believes that the “heart of the restaurant is in the kitchen.” This is evident for every dish he crafts at La Food Marketa, owned by The Food Market’s Chad Gauss. Beddingfield puts a twist on a traditional frittata with this lightweight version. “It’s both an approachable and healthy option for going out to brunch,” he says. Toppings can change based on the season.

Fitatatta

John Bedingfield | La Food Marketa

Recipe:

• 1 ear corn off cob
• 1/4 red onion – quartered
• 1 small zucchini – cut in rounds
• 1/4 bell pepper – julienned
• Handful of spinach
• 4 egg whites
• 2 tsp toasted and coriander
• Fresh cilantro
• Devoo (Dimitri’s olive oil)
• 1/4 avocado sliced

Toss vegetables with oil, salt, and pepper. Roast at 350 for 15 minutes. In an oiled, nonstick pan, sauté spinach add egg whites and place in oven for 10 minute at 350. When finished, top ‘fitatatta’ with roasted vegetables, EVOO, coriander, avocado, and cilantro.