I have been in love with breakfast before the health industry beat to death the breaking news that 'eating breakfast is healthy'. I know I am not a pioneer in this, and that there are many of you who, like me, think about breakfast as you're falling asleep the night before. You pour into your favorite coffee mug, the one you always use, despite the many you have to choose from. You are partial to a smoothie with either a straw OR spoon and know the tipping point where scrambled eggs go from perfect to overcooked. It is worth waking up early to experience the charm that is breakfast.
Some of my best, most heartfelt conversations are at breakfast time. It’s before you brain becomes trafficked with the to-do lists and clutter of the day. The comfort found in a warm beverage breeds shared thoughts with good company. Though my efficient, productive self tends to be in motion first thing, my dream world would always start off with a nice breakfast. I don’t like them to be laborious, or involving a plethora of ingredients, which is why this panini is ideal. Just enough flavor, minimal effort. I humbly admit that my panini skills are one of the reasons Hugh fell in love with me. So here’s to my favorite person to spend breakfast with <3
BREAKFAST PANINI // Makes 2
If you don’t have a panini press or grill pan, you can use a saucepan and wrap something heavy in foil, to use as a weight to press down on the sandwich.
4 Slices Whole Grain Bread
½ Cup Fresh Spinach Leaves
2 Scallions, Chopped
3 Eggs, 2 Egg Whites
2 tbsp. Milk
½ tsp. Garlic Salt
Cooking Spray
Spread:
1/2 Cup Goat Cheese
1 tbsp. Grainy/Dijon Mustard*
3 tbsp. Basil, Chopped (any green herb of choice will work)
1 tsp. Milk
1 tsp. Lemon Pepper
1. Heat a nonstick skillet to medium heat. Combine eggs and egg whites in a bowl, add milk and garlic salt and whisk them until well combined and frothy. Spray the pan.
2. Add the scallions to the eggs and pour them into the pan. Let them cook about 2 minutes with the lid on, lift up on the edges with a spatula and let the liquid egg drain beneath, cook another minute. You are trying to make a rectangle of this egg mix, like an omelette.
3. When it begins to set, fold over both edges towards the middle and flip it over, cover the eggs and turn off the heat.
4. In the meantime, add the spread ingredients to a bowl and combine with a fork.
5. Toast your bread slices on the panini or grill pan for a minute for a very slight toast. Evenly spread a generous tbsp. on each slice of bread. Divide the spinach leaves on two slices. Cut the egg rectangle in half so you have two squares, and put one half on the spinach leaves. Press the other slice of bread on top of the sandwich goodies.
6. Heat your panini press/ grill pan, rub a lil olive oil on the outside of the bread and sprinkle with salt, put in the panini and warm through for about 6 to 8 minutes. If you are using a grill pan, flip the panini half way through.
*Dijon has more of a ‘mustard’ flavor while the ‘whole grain’ is more delicate. Hugh prefers the delicate, I think it would have been better with Dijon, but that’s you’re call.