Easy Frittata

Am I alone in feeling like this time of year makes it soooo difficult impossible to get out of bed in the morning? I live on the first floor of an apartment complex in the most densely populated residential neighborhood of Oakland and am sandwiched in between three other 5+ story buildings, so I already get minimal bedroom light. Plus, I have bars on my windows and am not about to leave my blinds and curtains wide open all night long. (It is Oakland, after all.) But, at least during the summer, some sunlight would creep through by 5:45 am, gently lifting me out of my slumber. These days, I get nada. It’s like living in a tomb until 9 am.

Since it’s been impossible to wake up for early morning workouts, I’ve pushed my runs to the evenings, immediately after work. After I’m done sweating up a storm, I’ve been running some quick errands like hitting the grocery store and doing a little freelance work.

By the time I’ve gotten out of the shower, changed and walked into the kitchen to start dinner, it’s already after 8 pm – every night this week. Late night meals are a bummer for my body and sleeping habits, so, last night I realized I just needed to make something FAST.

Frittata to the rescue! You can’t go wrong with eggs + leftover protein + any veggies you have lying around. It’s the best healthy thing that can be made in less than 20 minutes.

You can throw anything you want in yours, but here’s how I made mine:

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1/2 cup leftover shredded pork
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 shallot, diced
• 1/2 cup mushrooms
• 1/4 cup spinach
• 8 large eggs
• Freshly ground black pepper
• A few sprinkles of Trader Joe’s 21 Seasoning Salute

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Heat your coconut oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat.
3. Add your bell pepper, shallot and mushroom. Sautee until tender.
4. Add your spinach and pre-cooked shredded pork and cook until the spinach is wilted and pork is heated.
5. Whisk your eggs together in a separate bowl and season to your liking.
6. Pour the eggs into the skillet and cook until the bottom of the frittata is set (about 5 minutes).
7. Place the skillet in the oven and cook for 12-15 minutes.
8. Crank up the heat and broil for an additional 1-2 minutes.
9. Pull the skillet out, transfer the frittata to a plate, slice and serve.

Eat the leftovers for breakfast the next morning or lunch. Serve with some clean hot sauce, salsa, avocado or a little cheese, if you’re feeling naughty.

Chocolate Chip Banana Pancakes with Blueberry Compote (Gluten-Free)

Brunch is seriously one of my top ten favorite things in life.

I love trying out new brunch and breakfast spots in San Francisco and Oakland, but last weekend I woke up with a warm kitten on my chest and the immediate understanding that nothing could pull me out of my pajamas before noon.

Plus, the lyrics to Jack Johnson’s “Banana Pancakes” were stuck in my head…”Wake up slow, mmm mm, wake up slow,”…which further mellowed me out and made me hungry for something sweet. I thought, “Hey, this Jack Johnson guy might be onto something.”

So, I decided to crawl out of bed just long enough to feed the cat and make some delicious chocolate chip banana pancakes with blueberry compote.

I adapted my pancake recipe from PaleoOMG‘s paleo banana vanilla bean version and used my own blueberry compote recipe for an insanely simple and crazy delicious treat.

Chocolate Chip Banana Pancakes (Gluten-Free)

Ingredients:

• 2 bananas, peeled
• 3 eggs
• 3 tablespoons coconut flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
•  1/4 cup dark chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Place bananas in your food processor. Puree until smooth.
2. Add eggs to blend further, until mixed.
3. Blend in coconut flour, vanilla extract, baking soda and cinnamon. Puree until smooth.
4. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, pour 3 tablespoons of batter into the skillet. (This should make mini pancakes about 3 inches in diameter, which are perfect for flipping.)
5. Add a handful of dark chocolate chips to each pancake.
6. Flip once the top of each pancake starts to bubble.
7. While the pancakes are cooking, make the compote.

Blueberry Compote

Ingredients:

• 2 cups (frozen) blueberries
• 3 tablespoons orange juice
• orange zest

Directions:

1. Combine blueberries, orange juice and orange zest in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil.
2. Reduce to a simmer. Cook for an additional 8-10 minutes.
3. Remove orange zest, stir and pour compote over pancake stacks.

I also made some scrambled eggs and turkey bacon to round out my new favorite homemade brunch.

Total satisfaction.