I have a confession to make. I don’t love vegetables as much as I should. There have been a few shameful occasions where I’ve bought a tub of spring mix salad and it’s begun to wilt before ending up on my plate (or, on the most shameful of occasions, ending up in the garbage).

So I developed a system that not only respects the salad but has a rather lovely side effect. I eat salad for breakfast. And I actually really like it.

I feel very content and sustained after this breakfast and it starts the day off on such a positive and healthy note. It says, “I am a vibrant person who eats a reasonable amount of vegetables and thereby respects my temple of a body!”

And the lovely side effect? Feeling skinny! It abates the bloatedness that can come with toast and jam (a former favourite as side kick to my eggs) and when sustained over the course of a week or two produces markedly looser fitting pants. Super!

Ingredients

3 eggs
2 tsp peppercorn ranch dressing (or milk with whatever seasoning you fancy)
3 stalks asparagus, chopped
4 mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
½ tsp vegetable oil
½ tsp butter
1 cup mixed berries (I buy frozen bags of mixed berries and put the amount we’re going to eat in a covered bowl in the fridge the night before so that they are thawed by morning and avoid the microwave)
2 big handfuls of salad (I usually get spring mix)
2 tsp maple balsamic dressing (to make dressing, mix 1 part maple syrup, 2 parts balsamic vinegar, and 2 parts olive oil)

Instructions

Heat oil in medium frying pan over medium heat. A cast iron pan is best because it’s going to go in the oven, but I’ve wrapped the plastic handle of a Teflon pan with aluminum foil and that works just fine, too.
Once oil is hot, add butter, swirl around pan, add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Add mushrooms, arranging them so that each slice is separate from the next (one great thing I learned from the fabulous movie Julie and Julia was “don’t crowd the mushrooms.” See trailer below).
Cook mushrooms for about 2 minutes, gently shaking pan, and turning each slice over half way through.
Meanwhile, in small bowl, beat eggs and dressing.
Add asparagus to pan, making make sure that all of the vegetables are evenly distributed, and then add egg mixture. (Turn oven to broil to heat up while eggs cook on stove)
Cook for about 2 minutes or until bottom begins to set but top is still runny.
Place under broiler for about 2 minutes or just until frittata begins to puff.
Serve frittata (I have a third and my husband has two thirds) with berries and salad drizzled with dressing.