Summer Oddity: Freakshow Breakfast Salad

July 21, 2014


I have no idea what’s going on with me, but I’m doing it again. The Freakshow Breakfast. I mean, on a regular day I’m a breakfast oddity–I don’t like breakfast food. I just don’t. My breakfast is usually leftover hot and sour soup, or cold pizza, or half a turkey sandwich with mustard, tomato and pickles.  This practice makes my husband gag.

This summer, I’m eating weirder things than ever.  It’s a puzzlement.

I could blame it on my lack of a sweet tooth, but then again, people eat perfectly normal savory breakfast items (eg: eggs, sausage) all the time. I can’t stomach eggs or sausage in the morning. Lunch or dinner? Great. But not for the morning nosh. I can eat bacon in the a.m., but let’s face it, I could eat bacon any time, any day.

 

Whatever the reason, my breakfast of champions right now is…salad.  That is a nutjob thing to crave in the morning, is it not? But here I am, munching on a bowl of garden goodies right along with Peanut Butter (our resident garden rabbit) and friends in the back yard.  It’s pretty refreshing and quite satisfying, actually. And I have to admit, my skin looks a lot better after a few weeks of breakfast salads.  My husband’s gagging louder than ever in the morning, but he and his cereal can stuff it. Breakfast salad is what I want to eat, and I’m eatin’ it.

The only downside to breakfast salad is that it takes organization. At least for me it does, because I don’t really feel like chopping and dicing a bunch of different things when the sun is rising.  If you’re perky enough in the morning to do that, hat’s off to you. Go for it. I, however, am moving a leeetle slow in the morning, so if I want breakfast salad, preparation is key.

My refrigerator contains a truckload of Tupperware containers, each with a different treat inside: sliced cucumbers, washed lettuce, fresh corn kernels, shredded carrot, chopped snap pea, slivered bell pepper. Those containers await me in the morning, and it makes me happy to just open a few lids, pluck out what I need, and call it done.

The two exceptions here are the tomato and the avocado. I don’t really like leftover tomatoes, and I think we all know what happens to pre-diced avocado. Brown Town. Ewww.

Sometimes I’ll add bacon bits (another Tupperware affair) or sliced rotisserie chicken, if I’m really hungry.  If homemade croutons are around, I may sneak a few of those in.  Sunflower seeds? Yes, please. They add a lovely little crunch (I’ve used chopped pistachios in there, too, and I recommend it).

Besides the fact that I’m eating a freaking salad for breakfast, I bring more of the strange with my choice of salad dressing. I don’t use any.  Instead, I top my bowl of garden yummies with a hearty scoopful of cottage cheese.

I know.

But it’s good! Cottage cheese has protein and calcium and honestly, cottage cheese is a little pissed off about having to hang out with fruit all the time. Diversify, readers!

Top the whole affair with cracked black pepper and some nice sea salt,  and it’s heaven.  At least for me. Salad: It’s not just for lunch anymore.

If you’re brave and decide to try it, let me know how it goes, and who you repulse by doing so.  And if you have a trademark weirdo breakfast, make me feel better by sharing it, would you?  I hate to think I’m the only goofball out there.

TKW’s Breakfast Salad*

serves 1 morning weirdo

Lettuce, washed and torn

Cucumber, seeded and diced

Fresh corn, husked and sliced off the cob

Snap peas, sliced

Red or orange bell pepper, sliced

Tomato, diced

Avocado (I use 1/4 to 1/2 per salad, depending on how hungry I am), diced

Optional: bacon bits, sliced rotisserie chicken, sliced hard-cooked egg, sunflower seeds, chopped nuts

1/2 cup cottage cheese (I use 2%)

cracked black pepper and sea salt (kosher salt is good, too)

Toss vegetables in a large bowl or layer on a plate.  Top with nuts, if using, the cottage cheese, the pepper and the salt.  Devour.

*Obviously, this is a seasonal and imprecise recipe. You can use any veggies you like, really. This is just my “code salad.”

{ 20 comments… read them below or add one }

Shannon July 21, 2014 at 9:46 am

I appreciate your morning dedication. Cereal and coffee is about all I can muster in the morning. Actually, cereal makes an occasional dinner appearance here as well.

