Brazilian Beef and Plantain Breakfast Bowl

Brazilian Beef and Plantain Breakfast Bowl

One bite of my Brazilian Beef & Plantain Bowl (with egg, honey and toasted coconut) and you’ll happily say “Tchau” to a tower of pancakes, waffles or buttered toast in the morning!  Loaded with protein, quality complex carbohydrates, iron, potassium and other essential nutrients, this easy breakfast made with leftover steak will fuel you for a full morning of demanding activities! The flavor combination may sound weird, but trust me, it’s so delicious! Pra caramba!

Brazilian Beef & Plantain Breakfast Bowl is a healthy way to start the day, packed with 28g protein and quality complex carbs for energy.

The protein in the recipes is a combination of 3-oz. left over lean steak (like top sirloin, strip, tenderloin, flat iron, etc.) and a single, sunny-side up egg. Along with a little bit from the plantain, you’re getting about 28 grams of protein with this meal – the ideal amount to consume in a single sitting.

Each Day is a New Start! It’s the perfect morning meal for a Protein Challenge!  Each day is a new start, so beat yourself up if your diet wan’t exactly “on point” yesterday — you get a new chance to eat well today!

I always feel best when I’m eating 25g – 30g protein evenly spaced at each meal. Plus, it helps prevent snacking!

 

 

If you’re not familiar with plantains, you can typically find them in most grocery stores in the “exotic produce” area. This “vegetable-banana” is a less sweet and a little more starchy tasting than a regular banana – but so yummy when baked, microwaved or sautéed! They are a common ingredient in the cuisine of Mexico and Central / South America and in Brazil go by their Portuguese name of “banana-da-terra.”

Oh, and now for something crazy beef & bananas that isn’t actually food! It’s me planking until failure the other day before teaching a Grilling 101 class at the Texas Beef Council. 

pinners conference pic 1I’ll teaching a class on “Empowered Meal Prep – Protein for Fitness”  at the Pinner’s Conference in Dallas on Sept 9 & 10th. I’ll be sharing this Brazilian Beef & Plantain Breakfast Bowl along with a delicious Molasses & Pepper Flat Iron Steak recipe and Super Iron-Boosting Steak Spinach Salad. Sign up for my class, I’ll also have beef swag and lots of tasty samples!  Use the discount code FITFORK at online registration to save 10% on the very reasonable cost that allows you access to 100+ classes on food, fitness, crafts, home décor and more! Or, if you just want General Admission to shop and see the sights (no classes), you can get a free pass ($7 at door) using FREESHOPPING. RESISTER HERE

Have you ever used plantains in a recipe? Do you have a planking hashtag for me?  Are you watching the Summer Olympics? What has your favorite moment been so far? Please share in comments, XOXO – Jennifer

Brazilian Beef and Plantain Breakfast Bowl
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
15 mins
 
Power up your day in savory-sweet South American style with this hearty, protein-rich steak breakfast bowl featuring plantains, coconut, honey and an egg!
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: South American
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
  • 2 teaspoons coconut oil
  • 2 medium plantains, peeled and chopped
  • 1 cup strips of yellow bell pepper
  • 4 large eggs
  • 12 ounces leftover cooked steak (tenderloin, sirloin, flat iron, strip, etc)
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut raw or toasted, if desired
  • 2 tablespoons honey
Instructions
  1. Add coconut oil to medium skillet and bring to medium-high heat. Sauté chopped plantains and yellow peppers for approximately 6 to 7 minutes, or until plantains turning golden brown and peppers softening.
  2. In the last 90 seconds or so of cooking, stir in steak chunks to gently reheat without overcooking. Slide the steak mixture into 4 cereal-sized bowl and set aside.
  3. Immediately poach or fry eggs to your preferred level of yolk “doneness.” Slide a cooked egg on top of each bowl of beef mixture and season with salt, pepper, sprinkle of coconut and a drizzle of honey!

Asparagus and Feta Egg Scramble – Breakfast in 10 minutes

Are you scrambling to get out the door on time when the sun rises and skipping (or stumbling) right past breakfast? Missing your morning meal is a mistake for sure – I always end up getting “hangry” mid-morning and end up molesting the vending machine. That’s why I like to plan ahead just a bit to have ingredients on hand to make a quick fix like the Asparagus Egg Scramble with Feta Cheese  I’m sharing today or to prep a make-ahead meal  such as my Barn Raiser Beef & Egg Casserole (freezable in individual portions).

sparagus and Feta Egg Scramble is a simple, protein-rich breakfast solution that comes together in 10 minutes.

