An Easy Healthy Breakfast Recipe

Make this easy and healthy breakfast recipe with sweet plantains part of your regular morning meals. Everything is ready in 10 minutes, yet you get an incredibly satisfying and nutritious breakfast bowl, perfect to start your day off right. Plus, I also share a vegan-friendly option.

Whether you enjoy this recipe for breakfast, lunch, or as a post-workout meal, 

• It is healthy;  
• super easy to make;
• packed with tons of nutrition;
• And filled with gratifying flavors;

I can't get full credit for this recipe. My parents in law shared the plantain idea with me, and they often enjoy it topped with an egg to change it up from their regular oatmeal dishes. Over the years, I have slightly added some ingredients and made it my own. And I always love to combine it with a fruit salad to vamp up this delicious dish. So, let's concoct this super easy and lazy plantain-egg breakfast, and see how you can make it vegan-friendly.

A DELICIOUS PLANTAIN BREAKFAST BOWL WITH A SIMPLE EGG RECIPE

Here is what we're making

• Microwaved sweet plantains, ready in 3 minutes;
• A sunny-side-up egg or two—you can opt for egg whites only or make it vegan (see below); 
• A few seeds for their health benefits. 

This homemade wholesome morning meal is perfect for busy mornings, but if you want to make it extra filling, then pair it with a green fruit salad—delicious, and it adds no additional cooking time. 

Healthy seeds and other toppings

• Hemp seeds and sunflower kernels not only provide the right type of fats and extra protein, but I also love the nutty flavor in contrast to the hearty egg and sweet plantain; 
• And although they are my usual food toppings for this simple plantain egg recipe;
• I have experimented with adding nuts, raisins, crunchy homemade granola, and even a spoon of nut butter;
• Also, I love to pair it with a green fruit salad on the side.

My favorite fruit salad with this dish

• All you need is 
• one green apple
• a kiwi, peeled
• and half of a peeled ripe avocado

I finely chop and combine everything and sprinkle some extra seeds on top. Granny Smith apples and a kiwi are deliciously refreshing, while the avocado adds that indulgent texture. It's perfect for those days when you are a bit more hungry than usual and need an extra boost of energy to get out of the door. 

WHEN SHOULD YOU EAT PLANTAINS

• Plantains are starchy fruits that are now very common to find in about almost every store. Like bananas, they have become a staple in my household. 
• Often, the produce section carries them when they are still green or green-yellowish on the outside. In the summer months, I can find them more readily in a ripened yellow state or sometimes even with dark brown spots.
• Green plantains have a more starchy taste and are used to make savory dishes—think of the beloved tostones. But for this recipe, we want them ripened, and thus sweeter in taste and softer in texture. 
• Blackened plantains are very sweet, but I find them a bit too mushy.
• I enjoy them the most when deliciously sweet but still slightly firm to the touch. So, I go for plantains with yellow skin—maybe some brown spots here and there—that have the sweet aroma of bananas and feel soft yet not mushy when placing some pressure on it with your thumb.
• If you only find green plantains in-store, then further ripen them by placing them at home in a large brown bag at room temperature. A fair warning, it can take anywhere from a few days to a week or more before plantains are ripe and wonderfully sweet. It all depends on the season and temperature. Lately, I have been adding some apples in the bag, and that seems to speed up the process.

HOW TO COOK PLANTAINS IN THE MICROWAVE

For this breakfast, you can quickly cook ripe and unpeeled plantains for a couple of minutes in the microwave. It depends on your microwave settings, but it takes anywhere from 2 to 3 minutes on a high setting until your plantain is soft and thoroughly cooked. 

• First, cut off the ends with a pairing knife.
• Then core the skin and cut a slid lengthwise into the flesh—do not cut all the way through.
• The deep lengthwise cross-section cut assists with the cooking process, and the shape of a boat makes it easier to dress it up with your favorite toppings.
• Wrap the fruit first in a paper towel and wet it with water. It ensures that the plantain does not dry out.
• Then place it in the microwave for 3 minutes.
• Once done, use a towel to remove it—because it will be scorching.
• Let it cool a bit before peeling it carefully and placing it on a plate, cut side facing up.
• Now you can add your toppings and fruit salad.

PLANTAIN BREAKFAST—MAKE IT VEGAN

Everything is vegan about this dish, except the egg. I often just skip it and replace it with some of the following:

• leftover cooked sweet or mashed potatoes
• leftover cooked quinoa
• mashed avocado and chopped green onions, seasoned with nutritional yeast
• Your favorite crushed nuts (if no allergies), mixed in with the seeds
• Nut (if no allergies) or seed butter with a drizzle of homemade jelly
• Chia pudding on the side
• Add pumpkin seeds

This breakfast is ready in 10 minutes, and I know I might be biased, but this is an incredibly satisfying breakfast, so worth making. Enjoy!

Note: Just double or triple, etc. the ingredients for large portions!

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Yield: 1 SERVING

A HEALTHY AND QUICK BREAKFAST, LUNCH, OR POST-WORKOUT MEAL

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

This recipe is a satisfying and quick breakfast, or you can make it anytime you want something nutritious yet have little time to cook. And make it your own by changing the toppings, add more fruits, or make this plantain recipe vegan-friendly!

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Ingredients

• 1 large and ripe plantain
• 1 teaspoon hemp seeds
• 1 teaspoon roasted and unsalted sunflower kernels
• 1 teaspoon extra virgin coconut oil or olive oil, plus more to coat the pan
• 1 large egg or two
• 1 green apple, cored and chopped
• 1 kiwi, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 avocado, peeled and chopped

Instructions

1. Cut the ends of the plantain (don't peel yet). Then create lengthwise a cross-section cut (don't cut all the way through only halfway). Wrap the fruit with a large paper towel and lightly wet it on all sides with some water. Place the wrapped plantain in the microwave and cook for three minutes. When done, let it sit for another minute to cool a little.
2. In the meantime, take a small non-stick frying pan. Coat the bottom with a small amount of coconut or olive oil and heat over medium heat. Gently crack open the egg above the skillet, letting the egg pour into the pan. Reduce the heat to medium-low—season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook the egg until the white has set, but the yolk is still runny (sunny side up egg).
3. Take the wrapped plantain out of the microwave (be careful as it can still be hot). Unwrap and carefully peel the fruit. The plantain should be soft and mushy. Place on a small plate, cut side up, and gently open the fruit (creating a boat form).
4. Divide first the hemp seeds and sunflower kernels over the plantain. Coat with coconut oil (optional) and slide the egg on top, allowing the yolk to run over the plantain. Enjoy with your favorite cup of coffee, tea, or Yerba Matte!
5. Optional: add the green fruit salad
6. Combine the chopped fruits and arrange them on the plate next to the plantain. Sprinkle with extra hemp seeds or sunflower kernels.

Notes

Other toppings (optional): nut or seed butter, sesame seeds, raisins, crushed nuts, pumpkin seeds, a drizzle of homemade jelly or apple butter/sauce.