So- not to toot my own horn, but I truly believe this is one of the best recipes I have created to share with you guys. First of all it is incredibly healthy, it's full of wonderful flavors, and it looks like a dish you'd order at a high end brunch place, but at a fraction of the cost. (which we love!)
If you've followed me for a while and seen all my egg dishes, you'll probably be shocked to hear that I am allergic to eggs. I used to eat them every single day for breakfast (a runny sunny side up egg yolk is the way to my heart) and at the time was experiencing crazy headaches, and sleepiness to the point that I was tested for Mono and a million other things. These symptoms may sound unlikely in conjunction with a food allergy but, brain fog due to food allergies is a real thing, and also often increases other issues such as lack of focus, anxiety, and depression. Finally, while in high school, I received an allergy test because of my sensitive stomach (hence the gluten allergy) and the results showed that I my body is highly intolerant to eggs.
Unfortunately, I love eggs. They are one of my favorite foods, and while I go through periods of greater then lesser self control, they build up in my system and result in the most intense headaches that only cease after I sleep for 10+ hours. After eating eggs over Christmas, I experienced one of these headaches this past Friday, and vowed for the thousandth time to stop eating them. I am sharing this with you because I made two versions of the recipe below. One version (as pictured) has an egg in it and according to my parents was incredibly delicious, the other version is a breakfast option for those of you who are vegan or who just don't share my love of eggs.
What's on your grocery list?
- Trader Joes Vegan Kale, Cashew, and Basil Pesto
- A bag of Kale
- 1 large Zucchini (you must spiralize it!) or fresh Zoodles (my Trader Joe's usually carries them but I was unable to find them in Palm Desert and did not have a Spiralizer with me so we bought some from Whole Foods pictured below)
- 1 Shallot
- Fresh Thyme
- Bread
- Eggs
- Olive Oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- Italian Seasoning (optional- I used a tiny bit)
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 10 Minutes
Servings: 2
Ingredients:
- About 1/2 container Trader Joes Vegan Kale, Cashew, and Basil Pesto
- A handful of kale
- 1 large zucchini (you must spiralize it!) or 1 1/2 - 2 cups zoodles (my Trader Joe's usually carries them but I was unable to find them in Palm Desert and did not have a Spiralizer with me so we bought some from Whole Foods pictured below)
- 1/2 a Shallot
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons fresh thyme
- 2 large pieces of bread (if using gluten free bread use 2 pieces per serving, 4 total)
- 2 eggs
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
- Italian Seasoning (optional- I used a tiny bit)
Instructions:
Add about 1 1/2 cups of zoodles to a large bowl. Roughly chop a handful of Kale and add to the zoodles. Then add about 1 1/2 tablespoons of fresh Thyme to the bowl, along with half of a chopped shallot. Season with salt and pepper to taste and mix until ingredients are well combined.
In a medium skillet heat a tablespoon of olive oil, then add half the veggie mixture to the skillet scooping a hole out of the middle to make a "birds nest," once nest is formed, crack an egg so that the yolk falls into the hole.
Cover the skillet and leave egg to cook for about 4 minutes or until egg is cooked to your liking. While egg is cooking, toast bread, then spread a generous spoonful of pesto on top. After your egg reaches desired runniness remove the pan from heat, then use a spatula to get the nest out, plate on top of your toast, add any veggies that fell off in the pan along with salt and pepper, and enjoy!
Alternative:
If you like, forgo the egg and simply cook the veggie mixture in a bit of oil for about 4 minutes, stirring regularly, and eat a top toast covered in pesto (this is what I did and it was soooo good!).
