I’m not exactly ‘on it’ when it comes to eating breakfast. Sadly, most of the time I make coffee and devour a protein bar as I’m on my way out the door. It’s sort of sad and definitely not the best way to start my day. Like, at all. Recently Planet Rice offered to send over some of their sprouted rice for me to test drive, so I reached out to Claire for a breakfast recipe that will help me be healthier. She knows I’m a busy lady, so she willed up a breakfast that I can make ahead of time and simply assemble as needed. Meet your new go-to breakfast: cilantro pesto with sprouted rice pilaf, topped with a perfectly fried egg!
Cilantro pesto (prep time: 20 minutes, active time: 30 minutes)
Ingredients
- 2 bunches of fresh cilantro
- 1 bunch of flat leaf parsley
- 6 – 8 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 heaping teaspoon salt, more to taste, if needed
- 1/3 to 1/2 cup olive oil, depending how thick or thin you prefer
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Directions
Trim 1″ of stems off of the bunches of cilantro. Remove any dead leaves or remaining tough stems. Fill a big bowl with cold water, place cleaned cilantro bunches into a big bowl and submerge. Do the same thing to the bunch of parsley, removing dead leaves and long bits of stem, keeping mostly leaves, but include some of the most tender stems. There is a lot of flavor in those stems, so don’t toss them all! Add the cleaned parsley to your bowl of water and leave it at room temp for about 20-30 minutes.
Remove handfuls of soaked herbs, shake excess water into sink and dry slightly with a clean dish towel. Place the herbs into a food processor or blender, add the garlic, salt, oil and lemon juice. Blend until all ingredients come together to make a bright-green paste. Scrape the pesto into a clean airtight container, pour a little olive oil over the surface of the pesto to keep it from drying out, and store in the fridge for up to two weeks.
Sprouted rice pilaf (Prep time: 45 minutes including cook time)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 large or two small shallots, chopped well
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 cups chicken, beef or vegetable broth
- 1 bag of Planet Rice sprouted rice
Directions
Heat oil in a large skillet, at medium high heat. Add the chopped shallots and cook, regulating the heat to avoid burning them, until they are soft and a slightly golden brown. Add the rice to the pot and continue to cook, stirring and move mixture around, toasting the rice and allowing the shallot to brown more, for about 5-7 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.
Meanwhile, bring the broth to a boil in a 2-quart pot. Add salt and pour in the toasted rice mixture. Reduce the heat to low, give the rice a stir and cover the pot. Set a timer for 35-40 minutes. Once the rice is done, remove the pot from the heat, fluff with a fork and set it aside while you cook the egg. (If you have a rice cooker, go ahead and use that instead of the stovetop method.)
Crispy fried eggs (Prep time: 5-7 minutes)
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon coconut oil
- eggs, up to four
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Heat oil at medium-high heat in a 7-inch sauté pan. Once the oil is hot (but not smoking) carefully crack the egg and drop it into the pan, sprinkle it with pepper and let cook for 45 second to 1 minute, until it begins to bubble and brown at edges. Put a lid on the egg and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.
Place a scoop of the cooked rice on a plate, top with the fried egg, and add a generous dollop of the cilantro pesto. Enjoy!
recipe developed by Claire McAleese. photography and styling by Jojotastic.
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