Tag: eggs

Journal, Nutrition + Health, Running, Spring

Breakfast Tacos with Black Beans + Egg Scramble

by RebeccaLeave a Comment on Breakfast Tacos with Black Beans + Egg Scramble

A couple weeks ago, I made puff pastry, a cooking project I’ve long considered, but never before attempted. Puff pastry is so rich in butter, containing nearly more butter than anything else, that’s its the ultimate antithesis of a food you might think a nutritionist would make and eat.

It was a project well worth my time and effort. Gluten free, dairy-free (using Miyoko’s cultured ‘butter’), and more rich in refined starches than would be my norm. And it was an eight-hour kitchen project just to turn and fold and chill the dough.

The process and end result was so satisfying. I used the pastry the following day to make a spring asparagus, radish, and egg-topped tart which was super easy to finish and bake, but tasted like, well, I’d spent more than eight hours meticulously turning and folding it.

That puff pastry crunch as our teeth sank into each bite.

In the days that followed, the topic of puff pastry has come up again and again on repeat. In The Great British Baking Show, a past season I’ve been watching for the first time ever. And, multiple nights in a row, I woke up somewhere around 3am from a dream about getting my pastry baked in time, having enough room in the oven, measuring and folding my puff pastry correctly. A direct result of watching the show with apt attention for too many nights in a row.

Puff pastry again in a book I’m listening to on becoming a French chef.

And then another in a new recipe sent to my email from a baking blog I follow, but have never actually baked from.

I consider that when topics or ideas keep repeating themselves in rapid succession in my life, there’s meaning there. But what’s the meaning of puff pastry on repeat?

And what does that have to do with these breakfast tacos?

One thing I realized was just how much joy I found in the process. How little nutrition brain was involved in the making. Is the puff pastry good for me? Yes, unequivocally yes. For any creative process that brings that much joy, present moment awareness, and time just being lost in the process is certainly good for me / us.

Is it nutritionally sound? Certainly not everyday.

It’s taken me nearly 15 years and a whole lot of practice, therapeutic reprogramming, health crises, and grad school to realize that health is about a lot more than just the nutritional components of what we put into our mouth.

Does what we eat matter? Absolutely.

But what our body does with the food, what mindset or stress-state we eat it in, are we enjoying it with full attention or just half-heartedly chewing while doing something else? I’m coming to believe those matter even more. It took me something like these past 15 years to achieve puff pastry freedom from the food police in my brain, and just have joy in the process.

And that’s something to be proud of.

In an earlier article I wrote this year on Intuitive Eating and Cravings, which has quickly become a popular one, I spoke to the idea that we often need to balance our body first before we can decipher between what our body actually wants (intuition) and what our mind desires (cravings).

Was puff pastry an intuition or a craving?

For me, it was neither. It was a cooking project that I’ve long considered quite challenging, especially with gluten-free flour. That I just happened to eat. I love that there’s room for that in my current life.

One thing I’ve realized after I spent more time learning about the purpose of balancing flavors and optimizing a food’s digestibility is that when those two are done, the flavor and yum-factor is usually there by default. And in contrast, some of the recipes I see published that I might have reached for previously stand out to me as overly spiced, one-sided, leaning too heavily on one taste aspect or effect, and containing too many components that stimulate me/us on various levels. Or are just plain too difficult to digest. The more I notice it, the more I notice the effect it has on my mind and body.

As I focus on the balancing flavors in the everyday meal-after-meal routine, the intuitive of what my body needs / wants becomes infinitely more clear. And what it doesn’t want when I temporarily stray from that does too.

So that’s what these breakfast tacos are.

A colorful, flavorful, texture-rich, balanced taste, and for all that, actually-easy taco plate. They may have breakfast in their title, but I enjoy them much more as a weekend after-run brunch or weeknight meal.

Hope you enjoy! If you try them out, leave a comment and let me know how you enjoy them.

