Taking a skip down memory lane, here is an excerpt from Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss, a familiar childhood classic:

…I do not like
green eggs
and ham!

I do not like them,
Sam-I-am.

You do not like them.
So you say.
Try them! Try them!
And you may.
Try them and you may, I say.

Sam!
If you will let me be,
I will try them.
You will see.

Say!
I like green eggs and ham!
I do! I like them, Sam-I-am!
And I would eat them in a boat.
And I would eat them with a goat…

And I will eat them in the rain.
And in the dark. And on a train.
And in a car. And in a tree.
They are so good, so good, you see!

So I will eat them in a box.
And I will eat them with a fox.
And I will eat them in a house.
And I will eat them with a mouse.
And I will eat them here and there.
Say! I will eat them ANYWHERE!

I do so like
green eggs and ham!
Thank you!
Thank you,
Sam-I-am!

As Sam had a change in heart over eating green eggs and ham, perhaps there is a chance that you might even like my version of this seemingly grotesque concoction. And thanks to the polling results, scrambled eggs and eggs over easy were popular choices, which inspired me to create two variations of green eggs and ham. I will say this, though – I don’t turn the eggs and ham green like some other recipes I have seen. I try to avoid food coloring when possible, and to make the dish remotely appetizing, these are my interpretations of what a fun children’s book breakfast should be.

Rules will be rules, and I had to use some form of green in the dish. And what better green sauce to use than pesto (okay, you might get me with guacamole)? I used a spinach pesto to top the eggs and ham in my recipes, adapted from Giada De Laurentiis’ version, but I just made it with less Parmesan. Spinach typically goes well with eggs, but if you generally don’t like pesto sauce, a sauteed spinach topping would do the trick as well; it would just lack the gooey green sauce effect I was going after.

Green Eggs and Ham Recipe #1

Preparation Time: 25 minutes
Serves 2

Ingredients

• 8 ounce ham steak, diced into small bite size cubes
• 5 large eggs, beaten
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil, divided
• 4 slices wheat or white bread, for toasting
• 2 tablespoons spinach and pine nut pesto (note: I’d recommend using 1/4 cup Parmesan instead of 1/3 cup)

Preparation

1. Prepare pesto and set aside.
2. Heat skillet with 1 teaspoon oil on medium-high. Add diced ham cubes and heat through until lightly browned and crisp.
3. In the same skillet with ham, reduce heat to medium and add in remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Pour in beaten eggs and gently stir until desired level of firmness.
4. Serve immediately with toast and top with a tablespoon of pesto sauce.

Tools

• Food processor for pesto sauce
• Toaster
• Chef knife and cutting board
• Small mixing bowl
• Large skillet
• Wooden spoon or spatula

Green Eggs and Ham Recipe #2

Preparation Time: 25 minutes
Serves 2

Ingredients

• 2-4 slices Canadian bacon
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil, divided
• 2 slices wheat or white bread, for toasting
• 2 tablespoons spinach and pine nut pesto (note: I’d recommend using 1/4 cup Parmesan instead of 1/3 cup)

Preparation

1. Prepare pesto and set aside.
2. Heat skillet with 1 teaspoon oil on medium-high. Add Canadian bacon slices and heat through until lightly browned. Be careful with this type of meat, though – it will get too dry if you overheat it because it’s leaner. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
3. In the same skillet, reduce heat to medium and add 1 tablespoon of oil divided in half on opposites sides of the skillet. Crack each egg over the oil spots in the skillet and let it cook until whites are set and opaque. Flip each egg over with a spatula (or just the pan itself if you’re savvy) for about 10-15 seconds.
4. Serve immediately with toast and top with a tablespoon of pesto sauce.

Tools

• Food processor for pesto sauce
• Toaster
• Large skillet
• Spatula

Selina’s Notes

• If you decide to use sauteed spinach instead of pesto sauce, I recommend sprinkling a handful of Swiss or Gruyere cheese when the scrambled eggs are almost done, or on top of eggs over easy
• If time is an enemy, store-bought basil pesto sauce may work fine
• These recipes were not meant to be entirely too precise; just have fun with it!

Perhaps, as Sam did, you will eat them in the rain, on the train, on a boat, or with a goat? Maybe not, but I hope you enjoyed the little flash back and will make green eggs and ham for the sake of being silly and creative. If you have another varation, please do share.

While I am pretty adaptable in terms of what I eat in the morning, I generally stick to my staples – cereal, oatmeal, yogurt, fruit, eggs, pancakes, toast, and the list is pretty long. In the toast category, I especially love English muffins. These muffins are so versatile and can be enjoyed toasted with plain butter. Craving a little sweet? Spread some jam on top of the butter. In the mood for savory? Make it an egg and cheese sandwich, or even top it off with a breakfast meat if that suits your taste. Make the muffin quasi Italian by broiling it with tomato sauce and cheese. The possibilities are endless.

