Chefs, Feed Thyself With Hearty Breakfast Recipes

Restaurant owners spend countless hours fretting over food stock and prices, catering to customers, negotiating with suppliers and supervising staff. How does a super-busy food entrepreneur stay on top of business and make time for a healthy meal?

We asked Megan Walhood and Jeremy Daniels, co-owner of the popular Portland, Oregon-based Viking Soul Food, and the answer was: Plan ahead and eat a good breakfast!

"Hunger can lead to overeating, so breakfast is important. We'll prepare a vegetable and cheese gratin or frittata, using eggs from pasture-raised chickens. This makes a tremendous difference in taste, not to mention nutritional value. We shop daily at a local farm stand and buy seasonal," says Walhood.

The gratin recipe can be prepped the night before and the frittata version -- found at www.vikingsoulfood.com -- wrapped in pita or flatbread for a delicious on-the-go breakfast treat.

VIKING SOUL FOOD GRATIN

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon good olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, peeled and chopped into thumb-size pieces
• 1-2 parsnips (or carrots), peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 bunch EACH kale and chard stems and leaves separated and roughly chopped
• 1/2 head garlic, about 5-6 cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
• Kosher salt, ground black pepper
• 1 cup grated Jarlsberg cheese
• Dash of vinegar
• 4 farm eggs, preferably from pasture-raised chickens

Cooking Directions

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add onion and parsnip and cook, stirring occasionally for 15 minutes. Add kale/chard stems to pan. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring. Add garlic slices and stir until they become aromatic. Add kale/chard leaves. Season with salt and pepper, stir well, and cover; cook about 4-5 minutes. Lay veggies in a roasting pan and top with grated Jarlsberg. You can stop here, cover and refrigerate, to finish the next morning.
2. Preheat broiler to medium. Heat a pot of water to just below a simmer; add a dash of vinegar. Gently crack 4 eggs into hot water and poach about 3-4 minutes. Do not let the water boil. While eggs are poaching, heat vegetable dish in broiler until cheese is melty and golden.
3. Remove gratin from broiler. Using a slotted spoon, gently remove eggs from water and place atop the gratin. Season with a coarse grating of salt and black pepper. Serves 4.