There is one thing that excites me about getting up early and it is this: I can eat breakfast sooner. Specifically, my go-to breakfast that also happens to be one of my all time favorites.
Ladies and gentlemen, introducing the butternut squash-adilla. I have called it a quesadilla my whole life but it does not, in fact, include cheese, and my husband is always getting on my case for my incorrect use of the “quesa” half of “quesadilla.” Despite being in a firm believer in cheese, I leave it off my squash-adillas because small amounts of cheese aren’t noticed beneath the creaminess of the squash and I can’t eat large amounts of cheese every day for breakfast. This squash-adilla is so tasty it doesn’t even need cheese, plus who doesn’t want to eat quesadillas for breakfast?
This recipe is insanely simple. Four ingredients? Check. Five minutes of prep work? Check. Ten minutes of cooking time? Check.
And it’s warm. Outside is cold; the food going in your belly shouldn’t be cold too.
My favorite salsas are always the sweet and spicy ones. Mango Habanero, pineapple jalapeno, peach–I can’t get enough. Really, any salsa will do. That pop of spicy flavor is mm-mm-good. I grew up in New Mexico where the state question is “red or green?” referring to what kind of chili people want on their food. That is how New Mexicans eat their chili–on everything from waffles to ice cream to hamburgers. When I moved to Malaysia, some Americans introduced me to Thai green chili and warned me that it was extremely spicy. Hah. I could never take Westerners and their chili seriously after that.
Recently I’ve been watching the Food Network show Worst Cooks in America, and while I like to think I’m a better cook than the worst cooks in America, I am learning from it. One great reminder from yesterday’s episode: There is an art to making a sandwich. Every bite must be the same.
The same is true for a squash-adilla. Every bite must ooze with salsa and butternut squash–no bite may go empty. The longer you cook your butternut squash, the softer it will become. The softer it is, the easier it will be to spread. Spread your squash evenly and thickly, but focus on striking the balance between generous and uncontrollably messy. This is supposed to be a quick meal you can eat with your hands and go.
While you are prepping your tortillas, get your pan heating up to fry your eggs. Hot pan = yummy eggs. Once those eggs are fried up, leave your pan on so it’s ready for your squash-adillas. Fold those babies up and turn them top side-down in the pan so the salsa and the weight of the squash holds them closed. Once they’re golden brown and piping hot, you’re ready to go. Squash = fiber and potassium, whole wheat tortilla = more fiber, fried egg = protein, salsa = vitamin C and antioxidants. Not bad for a four ingredient breakfast, right? You can eat these for breakfast every day and due to the lack of cheese they will never catch up with you. Winning.
Four Ingredient Breakfast Butternut Squash-adillas
Serves 1. Prep time: 5 minutes. Cook time: 10 minutes.
Ingredients:
- 2 small whole wheat tortillas
- 1/4 cup salsa
- 1 cup mashed butternut squash
- 2 eggs
Instructions:
- Heat pan on stove to medium-high. Begin preparing your squash-adillas by laying tortillas out on a flat surface. Spread the salsa on the inside of one half of both tortillas.
- On top of the salsa, layer the butternut squash evenly on the inside of half of both tortillas.
- Crack egg into pan and let cook until the whites on the top side are cooked through. Flip over for harder yoke.
- Place eggs inside squash-adilla on top of butternut squash and fold both tortillas in half. Place upside-down in pan and cook 3 minutes until golden brown. Flip and repeat on the other side.
- Serve hot and enjoy!