The Works: I made this up, but it is my definition of good flavors combined (shown above). Even if all these ingredients aren’t available, there are easy substitutes to use. The first component of The Works is almond butter. Now, if you haven’t tried almond butter yet, you are in for a treat. Peanut butter fans will naturally have a liking for their family relative, almond butter. It is a little less sweet, yet has the same great nutty flavor that is comforting and rich. Plus, almonds are one of the healthiest nuts around. The second component is the banana. Any nut butter and bananas are so complimentary, almost as good as the famous PB&J duo. And lastly, to top it off with some extra sweetness, honey is the natural super star.

Having an English muffin with The Works is an easy to way spruce up this ever so popular breakfast favorite, and it will definitely keep you energized throughout your morning.

English Muffin With “The Works” Recipe

Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Serves 1

Ingredients

• 1 whole wheat or honey oat English muffin, split in two (some say using a fork gives the best nooks and crannies)
• 2 tablespoons crunchy unsalted almond butter
• 1/2 banana, sliced (just eat the other half later!)
• 1-2 teaspoons clover honey for drizzling

Tools

• Toaster
• Butter knife

Preparation

1. Place muffin halves in toaster and toast on a medium setting.
2. While muffin toasts, slice banana into thin quarter inch pieces with the butter knife.
3. Spread 1 tablespoon of almond butter on each muffin half, followed by banana slices and finally the drizzled honey. Serve immediately with a cold glass of milk.

Selina’s Notes

• Almond butter can be substituted with natural peanut butter (none of that Jif stuff with hydrogenated oils – choosy Selina does not choose Jif!). Almond butter is typically more expensive than regular peanut butter, but it’s well worth the splurge!
• Bananas can be substituted with apples or raisins. If no fruit is available, The Works sans fruit is still delicious.

In the spirit of Independence Day (and being back in Chicago this weekend), I am celebrating with berry-licious pancakes, featuring fresh and juicy strawberries and blueberries I could not resist:

Chicago is a city that is in love with breakfast/brunch, more so than where I grew up. Hot brunch spots are super creative with their breakfast concoctions. Pancakes are also serious business here. While there are more pancake varieties than I can keep track of, I made a very simple version that is highlighted with red and blue compotes. I also cranked up the nutrition value by using whole wheat flour, which tastes nuttier and heartier, leaving you nicely satiated.

Red, White, and Blue Pancake Recipe

Preparation Time: 25 minutes
Serves 2-4 (yields 6 pancakes)

Ingredients

For the compotes:

• 1 cup strawberries, hulled and quartered (about 6 medium size strawberries; frozen OK)
• 2 tablespoons water
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  *
• 1 cup blueberries (frozen OK)
• 2 tablespoons water
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar

For the pancakes:

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup milk (1% or 2%)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided into ½ tablespoons
• 1 teaspoon confectioners’ sugar for dusting, optional

Tools

• 2 small saucepans
• 1 large mixing bowl
• 1 whisk
• Measuring cups and spoons (I’ll admit, sometimes I like to eyeball)
• Griddle pan or large skillet
• Spatula for flipping
• Aluminum foil

Preparation

1. Combine the three ingredients for each compote in two different saucepans. Separately simmer each for 10-15 minutes until sauce is reduced and thickened. Stir every few minutes. Let it stand and cool until pancakes are ready to serve.
2. While the fruit simmers, gently whisk together the first seven pancake ingredients. Be careful not to over mix! Small lumps are fine. Let it stand for 2-3 minutes.
3. While the pancake batter sits, heat a griddle pan or skillet to medium heat. For each pancake, melt ½ tablespoon butter, and pour ¼ cup batter (using a ¼ measuring cup) onto pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side until lightly golden brown. Hint: you’ll know when the first side is ready to flip when small bubbles form on top.
4. Repeat step 3 until all six pancakes are cooked. To keep pancakes warm, cover serving plate with a sheet of aluminum foil. Serve immediately with warm strawberry and blueberry compotes. Dust with confectioners’ sugar if desired.

Selina’s Notes

• If you don’t have a powdered sugar shaker, have no fear. You can use a fine mesh colander or small strainer. In reality, I didn’t have either of those, so I used the strainer from my tea pot. If all else fails, use whipped cream!
• Many varieties of fruit can be used for the compotes, especially berries and stone fruit – peaches, mangoes, raspberries, cherries, plums, etc.