Post #2: Oh no! The eggplant is burning! Quick, throw some wine on it!

I L-O-V-E Breakfast.

I mean... loovvee breakfast. THIS is what I eat for breakfast. No toast. No eggs. No bacon. No goetta.

That's not to say I'm opposed to said-listed-ingredients. However, this is my new wheat and dairy free alternative. Every time I think about waking up from slumber and slowly working myself to the kitchen. I think of the aromas, the fresh start, and my body saying, "ahh...!" when I'm done with my tasty portion---mind you, my body did say that once I took out diary and wheat in my diet completely. Who can refuse that wonderful sensation after a great rest, a bad day, or even a special night with your loved one. This is sometimes a beautiful end and a beautiful beginning. :sniff: Makes me even feel nostalgic. I digress...

So I've dabbled with the idea that perhaps Christina Pirello was right. I firmly believe it is better to start the day with a nutrient-packed, vegetable-focused meal. Thus, I have been trying and trying to "Build a Better Breakfast." And of course on top of my regular exercise regimen,

you can only imagine how picky I have become about food and the quality of food that I put into this power-house fuel burner of mine. Here's what I did to accomplish this wonderful Shrimp and Vegetable medley:

1) I picked my vegetables. Green beans were about to spoil (shame, shame, shame..) and there were some cut eggplant, yellow zucchini and green zucchini left-over in the fridge.

2) I decided on the best way to cook these. First blanch the green beans. Then we will toss everything else in oil.

3) Then I decided what would make this taste good. Olive oil. Check. Shallots. Check + a smile. Sundried Tomatoes in marinated olive oil brine. Check + even bigger smile. Shrimp--of course! You can never go wrong with low-calorie, healthy seafood in this approach. And of course, don't forget your good-quality salt and pepper for this dish.

***Now I will note here...using Shallots as a tasty alternative to onions has been quite a fantastic choice I recently made. Wherever you have onion...Shallots are a great substitute if you're willing to cut up those tiny little buggers.

4) Throwing these ingredients together is quite simple. However, every time I try to convince my lovely friends that cooking is simple. They always tell me that process is always tricky for them. Usually in my head before I start to throw this together. I plan on what vegetable will take the longest. For this dish, I did this order: eggplant, green beans, zucchini. Then, to really get started, I had to develop the flavors early in my oil that I was going to cook with. This is where the shallots, sundried tomatoes and other seasoning begins.

That is not to say that I don't make my own mistakes. So here is my kicker bonus step #5.
5) In the event that you find yourself forgetting about your previous and fragile vegetables and you kind of burn some of the shallots + eggplant--oops! No worries. Just throw your favorite white wine (shrimp loves white wine) or even alcoholic substance of your choice (sounds delinquent, I know). This will save your dish when you take that wine, reduce it, and de-glaze your pan. Now remember, if 100% of your food has turned black, there's no going back!

And there we have it! Viola!

Build a better breakfast. For your you. For your body. For your health.