So, if you’ve got 10 minutes in the morning, you have a whole 600 seconds to get cracking on this Asparagus Egg Scramble with Feta Cheese. If you prep veggies the night before, you might be able to get it done more quickly!  This easy egg recipe also makes a lightning-speed dinner solution on those nights when orchestrating a complicated meal is absolutely, positively out of the question.

This is how to get the speed you need -asparagus, spinach and tomatoes sautés together on the stove top while eggs are scrambled on a nearby burner. When the two skillets are just seconds from being done, just slide out the contents from one into the next and stir!

Asparagus Egg Scramble with Litehouse Foods Feta Seasons

I’ve give this breakfast dish some salty, tangy zip thanks to the distinctive flavor of feta cheese – love using the new Simply Artisan Reserve Feta Cheese Crumbles, the container sprinkles these tiny cheese pieces just like a grated Parm. It’s genius!  Look for it, along with Bue Cheese Seaons in the specialty cheese section of your local grocery store.

I’ll be sharing this recipe on the Expo Floor Sunday morning, Jun 5th,  at the International Deli-Dairy-Bakery Food Show in Houston, Texas. Swing on by, if you’re attending!

Asparagus & Feta Egg Sandwich

Meanwhile, make an easy feat of feasting with the Asparagus Egg Scramble with Feta Cheese recipe! Serve straight from the skillet or spoon atop toasted whole grain toast – I’ve even bookended between bread to eat sandwich-style when rushing out the door. Enjoy!

What is your biggest hurdle getting out the door in the morning? Eggs, how do you take them? Are you running or competing in anything this weekend? Please share in the comments — XOXO, Jennifer

Asparagus & Feta Egg Scramble
Prep Time
2 mins
Cook Time
8 mins
Total Time
10 mins
 
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
  • 8 large eggs
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1/2 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut int o 1" pieces
  • 1/2 cup matchstick carrots
  • 2 cups packed baby spinach
  • 1/2 pint grape tomatoes, halved
  • 2 ounces feta cheese crumbles I used Feta Seasons from Artisan Reserve
Instructions
  1. In medium bowl, whisk eggs and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
  2. Spray 12” skillet with cooking spray and bring to medium-low heat. When hot, add eggs and stir fairly vigorously using spatula, for approximately 5 minutes.
  3. In another 12” skillet, add olive oil and bring to medium-high heat. Add asparagus and carrots and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Next add spinach, tomatoes and garlic, stirring frequently and continuing to sauté for about 3 additional minutes or until spinach is wilting.
  4. Keep eggs on medium-heat and add sautéed vegetable mixture, stirring to incorporate.
  5. Remove from heat and sprinkle with feta cheese crumbles.
  6. Season additionally with salt and pepper, if needed.

Giant Gluten-Free Cherry Almond Protein Breakfast Cookie

Cookies for breakfast, count me in! A giant-sized, gluten-free Cherry Almond Protein Breakfast Cookie is just what I need to fuel my active morning. Also the beauty of this easy protein cookie recipe is that it is a single-serving and can be made in the toaster oven!

Giant Cherry Almond Protein Breakfast Cookie

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Chocolate Speckled and Seeded Protein Cookie (Single Serve) + Toaster Oven Giveaway

This post and giveaway sponsored by Hamilton Beach, but all opinions and enthusiasm are my own!

I never thought I needed a toaster oven and, boy, was I soooo wrong. I changed my mind when recently developed a recipe for Hamilton Beach that would work in their fancy 4 Slice Easy Reach™ Toaster Oven with Roll-Top Door. Honestly, it was my first time using a countertop toaster since back in my childhood days when this is how I made my buttery, cinnamon toast for breakfast! I love the convenience and quick clean up so much, I’m giving away one of these amazing appliances to one of you (enter at bottom of post).

Single Serve Chocolate Speckled and Seeded Breakfast Cookie for Toaster Oven can be made in a conventional or toaster oven! It's also gluten-free and nut-free, plus sugar-free and dairy free without the chocolate chips.  268 calories and 16g protein for this jumbo, giant cookie!

