We’ve all heard it a million times: breakfast is the most important meal of the day. As true as this age-old saying might be, I’ve always felt that it took all the fun out of breakfast. As soon as something becomes “important,” it becomes more mandatory and less enjoyable. Suddenly, breakfast – a meal composed of eggs and cakes and waffles and fruit platters and various nut butters – turns into a chore that should be repeated daily, but almost never is. Where’s the fun in that?
Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. I’m not much of a morning person, so the opportunity to ease into each day by whipping up a quick breakfast or heating up some leftovers and then sit down to eat while watching my life-long man crush report on the Today Show is a real treat. It might seem backward, but the busier the day (or week), the more gung-ho I become about breakfast. This week is insanely busy – I’m leaving town this weekend for my best friend’s bachelorette party in Eastern Washington and have approximately one million things to accomplish and six workouts to complete before Friday morning. And there still isn’t a day off in sight. So… I did breakfast big today. I paired up the last of my loaded egg casserole with some deliciously seasoned sweet potato hash browns. Check this breakfast out:
Total prep time this morning? Seven minutes. Seriously, I timed myself. Now excuse me while I go watch the Today Show. Matt’s in London this week – it’s very exciting.
Spicy Sweet Potato Hash Browns
Ingredients:
1 small sweet potato
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1/8 salt
1/4 tsp. basil
1 clove garlic, minced
Method:
1) Peel and shred sweet potato. Using a paper towel, blot out any excess moisture from shredded potato. Toss all spices and garlic together with potato.
2) Heat a skillet to medium-high heat and spray with coconut oil. When oil is hot, toss in shredded potato and form a 1/2″ circle, pressing down with spatula so that potatoes become nice and compacted. Cook, flipping once or twice, until potatoes begin to crisp up and brown. Serve up with extra hot sauce as a side to your favorite breakfast!
Total time: 7 minutes
Serves: single serving