Breakfast Tacos with Black Beans and Egg Scramble

Switch up radishes for another seasonal vegetable as desired, add more of your tortillas as needed, or switch them out for rice to make more of a plate-style meal instead of tacos.
The black beans should make enough for a double batch (about 4 servings) to be used for another meal. 

Prep:  overnight   | Cook: 3-4 hours (for beans); 15-20  minutes  to finish  | Serves: about 2

1 small avocado
1 lime, zest and juice
olive oil for cooking eggs
pinch of mineral salt
2 eggs
1 tsp. olive oil
⅛ tsp. salt
½ tsp. smoked paprika
1 bunch of radishes, quartered
cooked black beans, see below
6 small  tortillas (6”)
small handful of cilantro, minced

Black Beans
1 cup dry black beans, soaked overnight
¾ tsp. mineral salt
1 ½ tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground coriander
¼ tsp. ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
water to cover by 3-4 inches

  1. A few hours before or in the morning, cook black beans in a medium pot in the spices and water until very soft and flavorful. This is best done for at least 3-4 hours, adding water as needed. 
  2. To prepare breakfast tacos, peel and pit the avocado and mash in a small bowl. Zest the lime and stir in lime zest, salt, and then juice from at least half of the lime. Add more juice as needed. Set aside. 
  3. Scramble the uncooked eggs in a small bowl, add a dash of salt and pepper, and set aside. 
  4. Add the olive oil, ⅛ tsp. salt, and paprika to a sauté pan. Heat until the aroma comes up and then add in the radishes and a splash of water to cover the radishes by about a ¼. Simmer, covered, until the radishes are just soft. Transfer to a bowl, and then use the sauté pan to scramble the eggs in a little oil. 
  5. Heat the tortillas in a clean pan. 
  6. Enjoy the various elements including the seasoned black beans, eggs, sautéed radishes, mashed avocado, tortillas and cilantro, either as traditional taco toppings, or as a plate with tortillas on the side. 
Nutrition + Health, Spring

Lunchtime Basics: Quick Egg Flatbreads with Greens + Gold Spice Dressing

by RebeccaLeave a Comment on Lunchtime Basics: Quick Egg Flatbreads with Greens + Gold Spice Dressing


Dropping in to share a realtime lunch idea for you all lately. This is a meal concept that’s super seasonal, which makes it all the more delicious. 

Food Confusion and Eating Seasonally

I know some of you who read this regularly may not eat eggs. But some of you do. I’ve personally waxed and waned about eggs and many other foods over the years but ultimately have come right back to my initial conclusion: Eating is personal. And over time you change, go through phases, or learn more of what is needed to sustain you.

One thing that is very personal to me about eating is seasonality and locality. It’s what helped me through a time when I was as perplexed about what to eat as some of you – when I was following too many food trends and afraid of what to put in my body or of eating “too much.” I compared myself to everyone around me but I didn’t know how to gauge my own hunger, symptoms of imbalance, or simply get out of my head and into my body. 

William began keeping hens about three years ago, and prior to that I had largely avoided eggs for several years. That phase where eggs didn’t sound good, I didn’t like spending $7+ per dozen for local eggs, and didn’t like the conditions involved in the traditional egg production industry. But also that phase where I was following trends and wasn’t entirely eating for me.

And so, slowly, two new chicks each spring that began laying a few months later and brought such big personalities. I grew up on a farm with lots of various animals but in the years in between that time and the introduction of our first two hens, Marge and Pepper, I had somewhat forgotten how every animal comes with her own personality and desire to please. 

It’s normal for hens to stop producing eggs over the winter due to less daylength and it being cold outside. Though this winter has actually been the first for ours to take a break. Not being a daily or often even a weekly egg-eater, the winter egg break was just fine at first. But as it went on for weeks and then became a few solid months, I started to realize how I was dropping even more into the quiet of the winter season – and eating even more that way too.

Eating seasonally traditionally means less variety and abundance in the winter. It also traditionally means a change in gut microbes that can help us break down the foods that are in season.  