Chocolate Speckled and Seeded Breakfast CookieThe recipe I made for Hamilton Beach was a single serve breakfast cookie Chocolate Speckled and Seeded Breakfast Cookie, a much healthier option than the sugar and butter on white bread treat I would cook up as a kid. Fresh baked from the toaster oven, this cookie is packed with flavor and nutrition thanks to whole grains, seeds, and just a smattering of chocolate to soothe a sweet tooth. The entire huge cookie has just 268 calories and 16g protein – plus it’s gluten-free and nut-free plus sugar free and dairy-free (if you don’t use the chocolate chips). Get the full recipe on Hamilton Beach Every Day Good Thinking blog

Chocolate Speckled and Seeded Breakfast Cookie - TheFitFork.com

So, what’s so awesome about a toaster oven?  Well, for one thing, it doesn’t heat the whole house up, and that’s a major concern here in Texas! But you still get that fresh-baked, crispy texture on foods that the microwave just can’t deliver – the little slide out tray will accommodate so many healthy food options – broil salmon, roast asparagus, bake eggs, make muffins and, yes, even make toast! It fits four slices of toast or even a 9” pizza! A smaller appliance is also so convenient when just preparing a meal for one or two people and works well in a dorm room, RV, cabin, office kitchen or other places where space is tight. Plus, the 4 Slice Easy Reach™ Toaster Oven with Roll-Top Door has several unique features including a removable roll-top door than makes it super easy to clean up!

Hamilton Beach 4 Slice Easy Reach™ Toaster Oven with Roll-Top DoorEnter my giveaway to win a handy-dandy 4 Slice Easy Reach™ Toaster Oven with Roll-Top Door , just follow the Rafflecopter instructions below:

 

 

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blueberry Pecan Oat Mug Muffin – Master Mix Recipe

Blueberry Pecan Oat Protein Mug Muffin -- food prep the master mix and have breakfast read in less than 2 minutes.I’m on this mug muffin kick lately. I have a zillion iterations, from Lemon Raspberry Protein Muffin Mug to this Blueberry Pecan Oat Protein Mug Muffin that I’m sharing today. I usually mix up this protein-packed breakfast scoop by scoop in the morning, but I love this one so much that I big-batched it! Meal prep, y’all – I can’t believe I’m so organized. Haha.

Blueberry Pecan Oat Protein Mug Muffin -- food prep the master mix and have breakfast read in less than 2 minutes.

Love Grown FoodsSo, come morning, when I’m not feeling human, all that’s left to be done with my breakfast is add two liquid ingredient (egg white and almond milk) to my mix and stick in the microwave. I tried to use an egg white powder in the mix to make even more convenient, but I didn’t like that so much – plus, how is cartoned egg-white not convenient?! Other things to love  about this Blueberry Pecan Oat Mug Muffin recipe in addition to the homey taste is the wholesome nutrition – it’s gluten-free, sugar-free, low-cal and packed with protein (32 grams protein and about 240 total calories per serving).

When I say that this is a Master Mix Recipe, it means you can swap out the blueberries and pecans for the other dehydrated fruit and nuts of your choosing — bananas & peanut, pineapple & macadamia nut, raspberries & almond are just some ideas!

Blueberry Pecan Oat Protein Mug Muffin Nutrition Label

I ran the nutritional info for you tracker types!

Instead measuring out the oats, chia seeds and pecans separately, I like to just use Love Grown Foods Super Oats with Chia & Nuts – that stuff ROCKS my world.

 

Here’s a run down on most of the products I used in this recipe:

What is your go-to easy meal in the morning? If you were swapping out the fruit and nuts, what would you choose? Please share in the comments — XOXO, Jennifer 

Blueberry Pecan Oat Mug Muffin - Master Mix Recipe
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
1 hr 30 mins
Total Time
1 hr 35 mins
 
Whip up a big batch of this yummy protein-packed mug muffin mix and enjoy a quick, easy and healthy breakfast all week. Microwaves in less than two minutes!
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
Master Mix
  • 1 1/2 cup non-whey vanilla protein powder
  • 1/2 cup gluten free baking mix
  • 1/2 cup gluten free oats*
  • 2 tbsp chia seeds
  • 3 tbsp finely chopped pecans*
  • 1/4 cup stevia with 1/2 cup stevia to 1 cup sugar ratio
  • 1/2 cup dehydrated blueberries can sub regular dried
Wet Ingredients for Cooking:
  • 2 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk parceled out 5 tablespoons per serving
  • 1 1/4 cup egg white parceled out 3 tablespoons per serving
Instructions
  1. To make master mix, add protein powder, baking mix, oats, chia seed, pecans, stevia and dehydrated blueberries to large mason jar or storage container and shake to blend.
  2. To prepare individual serving, add approximately ½ cup mix into large mug or microwave-safe bowl. Stir in 3 tablespoons of egg white and 5 tablespoons of almond milk. Microwave on high for between 1 and 2 minutes – exact time will vary by microwave strength (the magic time at my house is 90 seconds). Mug cake will rise dramatically while cooking and then settle back down and is “done” when no longer wet and has consistency of a bread pudding.
Recipe Notes

*In lieu of these three ingredients, you can swap out with just a little skosh more than 1 ¼ cup of Love Grown Food Super Oats with Chia & Nuts