Italian Grits and Egg Breakfast For One

Just in case you didn't know before, I love breakfast. I love Mondays, I love Spring, I love mornings -pretty much anything that has to do with new beginnings, a fresh start, unexplored opportunities. I love to start my day by eating a banana, going to the gym or out to the country for a good workout at 5:30am, then coming home, showering, and taking my time while making myself a nutritious breakfast. Of course, I try to listen to Morning Edition (comes on at 7am here) white I make and eat breakfast. That kind of morning is perfect. I have all the time in the world to enjoy the sunrise and my eat my food slowly. I find that feel fuller and more satisfied when I can take the time to sit and really consider the flavors and qualities of the foods I am putting into my body. Just a thought. 

I hope you are a morning person too, otherwise the above paragraph just might make you want to hurt me... 0=).

Anyway, here's what I have been eating lately as my "I'm starving and need a 'real' meal right now" breakfast.

Make plain white grits (the instant kind is easiest).

Pour tomato sauce over grits.

Sprinkle with cheese because cheese makes everything better.

Fry an egg and put on top of cheese

(I fry the egg while I wait for the grits to cook).

Sprinkle with your favorite salt-free Italian seasoning (I use Tuscan Sunset from Penzey's).

Italian Grits and Egg Breakfast Bowl 

I'm not supposed to count calories per my nutritionist's instructions, but I kinda figured this one out 'cus it's so dang easy to calculate: less than 350 calories total and pretty much all food groups accounted for -grain=grits, veggie=sauce, calcium=cheese, protein=egg). Feel free to fry up a second egg for more protein though.

1/4 cup instant white grits

3/4 cup water
1/2 cup of your favorite red pasta sauce
1/4 cup shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese
1 egg

1/4 teaspoon salt-free Italian seasonings

Combine the instant grits and water in a bowl and microwave for 3-4 minutes (in other words, follow the directions on the box for 1/4 cup of dry grits). 

While the grits are in the microwave, crack your egg into a non-stick skillet without breaking the yolk, and cook over medium-low heat until the white is about half-way cooked. put about a tablespoon of water in the pan and cover for 2 minutes or until the white is completely cooked (I do this with a plate, since my small pan has no lid, but be careful, the plate can fall off and will get very hot). Turn off heat and remove lid/plate.

Take the grits out of the microwave and top with pasta sauce and cheese, then take a spatula and place the egg on the very top. Sprinkle with Italian seasonings.

Take a spoon and mash together, or eat nicely in layers, whatever you feel like doing =).