Restaurant owners spend hours worrying about food prices and stock, serving customers, managing staff, and negotiating with suppliers. How can a busy food entrepreneur manage to make time for healthy meals while still being productive?
Megan Walhood (co-owners) of Viking Soul Food in Portland, Oregon, gave us the following advice: Plan ahead, eat a great 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 recipeYou can make the frittata version the night before. www.vikingsoulfood.comFor a delicious, quick breakfast treat, wrap it in pita bread or flatbread.
VIKING SOUL FOOD GRATIN
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped and peeled into thumb-sized pieces
1-2 carrots (or parsnips), cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 bunch each kale and Chard, stems separated and roughly chopped
Half a head of garlic, approximately 5-6 cloves, peeled, and thinly sliced
Ground black pepper, kosher salt
1 cup grated Jarlsberg Cheese
A dash of vinegar
4 farm eggs, preferably from pasture-raised chickens
In a large saucepan, heat olive oil. Stir in onion and parsnip. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add kale/chard stems. Stir for 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic slices. Add the kale/chard leaf. Season with salt, pepper, and stir. Cook for about 4-5 minutes. Place vegetables in a roasting tray and sprinkle with grated Jarlsberg. To finish the day, you can cover the pan and place in the refrigerator.
Turn broiler on medium. To heat a pot of boiling water, add a teaspoon of vinegar. Put 4 eggs in a pot of boiling water. Allow them to sit for about 3-4 minutes. Make sure water does not boil. Broil vegetables while eggs are poaching.
The gratin should be taken out of the oven. Gently remove the eggs from the boiling water with a spoon and place them on top of gratin. Season with coarse grating of black pepper and salt. Serves 4.
