Equal Parts

I am not a person who can skip breakfast. For me, it’s a surefire way to a simultaneous headache, stomachache, and need for an all-afternoon nap.

This can be a problem on the first full day of vacation, particularly if arrival was late the night before, after markets and bakeries had closed, and there was no way to stock the condo with snacks.

In college my family took a summertime trip to Telluride, Colorado. The first morning we planned to walk into town and stop for breakfast before heading on a hike. Everybody took their time waking up, debating which gear to wear, changing their minds, filling water bottles, applying sunscreen. It was a solid two hours before we walked out the front door, and I was about ready to pass out and/or start a family argument because these slowpokes were hampering my breakfast!

It’s family lore now: Hey Jess, remember on vacation when you didn’t feel good?

Very funny, guys, it was all your fault!

I’m also not a person who can eat any old granola bar first thing and feel good about it, especially a smooshed one from the bottom of a carryon bag. (Gross.) I need a real breakfast of eggs, toast, yogurt, fruit, or some combination thereof, preferably with 2-3 cups of strong coffee. I’m not myself without it.

And so — of course — on important days in my life, I make extra effort to start the morning right with a full meal.

A few years ago I went through a breakfast phase of eggs, pinto beans, and julienned zucchini from Sara Dickerman’s book, The Food Lover’s Cleanse. At this time — 2016 — I left my longtime bakery job to try something different. On the first day of my new work, I woke up early so I had ample time for coffee, fixing my hair, and — of course — a good breakfast. In the kitchen of my also-new apartment I set out to make the eggs-beans-zucchini dish. I felt good! I was excited! A new chapter! So much possibility! It was a great morning… until interrupted by the smoke alarm, a surge of adrenaline, and me running in circles, clueless and panicked. Where did I put the towels? Where even is the smoke alarm in this place? Do I need a chair to reach it?

The problem was solved, but my peaceful morning was cancelled. And looking back now, it was the perfect metaphor for that job, almost a warning!

I revisited this recipe recently, and it does seem a bit fussy for breakfast, calling for the use of not one, not two, but three skillets (which, I believe, led to the smoke alarm incident). I modified it to allow for just one skillet, and ate it for lunch. Much better this way!

SPICY BEANS WITH ZUCCHINI AND EGG, inspired by Sara Dickerman

You’ll need:
1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
2 scallions, sliced thin
Pinch of red pepper flakes
1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained (I’ve also used cannellini beans, and black beans would be fine too, but pinto is my preference.)
1/2 of a small zucchini, julienned (You could use a mandoline or a spiralizer to julienne the zucchini. I think it’s easiest to just use a knife to carefully cut it into thin strips.)
1-2 eggs
Salt and Pepper
Sriracha

Heat 1/2 tbsp of the olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the scallions, red pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt, and cook, stirring frequently, for about 2 minutes. Add the beans to the pan and cook until warmed through, about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the zucchini to the pan and stir; it will soften slightly as it warms. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from the heat.

Unless you’re really hungry, half of the bean mixture equals one serving. Either divide the beans over two plates if you’re serving more than one, or store half in the refrigerator for another use.

Use a paper towel to wipe out the skillet (if it’s a quality skillet, this is easy). Add the remaining 1/2 tbsp of olive oil to the pan over medium-high heat. Crack the egg(s) directly into the hot skillet and fry until the edges start to bubble and slightly brown, about 1-1/2 minutes. Flip the egg(s) with a spatula and fry the other side to your desired doneness. I prefer an over-medium egg, about 2 minutes.

Set the egg(s) on top of the beans and season to taste with sriracha, salt, and pepper.