As the first eggs began to arrive back in the laying box and our hens began strutting around, proud of their golden tokens, it made me more aware of the gifts of each season.

Which is all to say, whether you choose to eat eggs or not, I encourage you to look for signs of the changing season as you’re out and about in your neighborhood or community, and especially next time you’re shopping. I encourage you to choose at least one new seasonal food each week–and if you struggle with confusion about what to eat, really pay attention to how you feel physically and mentally in the hours after you eat your chosen new food.

Just notice what comes up.

Quick Egg Flatbreads with Bitter Greens + Gold Spice Dressing, Serves 1
I use two things that make this super quick. A ready-made dressing and some leftover veg to add in and round out the meal. Otherwise, you can steam what vegetables you have on hand while you’re cooking the rest. Or skip the extra vegetables, but it will be a fairly light meal and may not be enough – this of course depends on the person.
One other note about the method: this late winter/early spring time of year is marked by a season of cold and wet in most regions (in the northern hemisphere). To counter that and retain balance in the body, it’s best to eat meals that are warm and cooked, and to start to add in more astringent greens like kale, chard, and spinach, while avoiding excess foods that cause mucus and damp in the body such as dairy and rich, heavy meals or sauces.

1-2 Tbs. Gold Spice Dressing
1 handful of seasonal bitter-ish greens, chopped or torn
splash of water
2 small (6-inch) corn tortillas
2 eggs, scrambled one at a time
salt and pepper

toppings/add-ins to accompany:
leftover roasted or steamed vegetables OR roasted/steamed sweet potato, daikon radish, etc.
cilantro, parsley or dill

  1. Make dressing or prep it ahead.
  2. In a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat, add a splash of the Gold Spice Dressing and a pinch of salt, and wait until the spices are just beginning to smell. Then add in the greens and a splash of water. Stir and then cover to steam-sauté for just a minute or two. Remove from the pan and set aside for a minute.
  3. Wipe the sauté pan clean and then add another small splash of the dressing. Pour in the first scrambled egg and a little sprinkle of salt. Don’t stir. Let it cook for 30 seconds to a minute and then set the first tortilla over the top of the egg. Cook another minute or more, just until the bottom is set. Then flip and cook 1-2 minutes more until the egg is cooked all the way through and the tortilla is warm.
  4. Repeat with the remaining egg and tortilla.
  5. Finish by layering your plate with the egg / tortilla flatbreads, the sautéed greens, and the steamed or roasted vegetable add-ins and herbs. Drizzle a little extra dressing on top as desired.
Journal, Nutrition + Health, Summertime

Potato + Artichoke Frittata and summer guidance

by RebeccaLeave a Comment on Potato + Artichoke Frittata and summer guidance

It seems that time is getting away from me this summer. In the midst of this tough year, I’ve found I’ve needed more of a break from the virtual world these last few weeks. In the midst of doing some checking in with myself, I retook a character strengths test around the time of my last post in late June from the Via Institute on Character. Having last took the same test in early grad school, I found that most of my top character strengths are truly mine and have hardly changed, but having moved into my own nutrition clinical work, some of the strengths that were lower as a student have truly risen to the top. The results highlight how much we become what we practice. From that assessment, my top character strength is spirituality, as it has nearly always been. What the institute means by the Spirituality character strength is:

Having coherent beliefs about the higher purpose and meaning of the universe; knowing where one fits within the larger scheme; having beliefs about the meaning of life that shape conduct and provide comfort.

All of which has guided the majority of what I’ve written here this year and for the last several.

But the too-much-online-all-the-time and never-ending negative news cycle has gotten in the way of that a bit this spring and early summer. My internal guidance has gotten harder to hear and less obvious. On the daily, I have often felt torn between too many demands and not enough complete alone time. And so, in early July, I took a time out. I took a week off completely, from my public health job, from nutrition clients, from running, and from all technology. If I’m honest, what I hoped to gain from it was a flash-bang inspiration and guidance, if only for a moment, to make me feel better about all of this we’re living through.

