It was a beautiful summer morning several years ago when I dropped in on my youngest daughter and she served me salad for breakfast. She was awaiting the birth of her first child at the time and doing her best to start her day in the best way possible. I recall helping her harvest a few handfuls of greens, thyme and tomatoes from her backyard garden, and in the wink of an eye, she created two gorgeous bowlfuls of salad with bright poached eggs perched on top. That day I tasted my very first breakfast salad and since then have enjoyed hundreds more, but none of them have been as delicious as that one, embellished with goat cheese and garden herbs, and made with love.

If you don’t have vegetables on hand, just the greens and eggs will do, but I like a combination of sautéed colored peppers, onions and carrot shreds along with cherry tomatoes and banana peppers. When I make dinner, I sometimes set some cooked vegetables aside for the next day’s breakfast. Sweet potato, zucchini, broccoli and mushrooms are all fair game. Feta cheese or a sprinkle of Parmesan is a nice addition, too.

Adding a smoothie alongside your salad is a way to really pump yourself up with lots of vitamins to begin the day, or if you’re in a rush, just a smoothie can be made quickly before rushing out the door on the way to your next adventure.

Incorporating vegetables in a smoothie may be something you don’t often think of doing, especially if you’re veggie-adverse, but once the garden goodness is blended with the fruits, your taste buds won’t notice and your body will respond in a positive way.

For all these recipes, you can use either fresh or frozen ingredients and even make them ahead of time to store in the freezer. I like a thinner smoothie so I often use cooled green tea to get the consistency I like best. You can also make the popular smoothie bowls by backing off on the liquid and/or adding more ice for a spoonable version that can be enhanced with lots of sprinkly ingredients such as nuts, coconut and crunchy granola.

Total Recall Smoothie will help with clear thinking throughout your busy day and Moody Blues Smoothie will open you up to joy. The Beet Smoothie will give you a burst of energy that will prime you for anything. To make all these smoothies, simply place the ingredients in a good blender and process until well combined. Each recipe makes one serving.

If you’ve never thought of adding veggies to your breakfast routine, try it and let me know how it goes!

Breakfast Salad

2 cups loosely packed greens
1 cup sautéed and/or raw vegetables of your choice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup water
2 large eggs
Hot sauce (optional)

In a bowl, toss the greens with oil, salt and pepper. Spoon vegetables of your choice on top.

In a small skillet with a lid over high heat, bring the water to a low boil then reduce the heat to medium. Gently crack each egg into the skillet. Cover and cook the eggs for 3-4 minutes or until the whites are opaque but the yolks are still runny. Transfer the eggs to the bowl of greens.

Cut the eggs open with your fork so the yolks blend with the oil. Add a sprinkle of hot sauce if desired. Yield: 1 serving

Total Recall Smoothie

1 cup frozen blueberries
3/4 cooled green tea or water
1/2 cup frozen mango, papaya or fresh pear
1/2 cup broccoli stems, chopped
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon raw honey

Moody Blues Smoothie

2 cups spinach
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1 cup soy or almond milk
1/2 cup banana, chopped
2 tablespoons hemp seeds
1 tablespoon almond butter

Got the Beet Smoothie

1 ripe pear
1 small beet, chopped
1 cup beet greens
1 carrot chopped
1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
1 cup cooled green tea or water
1/2 cup ice cubes (optional)

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