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Jamie July 21, 2014 at 10:01 am

Um, sushi. Yep, that’s real. When I am hungover in the morning (obvi not an every day occurrence, but I am in my 20s!) all I want is raw tuna. Only thing in the world that sounds appealing.

Rock on, weird salad lady ;)

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Pamela July 21, 2014 at 10:42 am

Looks delicious!!

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Lisa @ The Meaning of Me July 21, 2014 at 11:42 am

OK, we could be sisters from another mother on this one – I hate breakfast food for breakfast. The closest I can get is brunch and then it had better be after about 11AM. I often grab things like leftover pasta for breakfast (nothing like cold spaghetti…) or yes, often a salad. Kind of makes me feel good starting the day that way and if I mess up later…no biggie. My Hub would rather eat a bowl of cereal than anything – I can’t stand the stuff.
Dressing- we quit buying bottled stuff a few years ago so I make all of ours now. If none on hand, I will use either a little olive oil and some lemon squeezed over (my Grandmother did it always) or some plain Greek yogurt. Works for me and it’s easy.
And you’re totally right – bacon any time of the day because…bacon.

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Dana Talusani July 22, 2014 at 8:29 am

Lisa,

I hate cereal too! True sisters!

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Erica July 21, 2014 at 1:29 pm

I could do breakfast all day long. Now I love salads. I just hate making them. I think I lack the creativity. Plus they always taste better when someone else makes them. ;)

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Dana Talusani July 23, 2014 at 6:24 pm

Erica,

That is totally true–things are always best when someone else makes them. Case in point: I will never make a BLT as delicious as the one Mama makes for me.

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Alison July 22, 2014 at 12:30 am

You are a loveable freak. :)
And your salad looks awesome.

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Virginia July 22, 2014 at 5:27 am

I am such a traditional breakfast food person. A salad in the morning is something my first cup of coffee only brain can not wrap around. ;)

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Kel July 22, 2014 at 7:00 am

I eat whatever, whenever. Breakfast for dinner, leftovers for breakfast, it’s all good. Maybe that stems from my stint of working nights? Not sure.

I like the salad idea – I need a bit of protein, so I’d probably add some chopped boiled egg to it and lose the cottage cheese. I’m one of those weird ass freaks who has sensory processing problems, so textures like cottage cheese send me gagging.

But the rest of it? I’m there.

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Dana Talusani July 22, 2014 at 8:30 am

Kel,

My husband is the same with cottage cheese. It just freaks him out!

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Tinne from Tantrums and Tomatoes July 22, 2014 at 2:06 pm

But this is super healthy! So what if you have it for breakfast…

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Kate July 22, 2014 at 8:03 pm

Not for breakfast – yet – but at lunch if I have corn and/orbeans to add to salad, I’ll use salsa in place of dressing. And my Grandma brought her own yogurt (homemade and yummy sour) to restaurants to use instead of dressing. You could also find a baked potato in her purse often.

I’ll eat most anything at breakfast. And my littlest loves cold pasta with marinara sauce.

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Dana Talusani July 23, 2014 at 6:25 pm

Kate,

Must. Know. More. re: potato in purse. :)

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Rudri Bhatt Patel @ Being Rudri July 23, 2014 at 9:10 am

Salad for breakfast, Kitch? You are a rock star. I fumble around just to get that morning coffee going. I stick to a bowl of yogurt and granola, but for lunchtime, this salad would definitely be on my list.

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Dana Talusani July 23, 2014 at 6:27 pm

Rudri,

Well, if I had my druthers, I’d eat masala dosa for breakfast every day. Oh wait. If I did that, my ass would look like Alabama. xoxo

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michelle July 23, 2014 at 4:56 pm

OMG i have never enjoyed cottage cheese and this summer for some reason i just cant get enough! Last night i had tuscan tuna salad and a heap of cottage cheese (4% of course) and a super spice sour pickle and watched pretty little liars on netflix

heaven

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Dana Talusani July 23, 2014 at 6:28 pm

michelle,

When are you coming over? Cottage cheese and pickle and tawdry show lover/ Get thee over here!

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Sherri July 25, 2014 at 5:04 am

Same here – not a breakfast food person. I’m diggin’ the salad idea.

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Tiffany August 5, 2014 at 4:51 pm

I love cottage cheese on salad!! And eat whatever sounds good for breakfast you crazy thing!

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