But I didn’t get it.
It’s often said that God speaks in the whispers of the heart. That his guidance for us dwells in the silent spaces.

One of the things I’m coming to over the last few months is directly on this topic. When I work with individuals with nutrition, I provide guidance and of course my opinion, but I see each encounter with each client as a true collaboration; because as much as I have the professional training and knowledge of nutrition and its impact on physiology, we are each experts on our bodies, or should be. And I think each of us has the intuitive feels right for me knowledge about our bodies hidden underneath the clutter of all our everyday stimulation and egotistical desires.

This year, so many of us have been going through hard things, personally, professionally, with health, and more. It’s been my intention to start writing and sharing more here on the everyday aspects of that that are applicable. Frustratingly, that everyday application has only come easily when working individually with each person. Instead of resisting against this frustration, or forcing something that I’m finding difficult, the right answer for me today is to follow the strings and share here what comes with more ease. All that’s to say, I’m practicing having more grace with myself. And hope you can do the same with you.

And also,
If you are struggling with your relationship to your body this year, or finally beginning to address it, I hear you.
and If you are struggling with your digestion and/or are in the midst of a long frustrating battle with it, I hear you.
and If you are overwhelmed and/or losing hope with this pandemic and lack of true normal or return to it in the foreseeable future, I hear you.

Perhaps I’ll soon begin to provide more concrete words on those topics soon, like I have been meaning to. In the meantime, I’m leaning in to feeding myself and William wholesome meals lately, like this potato and artichoke frittata, and trying to keep the quiet spaces open to allow in the guidance I prefer.
Hope you are taking care.

Potato + Artichoke Frittata, serves ~3
I’ve never been much of a potato person, except the year-ish I lived in Ireland, but William insisted on growing potatoes this year. He chose a variety from Row 7, a seed company founded by chef Dan Barber, whose intent is to work with farmers who are developing vegetable varieties with flavor in mind, a notion that realistically is not done when it comes to developing commercial / commodity foods. It’s clear to me now that good potatoes make all the difference. If you can, I encourage you to buy locally from a farmer near you. I promise, they will taste infinitely better than anything in a standard supermarket.

300 gr. / 2-3 medium potatoes, unpeeled, medium-diced.
a dab of coconut oil or ghee, to cook
6 large eggs, whisked
a dash of black pepper and 1/4 tsp. salt
200 gr. / 1/2 a can of artichoke hearts, drained, rinsed, chopped
1 tsp. olive oil
1/4 tsp. turmeric
1/4 cup fresh basil, finely minced

  • Over medium-high heat, warm a little coconut oil or ghee in a medium-large heavy skillet that is oven-safe. Stir in the potatoes and sprinkle with a bit of salt. Cover and cook until they are tender, stirring occasionally, about 8-10 minutes.
  • Whisk the eggs along with the remaining salt and black pepper. Turn down to medium-low heat and pour the eggs into the skillet with the potatoes, along with the chopped artichokes.
  • Cook for a few minutes, until the eggs are just set and there isn’t a lot of liquid running around the pan on the top. To help with this, you can run a spatula underneath the sides of the frittata, and tilt the pan so the uncooked eggs run ot the underside.
  • Remove from the heat and place in the oven under the broiler for a couple minutes, until the top has puffed up and set. If your broiler has two settings, choose the low setting.
  • Remove from the broiler and let it sit for a minute or two. In the meantime whisk together the remaining olive oil and turmeric. Drizzle the turmeric mixture over the top, and sprinkle with fresh minced basil.
  • Serve warm or at room temperature with fresh greens or other meal accompaniments.


Are you in need of extra nutritional support?
If so, I invite you to reach out to me for more personalized support. Conditions I often work with include digestive health and food intolerances, meeting needs of endurance athletes, vegan/vegetarian diets, intuitive eating, and autoimmune disorders.